Sunday, June 3, 2012

Postcard from the past


"This building is on Depot Road next to the Flushing-Broadway station. It is still standing. Thought you might appreciate this old postcard...as it is gorgeous." - Matthew Ryan Reischer

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks Matt.

Anonymous said...

Very cool

Jerry Rotondi said...

"Only 23 minutes from Broadway"
to Penn Station.

Thanks, George M. Cohan
for allowing me to alter one of
your iconic lyrics.

Thanks LIRR, for making it possible
for me to skip by fetid, overcrowded, seedy, downtown Flushing in a flash.

Anonymous said...

Hoorah! Hoorah! Hoorah!

Keep on doing a great job, BFHA,
in defending those Rickert Finley covenants in the courts!

That's what's kept this fine residential nabe from being flushed down the crapper with the rest of Flushing by avaricious
developer-speculators.

Those deed restrictions do not expire after time.
The run with the land in perpetuity!

That was fine responsible community planning by a realty company who wasn't in it for their own greed.

Anonymous said...

What year is that picture from?

Anonymous said...

It's beautiful, Matthew. Thank you!

M.R.R. said...

1907 is my understanding.

Anonymous said...

the beautiful trees on the south side of the station,across from the P.O. vanished ,when the Asian owners bought the stores.

too bad...it is only concrete now for cars that jump the illegal pretend curbcuts (sidewalks).

Anonymous said...

I don't think
that Asians bought up these stores.

Most are just renting.
Check the deeds online through Acris.

Maybe we should blame the lazy olde tyme property owners who might have cut down those trees and who barely maintain their buildings adequately.

While we're stereotyping,
there are a lot of Greeks and Italians who hate trees as much as Asians do.

So take your pick
on which race to hold responsible.

Anonymous said...

"Keep on doing a great job, BFHA,
in defending those Rickert Finley covenants in the courts!"


I am confused. When I walk to Bowne Park and pass 159th and 32nd there are two homes on the corners that have fences. One is a hideous pink brick mess and the other is a wrought iron job with a stockade fence facing 159th.

Are these in violation of the covenant?

Anonymous said...

the trees that vanished across from the "Auburndale P.O." were located between the curb and sidewalk. they were nyc /parks/forestry responsibility and illegal to remove.

they survived for the 50 years that i have visited the P.O., until the Asian owners/renters moved into the stores. a coincidence ?

Anonymous said...

Nice graffiti....................

Anonymous said...

Old, disgruntled, grumbler...
those old Silver Maple trees you speak of had hollow trunks and were already losing limbs during storms.

They were on NYC property.

FYI:
That species of tree
have very shallow root systems.

Most of the trees that were lost during that devastating tornado were Silver Maples.

Anonymous said...

Not all of Broadway-Flushing
lies within the RF Covenant area.

I don't think the "bubble gum"
(pink) house is in the covenant area.

Compare north of the boulevard
to the south side.

BFHA has done a damn good job
over here since 1964.

Without municipal landmark status there isn't much, beyond enforcing the R1-2A zoning, that can be done to regulate architectural abortions
like the "bubble gum" house.

homeowner said...

This IS NOT intended as a door busting, hard sell commercial for the Broadway-Flushing Homeowners Association.

These are merely some
observations based upon fact.

BFHA does (and has done) some very good work!

Each of you can decide...
whether you want to spend your time complaining about current conditions, or to begin getting a little more active in protecting your greatest investment...your home and neighborhood.

I would begin by advising everyone to join BFHA if you live here and are not already a member.

I, most certainly, am
a member...and for over 30 years!

$10 a year membership fee, is the cheapest supplemental homeowner's insurance you can buy.

Then...you might want to contribute whatever you can...in additional time or money or both.

By no means are we well-off,
but our family has already made some modest contributions to BFHA.

Every dollar and every minute
really do count.

This is an association of fellow homeowners and there is strength in numbers.

Collectively,
WE ARE THE GLUE that holds it all together.

There is no Wizard of Oz we can go to for a magic solution.

Diligence and dedication has kept our residential neighborhood one of the finest in Queens.

These postcard views of the past often leave many of us unhappy with the present picture.

But,
please remind yourself that life is still good around here.

Don't waste time getting angry.
I invite all to start
GETTING ACTIVE instead!

The very success of our republic, from the earliest days of the American Revolution, has depended upon the proactive involvement of its citizens.

The quality of life in any neighborhood hinges upon its solidarity.

Start up, or support your existing local civic organizations.

Anonymous said...

#13 why hasn't the nyc parks/forestry planted new trees across from the P.O. , if the others were removed because of age.?

the vehicles of the store owners would not be able to jump the curbs for free parking.

phunkykim said...

I am the super of a small building that is around the corner from this insurance building our garden is right behind the insurance building. Ours is a small residential building built in the 1960s. The insurance building and parking lot has been sold to the restaurant next door. My fear is the sale of this building will be disruptive to our garden and our tenants. the BFHA is only for single family detached residences so i'm guessing i cannot join. Additionally depot road is not w/in your physicall boundries. I would like my voice to be heard i'm guessing the community board is where i should express my concern? There are 3 24hr restaurants on that block w/ very noisey extractor fans on the roof