Density and amenities

[2456 Jerome Avenue, The Bronx, c. 1939–1941. From the NYC Municipal Archives Collections. Click for a much larger view.]

I like urban density. The southwest corner of the intersection of East Fordham Road and Jerome Avenue was full of it. And look at all the amenities: a mailbox, telephone booths, and public transportation. You can see just a bit of the IRT Jerome Avenue Line to the right. Notice too all the paper bags, held by people shopping on foot, buying what they can carry.

As a commuting college student, I drove through this intersection many times, long after the heyday of United Cigars. An Optimo Cigars sign was on the corner store when I was a student. Today that corner is a drugstore. No phone booths, no doubt. And no mailbox outside. The IRT still runs above.

Related reading
More OCA posts with photographs from the NYC Municipal Archives : Urban density on 14th Street