New York City, New York story
A DUMBO Transformation
In the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, there's a public space that literally supports the city. The Archway was originally built in 1906 as part of the Brooklyn-side support for t…
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In the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, there's a public space that literally supports the city. The Archway was originally built in 1906 as part of the Brooklyn-side support for the Manhattan Bridge. For decades, it was just a functional connection for warehouses, and by the 1980s, it had been seized for storage, becoming a symbolic blockage in the middle of the neighborhood.
But between 2008 and 2009, a transformation occurred. The Archway was repurposed into a spectacular plaza with 45-foot-high cathedral-like ceilings. What was once a gated storage area is now a civic town center and a beloved gathering place for the community.
It's a great example of how DUMBO has evolved from an industrial waterfront into a hub of culture and design.
Updated June 2026