The How to Brooklyn Series – Resources and meta for writing pre-war and modern stories set in Brooklyn
Is having your front door opening to a vacant? lot? a normal thing? because there’s not much street going on during the “end of the line” scene.
Pt 1 – The Basics of New York City, or What the Hell Are Boroughs?
Yes, there were docks. (Sigh.)
Pt 2 – For the lov’a Pete, Put the Subway in Your Stories
A story set in New York City that doesn’t even reference the subway might as well be set in middle America.
Pt 2.1 – The New York City Subway is Fucking Gross
Seriously though, can you imagine how those cushions smelled?
Pt 2.2 – The Brooklyn Trolley System
This one doesn’t even hit my historical boner, it hits my I’d love to be able to travel between Queens and Brooklyn without three train changes and two pack mules boner.
Pt 3 – The Ubiquitous Tenement Apartment
Although we associated the word tenement with shitty slum life, back in the day this just what people called apartments.
Pt 4 – What’s the Deal with the Brooklyn Dodgers?
All right, so we all know how no recently frozen Steve Rogers is complete without shocked references to How Expensive Things Are, What the Fuck Is This Banana, and The Dodgers Moved to Los Angeles?!
So the first thing you gotta understand first is that baseball was invented in Brooklyn.
Pt 5 – Steve & Bucky’s Jobs before The War
Almost definitely not working down at the docks, sorry.
Pt 6 – What did they do for Fun, Other than Dancing?
Hah, I’m a terrible person; my first instinct is to say, they got drunk. Am I projecting? Maybe. Drinking’s a competitive sport here. Anyway, I really like this question, this is a good question. So, are we talking what they did as kids, or what they did as grownups? Let’s do both! I like both.
Pt 7 – Modern AU Headcanons (Steve, Bucky, Sam)
There’s not one way to experience this borough or city, and if I ever claim there’s a right way to “Brooklyn” then please punch me in the face immediately. So what I want to do instead is give you some options! Let’s base them off of fandom tropes, shall we?
Misc. Posts & Meta
What I do with All this Damn Research: My AO3.
Getting to the
WorldStark Fair by SubwayMr Rogers Gayborhood/99% Docks
Is it realistic for Bucky to have been a Sergeant?
Bucky Barnes Makes Weird Faces
Further Resources
How Expensive Was That? by @a-social-construct
Brooklyn Historical Resources by @a-social-construct
1940s Census Data by @a-social-construct (individual data)
1940s Census Data by @a-social-construct (by neighborhood)
Tenement Photos – 1930-1939
New York Transformed – NYCHA Photos 1939-1967
World War II Writing Resources
Historical Newspapers via @fidelioscabinet
Follow for more, or track my tags: Historical New York, The City So Nice They Named It Twice, How to Brooklyn. This post will be updated periodically with additional meta, commentary, and resources. HTB posts will be general topics only to save my sanity, but I’m happy to answer more specific questions privately or in a less sprawling format. If you’d like me to reply to an ask privately, please say so.
Now that we’ve officially got Cap3 release in the US, reblogging for new fandom friends!
Meta Master Post
Published
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