A painted ad at #315 West 53rd Street between 8th and 9th Avenues has perplexed me since I first saw it when I worked in the area between June and December 2019. It’s either very old, as I suspect, or was painted to look that way for a movie set. Its worn condition indicates it’s the former. Just enough paint has worn off to make it tantalizingly difficult to make out.
We’ve got “Croton,” “Nights,” “From 100 to…”, “Discount for Cash,” “Electric Cars Pass Premises,” “To Depot,” “Commutation Grand Central,” “60 Rides for $7.00” (real money when this was painted), “Call For Map.”
The ad was revealed when a layer of whitewash was removed sometime in 2016, according to Street View. My guess it has something to do with streetcars; long ago, there was a streetcar depot a block north on West 54th. I should also add that between 1890-ish and 1942, en elevated train, a connection between the 6th and 9th Avenue Els, rumbled above the street and depending on the height of the tracks, this ad may have been visible from passing cars.
For more info, see #10 in this post from Untapped Cities.
What say you? comments are open.
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2/17/25
7 comments
Electric cars had some degree of popularity in the early 1900’s. They were especially popular with women, who often hated the balky crank starters on gasoline cars. While most electrics had limited ranges that usually was enough for urban driving.
With the invention of modern key starters just before the First World War sales of electric cars plunged.
Given the reference to “Croton”, which I believe is or was the point at which trains on the Hudson line using diesel or coal-fired engines switched to electric engines, I wonder if this may be an ad for a then new apartment building highlighting the appeal of being passed by clean and quiet “electric cars” for “commutation” to and from “Grand Central”? The “Discount for Gas” reference is baffling though.
A Parking garage//Gas station?
I changed the contrast in Photoshop. This is what I could decipher
SALES
CROTON NIGHTS
From 190 to 290 13ms. Discount for Gas
ELECTRIC CARS PASS PREMISES
TH DEP. of
Commutation Grand Central. 60 Rides for $7.00 Call for Map
Everyone seems to be missing the “FOR SALE” which is almost invisible at the top. “Electric cars pass premises” and “Call for map” would indicate this is an ad for a real estate development.
So that means streetcars or the el pass by this property?
Yes, it seems (to me, anyway) that they’re advertising how easily accessible the property is.