This is a Guest Post by Joseph Offenberg.
It’s very easy to find historic photos and postcards of Stapleton online. Some are on sale on eBay. Many from the NYC archives.
Take a look at some below:
What’s most striking about these photos is that most of the buildings are still there! Some covered under aluminum siding facades and vinyl awnings but the original character of the buildings are still intact. Sometimes you can sneak glimpse of the original wooden window trim while a business renovates. This authentic history can prove to be extremely valuable as the economy of the North Shore improves. You can’t replicate the charm of shopping in a historic village. I know this because I’ve seen faux Victorian themed shopping areas pop up in Florida, Arizona, and other places.
Woodbury Commons is another architectural attempt to capture this. Even in China, they are investing millions trying to replicate what we already have. I hope it’s only a matter of time for the business owners of Stapleton to realize that maybe less is more.
