Courthouse
06/16/04
Step inside?
This former courthouse in the Bronx was abandoned in the 1970s. More at LTV.
12:04 AM | Comments (40) | TrackBack (1)
Comments
That fighter nailing the biplane is the most creative graffiti I've seen in a while.
What's that light source in 20040616-brick-wall.jpg?
Posted by: Jim at June 16, 2004 01:59 AM
It's some sort of construction-light-bulb-on-a-string. There were a few in the basement, but most of it was pitch black, requiring flash like a bad website with no "Skip Intro" button.
Posted by: Mike at June 16, 2004 04:23 AM
Impressive. Nice iridescent light in 20040616-stairs.jpg.
Is the place squatted?
Posted by: Izys at June 16, 2004 09:01 AM
man, they need to renovate that building or turn it into a museum or something. it's too nice to just let it sit there.
Posted by: tien at June 16, 2004 10:49 AM
Breathtaking. Spent a good chunk of my life in the Bronx and I didn't notice this building.
Posted by: Paul at June 16, 2004 12:57 PM
Your photos make my stomach hurt and my insides yearn for the wonder that is NYC...Cheers!
Posted by: McMonkey at June 16, 2004 01:33 PM
ah man, this is so great
Posted by: Andy at June 16, 2004 02:09 PM
How on earth did you get in there? These photos are excellent. I like the old signs.
Posted by: Amy at June 16, 2004 02:16 PM
McMonkey, here's a list of a lot of blogs with New York City photos:
http://www.photoblogs.org/search/?keyword=new%20york%20city
Posted by: Frank at June 16, 2004 02:47 PM
Alright Mike..thats it! I am moving to NYC!! There is way more cooler stuff in NYC, and more interesting people. :-)
Posted by: Chris at June 16, 2004 04:15 PM
Thanks Frank! I'm currently suffering from NYC-withdrawal symptoms after having spent the last week and a half there (currently in Indiana) and shooting over 400 pictures of my own...sigh.
Posted by: McMonkey at June 16, 2004 04:25 PM
McMonkey, glad you find that list useful. Unfortunately the way photoblogs.org is set up, you need to already know a specific key word list is there, and a blog profile you can use to access it. (There's no list of all the keyword links.)
Posted by: Frank at June 16, 2004 05:03 PM
What a contrast-- I spent the day in Tweed. Talk about inequity.
Posted by: corie at June 16, 2004 08:03 PM
Because of a few things - mostly because it's a Landmark - development potentials are limited. The plan's eventually to turn it into a community center once the neightborhood gets more developed (the surrounding neighborhood is still pretty 80s-era Bronx).
And, of course, you never tell how you got in ;)
Posted by: Moe at June 16, 2004 08:10 PM
No evidence of recent squatters, surprisingly enough. Maybe they all died of asbestos poisoning.
Posted by: Mike at June 17, 2004 01:00 AM
Your ears must have been ringing, Mike. I happen to be at the courthouse the night before taking some shots. I wasn't too thrilled with the results so I hesitated to post...Your shots are amazing... and how did you get in. I backposted to yesterday.
Posted by: Ixtayul at June 17, 2004 01:56 PM
What a grand old building.
Posted by: chris at June 18, 2004 03:40 PM
very fantastic pictures!
Posted by: carlos at June 19, 2004 08:49 AM
OMIGOD! My father worked in this building when I was like five, maybe? I remember going to work with him one day and thinking he worked in the most important building in the world. It's still amazing.
Thanks for the snaps... TN :>)
Posted by: Tim N. at June 20, 2004 10:38 AM
I see now what I miss by being out of touch with you. It's a shame indeed when you're still foraying out into amazing territory. The courthouse is magnificent. How laconic and staid you are really belies the intrepid explorer within.
Posted by: Steve at June 24, 2004 10:32 PM
woah! check out that DONDI tag under the airplane very dope!
Posted by: from bklyn at June 30, 2004 01:00 AM
Mike,
Nice stuff hope do to similar in south Africa
greetings and farewell
Posted by: hans at July 1, 2004 10:25 AM
The raion in spain falls on the plane
Posted by: dirk at March 2, 2005 04:25 AM
Is that South Bronx? (shudders)
Posted by: Justin at September 8, 2005 12:43 AM
anyone have any info on the lions head and who made it
Posted by: micky at October 4, 2005 05:15 PM
cheers man...makes me want to ditch Philly (which I surprisingly love...) nice work!
Posted by: spike at January 28, 2006 12:31 PM
God! How I miss New York! Looking at your photos brings back so much. Great job. Keep up the good work!
Posted by: Redskin at December 21, 2006 08:29 PM
WOW,Saw your web-site today for the first time.Great pictures of the court house in my old neighborhood. The court house is the Bronx Pre-arraignment court house on 156th street and 3rd Ave. I also like you, have pictures of the area to share with anyone who is interested in the Bronx, c1979. Also, while there photo-graghing in the court house. I found lots of interesting papers,sub-peonas, judge's minutes etc.....Contact eddie @ rumordeguerra@aol.com
Posted by: Eddie Montalvo at July 28, 2007 11:15 PM
Wow! These photos are priceless man! Great shots!
Posted by: Mike at October 8, 2007 02:32 AM
i have been searching all over for pix of this court i grew up on 161 street now i live on 158 st the view of the court is my ocean view i love the Bronx thanx for your site loved it
Posted by: victor at September 13, 2009 04:54 PM
WOW THOS WERE THE GOOD OLD DAYS
Posted by: EDDIE ALONZO at November 29, 2009 05:05 PM
I worked the Court house for a number of years as a Court Officer, even then that building was amazing, it had hidden jail cells where civl war prisoners were kept !! and the mayors, of the early years ,of the buiding kept his spies, stool pigens, there is a lot of history there, and someone has to keep it going !!
Posted by: JOE S at September 14, 2010 04:10 PM
Back in 1976 my newly minted wife flipped when her addict brother broke into our apartment while we were away on honeymoon. He got caught and was quite surprised when she pressed charges on him. The case came to trial in this building.
The building's architecture mattered little to people that had serious matters to tend to. But I remember thinking there has to be a plan in place for a top to bottom restoration.
I had the impression it was just waiting for funding to be fixed up and put to good use in one way or another. It was like being in a place built by Greek gods. I thought it would last forever, never mind become so run down.
Posted by: Dennis H at November 8, 2010 07:26 PM
I remember riding the bus past the courthouse in the 1960's on my way home from high school. It was and still is an amazing edifice, even if it is being surrounded by rather bland new architecture and overshadowed by taller newer buildings
Posted by: Lorraine R at December 2, 2010 01:44 PM
I remember riding the bus past the courthouse in the 1960's on my way home from high school. It was and still is an amazing edifice, even if it is being surrounded by rather bland new architecture and overshadowed by taller newer buildings
Posted by: Lorraine R at December 2, 2010 01:45 PM
I can remember riding on the El back in the early 70s with mom and my sister and I used to run to the window just to look at "the lady in the chair" all the time we passed by this courthouse! I actually remember when the El was torn down and they made 3rd Ave a 2-way street! OMG, the memories!!!!
Posted by: Linda at March 4, 2011 12:46 PM
Hi Everyone,
I live about a block away from the courthouse and found a recent article on what the owner is planning on doing with the space. Check it out here:
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/bronx/2011/04/04/2011-04-04_owner_plans_10_million_facelift_for_boardedup_old_bronx_courthouse.html
Personally, I think it would be amazing if they turned it into the first Bronx Children's Museum. The Brooklyn and Manhattan Children's Museums could use some serious competition and families and classrooms in the Bronx need some new places to bring their kids to for an educational outing that is right in the Bronx.
Posted by: Avy at April 14, 2011 07:12 AM
Hi Everyone,
I live about a block away from the courthouse and found a recent article on what the owner is planning on doing with the space. Check it out here:
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/bronx/2011/04/04/2011-04-04_owner_plans_10_million_facelift_for_boardedup_old_bronx_courthouse.html
Personally, I think it would be amazing if they turned it into the first Bronx Children's Museum. The Brooklyn and Manhattan Children's Museums could use some serious competition and families and classrooms in the Bronx need some new places to bring their kids to for an educational outing that is right in the Bronx.
Posted by: avy at April 14, 2011 07:13 AM
I am completely touched. I have lived in that area all my life and as a little girl I would only imagine how it would look like if one day I could get in there.
Posted by: Nilisa at August 23, 2012 10:02 AM
I grew up in that new house on the corner of 159th St. and have the greatest memories of the Bronx. I went to Sts. Peter and Paul School and the annex to Cathedral High. Unless you grew up there, you can't understand the feeling we have for the BRONX. There was nothing like it. Seeing these pictures makes me remember so many good things. Maybe because I'm female, I had a great time at St. Pete's, although I didn't start there until 1943 and got married there in 1958.