When trains ran above Third Avenue
When trains ran above Third Avenue
Trains once ran above Third Avenue on a steel structure that filled the street. The Manhattan service ended in 1955, leaving the road open to the sky.
The story behind the scene
The Third Avenue Elevated opened in 1878. It gave passengers a faster route through Manhattan and encouraged development along the line.
Its columns stood in a street still used by other traffic. Homes and shops faced the tracks, while stations lifted passengers above the road to board trains.
The Manhattan sections closed in stages between 1950 and 1955. The Bronx service continued until 1973, so the railway’s removal from Manhattan did not end the whole line at once.
What you’re seeing
The 1942 photograph records Third Avenue beneath the elevated railway. The modern view returns to a street without the overhead tracks. The missing structure changes the light and the space above the roadway.
Why this photo matters
The railway was more than a route on a map. Its supports, tracks and stations occupied the same street as the businesses and traffic below.
Sources: New York Transit Museum, Journey to the Past; The IRT Third Avenue Elevated: 100 Years of History.