FDNY Engine Company 28 Ladder 11
24 Hours
We met the friendliest firemen one day when we were on 2nd Street. The doors were up and the guys were just hanging out chatting. They knew so much about the history of the neighborhood and were so proud to be a part of it. We learned that across the street at #223 there was a bathhouse in the 1800’s. And at this same address, in the 1990’s, downstairs was the “lower east side needle exchange…as in heroin…they had a sign on the door and people came in limos and would come with dirty needles and replace them for new ones.” The stories that people will tell us if we simply ask never cease to amaze us. They also shared that “this was the busiest fire department in the world in 1979.” We thank them for sharing a bit of 2nd Street history with us, and, of course, for all that they do for New York City.
