Then and Now Thursday: Bergen and Flatbush, 1914

Back in 1914, Flatbush Avenue was just as bustling as it is today. In this great photo taken that year, we get a clear view of all the businesses on the southern corner of Bergen and Flatbush. From left to right, we've got a travel agency (advertising "Steamship Tickets"), Nolan's Cafe, serving Excelsior Pilsener Beer (with its great swinging doors, and stained glass transoms; upstairs was Unity Hall, a place for social functions), Fred H. Ohlandt's tea shop and general store, Gabb Brothers Wholesale Paints, and what looks to be a framer.

While all the buildings above may have gotten a paint job, they're all still standing and are owned by the Pintchik family, who set up shop in the corner storefront years and years ago and have since become one of the most well-known hardware and paint stores in the city (and a major landlord on both Bergen and Flatbush). The former cafe, general store, and paint shop have all been taken over by Pintchik, and the framer is now a Ricky's. The building at far left has been undergoing renovations over the past month or so, getting a new facade. Just to the left of the Ricky's sign, you can see the ghost of signage for N. Pinto, a former hardware store, and, along with Gabb, a precursor of Pintchik.