Anatomy of Another Street Corner

Today's episode of our Anatomy series takes a close-up look at the northwest corner of 42nd Street and First Avenue. This view also includes a part of No. 45, but is mainly a study of the three-story building behind Prospect Tower. 

The photo by Brown Brothers is from 1947.

The building appears to be a garage for the United Dressed Beef Company ‒ Best Quality and Service for over 95 years ‒ whose main operation was three blocks away at 45th Street. The company also used a lot across the street for more parking. 

Looking up, the ivy growing on No. 45 is slowly creeping over to its next-door neighbor. 

Back down at street level, we see the street numbers posted on a Mast-Arm light fixture: E 42 ST/1st AVE.

A rather spectacular taxi cab.

Another entrance to building, which is on 1st Avenue. What is going on on the upper floors is anyone's guess. To the right, there is a billboard advertisement at 43rd Street, which alas cannot be read. Today, this space is the site of the Sharansky Steps.

Finally, a corner of The Manor looks out over the scene and patiently waits for it all to change with the coming of the U.N., three years away.

_________

We'll be away next week but back again June 15.

THEN AND NOW

 The western wall of the South Park, then and now.

2017

The photo shows barbed wire atop a fence separating the South Park's garden from the private garden next door. The incongruity of such a pairing led to the founding of the Strange But True series.

2025

Then one morning, while walking through the South Park we noticed the rusty wire coils were gone, though the fence and a pair of security cameras remain. Whatever caused the barbed wire to go up in the first place was just as mysterious as its demise. Any clues, anyone?

The original post, here.

DEPRESSION Ads

 A look at some Tudor City advertising that ran early in the Depression. 

Its cutting edge art deco look coupled with its last phrase ‒Unusual Services ‒ set this ad apart from the others.

If you live in Tudor City and walk to your office you save 2 hours of railroad time each day ‒ 60 hours of daylight a month ‒ really five days.

You won't use all of them at once, of course. 

And there are a lot of other things this young lady doesn't know. For example, that Tudor City is the one place in New York today where you can really live.

Tudor City's rents are modest. No need to hurry at any time. Plenty of time for your morning shower, plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast and then for an unhurried stroll to your office. But convenience of location is only one of the dozens of advantages Tudor City holds. Come and see for yourself.

 

⸺⸺⸺⸺⸺

A reminder that Manhattanhenge is just around the corner. Plan accordingly. 

Manhattanhenge 2025

Wednesday, May 28, 8:13 pm, half sun

Thursday, May 29, 8:12 pm, full sun

Friday, July 11, 8:20 pm, full sun

Saturday, July 12, 8:22 pm, half sun

MISCELLANY

 Time again for a round-up of items not quite worthy of a post, but worthy of at least a mention.

We came upon this can of Tudor Beer recently and wondered if it had anything to do with Tudor City. The unfortunate answer is no. Brewed in Trenton, NJ, it was for the A&P food chain ‒ in fact, it was their "premium quality" beer. One user said its taste was like "bad apple cider, without hops." Oh, well.    

A listing of all the things Tudor City had to offer, circa 1930, which was posted in all the rooms of Hotel Tudor.  

A rare matchbook cover, in black and blue, its back side plugging the Hotel Everglades in Miami. Hotel Everglades was built by the French Company in 1926, and for reasons long forgotten, it was on the cover of Tudor City Service in January, 1936, January, 1937 and January, 1938. We suspect the matchbook dates from then.

Yet another photograph of the production of "The Queen at Stratford," put on by the students of Miss Travers school in the North Park.    

PARTICIPATING IN TABLEAUX

Children of Tudor City, New York City, participated in a tableaux, "The Queen at Stratford", held under the direction of Miss Travers in the North Park of Tudor City. Little Ruth Pryor is daughter of Arthur Pryor, son of the famous bandleader. She took the part of the "Queen" while William Walker shown with her took the part of William Shakespeare. 

Instagrammed

Once again, please welcome the latest group of talented Instagrammers who provide the content of this week's post. 

         by raychillmedia                 

by john2001abc      

by nyphoto.at                     

by Sally Hill          

by nyphoto.at                  

Penthouse 7

Behold Penthouse 7 in No. 5, once again on the market. It is a two bedroom, two bath affair, spread out over three levels, the top being a roof terrace ‒ with another terrace on the first floor. This is also the penthouse that movie star Charlton Heston rented in the 1950s as his New York City base, and where he gave his celebrated interview with Edward R. Murrow on Person to Person.

The price is listed by its real estate agent, Douglas Elliman, at $4,795,000.

The living room has views toward the east and south, 18-foot ceilings, and a wood-burning fireplace. 

The first terrace, a long strip which winds down the building. 

The roof terrace.

Check out its page on the Douglas Elliman site, here. And for more on Charlton Heston, click here.

Anatomy of a Street Corner

 

This installment of our Anatomy Series concerns 42nd Street and First Avenue, specifically the northeast corner. It's a day in 1947 according to Brown Brothers, publisher of the photo.   

Moving to the bottom right, we see some construction and a sign saying Builders Cauldwell-Wingate Co. New York. The firm has been around since 1910 and is still in business today.   

What were they building? We suspect it was some kind of temporary thing in connection with the United Nations, a structure to house people needed onsite once the construction got going.  

Meanwhile, the building on the corner of 42nd and First appears to be empty, although it bears various advertisements. Here, we see a beer ad: None can compare to Skelly's Beer & Ale ‒ at the Best Taps in town.  

The corner of 42nd Street and First Avenue shows a neighborhood about to vanish. The store there has gone out of business; thus an ad for the picture Boomerang holds down one window, while the other promotes Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus, appearing at Madison Square Garden April 9th. Turning the corner, Ford Trucks Last Longer reports Sutton Motors, while below it a waitress beckons Come Over for Coke.

The Snack Food Shop, apparently the sole functioning business in the building.  

To the left of Snack lies a parking lot where the United Dressed Beef Company parked their trucks.

Below this, on the street is a truck bearing some kind of surrealistic load. Weird!

Finally, at the bottom of the picture is a bus, part of the Surface Transportation System.