TYPE F, West Village

by Kevin Walsh

When I began Forgotten NY in 1998, there were still a number of original Type F castirons around, at far flung locations such as SUNY Maritime campus at Fort Schuyler in the Bronx; Riverview Terrace at the east end of East 58th Street in the shadow of the Queensboro Bridge; and Charles Young Park at 7th Avenue and East 153rd Street. Those have all vanished and the total number of original Type Fs in NYC is down to 5, as far as I know: two at the Belt Parkway 26th Avenue overpass; one at the Bay 8th Street pedestrian overpass; a refurbished one on the step street off 65th Place and 53rd Avenue in Maspeth; and this one, on West 13th Street between 6th and 7th Avenue in the West Village. All have been landmarked, but since I haven’t been by any of them at night I don’t know how many still work, except for the one that was restored.

Of course, new and somewhat more massive retro editions have populated streets like West 8th in the Village as well as parts of Metropolitan and Wyckoff Avenues as well as some side streets in Glendale.

But, this original is still hanging in, despite missing its finial for the last decade or two.

Check out the ForgottenBook, take a look at the gift shop, and as always, “comment…as you see fit.”

6/19/18

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