Here’s 32-14 Steinway Street in Astoria between Broadway and 34th Avenue, a street I have passed often in the last decade since the (soon former) headquarters of my associate entity, Greater Astoria Historical Society, is nearby. At first glance it looks like a nondescript storefront, a coffee shop and a gift shop on a stucco wall painted gold. But look at what’s peeking out at the top. Behind the facade is a very old building that looks like a French Second Empire from 1875-1880.
Thanks to the NYC Municipal Archives’ tax photos from 1940, here’s a look at the building from that year. The wall is more easily seen as a brick wall. Formerly it had hosted a succession of restaurants–here, Bagley’s, and I have seen a postcard of the 32-14 interior with another name. The older building’s contours are more readily seen.
Some months ago, I was cruising around online and I found a photo of the same building in its full glory, without the brick wall at an earlier date. Despite searching high and low everywhere online I thought I could gave glimpsed it, so far, nada. I’m going to keep looking and post it here when I do.
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11/14/18
5 comments
I grew up in Astoria and still live here. I always wondered what the home looked like before it was converted to commercial use. Since Astoria hosted several movie theaters I assumed it was one of those lost to time. If possible I’d love to see the photo you have of the the building encumbered my the alterations.
I believe the car in the Archives photo is a 1932 Essex
Independent coffee shops are the best. Definitely preferable to you-know-what.
Here’s the pictures of the interior when it was Donahue’s:
https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:0p0974094
Looking at aerial pictures, the brick wall is gone, but there’s a lower building surrounding the French style inner building. Still no great info about it.