South of Union Square logo
South of Union Square
Post
Second Avenue Railway Car Barn
Second Avenue Railway Car Barn
1
No caption
Second Avenue Railway Car Barn
Source
FromNew York Public Library logoNew York Public Library

Second Avenue Railway Car Barn, April 25, 1941.

This block-long, fortress-like structure was constructed in 1870s to house the horses that powered the lines of the Second Avenue Railroad. When the railway was electrified in the 1890s, the building was used as the car barn for the rolling stock. The electrified streetcar lines were replaced in the early 1930s with buses, and this building was abandoned until it was razed in 1941. In 1947 a new 1.5 acre park was opened on the land, named for some former famous residents of the neighborhood. The Marx Brothers, children of Jewish emigrants from Germany and France, grew up in Yorkville before making it big as vaudeville performers and movie stars.

As of 2018, plans for a playground-replacing 670-foot tower has stirred controversy between developers and the local community and preservationists regarding the planned structure and its effect on the neighborhood.

ByUrban Archive logoUrban Archive
Privacy PolicyTerms of Service