Tracing Dad’s footsteps: Brooklyn

I mentioned in a recent post that digging deeper to trace someone’s past can sometimes be insightful. I remembered that I had in my possession Dad’s social security card, his draft card and voter registration card. Why not Google the addresses to see what I could uncover?

My father once lived in Brooklyn, NY in the red brick building in the center. Image: Google Maps

I started with 421 59th Street in Brooklyn, New York. Luckily, despite all of the shiny new skyscrapers dotting the New York skyline, many of New York City’s older buildings are still in existence, often seemingly untouched, a snapshot of yesteryear. Google Maps brought it up with no problem, and I found myself staring at a modest looking building where, at least according to the government document, my father lived during some point in the mid to late 1950’s.

Online research tools make it easier to hunt down bits and pieces of the past. Of course, a place without stories is just an address but every little piece of information is precious.