Niederstein's Hotel and Restaurant, 1922. In the early 1850s Henry Schumacher built a two-story wooden building and established Schumacher’s Lager Beer Saloon and Hotel. The hotel became a welcomed stopping point for Long Island farmers en route to Manhattan. Along with those coming into the city from Long Island, the establishment was also patronized by mourners who were burying their family at nearby cemeteries. During the mid to late 19th century it was common for family outings to the rural cemeteries of Queens and Broklyn on Sundays. John Niederstein, a German immigrant and cook, purchased the building in 1888 for $28,000 and greatly expanded it. It continued to be a popular spot for cemetery visitors as well as the growing local German population of Middle Village and Maspeth. The Niederstein family operated the restaurant until 1969, when it was sold to Horst and Reiner Herink. After surviving more than 150 years, serving (at least since 1888) beef goulash, weiner schnitzel, sauerbraten and bratwurst, Niederstein's closed in 2005 and the building was razed soon after. An Arby's now occupies the lot.

Albert Schumacher's Hotel - Located at what is now 70-01 Metropolitan Ave. (formerly No. 2001 Metropolitan Ave.). Albert was the nephew of Henry Schumacher who had a hotel across and further up the street that became Niederstein's. By early 1924 it was Martin's Hotel with Martin Blum as the proprietor, in December 1924 he sold the property to Dietrich & Son who were nickel platers. In 1980, Horst Herink purchased the property and the building was torn down to make way for a parking lot for Niederstein's. At right is John Dreier, Florist.

General Slocum Memorial at the Lutheran (now All Faiths) Cemetery, undated postcard. On June 15, 1904, a passenger steamboat, carrying members of the St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church to a summer picnic on Long Island, caught fire in the East River. With the ship ablaze, inaccessible lifeboats, rotting life jackets, and a crew who had never practiced a fire drill, passengers began jumping into the choppy waters of the river. The majority of church members onboard were women and children (it was a Wednesday). As women and children entered the water, they horrifyingly sunk instead of floating, due to the disintegrated cork in the life preservers. Worse still, like most Americans at the time, the passengers did not know how to swim (and their heavy clothing further weighted them down). The captain pushed through the Hell Gate Chanel, fanning the flames, before grounding the ship at North Brother Island. In total more than 1000 people died, with some five dozen unidentified. Most of the unidentified victims were buried in a mass grave in the Lutheran Cemetery (now All Faiths) in Queens. On the first anniversary of the disaster, this memorial was dedicated. Twenty feet tall and over eight feet square at the base, it was constructed of granite and bronze. On the sides of the monument were four statues representing Memory, Grief, Hope, and Faith. On the front of the monument, a bronze relief depicted the burning ship with an appropriate dedication explaining the intent of the memorial. At the ceremony, 18-month-old Adelle Liebenow, who was the youngest survivor, pulled the ribbon to reveal the monument.

Pair of rowhouses on Metropolitan Avenue, between a blacksmith’s shop and hotel (both since demolished), 1922.

Middle Village Auto Painting, 1922. Though the sign over the door in this 1922 photograph says the two-story wood-frame building is "Middle Village Auto Painting," the shape and architectural features of the building belie a different function. The bell tower and large main doors were important features of a fire house that occupied this building previously. The Fearless Hook and Ladder Co, No. 7, a local village volunteer organization occupied this building from the late 19th century (some sources say 1870 and other 1891) until 1913 when the city's fire department displaced them.

Methodist Episcopal Church of Newtown, 1922. The Methodist Episcopal Church of Newtown was organized in 1768, with its first meeting house erected at Dry Harbor (80th Street) and Juniper Valley Roads the following year. In 1836, the congregation moved into a new church on Metropolitan Avenue, at its present site. The new church was damaged in a 1901 fire, and was rebuilt on the same site. The rebuilt church was destroyed by yet another fire in 1926, and was replaced with the present brick structure in 1929.

North side of Metropolitan Avenue, looking west toward 78th Street. At right is the house of Abraham Folk, Blacksmith. On the left is the Brick Tavern (Samuel Way's Brick Tavern in 1845), which later became John Schneider's Middle Village Hotel in 1868, it was torn down 1940 and the site has been a supermarket since. The twin yellow brick houses at 75-47 and 75-49 Metropolitan Avenue (in the middle) still stand today!

Martins Hotel, 1923. This two-story wood-frame building was constructed in 1881 and functioned as a hotel. Being directly across the street from the upper gate entrance to the Lutheran Cemetery was a boon to business, catering to those who came to bury or visit their deceased relatives. The original owner died in 1894 and the establishment had a long series of proprietors. In 1924 it became the location of a nickle plating business, though some of the space remained a cafe and hotel. In 1980 the building was purchased by the owners of nearby Neiderstein's restauarant, who demolished the structure for a parking lot.