DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass).

DUMBO or Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. What kind of person would live in a place that shares its name with a cartoon, big-eared elephant? This is the story behind a neighborhood formed by artists, musicians, dancers and yuppies who fought to preserve their community’s cultural legacy. It’s a real Brooklynite story.

The area of DUMBO was historically significant in the rise of Brooklyn as an industrial powerhouse.

In its early days of Dutch colonization it was a ferry landing. Its name was originally Gairville. In the late 18th century, Gairville was incorporated into Brooklyn. Some prominent companies were the Arbuckle Brothers coffee and sugar refineries and Brillo, manufacturers of steel wool.

Brillo pads were invented in Brooklyn and mass produced in current day DUMBO of Down Under the Manhattan Overpass for a long time.

By the early 20th century, Brooklyn was the fourth-largest manufacturing hub of America. DUMBO was a crucial component of Brooklyn’s industrial success.
Unfortunately, all this industrial growth came crashing down the mid-20th century.

DUMBO was practically a ghost town. In the late ’60s and early ’70s, the administration of Mayor John Lindsay was well aware that these large manufacturing plants were not attracting tenants.

Why wouldn’t companies do business in DUMBO?

They were sturdy factory-type buildings with brick walls and wooden floors, built in the late 1800s. However, potential renters would have to work on the top floors and would be heavily reliant on a single communal elevator. In 1975, few manufacturers wanted to work in these outdated facilities.

Lindsay realized the city had a great asset.

Bohemians, artists, and entrepreneurs alike were desperate to live in the city. The “Artist In Residence” program was introduced in order to prevent the area from dying. Under the city’s ordnance, “certified artists” were granted low rent in exchange for the subpar rental conditions.

It was an amazing solution for the owners who were losing money and creative people who didn’t have a dime in their pockets. Thus the energetic Brooklynite community was formed. The community began making the neighborhood vital again. There was much cheer in the air, and even installing new toilets would be celebrated with block parties.

The partying in DUMBO died down in 1978 however.

As often happens, developers came to polish up the area in a process known as gentrification. The residents in true Brooklynite fashion put up one last fight to protect the character of their beloved neighborhood. They realized development was inevitable. The community decided that, if we must die, at least we should be buried under a name we chose.

A committee consisting of Selby Beebe, Crane Davis, Monte Davis and John Donovan was appointed.

In the words of Crane Davis “After much sitting around and drinking beer, to a point where none of us could remember who had suggested what, we came up with two alternatives: DUMBO: Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, DANYA: District Around the Navy Yard Annex.” This debate was put up in a large loft party and everyone went for the weirdest one. There were copious amounts of beer consumed there too.

I and the Brooklynites team thank you for visiting. We hope you’ve enjoyed this article. Please click back soon.

-Dawn S.

Read more about DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumbo,_Brooklyn

Read about MODE (the Museum of Digital Experiences) in DUMBO:

https://172-234-236-52.ip.linodeusercontent.com/mode-the-museum-of-digital-experiences/