First opened in 1879, Gage & Tollner is one of Brooklyn's most iconic restaurants. A 1970s ad campaign even christened it, "The Very Famous Restaurant in Brooklyn." Gage & Tollner was slated to reopen after 16 years on March 15th, but it was not to be. At least not yet. As their website puts it, "On the eve of our grand reopening, we decided to close Gage & Tollner again to ride out the novel coronavirus. But don't worry, friends! Gage & Tollner has already survived two World Wars, the Great Depression, the Spanish flu epidemic, and Prohibition — it will survive this as well."

Opened as a longshoremen's bar in 1939, Montero's in Cobble Hill is a beloved neighborhood establishment. The current owner inherited Montero's—which in the fifties opened at 8:30am to meet dockworkers’ demands—from his father.

Located on Dekalb Avenue in downtown Brooklyn, the RKO Albee Theater opened on January 19, 1925, and takes its name from famed playwright Edward F. Albee (1857-1930). It closed down and was demolished in 1978 to make way for the Albee Square Mall, which was itself demolished in 2008. Albee Square is now the site of a public plaza on Fulton Mall. The theatrical tradition continues, however: nearby City Point mall contains an Alamo Drafthouse theater.

Opened in 1928 and built in the ornate Spanish Baroque style, the Fox Theater was once a crown jewel of downtown Brooklyn. Located on Flatbush Avenue, this panorama includes the historic Williamsburg Savings Bank in the background. Fox Theater came complete with an impressive Wurlitzer organ, and underwent many transformations during its lifetime, from silent film theater to rock and roll concert venue. It was demolished in 1971, and is now the home of Con-Ed.

Another Downtown Brooklyn icon, Junior's original location at 386 Flatbush Avenue Extension sits at the corner of DeKalb Avenue.

All 59 locations of Brooklyn Public Library closed indefinitely to help contain the threat of COVID-19--a necessary decision for the health and safety of staff and patrons, but a loss of critical neighborhood infrastructure nonetheless. Located in Gravesend, the High Lawn branch was opened to the public in 1958. Its storefront location features a circular main room with walls of glazed block in a variety of colors, a design departure for Brooklyn libraries. The branch was renovated in 2005 & 2006, with new carpeting and enhanced lighting to make the building brighter and more inviting.

Opened in 1904, the Pacific Branch of Brooklyn Public Library has the distinction of being the first Carnegie library built in Brooklyn, but soon after, the construction of the BMT subway line in 1914 dealt the first blow to the beautiful library's structural integrity. It was beset by fire and water damage as well. After extensive renovation, the branch reopened to the public in 1975. In 2018 Pacific Library received minor repairs, including a temporary ramp, and the Friends of Pacific Library unveiled a new garden. In 2019, the Friends of Pacific Library planned a community-wide 115th birthday party for Pacific Library, recognizing that for more than 115 years, the Pacific Branch has served a changing community.

Central Library's building history dates to 1889, when the Brooklyn Park Commission was authorized to select a location for the library. In 1912, ground was broken on architect Raymond F. Almirall’s imposing Beaux-Arts design, but construction slowed and eventually ceased in the following years as the nation and the borough endured economic difficulties brought on by World War One and the Great Depression. A single unfinished wing of the building sat empty on Flatbush Avenue for more than two decades. Construction resumed on a reimagined Central Library in 1935, and the building finally opened to the public on February 1, 1941. Now, almost 80 years later, construction has begun again, and Central Library is in the midst of a multi-phase renovation project. It is ongoing during Central Library's closure.

The Mayor announced that all public schools would close until further notice on March 15th, and began training teachers and students to move to a virtual classroom setting. Founded in 1786 by Dutch settlers, the Flatbush neighborhood's Erasmus Hall High School has a star-studded list of names associated with it. Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr were among its early benefactors, and famous alumni include Neil Diamond, Mae West, Barbra Streisand, Bobby Fischer, and Bernard Malamud, to name just a few.

Established in 1922, Fort Greene's Brooklyn Technical High School is one of New York City's prestigious public high schools, and specializes in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics along with Stuyvesant High School and the Bronx Academy of Science. The school, built on its present site from 1930-33, is 12 stories high and its footprint occupies over half a city block. Its facilities include a working foundry on the 7th floor and a library complete with defunct fireplaces.

Many of us are grateful now more than ever for Brooklyn's parks and green spaces, but they've always held a place of high esteem, as seen in this stereoview of the Prospect Park Concert Grove.

Another beautiful, welcome bright spot to enjoy social distancing: Prospect Park's Rose Garden.