The Ghost of the Third Avenue El

Pictured here is the eastside of Third Avenue between 82nd & 83rd Street in Yorkville. My interest in this block front is these unrenovated buildings were built in the 1800s. They faced the Third Avenue El before the track was electrified in 1905 (approx.). That means every few minutes on a work day, a steam engine train rumbled pass your window with dark soot flying and the pictures on your wall shook like a 5.9 earthquake.

Next time you walk this stretch, imagine that El there and what it felt and sounded like inside your front facing apartment.

There is an amazing Third Avenue El book, "By The El ~ Third Avenue and its El at mid-century."

Lawrence Stelter took his father, Lothar Stelter's photographs of the Third Avenue El and lovingly put together a book of every station up to East 129th Street. If you are interesting in New York's transportation history get this book.

Under the Third Avenue pictures are two cool cars I saw parked off 84th Street & First Avenue.