I am surprised I missed this one but am generally not marching around on 3rd Avenue and 31st Street beneath the honking Gowanus Expressway, but there it is, a big painted ad for Gunderman Service, once located at 4th Avenue and 5th Street, a mile or two away. A look at the address on 1940s.nyc reveals a strip of service stations, but not the titular one; presently that site is home to a large glass-exterior apartment house. The elevated highway arrived in the 1940s, and necessitated the razing of homes and businesses on the east side of 3rd Avenue in Gowanus, Greenwood Heights and Sunset Park for about a 60-block span.
Thus, #122 31st Street did not always have its side exposed on 3rd Avenue, but had another building in between. When that building came down, Gunderman painted their ad here, and protected from sun by the expressway, it has outlasted the business by several decades. #122 and its neighbor, #124, both bear the name Silvio Rosanelli over the arched entrance. This was likely the original owner, developer, or architect, and like the Gunderman ad, has also outlived its namesake by several decades.
Check out the ForgottenBook. As always, “comment…as you see fit.” I earn a small payment when you click on any ad on the site.
7/7/26