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Video of the Day: Brooklyn Trolleys
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jul 13, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Jul 13, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Watching the Brooklyn Dodgers documentary on HBO made us dig for some more footage on YouTube. The team had many nicknames, one being the Trolley Dodgers, and their fans were often dependent on the trolley system to get to the games. The above film shows a Brooklyn trolley at 5th Avenue and Flatbush, 5th Avenue and Bergen Street and finally 5th Avenue and 9th Street, with some great shots of the people and area at the time. One commenter on the video points out that at the 2:30 mark the Avon Theater is shown (which in that day would show double features and cartoons for "25 cent a pop").
Though the YouTube description says the video is from the 1930s, commenters were quick to point out that the film was shot around 1948. "The element that dates it is the twin trolley wire on Bergen Street at 5th Avenue. 1948 was the year trolleys were replaced on Bergen with electric buses which required a hot wire and a ground wire. Streetcars used the track as the ground return. Trolley buses lasted on Bergen until about 1960. Fifth Avenue had an elevated train line until 1941 which precludes the 1930's date as does the clothing on the people." More on Trolleys in Brooklyn here and here.
Tagged
Bergen Street
brooklyn
brooklyn dodgers
commenters
dodgers
fifth avenue
film
games
HBO
history
people
theater
train
video
videos
youtube
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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