The former Scotto Funeral Home, a landmark of bygone Brooklyn, is reopening after a multiyear renovation and Catholic blessing - this time as a boutique gym.

Having been a Carrol Gardens fixture since being founded in 1926, The Scotto Funeral Home opened for business on a residential block in 1947, almost 15 years before modern zoning laws. 5th generation owner Mark Scotto saw the peak of business the 1980’s, and knew change was coming. As many families who patronized the business left, he was forced to pivot to real estate, followed by closing the parlor. in 2018. What would happen next? A new lease on life, and a friendly neighborhood welcome for locals at District Gym, a new brownstown gym. With familial roots and locally run, the gym is part fitness and part embracing a changing demographic! “This place was about death, and now it’s about life.”

Thank you SO much to The Scotto Family for letting my capture the new space + their fab family!! THANK YOU to photo editor Andrew Hinderaker for the opportunity - MVP photo editor of all time!!! And also many thanks to reporter Stefanos Chen for such a fun piece!!!

The New York Times - In a Transformed Neighborhood, A Funeral Home Finds New Life as a Gym