Ironically, before this firehouse was converted, it suffered its own two-alarm fire back in 2008. The cause, I learned, was most likely from the 100 year old wiring inside the structure. The site of the former Hook & Ladder 23 is now used by City College of New York as the storage facility for their snow plows. However, the building's time as a firehouse has not been forgotten by the longtime residents of the neighborhood. I had the chance to chat with a man who has lived across from the firehouse since he was a child, and he was eager to share stories about what it was like when it was still in operation. He told me that the firemen were glad to play with the neighborhood kids during their downtime on weekends, and even brought sandwiches and juice for everyone to share. There was always a sense of excitement when the door to the building opened up to reveal the fire truck and the fire poles in the back - it was every kid's dream to have the chance to slide down one of those poles. Now, even though the building has been repurposed, he told me it still thrills him to watch the door go up, revealing the fire poles that are still there, tucked away behind the snow plows. "Always brings back good memories of good times," he said with a smile.
