The Vanishing El

While you cannot literally take a ride on the Third Avenue El anymore, this comes pretty close. Beginning in the Bronx, the viewer travels along the 15-mile route past tenements, office buildings, and iconic skyscrapers. Narrated by an "El car", really the voice of Carl King, this film provides a priceless glimpse of a bygone era in the city's storied history. The captured images of urban life, in full-color no less, are fascinating and unforgettable. The film is part of the "If Things Could Talk" series and I can't wait to see what other titles are waiting to be discovered...

Category:

Education

Tags:

• new york city
• third avenue el
• bronx
• manhattan
• chinatown
• bowery
• east side

[JohnnyT002]

@aronsteelo THANKS.

[aronsteelo]

one could purchase extensive & complete movie footage on dvds of the 3rd ave EL in it's entirety in manhattan& the bronx. As well as movies of the 2nd, 6th,&9th ave.Els, all of the old long gone brooklyn els, and the irt, bmt &ind systems back in the old days just log on to (BACK IN THE BRONX.COM) and just click transport video section on leftside of page.

[callinstead09]

@kananga309 That was the young... 5:21 The old 5:23 The young. The slouching person = the not so dignified. There's bit of a sound delay you notice around those parts.

[OofusTwillip]

At last, we discover the inspiration for that kids' TV show, "Mighty Machines"!

[kananga309]

the not so dignified? was he talking about the little black baby, now you know this shit is from the 50's.

[superman801969]

I WASNT EVENT BORN YET FOR THAT

[mrlouis1421]

Ah! What memories. The Automat, the MUDC & gate cars, As a teenager, I rode the length of the EL from 125th St to Chatham Sq, shortly before they cut it from 149th St. I recall riding it w/my dad into the Bronx in the mid-40's. This clip vividly shows all the trappings of the era; the store façades, the clothing, automobiles. Even the traffic signals looked quaint. The hustle-n-bustle of N.Y. may be the only thing that hasn't changed. A great trip down memory lane. Thanks for the nostalgia.

[pjdpelham]

it looks like a view from the botanical garden when showing Bronx Park

[JohnnyT002]

THANK YOU for posting this video. I only remember and rode on the last part that was still standing in the Bronx until it was closed and replaced by the Bx 55 Bus.

[captsub]

Great video. Thanks for posting. I remember riding the el down to Chatham Sq with my grandfather in its last year or two when I way about 4 or 5. Then one day we came up out of the subway at Grand Central and it was gone. I was devestated!