Hotel Bossert, a storied hotel on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights, was sold

Balaamsass2

Memories..... a 1970s-1980s meetup location to grab a ride to local trips on the Subway...or a bite on Montague St.

Brooklyn Heights Hotel to be Turned Into Homes

The Hotel Bossert, a storied hotel on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights, was sold to SomeraRoad, a New York City and Nashville-based real estate investment and development firm.

BK Reader StaffMay 31, 2025 10:00 AMJun 2, 2025 9:20 Am

Photo: Supplied/Jim.henderson via Wikimedia Commons

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The Hotel Bossert, a storied hotel on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights, was sold to a real estate company that plans to convert the hotel into modern homes.

SomeraRoad, a New York City and Nashville-based real estate investment and development firm, said it plans to "honor the property’s rich history and restore and reopen the building as residences."

Ian Ross, the founder and managing principal of SomeraRoad, is a Brooklyn resident and "deeply committed to this project," the firm said.

The Bossert, dubbed as the "Waldorf-Astoria of Brooklyn" was originally built in 1909 by a lumber magnate as a state-of-the-art accommodation for both transient and permanent guests.

One of its biggest draws was its Marine Roof rooftop restaurant that resembled a two-tiered promenade deck of a ship, with 360-degree views of Brooklyn and Manhattan. As the hotel was home to several Brooklyn Dodgers during the 1950s, many fans came to the hotel to celebrate after the Dodgers beat the Yankees to win the World Series in 1955.

In the late 80s, the building was owned by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, a corporation part of the Jehovah's Witnesses, and then was purchased by the Chetrit family in 2019. The building was sold via auction to Beach Point Capital Management in early 2025, according to public records, before it was passed on to SomeraRoad."

https://www.bkreader.com/business-innovation/brooklyn-heights-hotel-to-be-turned-into-homes-10727030

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Bossert

Balaamsass2

Memories...

Spreading my monthly $17 per month to make the round trip to my hall outside Bed Stye (where the fires never die).

Wouldn't work now...each ride is $3. lol. After getting mugged by a crowd one summer night for my watch...I dared to complain to a long time Bethelite "This isn't safe". He replied "Our hope is in the resurrection." ughh.

Memories...staying on the A train too.. long and getting off the train in Harlem one night alone. One kindly passerby suggested "Son, get right back on the train" seeing my puzzled Irish face on a Harlem St corner. :)

Take the A train....just not too long. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG9htI6yzSs

silentbuddha

I lived in a tiiiiiny room on the 3rd floor with a Joshua salsbury. That building was beautiful indeed. They had “worldly” people who lived there amongst all those jdubs.

Fat bastard that smelled like shit, but was funny as hell. The memories

Balaamsass2

lol SilentBuddaha, my first room was at 124 Columbia Heights. Sister De Checka was next door, GB member Dan Sydlick and Marina one more door away. Dan wandered into my room an hour after I arrived, "What are you doing not at work" I just got here....oh. Smiling, I asked him..."What are YOU doing off work?" ( I didn't yet know what the GB members looked like). Where you from? San Francisco...his eyes rolled. Later that day in the community bathroom he commented on my souvenir bathrobe/kimono from Hawaii "You plan on wearing THAT here?" Sure it was a cool gift. More eye rolls. He was my weekend table head...and I sat next to him and Marina. We talked frequently and I enjoyed bantering with him the whole time "Is THAT in the Bible" and watching Marina laugh. He asked me to shave my mustache and side burns...smiling, I said "I don't want people to think I'm gay"...Marina chuckled...steam came out his ears. Hell, I was working for free...he could demote or fire me...if they could replace me. I would simply go home to nicer surroundings and better pay. Memories. :)

dropoffyourkeylee

I had a family member in Bethel in the late 70's. Funny, when visitiing, we stayed a couple nights in the Bossert when it was still a hotel (1977 or so). Later when it was purchased by the WT we stayed there again. There were still some non-JWs living there, as the NY laws didn't allow eviction of current residents as long as they paid their rent on time. The WT volunteer/labor/slaves had really spruced up the appearance of the rooms as well as the lobby. What happened to it later I don't know, but I expect non-JW financiers eventually bought it and made a nice profit from it.

Edit to add, I appreciate the video of the A-train, but I'm pretty sure the Bossert was in Brooklyn not too far from the JW HQ. I remember walking from the Bossert to 124 Columbia Heights

Balaamsass2

The A train runs the length of Manhattan under the river through Brooklyn out to Rockaway. The stops changed over the years. Express vs local gets confusing. Zipping along underground with all the filth, crowds, and crazies can be disorienting.

When I visited New York City for work, and Bethel friends in later years, I was glad to use cabs!

SadElder

I remember staying in the Bossert for a for about a week in the early 80's while on a "special assignment". The place was full of roaches. There were still "worldlies" living in some rooms pending their vacating at some point. I had several more visits scheduled and told them if they couldn't put me in cleaner roach free environment then I wouldn't come again. The next visits I was stowed away in the Towers and went without incident.

NotFormer

It must have been heartbreaking to have Bethel hyped up about back in the home congregation, only to find more worldly behaviour than you left behind! 😿

Gorb

Never understood why jw.org did not devolp these real estate by itself.

And rent it to others.

G.

fulano

I lived there for half a year when we came from our missionary assignment. On the second floor. What drove me mad were the garbage trucks driving around all night long. The liquor store next door has made a lot of money. Every time I entered I found G Lösch, buying his schnapps.

Hotel Bossert, a storied hotel on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights, was sold

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