Carroll Gardens: Dennett Place (Cat’s Alley)
- How people use the space now?
- How people live with the small doors?
- How people’s day to day lives are living and working with the small doored areas?
- Who owns and rents these spaces?
Dennett Place, also known as Cat’s Alley, located near the Gowanus Canal and and not even included in your GPS. The alley has residents but remains a mystery because of its fantastical 4 ft. high doors that have been left untouched and uninvolved with the seemingly inescapable modernizing overhaul of Brooklyn. This reflection on Dennett Place paints a picture in one’s head of the historical magic that is still alive if you’re willing to surround yourself with it. The houses are used for everyday living and the inhabitants enjoy the remains of history.
From a design perspective, it may be interesting to exploit its mystery and introduce its history and uniqueness to Carroll Gardens, as most people seem to be unaware of it. Plaques can be implemented to exhibit the fact it’s been essentially untouched, which might be interesting to see what would happen as far as real estate prices and demand.
Interview found online regarding Dennett Place –
“it’s a summer night, the kids (15kids) now dried off from playing all day in the corner johnny pump are eating their ice cream from the Mister Softee ice-cream truck, the corner once soaked and occupied by the children is now set with a card table and 4 older gentleman are playing cards on the opposite street are the “old ladies” of the block enjoying each other’s company and the neighborhood gossip, the 2nd generation (my mom’s generation) are sitting on the stoops drinking coffee and having conversations across the street to each other… ice-cream is over, kids are playing ringo-leavo, red rover, skellzey, handball and praying the street light is broken because once it goes on- they all have to go in. This scenario played out every summer, every day and on Sunday’s the smell of Sunday sauce permeated from every house and the block from one end to the other smelled delicious. Now living in Jersey, I wish I had a time machine so that for 1 day I could give my children this experience”
Interview 1 – Resident at 8 Dennett Place. Brooklyn, NY. Works at Donna Karren in Public Relations, just moved to Carroll Gardens two months ago.
I’ve only rented here for two months but i know the owner usually only uses that small door to bring stuff in, I know she has a ceramics wheel and some other storage stuff down there. The people next door do rent out that bottom space to people and i’ve seen people coming in and out just bending down haha.
– (This was the only information she had for me but she said she would speak to the owner for me and get back to me)
Questions for owner: Why have there been no renovations done for everyday living comfort?
Interview 2 – Gardener near Dennett Place
I don’t do work over there but I powerwashed the walls once and those doors really are tiny, maybe less than 5 foot, I’d have to bend down. I saw a woman go in with her kids, hunching with her groceries. Pretty crazy to live there but I think all the houses are connected as one.
