Brooklyn’s Forgotten Army Terminal

[@RUSSELLNILES]

I departed from Brooklyn Army Terminal twice. Once in 1952 as an Air Firce dependant along with my mother and brother, going by troop ship to South Hampton England where we were met by my father who was stationed on England.. Then again in 1964 as a young private in the US Army heading for Germany. Oddly, the troop ship that I sailed the North Atlantic in 1964 was the same one my mom, brother and I sailed on in 1952.

[@gardbjj24]

My Mom, Sister ,and I also passed thru in DEC 1952 en route to Southhampton England. We got lucky and changed from the Troop Ship GEN Patch to the SS United States...

[@jeremymackevincaylor5041]

I rode to the front in Antarctica during the teens on the Merrimack and wouldn't you believe it my great grandpa died on it

[@EwokNubNub]

thank you for the insight. kinda surprised that Ryan & Team didn’t mention this in the video.

[@christophervillanti1417]

I have been repairing equipment at that location on and off since the '80's. The changes over the last 40 years have been remarkable . I still like to spend time in the Atrium whenever I'm there.

[@ceejay1364]

I’ve been in one of those warehouses owned by the NYC BOE. I was in awe at the large floor space and all the old stuff they saved in there.

[@koolaidblack7697]

What all did they have? Anything cool?

[@ceejay1364]

@@koolaidblack7697 they had some heavy antique safes and paperwork/files from the 1850s.

[@claraguzman6842]

You didn't mention that it was also used by the Post Office Department in the late 60s and very early 70s. There were thousands of Postal workers working out of there at that time. My husband was one of them.

[@mattbailey576]

That's not true..

[@als2879]

@@mattbailey576 It is true. When Morgan Station had to close due to a fire in 1967, the NYC Post office moved their operations to Brooklyn Army Terminal up until 1971 or 1972. I worked for the Post Office Department at Brooklyn Army Terminal in 1970 and 1971.

[@Dan_the_afol]

Thank you for sharing that Mrs Guzman I found that very fascinating

[@davehollander6543]

Thanks for this! After drafted, I served as an MP there in the late 1960s.

[@johnbarnes5237]

My Great Aunt worked as a clerk-typist at the Brooklyn Army Terminal for many years. My Dad (her nephew) came home from Korea there in 1951. She typed his discharge papers!

[@miket5740]

Most people don’t know there are huge data centers in there. I’ve gone at night and it’s a bit creepy walking through the central atrium at midnight. Feels like your being watched. Anyway it is a really cool building

[@miket5740]

I didn’t know he was gay. What difference that make and no I am not “gay for him”

[@cameronrichardson3108]

@CaliforniaHigh-SpeedRail he is a bender is he i did not know that, now why does talking about exploring this place at night make him homophobic ?

[@fukyoutube444]

@CaliforniaHigh-SpeedRail what's all this about. Why you mentioned that

[@Jason-rn4jk]

🙄

[@fukyoutube444]

@CaliforniaHigh-SpeedRail gonna comment back there bud. Why you being prejudice.

[@delurkor]

In May of 1957 we passed through Brooklyn Army Terminal to board the SS General Hodges to go to Europe. I was 12 then. I did not see much, we came on a bus from Fort Hamilton. We were on the bus on families that had dogs. Straight to wharf-side, but I remember the archway. Thanks for the memories.

[@chuckhuthmakerlvrr8866]

During the 1970s the US Customs Service operated a special tactical unit out of the 7th floor. The building was largely unused. There were stories of ghosts and groups of hidden people living within the vast spaces. Never saw any, but heard periodic screams when working at night. Glad to see the structure back in use.

[@kittyhawk1255]

Its so good to see that this mammoth of a complex is still used today while also being taken care of and updated! Its too often these days that we see these incredible buildings just left behind once its original purpose is no longer. Great video!

[@Liz19791]

Im from brooklyn and grew up not far from here and even alot of nyers dont know this place exists. With ems i used to go in there all the time years ago. We used to drop patients off at the dialysis office. Then wed go to one of the retaurants there that had great food and walk around passed the train. Its an old interesting place with alot of history. Thank you for the video.

[@sarge6870]

And thank you for your service! I was also an EMT for about 7 years in Queens.

[@BM_718]

So weird..I was just here for the first time 3 weeks ago. I was in awe that I never had even heard about this place. And now you drop a video..wild.

[@11KleinAL]

My Grandmother and Great Aunt worked there during the war. That is where they met. One day my future Great aunt met my Grandfather while hitchhiking from the Catskills. To thank him she invited him to a party. He brought his brother (my Great uncle). That party is where my Great Aunt met my Great Uncle and my Grandfather met my grandmother. Without this building.....I might not be here. Thank you for sharing the history of it.

[@alpaykasal2902]

i've lived near this most of my life and had no idea. thanks for this episode!

[@pjhenley5991]

You drew a line from 1st avenue in Manhattan into Brooklyn. Brooklyn has its own 1st avenue and it intersects 58th street at the Army Terminal. A line of job seekers extending up 1st avenue in Brooklyn is possible. A line extending into Manhattan seems implausible.

[@Jason-rn4jk]

I’ve no idea how something’s like that are put into videos. Why would people make a line halfway into Manhattan as opposed to circling around the building many times lol

[@davidwahrheit6143]

I was thinking the same thing! To imagine a line of people waiting in line from Manhattan's 1st Ave. all the way into the water down to Brooklyn's 58th Street (of one believes the diagram shown) is absolutely absurd! Both these buildings have artists' studios which I have visited many times over the years during the Open Studios weekend. Also, the NYC ferry to Rockaway stops at the pier in front of the complex.

[@robby062]

I’ve seen other videos of his that have content issues. He’s obviously not from New York or the even surrounding area. Decent content, but the errors get annoying.

[@johnsilva9139]

Yes. That was very strange and funny to see. A line of people about 12 miles long! Also, a payroll of $20,000 for 6,000 workers? So they each earned about $3/week?

[@AmericanPhilosophyNetwork]

Nicely put together video. I do think that such an effort as went into this deserves that you correct the errors, because your work has great potential.

[@rickwalsh91]

WOW! Glad to see that we are reusing and appreciating our great Historical Infrastructure👍

[@ITSHISTORY]

Yes indeed!

[@joestrike8537]

Living in NYC it's a blast being able to visit places like this. Speaking of which, have you thought about doing a piece on the nearby "Industry City," formerly Bush Terminal? From a grungy warehouse facility it's now a high-tech hub for IT businesses - & it has a pretty good food court, and a great comics shop that got priced out of Manhattan.

[@JeffreySJonas]

St Marks Comics? I found them at a recent NJ comic convention, same owner! I'm there mostly for MicroCenter (which has a glorious wall of fame of computer industry pioneers).

[@joestrike8537]

@@JeffreySJonasI've bought plenty of stuff at that MicroCenter, including a recent close-out laptop at a very reasonable price. (And yes, those pioneer pictures are very impressive.)

[@mileshigh1321]

What a great big architectural place and such a an interesting history! Ryan, you find some great little know, but historically important places to make videos of !

[@rvnmedic1968]

My Dad, retired Navy, worked on some MSTS (Military Sea Transportation Service) ships in the late '60s. My brother and I along with our Mother would go to Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island to see his ship pass through the Narrows. I remember him getting calls from the Brookly Navy Yard, telling him which pier the ship was moored at. Thanks for a very interesting documentary on this little known Behemoth in Brooklyn! Cheers!

[@briantracy1324]

My father was a manager there in the 1950's and early 60's ... While there he developed with IBM their first successful inventory control system as he was in charge of all shipments to European military installations , US and others.

[@alrutledge1872]

Lived a couple blocks away in Brooklyn in the 50s and 60s. Elvis departed from there September 22, 1958. As a kid they always had Open House on Armed Forces Day.

[@bullettube9863]

I remember seeing this building in 1970, my brother-in-law called it the army terminal, it was an impressive sight then as it is now.

[@bobbysenterprises3220]

No where near the scale but in the Binghamton NY area there is a large project of saving the old Endicott Johnson buildings. Many of the original area homes were built by the company. Many local parks, swimming pools, a golf course, 6 carousel rides. All back in the 20s-30s. All for their workers. Some of the large shoe factories that were almost collapsing are now being refurbished and being used again. Now they are considered to be liberty factory locations. As I said it's not as popular but it's almost forgotten even in the area if you ever want to do a video on it I can try and help. An hour or so away is a interesting very large army warehouse facility that was mindbogglingly large when I went in it. Called "the holding point" in Horseheads Ny. Not too far from newtons battlefield park and sullivans march.

[@xmtryanx]

Im intrigued at the 61k troops shipped in one day statistic... that's four entire Queen Marys. Love these videos, keep them up!

[@allangibson8494]

Or 12 Victory Ships…

[@xmtryanx]

@allangibson8494 here's my problem... a Liberty or Victory ship had a troop capacity of 500. That would be 120 ships at standard capacity. Let's say they doubled or even TRIPLED that amount (like on Queen Mary). That would still be over 30 ships per day... ten for each pier. I just can't find that feasible.

[@allangibson8494]

@@xmtryanx Victory ships in trooper configuration had the holds filled with bunks - they stuffed thousands on each ship not hundreds - the AP5 had a design capacity of 1,500. Six and half ships per pier side per day where two ships can fit simultaneously. Hard but not impossible if no mechanical equipment is to be loaded as well.

[@prenty99]

Great informative piece. Enjoyed it thoroughly. Reminds me of the Remington building in Bridgeport CT , since demolished and now a school. A massive arms manufacturing building which became a GE building and then run into the ground .

[@richbockmann9751]

I worked in the BAT in 1990’s. It was best in the winter when the steam rose from the cantilever’s in the atrium. It had a Blade Runner vibe.

[@mrclueuin]

Worked there for three years pre-covid for King-Tele. Found the whole place fascinating! Thanks for the extra info!

[@paullunkes8383]

Thanks!

[@warrenjohnknight.9831]

Another truly stunning historic episode,

[@acesecure9817]

Ryan as I saw in a train lovers video it is the last stop for subway trains at end of life.

[@alanzaleski7160]

I got to hand it to you you come up with some interesting stuff to report best wishes to you

[@charlesclager6808]

Good video, as usual. I enjoy reading the many comments about their memories of the place.

[@enzocannizzo8744]

I grew up not too far from BAT when it was active . Thank you for your perk into local Brooklyn , NY history 👍👍

[@UncaDave]

Very good piece on what went on behind the history. You might want to check out Nitro, WV, where during WWI they created a whole town and made explosives. Very interesting story also.

[@billy1673]

This building will always have limitless potential. Great video!

[@DMETS519]

I remember about 20 years ago I had to go there to pickup more boxes of traffic summonses to bring back to my precinct in the NYPD. Apparently there is a quartermaster section there at the terminal. I had to go to one of the upper floors in the building and was required to take a man operated freight elevator. Guy looked like he started working there when the building was first built. Upon boarding the elevator I noticed that every square inch of wall space was occupied by a clock. Clocks of all types, shapes and sizes were ticking away. Pendulums swinging, mechanisms wurring, all keeping the exact time. All inside this one freight elevator. The operator in a full throwback style uniform that included a "bell hop" style cap politely asked where I needed to go. Upon exiting the elevator my experience did not get any less creepy. The floor I ended up on was absolutely dead quiet, near dark and deserted. The expanse of floorspace and seemingly infinite aisles of supplies were staggering. Now for me to find the boxes I needed I could only think that I was in the last scene from the movie "Raiders of the lost ark".

[@luislaplume8261]

The 2 passenger railroad cars looks like those used by the Long Island Railroad that were pulled by diesel locomotives in the 1950s. They were originally painted gray with orange trim around the windows and end doors the the name of the railroad was painted in orange.

[@Meepermicmeep]

I was looking at this part of NY on Google maps extensively for a couple of days about a month ago, when I stumbled across this place, didn’t find much on it, thank you for making this video!!

[@andrewliberman7694]

Thanks!

[@robertdipaola3447]

My mother worked there during world war 2 as a secretary for the army, she remembers when FDR came by during the war to visit the army terminal

[@traderalex1]

I grew up next door to the site, on 68th Street. Last government mission was HQ for the Military Sealift Command.

[@jerseycab1]

Stopped there two weeks (8/23) while biking. Some of it , I imagine a very small part is being used as artist space. In seeing it up close I can imagine the incredible hustle and bustle that must have been taking place there when my pop shipped out early on in WW2. Still impressive.

[@timdodd3897]

As usual, a very informative video. Thanks from Chicago.

[@waltergolston6187]

Dad had gone through the terminal going to Europe for WW2 and then came home via the Terminal via troop ships.

[@ObeyBanksy]

You really do a great job with these videos

[@bobbysenterprises3220]

This is awesome. I love your videos. Although I'm only half a days drive from the city Ive only been there twice in my life. The second time was for less than an hour. I might enjoy checking out this kind of stuff and not just the bustle and tourist hot spots and shopping hubs. Not for me

[@jeffstorm]

In WW2 a family friend went off to war with the 82nd Airborne went to and from Europe on the Queens. His return trip was the smoothest in 1946 on the Queen Mary when the entire remaining 82nd Airborne returned on a single voyage. Fred Passed Away on his 92nd year having survived the Battle of the Bulge where 4 out of 5 were killed or were casualties requiring hospitalization. He was tough. Our easily offended would not survive today.

[@zegotashalom3881]

How true, wonder if they could take their cell phones so they could call from the battlefield. Sadly, I do not believe we have what it would take today to fight for our freedom.

[@nolanjohnson2009]

@@zegotashalom3881 Well you can see Ukrainians making tik toks on the front lines, the only difference is that the percentage of Ukraine's population willing to die for their county before the Invasion was around 80%.

[@timf2279]

Fred was a true hero. Sadly, his generation is leaving us fast.

[@prizrak420]

I remember back when you had to show ID to get into it even if you were just picking someone up and now there are a whole bunch of businesses and a ferry landing along with a Ford service for a dealer

[@RussellFulner]

Way to go man YOU ROCK keep up the great work 👍

[@watthairston1483]

Fascinating as usual!!!

[@siddasquid8573]

I use to work there, it is a pretty amazing building. They filmed some scenes using the train in the show Gotham. A huge E-commerce company a really good chocolate factory and I believe the NYPD has a drug and terrorist division there and they also train their K-9s on the premises

[@jeffwindrim975]

Good Video nice find something different and interesting to watch. Nice to see an original video for a change 👍.

[@stephenmoerlein8470]

Interesting history of a WW2 legacy structure. Thanks for the content.

[@WeekleyProductions]

The Fallout TV series filmed here last year, I suspect it'll have a boost in popularity with tourists briefly, as does anywhere Fallout goes, after the show releases. Neat to hear the history of one of NYC's many terminals.

[@davidhollfelder9940]

I grew up in South Buffalo in the 60s. The smoke stacks from: 2 steel plants, several oil refineries and chemical plants, produced air pollution beyond belief. Also, rivers and creeks pollution was worse than awful.

[@oldgoat142]

My father, God rest his soul, worked down the street from this old depot. It does bring back good memories.

[@thomasramirez718]

It’s crazy cause when I used to be a driver for fed ex the yard was part of my route for deliveries and pick up’s.

[@mikekolczynski5665]

In 1988 i installed some HVAC for three different businesses there. Armstrong Label, Holland Glass ,and Edgar Berebi earrings.

[@sconrey7]

What refrigerant did you use back then

[@mikekolczynski5665]

@sconrey7 R12 was almost gone by then. R22 was still going strong. Not sure if it was 134 A or 410 was the new one.

[@kennethfharkin]

14:47 you may recognize from the recent Joker film as it was used, with CGI enhancement, as Arkham asylum. I was last in the building and walked through the atrium in 2018. It is amazing to look at and think of all the men who passed through there heading to WWII.

[@carmineriganti2333]

👏 More history of Brooklyn, my birthplace.

[@TheLemon333]

So glad they didn't demo it. Concrete construction is really expensive. They'd never make a building like that today.

[@Cream5oda09]

The algorithm knows this is the setting of the fallout tv show's enclave base

[@jacobl5488]

Ive lived next to here for 30 something years. So interesting to learn.

[@PhD777]

Excellent informative video!👍🏻🎅👍🏻🇺🇸

[@JohnJBrowne11209]

It's a ginormous area I live in Bay Ridge which borders Sunset Park.. The size of the Navy Yard is mind boggling

[@thefanone]

Very informative❤❤

[@RX-8GT]

17 months to build this is amazingly fast wow

[@GuidosDad]

Nicely done Thank u!

[@jesuspabon5327]

Nice story. I used to work there in pier 1 with a company called New York Railcar Corporation. A subsidiary company from NAB Construction.

[@johntrimble9057]

John F. Kennedy would not have been arguing against it closure in 1964.

[@islandrevenant5746]

Politely gotta disagree. As Senator-Elect at the time he didn’t have the power to stop it but he was publicly against it.

[@johntrimble9057]

@@islandrevenant5746 As the US President at the time, John F. Kennedy was killed in November of the previous year.

[@othertonywi1son]

@@islandrevenant5746 Check again, he wasn't senator-elect... he was dead.

[@ShelterCats]

Robert. Robert Kennedy. Come on what a massive oversight.

[@michaelwhite2823]

I caught that too Talking about RFK but pic of JFK

[@JosephDeLuna-yj8vg]

This Was The 1st Reinforced Concrete Building In The USA To Be Built! Mayor Dinkins Revived The Army Terminal In The Late 90s!

[@fernandes5986]

Great video. Greetings from Portugal.

[@Otaku155]

It should be made into a museum.

[@DarkVeils]

Yea, I agree

[@RobertWilliams-mk8pl]

I repaired machines there on the 8th floor of the East Wing for years. North from that facility is Bush Terminal. The entire area is intense in that you can still see traces of the manufacturing might of the country. Politicians over the last 30 years have no idea of what went on in this country. I think the Normandy capsized in port only a few blocks north from there.

[@guypalumbo7892]

The Normandy capsized on Manhattan's west side piers, Pier 90 I believe

[@RobertWilliams-mk8pl]

Oops. I thought it was Brooklyn. Thanks.@@guypalumbo7892

[@simonh317]

Bibby Venture became HM Prison Weare in 1997 when it was sold back to the UK Government. It was finally sold on in 2006 , renamed the Jascon 27 and is now an oil industry accomadation vessel in Nigeria.

[@jetsons101]

Just thinking here: Would that be the place LARGE ships like the Queen Mary would go to pick up troops?

[@islandrevenant5746]

As one of the researchers I couldn’t find any direct evidence as to if Queen Mary and the other converted liners would embark soldiers, but I don’t think that would typically be the case. They probably usually used their previous dedicated berthing piers where the ship’s personal infrastructure was already familiar and facilities already set up

[@jetsons101]

That's what I was somewhat thinking. It is one big complex........@@islandrevenant5746

[@mileshigh1321]

@@islandrevenant5746 Perhaps, Liberty or Victory ships where loaded from here. Maybe tenders or ferry's would move soldiers to other piers. You could do a multi part video of here, just on the shipping alone! I live close to Halifax and the Bedford Basin, which had many convoy's assembled for the Atlantic crossings!

[@ravinous]

Ah this is were the Enclave scene was shot in the Fallout TV series.

[@zaybx3485]

I used to work at a call center in the Brooklyn army terminal it’s mad creepy at night the walk to the train station was the worst at night

[@mpedward2]

There is so much potential for that great place for modern use but sadly current politics could be an issue with not being business friendly like it used to be..Great video and I learned alot thanks..

[@alexanderreyes222]

I worked inside the building for uncommon goods. I love the architecture of the building.

[@jed-henrywitkowski6470]

As a son of a veteran and logistician, I found this interesting to the point where I definitely want o to visit the "BAT".

[@markcottrell5582]

I can't get over the internal architecture, seems way ahead of it's time. Those observation platforms(?) looked like stairwells to me at first

[@kenney5454]

@14:07 Contractors had to get creative whenever someone required HVAC back then, how did that pass...LOL

[@sconrey7]

The janky piping or the condensers next to walls on balconies lol

[@stevefox3763]

4:31 I was surprised to hear him say bridged by the 3rd floor and then the photo showed what the 3rd floor is to people like myself from outside the U.S, the bridge had floors 2,1, and ground below it, normally Americans call the ground floor the 1st.

[@Traffi.c]

Was looking for something to watch at work, and look a video about the place I work at lol

[@NontasK]

Great video, seems like the buildings we have in ports and industrial areas in Greece.

[@gtwfan52]

Small correction: Steelworkers make steel and steel products in factories; ironworkers make buildings and bridges out of it

[@brianberthold3118]

i though merchandise mart in Chicago was biggest concrete building ... hell it has its own zip code

[@nurxg]

You should do the Port Authority Inland Terminal on 8th Ave

[@jetsons101]

Boy, between the Army Terminal and the Pentagon ---- the military really knows how to build big and expensive...... To build something like the Army Terminal is 18 months today would be imposable, just like Disneyland was built in 12 months in 1955. Today a environmental impact report would take years, then having to go through the permit procress.........

[@jmd1743]

People like to bash environmental laws until they have the Berkeley Pit in their backyards ruining their wells. But hey, can't blame the Greatest Gen, Boomers, and GenX for having that mind set given that anytime things became difficult they just ran away from the problems they contributed to for greener pastures like they did with NY, CA, and cities like Detroit. Good thing those 3 generations will be too old to do it again to states like TX & FL in order to run away to states like Idaho & Montana. The same people who allowed states like CA to be run into the ground are now in control of FL & TX when they haven't gone through any character development so they'll just repeat their mistakes, but this time around they'll be too old to run away from the problems to restart their lives after they'ved fucked up another state once again.

[@redneckroy8947]

Well, I'm sure the military is able to skirt the over regulation that strangles us plebs

[@PrograError]

well... you'd be surprise how war would free up those resources... and EIRs being secondary... or at least somewhat curtailed

[@CallsItLikeISeizeIts]

The pentagon took about 18 months or so as well

[@TheNobleFive]

If the land is private, purchasing it for government use can take time as well.

[@jantschierschky3461]

I like its design, functional but kind of classic.

[@alexius23]

Very interesting!

[@doncameron5608]

I went through there in 1965 ,three troop ships left there for Bremerhaven

[@rvnmedic1968]

My Dad was a Refr Engineer with MSTS and one of the ships would go from Brooklyn to Bremerhaven and back every two weeks or so. On one trip to Bremerhaven, he was off duty for a day and went to a German pub. The bartender asked him where he was from. Dad replied, New York City. The bartender then said where? My Dad said Staten Island. The bartender continued his "interrogation" and said he was very aware of the communities on Staten Island. My Dad told him South Beach. The bartender said he had maps of the entire NYC coastline and even mentioned the other sections near South Beach. He was Dad's age and was a U-Boat commander and his sub was off the coast of Staten Island. The eerie thing was that he had orders to sink the Staten Island Ferry when directed. He told my Dad he would refuse to do that if ordered. Cheers, Bob

[@doncameron5608]

The Rose, The Patch, The Buckner were in my convoy

[@nickjcal2819]

@@doncameron5608 Apr '62 I rode the Rose to Bremerhaven, Ger. Nov '64 returned back to Bklyn on the Patch. Back then we called them "Vomit Comets"

[@doncameron5608]

@@nickjcal2819 Great trip huh?

[@ltgray2780]

No one noticed the President Johnson-Senator Elect JFK discrepancy? Watch @9:53.

[@MIYDNA]

I lived across the street my whole childhood. It was there, but we never really noticed it.

[@billlombard9911]

The federal jail on 29th street in Brooklyn and the building next door was part of that complex

[@steveh5542]

ty for video bro

[@bryantmendez4768]

Grew up in Sunset park BK, I actually learned how to ride a bike on this pier 😂 small world

[@evilborg]

How is this a forgotten place??? Tons of movies have been shot there and people still to this day remember the navy yard.

[@bruisersdilemma354]

I think he means that it's a forgotten place for what it originally started out as, not a forgotten place today. I drive by it regularly and it's always bustling with people and trucks.

[@yeche1202]

I used to work there a massive building. The basement the scariest place was dark back then and it had a massive morgue