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Casey Stengel Bus Depot
Post
Casey Stengel Bus Depot, ca. 1965. Originally a facility for the North Shore Bus Company, the Flushing Bus Depot was taken over by the New York City Board of Transportation in 1947 (which became the New York City Transit Authority in 1953). The first home of the New York Mets, Shea Stadium, was constructed next to the depot. Citi Field, the Mets current home, now stands nearby. The depot was renamed for former Mets and Yankees manager Casey Stengel after the depot was rebuilt in the early 1990s.
The Iron Triangle
Story
The Iron Triangle is an industrial no-mans land in the vicinity of Laguardia Airport and Citi Field. These photographs were taken by Erwin Ma in 2014.
Iron Triangle
Post
Willets Point, 2014. Since the 1930s, the small triangle of (former marsh) land between the Flushing Creek, Flushing Bay, and the Flushing Meadow Park has been an industrial zone. For decades this small neighborhood, known as Willets Point or the Iron Triangle, has been home to hundreds of auto-body shops and junkyards. Anyone who grew up in Queens knew this is where you went when you needed new windshield or brakes. The area had no sidewalks, few paved roads, and non-existent sewage, but was a thriving business district that employed a largely immigrant workforce. But the gritty landscape was not well-loved by the city government and according to the New York Times, “Cleaning up or clearing out Willets Point has been a goal of nearly every mayor since the 1950s.” In 2007 the then-mayor Bloomberg announced an urban renewal plan for the area which would have razed the shops and developed a convention center, new housing, retail, and office spaces while relocating the businesses and adding needed municipal infrastructure. Despite opposition and lawsuits the plan was passed by the City Council and moved slowly ahead. By 2011 the city had changed the plan to include a new mall, which soured even more people to the redevelopment. Additional lawsuits and changes to the proposal (as well as the goals of the incoming new mayoral administration in 2014) further delayed the project. By 2016 most of the businesses in Willets Point had gone out of business or moved to Hunts Point in the Bronx and the once bustling area was largely abandoned and being demolished. In early 2018 a new plan was announced that would include 1,100 lower- and middle-class apartments, parks, and retail spaces. As of early 2019, work has yet to commence.
Photos
(13)
Iron Triangle
Iron Triangle - American Racing Inc Sign for American Racing Inc.
Iron Triangle
Iron Triangle and Citi Field View from a used car lot, of Citi Field. Garbage and car parts can be seen in the lot.
Iron Triangle
Iron Triangle - Red Doors Red doors, with graffiti and the words Auto Glass painted on them.
Iron Triangle
Iron Triangle - Pay Phone Street scene in Willets Point. Pay phone in front is painted red.
Iron Triangle
Iron Triangle - Yellow Building Street scene in Willets Point. Yellow painted building, with graffiti.
Iron Triangle
Iron Triangle - Tires A pile of used tires stacked up against garage doors.
Iron Triangle
Iron Triangle - Shipping Containers Building constructed of two stacked shipping containers, covered with graffiti. View through a chain link fence.
Iron Triangle
Iron Triangle - Blas Auto Glass The side of a yellow building, with Graffiti and Blas Auto Glass painted on the side.
Iron Triangle
Iron Triangle - Choco Auto Glass Sign for Choco Auto Glass shop.
Iron Triangle
Iron Triangle - Cheapy Auto Parts Sign for Cheapy Auto Parts.
Iron Triangle
Iron Triangle - Elevated Train Elevated train, near the Willets Point station.
126-96 Willets Point Boulevard
Iron Triangle - Storefronts Street scene with storefronts in Willets Point.
Casey Stengel Bus Depot
\[Casey Stengel Bus Depot, also called Flushing Depot, Queens, NY] Casey Stengel Bus Depot, also called Flushing Depot, Queens, NY. Elevated view of the main building and a large open area with buses. Multiple ramps are visible in the distance. A sign on the gate of the depot reads, "N.Y.C.T.S. Entrance to I.R.T. Inspection Shop and Store Room. Queens Bus Division Offices."
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