At the triangle formed by East New York Avenue and Prospect Place where they meet Rockaway Avenue, you will find a tall building with a bricked-up picture window, as well as an instantly recognizable iron pole that formerly held trolley wires. Here you could catch the #2, #5 and #10 trolley lines and transfer to the #14 on Rockaway Avenue, which would take you all the way to Canarsie Pier on Jamaica Bay. I was sent this, as well as a couple of photos of what this scene looked like in 1940, by Brooklyn Confidential on The Site Formerly Known as Twitter. #2 and #5 ended service in 1947, while #10 hung on until 1951. Trolleys were being eliminated when Jackie broke the color barrier and Bobby hit The Shot Heard Round the World.
In this 1940 tax photo, you can see that same trolley pole as well as wiring on ENY and Rockaway Avenues. The tall building was formerly home to Jamison Laboratories, 1521 East New York, which did not make whiskey but instead, trusses, belts, corsets and abdominal supports as well as surgical supplies. To top it off at the triangle, there’s a railroad car diner. Today, diners are being wiped out; but if you look at 1940 tax photos, there were hundreds scattered around throughout the five boroughs. They provided ham and eggs and coffee to laborers and office jockeys who may have gotten a half hour for lunch at best. If the country runs on Dunkin’ today, it ran on diners yesterday.
Here’s a look at 1521 from another angle. It’s still hanging in, as well as the trolley remnant, reminders of another place and time.
The Indefatigable Montrose Morris (Suzanne Spellen) has the building’s history here.
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3/14/24
10 comments
If you use Google Street view, it appears that diner is still there buried under a newer facade, and now a deli.
Some history of the building prior to Jamison courtesy of Brownstoner: National Surgical Stores
How do you see the diner?
That is horrible drainage. Whenever I see big puddles like that near the sidewalk I stay far away. The types of drivers who purposely veer into puddles to splash pedestrians are rare, but they are out there. It happened to me only once but I think about it every time I see a puddle like that. There better be a special torture chamber in hell for those sociopaths.
Bill, yes, perhaps poor drainage, but in addition, is that spot not currently a bus stop? In which case there is the effect of heavy city buses continually, constantly braking right up to almost that same exact point. Would likely have the effect of adding extra pressure the pavement and the layers below, and boom, there’s your puddle.
One wonders what lies behind that enigmatic roll-up door on the old Jamison’s building.
For the young-uns: Kevin must have described this before, but… The traffic signal with only two lenses: The aspect changed from green only, to both red and green, and then to red only. I saw a few of these still in use when I was a boy, and I asked my father why there was no yellow!
A few left on Liberty ave and Far Rock till 2000 or so.
Any chance that Jamison’s started out as a theater?
Didn’t know about the existence of this trolley pole. Thanks Kev.