As we stand at the intersection of Washington Street and Water Street in DUMBO, Brooklyn, the juxtaposition of old and new is striking. The once-thriving Domino Sugar Factory, now a relic of the past, stands as a testament to the neighborhood's industrial heritage. German photographer Reiner Leitsch's 1985 documentation of the factory serves as a poignant reminder of what once was, a stark contrast to the sleek glass towers that now dominate the landscape. Leitsch's photographs, a collection of concrete ghosts, capture the essence of a bygone era. The images depict the factory's inner workings, a maze of pipes, machinery, and workers, all laboring to produce the sweet staple that gave the factory its name. These photographs not only serve as a historical record but also as a tribute to the men and women who toiled within the factory's walls. Fast forward to the present, and the landscape has changed dramatically. The Domino Sugar Factory, once the lifeblood of the community, now stands as a relic, a reminder of a time long past. The glass towers that have sprouted up around it, a testament to the neighborhood's gentrification, seem to stretch on forever, a sea of reflective surfaces that glint and shimmer in the sunlight. And yet, amidst all this change, there remains a connection to the past. A sugar worker, one of the few remaining links to the factory's heyday, still lives upstairs, a reminder that even as the neighborhood transforms, its history remains an integral part of its fabric. As we navigate the streets of DUMBO, it becomes clear that the intersection of old and new is not just a physical phenomenon but also a cultural one. The neighborhood's industrial heritage, once the driving force behind its economy, now serves as a backdrop for the sleek, modern aesthetic that dominates the landscape. It is a testament to the power of transformation, a reminder that even as we move forward, our past remains an integral part of who we are.