Outtakes (11)

[Yes, that’s a photographer. And that’s a streetcar in the background. Outtake from the WPA’s New York City tax photographs, c. 1939–1941, available from 1940s NYC. Click for a much larger view.]

Uptown — it was Alexander’s. When this photograph was taken, there were just two Alexander’s department stores, both in the Bronx, at 2952 Third Avenue (the original store) and 2501 Grand Concourse (the intersection of the Concourse and Fordham Road). The Third Avenue Alexander’s sat in the middle of a block, right across from the El. This outtake must be showing the Grand Concourse store. I used to see it on my commute to Fordham College, at least until I discovered sneakier and faster routes than Fordham Road.

Here are two non-outtake tax photographs of 2501 Grand Concourse. There appears to have been a major addition and major renovations to the building. Perhaps that called for a return shoot. After all, these were tax photographs.

[From Fordham Road (I think) and from the Concourse. Click either image for a larger view.]

The 2952 address now houses Burlington, Five Below (games and toys), and Marshalls. The 2501 address now houses all sorts of stuff: an 1199SEIU Health Care Training and Child Care Center, a 24 Hour Fitness, a Capital One Bank, The Children’s Place, Concrete (women’s clothing), a Marshalls, a P.F. Richard & Son, a Social Security office, and a Verizon store. The department stores have become small malls.

New Yorkers and New Jerseyans of a certain age will recall the massive mural attached to the front of Alexander’s Paramus store. That location is now an IKEA store.

Related posts
Outtakes (1) : Outtakes (2) : Outtakes (3): Outakes (4) : Outtakes (5) : Outtakes (6) : Outtakes (7) : Outtakes (8) : Outtakes (9) : Outtakes (10) : More photographs from the NYC Municipal Archives

[I gave up on trying to figure out what’s going on with the rooftop sign. All I know is that all three photos depict the same address.]