A new route to dihydropyrene precursors, 1, 3-bis (bromomethyl)-2-substituted-benzenes, has been found, which starts from the readily available hexachlorocyclopentadiene and 3- substituted acrylic esters. Utilization of an intermediate in this sequence, 1, 3-bis (bromomethyl)-4, 5-dichlorotoluenc, has opened up a route to the relatively inaccessible cis- dimethyldihydropyrenes to allow study of their chemistry.