WWW.BIGAPPLECHIMNEY.COM 718-648-3998 or 212-785-9788

Chinatown's housing stock is still mostly composed of cramped tenement buildings, some of which are over 100 years old. It is still common in such buildings to have bathrooms in the hallways, to be shared among multiple apartments. A federally subsidized housing project, named Confucius Plaza, was completed on the corner of Bowery and Division streets in 1976. This 44-story residential tower block gave much needed new housing stock to thousands of residents. The building also housed a new public grade school, P.S. 124 (or Yung Wing Elementary). Besides being the first and largest affordable housing complex specifically available to the Chinatown population Confucius Plaza is also a cultural and institutional landmark, springing forth community organization, Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE), one of Chinatown's oldest political/community organizations, founded in 1974.

For much of Chinatown's history, there were few unique architectural features to announce to visitors that they had arrived in the neighborhood (other than the language of the shop signs). In 1962, at Chatham Square the Lieutenant Benjamin Ralph Kimlau Memorial archway was erected in memorial of the Chinese-Americans who died in World War II. This memorial, which bears calligraphy by the great Yu Youren (1879—1964), is mostly ignored by the residents due to its poor location on a busy car thoroughfare with little pedestrian traffic.^{[citation needed]} A statue of Lin Zexu, also known as Commissioner Lin, a Foochowese Chinese official who opposed the opium trade, is also located at the square; it faces uptown along East Broadway, now home to the bustling Fuzhou neighborhood and known locally as Fuzhou Street. In the 1970s, New York Telephone, then the local phone company started capping the street phone booths with pagoda-like decorations. In 1976, the statue of Confucius in front of Confucius Plaza became a common meeting place. In the 1980s, banks which opened new branches and others which were renovating started to use Chinese traditional styles for their building facades. The Church of the Transfiguration, a national historic site built in 1815, stands off Mott Street.

In 2010, Chinatown and Little Italy were listed in a single historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.

Big Apple Chimney “The Brownstone and Pre-War Specialists” are Fully, Licensed, Insured and Bonded, Chimney and Fireplace Contractors. Primarily Servicing Brooklyn and Manhattan in New York, We also service the New York Metropolitan Area. Our Chimney and Fireplace Experts Specialize in Chimneys and Fireplaces for Pre-War Era Buildings including Brownstones, Townhouses and Carriage Houses.

Big Apple Chimney’s Mechanics and Technicians have been in the Chimney & Fireplace business over 20 years. We are a Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited business with an A rating since 2006.

Big Apple Chimney offers Complete Chimney and Fireplace Services, Masonry and Complete Historical Restoration Services. We employ Master Masons, Master Carpenters, Licensed Plumbers and Licensed Electricians.

“We will send the right people to do the job, correctly and to your complete satisfaction”.

Call Big Apple Chimney today at 212-785-9788 to speak to our Chimney and Fireplace Specialists and request a free estimate. We service all residential and commercial customers. We are Family Owned and Operated with locations in NYC and Brooklyn.

Please call 212-785-9788 for 24 hour emergency service regarding your chimney or fireplace. We correct all Violations, if your heat has been turned off due to bad conditions, such as a blockage, a carbon monoxide leak, a draft, flue spillage, leaking soot or water, etc. Our Emergency Service crew is guaranteed to restore your Boiler or Hot Water Heater after a turn off. We are fully qualified to repair and restore your heat in the case of a gas, oil or electric company shut-off! We can also restore your heat and hot water if the Fire Dept., E.P.A. or any other city, state or federal government agency has shut you down. We also provide a full range of inspection services (including but not limited to infra-red camera scanning, carbon monoxide detection), smoke and air flow testing services, reports and affidavits required by NYC Building Code.

(Big Apple Chimney combines their expert knowledge in NYC building code with their unequaled experience in brownstone and pre-war buildings to provide their clients with the best chimney and fireplace service in NYC.)