☞ REMEMBER: The El Train at 110th Street

Everyone in Harlem is familiar with the elevated 1 train at 125th Street Station, but few were around for the dramatic 110th Street elevated tracks. Built as part of the early mass transit system, the El was conceived before digging tunnels became the norm. The top photo shows the brand new system in rural Harlem (when it had an old-fashioned locomotive) in the late 1880's around Morningside Heights. From the following two photos, one can see Morningside Park on the left corner and the El snaking through 110th Street and turning at 8th Avenue. The last photo shows what it looked like before and after the tracks were dismantled on 110th Street in the 1940's and one can see Morningside Park in the distance. The corner view of 8th Avenue/FDB in the last photo is also a glimpse of the block before the monolithic Towers on the Park were constructed. There looks to be some sort of armory tower that was then a landmark of the area. Archival photos courtesy NYPL