Brooklyn Navy Yard: Admiral's Row

I don't remember exactly where I first read about Admiral's Row, the crumbling ruins of once grand, Second Empire-style homes used by naval officers at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. But once I read that they may still be standing, I knew that I had to check it out immediately. I found a lot of information warning of their imminent demolition (and plans to turn the area into a shopping complex), but I never saw anything documenting their demise. I figured I'd take a chance, and that chance paid off — they still exist, for now at least — even if they are in a state of extreme decay.

From older images I found, it appears that they used to be more visible as seen through an iron fence, but now there is a tall wall surrounding the whole area. Fortunately, there are portholes that you can peek through, and even more fortunately (for me at least) some of the plexiglass has been punched out in a few areas so you can stick your arm/head through for a mostly unobstructed view. I don't advocate destroying public property, but when it facilitates me creeping on, and photographing, old ruins then I'm definitely not going to be mad about it.

Sometimes I think I love crumbling ruins more than I would love the buildings if they were in their original state, although I wouldn't mind being able to time travel between both extremes. As I was peeking though one of the open portholes, I spotted a jet-black cat walking around, and when he saw me he stopped cold. He sat and stared at me for longer than I was completely comfortable with and it was definitely one of those odd life moments that makes me laugh to myself and think how wonderfully strange life can be.

I probably looked like a totally crazy person with my head stuck through a busted out porthole, snapping pictures of dilapidated houses and talking to a cat that no one walking by behind me could even see. As much as I still feel like a fool gawking at weird things in front of millions of strangers in the city, I'm definitely starting to feel more comfortable just doing my thing. I never regret the photo or detour that I take, and I never want to regret the ones that I didn't take just because I felt awkward about it.

I would love to go back to Admiral's Row and see if I can get even better photos, but I should probably hurry because whether it's razed and turned into a shopping center, or just completely collapses in on itself, the ruins are probably not going to around much longer.