A picture taken around 1938 reveals that a building up on Edgecombe at 149th Street actually had storefronts out front. These lower levels were boarded up after the postwar population decline of New York City and one can see what this building looks like today by the updated photo shown. Now that Harlem's population is finally on the rise again, maybe one day buildings will start adding back their commercial elements since blocks like the ones on upper Edgecombe are pretty isolated. We only know of one storefront that actually still exists in the area:
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Archival image courtesy NYPL
I was just walking past those buildings the other night and wondering what made them look so odd. I couldn't figure out what I was seeing, with the blocked-up entrances below the street level. Thanks so much for enlightening me! It would be amazing if they could be returned to their original purpose.
ReplyDeleteWonder if they're still commercial/retail zoned?
ReplyDelete