Digging Deep: NYC History, Hidden Beneath Our Feet

Brooklyn Anchorage

Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge has become a favorite activity for anniversary commemorators, athletic boot campers and everyday commuters.  But all the cool kids used to hang out inside the bridge's base at the Brooklyn Anchorage, located at Cadman Plaza West on the Brooklyn side of the bridge.  The complex, which sports eight 50-foot tall spaces, was once used for storage and, from 1983 to 2001, annual art exhibitions. Although the anchorage itself was closed to the public in 2001, the surrounding area is still accessible and even has plans to be converted into a plaza in the coming years. [Photo: Arts in the Anchorage 4, 1987 via]