Blue, green, rust

The Red Hook streetcars, in colour this time.

By the sea

Spotted through an open door while walking along a pier at Red Hook. Not something you see everyday in New York!

Streetcars

While out on the waterfront at Red Hook I found some mysterious streetcars that seem to be abandoned next to an open-air cafe. Since they're exposed to the elements and easily accessible they've been pretty thoroughly vandalised, but they still retain a kind of mournful grandeur.

Service suspended

Number 7 

Interior

I initially thought they were remnants of a lost age of New York, but according to a page at Forgotten New York (which is a mine of interesting information about "hidden in plain sight" landmarks of New York), they're part of an attempt a couple of years back to bring streetcars back to Brooklyn. Mystery solved!

Red Hook

Since the expedition to the Gowanus Canal a few months ago I've been on the look out for  similar places to go, and a visit to the Ikea store in Brooklyn awakened my interest in Red Hook. I've always been drawn to the Red Hook (the name helps of course), and on a subway map it always looks vast and remote. It turns out that it's not really that hard to get to, in fact it's right next to the canal! Walking along the deserted waterfront I took a couple of photos of the landscape.

Black swan 

A swan and some unidentified and abandoned industrial structure, so it's pretty much another post-industrial landscape. Looking at this again I should have taken this from lower to get more of the two interesting things in the picture and less intervening water, but you learn some things with practice. And the swan wasn't staying still, either. (Update: this is probably a goose, not a swan.)

Idle cranes

These looked like they haven't been used for quite a while, and since this is right next to the Ikea store, I hardly imagine they see a lot of traffic.

If you look carefully you'll find something hidden in this photo!