The Rooftops of Brooklyn

What do you see from your rooftop? Chances are, if you have lived in Brooklyn at any point in the last century, you have spent at least some time on the roof of your building. I have many fond memories of climbing through my window and scaling my fire escape to get to the sunlight and calm of my roof. The rooftops give you space to breathe, and at least the illusion of solitude. Most of the time I am completely alone – a rare and amazing feeling to have in the city – but I also sometimes see people on other rooftops sunbathing, or sitting with a friend, or barbequing, or doing yoga, or simply staring into the distance at a landscape and a city that you can’t see from the street. The rooftops are another layer of the city that only city people can truly appreciate.

The images above have dates spanning from the 1880s to the 1970s, and they give you an idea of how integral rooftops have always been to Brooklyn life and culture. I would even go so far as to say that you haven’t truly experienced Brooklyn until you’ve been to a rooftop barbeque, or visited a rooftop farm, or just gone to your roof to sit for a while.

Interested in seeing more photos from BHS’s collection? Visit our online image gallery, which includes a selection of our images. Interested in seeing even more historic Brooklyn images? Visit our new website here.  To search BHS’s entire collection of images, archives, maps, and special collections visit BHS’s Othmer Library Wed-Sat, 1:00-5:00 p.m.

Author: Halley Choiniere