I couldn't resist seeing what 239 7th Street looks like in person today. It's a beautiful block with lots of renovation going on. What's striking about many of the blocks that are between Avenues C and D is that there are many that were originally built as one family homes in the 1800's rather than tenements. The size and the finer architectural elements of these houses give a clue. You will see nothing but tenements as you go further inland. The collage I put together should be self-explanatory with labeling that is viewable when enlarged. I would have thought that the synagogue that was but a shell in the 1981 picture might have been demolished. Instead it looks like it is being restored as condominium apartments.
Showing posts with label 7th street. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 7th street. Show all posts
Friday, May 7, 2010
More 239 E. 7th Street
from pseudo-intellectualism back in 2005
I couldn't resist seeing what 239 7th Street looks like in person today. It's a beautiful block with lots of renovation going on. What's striking about many of the blocks that are between Avenues C and D is that there are many that were originally built as one family homes in the 1800's rather than tenements. The size and the finer architectural elements of these houses give a clue. You will see nothing but tenements as you go further inland. The collage I put together should be self-explanatory with labeling that is viewable when enlarged. I would have thought that the synagogue that was but a shell in the 1981 picture might have been demolished. Instead it looks like it is being restored as condominium apartments.
I couldn't resist seeing what 239 7th Street looks like in person today. It's a beautiful block with lots of renovation going on. What's striking about many of the blocks that are between Avenues C and D is that there are many that were originally built as one family homes in the 1800's rather than tenements. The size and the finer architectural elements of these houses give a clue. You will see nothing but tenements as you go further inland. The collage I put together should be self-explanatory with labeling that is viewable when enlarged. I would have thought that the synagogue that was but a shell in the 1981 picture might have been demolished. Instead it looks like it is being restored as condominium apartments.
239 7th Street
from pseudo-intellectualism back in 2005
In her article Katharine Greider envisioned her 239 "ancestors" having encounters with Garfein's on Avenue A, Papa Burger's Hungarian foods on Avenue C and egg creams on Avenue D. I had to research what Garfein's was......lo and behold it was Mercury Lounge! from their web site: "The Mercury Lounge is located at 217 East Houston Street, between Ludlow and Essex streets, where the Lower East Side meets the East Village. It's on the first floor of a building that once housed the servants to the Astor Mansion, connected to it by an underground labyrinth of tunnels. Garfein's Restaurant occupied the space in the early part of the twentieth century, and from 1933 to 1993, the storefront housed a seller of tombstones. Vestiges of the monument store include the large, foot-square, wooden beams, on which the monuments sat and were displayed, used in the construction of the Mercury Lounge's storefront window. And there is a tombstone embedded in an end of the bar's countertop." Now I have to figure out where there was an Astor Mansion? It's probably where some realtor is building a fancy hotel/health club on Allen Street. We'll discuss egg creams at a later date. It's part of the Kisseloff thread. The Bromley 1891 map can let us imagine some other things. Perhaps the children from 239 attended PS36 (still standing as a Henry Street day care site) on 9th Street or PS 71 which was on 7th street closer to Avenue B. There were many schools around, because the neighborhood was packed with children. Use the map yourselves and come up with some possibilities. BTW the blue lines on the map show the original boundaries of the Dutch farm owners. The picture of an abandoned 7th Street synagogue (1981) in the top left corner comes from a terrific now and then LES photo site
In her article Katharine Greider envisioned her 239 "ancestors" having encounters with Garfein's on Avenue A, Papa Burger's Hungarian foods on Avenue C and egg creams on Avenue D. I had to research what Garfein's was......lo and behold it was Mercury Lounge! from their web site: "The Mercury Lounge is located at 217 East Houston Street, between Ludlow and Essex streets, where the Lower East Side meets the East Village. It's on the first floor of a building that once housed the servants to the Astor Mansion, connected to it by an underground labyrinth of tunnels. Garfein's Restaurant occupied the space in the early part of the twentieth century, and from 1933 to 1993, the storefront housed a seller of tombstones. Vestiges of the monument store include the large, foot-square, wooden beams, on which the monuments sat and were displayed, used in the construction of the Mercury Lounge's storefront window. And there is a tombstone embedded in an end of the bar's countertop." Now I have to figure out where there was an Astor Mansion? It's probably where some realtor is building a fancy hotel/health club on Allen Street. We'll discuss egg creams at a later date. It's part of the Kisseloff thread. The Bromley 1891 map can let us imagine some other things. Perhaps the children from 239 attended PS36 (still standing as a Henry Street day care site) on 9th Street or PS 71 which was on 7th street closer to Avenue B. There were many schools around, because the neighborhood was packed with children. Use the map yourselves and come up with some possibilities. BTW the blue lines on the map show the original boundaries of the Dutch farm owners. The picture of an abandoned 7th Street synagogue (1981) in the top left corner comes from a terrific now and then LES photo site
7th Street Synchronicity
The talk of Artie Shaw on 7th Street reminded me of these blog entries from pseudo-intellectualism back in 2005
A wonderful article in the Times' city section about the history of a 7th street building entitled "House Interrupted." The author, Katharine Greider, (who I suspect may be the daughter of the respected journalist, William Greider) does what we had been discussing previously-she imagines the lives of all the people who had lived in her house. She makes excellent use of primary documents in doing so. Here's a link to a pdf version of the article. Above is an image of another section (click on it to enlarge) of that wonderful 1851 Driggs map that brings to life many of the elements that Katherine discusses.
A wonderful article in the Times' city section about the history of a 7th street building entitled "House Interrupted." The author, Katharine Greider, (who I suspect may be the daughter of the respected journalist, William Greider) does what we had been discussing previously-she imagines the lives of all the people who had lived in her house. She makes excellent use of primary documents in doing so. Here's a link to a pdf version of the article. Above is an image of another section (click on it to enlarge) of that wonderful 1851 Driggs map that brings to life many of the elements that Katherine discusses.
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