What is a 3rd Avenue El?
It’s the elevated train that used to run up and down Manhattan until the mid-1950′s, when it was decommissioned and turned into scrap metal.
Despite this, you can still experience the trip through New York City that vanished over half-a-century ago, not only from the overhead view of the train window, but through the actual neighborhoods and with the authentic people who road it daily.
A beatnik photographer with a tripod, a stumbling drunk from the old Bowery, a giddy little girl traveling with her father, and a couple on a romantic excursion help create a loose narrative.
For the soundtrack, a sprightly rendition of Haydn’s Concerto in D for Harpsichord is accompanied by all of the real sounds of a metropolitan elevated subway trip. Along with it’s superb photography and creative editing, a viewing of ’3rd Avenue El’ is like taking a ten minute vacation to a place that is no more.
See more films at:
http://www.weirdovideo.com
Duration : 0:10:38
@kmothersil What a …
@kmothersil What a waste that is. If anything the 7 train needs to be extended EAST down Northern Blvd to terminate at Bell Blvd, if the Mayor was really serious about reducing traffic. (No, I don’t live over there.) Extending it a few blocks west and downtown will do nothing to reduce traffic, only benefit the owners of whatever new mega-project they’re putting up over there by the Convention Center.
nice little film
nice little film
Even though this …
Even though this film was made post 1950, there is clearly a lot of stock footage of the Pearl St portion of the el, south of Chatham Sq, which closed in 1950. That closure all but sealed the fate of the el, since it moved it’s southern terminal outside the downtown business area.
A great film. I …
A great film. I wish the el was still there: it’s too hot underground.
Wow….actually saw …
Wow….actually saw the 3rd Ave EL train pass under the Brooklyn Bridge right next to were I grew up. I wish it had included the Alfred E. Smith Housing Projects.
When I was seven or …
When I was seven or eight (1965 or so) my father would take me with him to visit a friend living off Route 7 in Danbury or just over the border in Ridgefield. A thin man with a beard who wore plaid shirts and reminded me of John Nagy of Learn to Draw fame. The man’s name was “Kit” Davidson, and somewhere in my child’s memory I stowed away that he’d was a filmmaker and made a “famous” art film called The 3rd Avenue El. And here it is!
@milepost53
More …
@milepost53
More like 2030. They keep on delaying it. The only thing that’s getting completed on time is the extension of the 7 line.
They should have …
They should have had the drunk guy go into the motorman’s cab and take control of the train.
Wonderful. …
Wonderful. Manhattan pre-yuppification,. when a thin dime could buy a cup of coffee (usually bad coffee).
Great video of a …
Great video of a bygone era. In the 1950s my father owned a restaurant under the 3rd Ave El at the 76 Street Station. After they tore down the 3rd Ave line, business dropped off dramatically and he sold the store and bought another restaurant , The Marina at 9th Ave & 37th St, a few stores down from Manganaro’s Groceria Italiana.
My Grandma lived on …
My Grandma lived on E100st & 3rd Ave during that time (the last year ’55 when it ran). Her bedroom window lies just across it (ouch!). 55 years ago!
nice video:)
nice video:)
There are still …
There are still several elevated lines–the 1 is elevated north of 207th Street for instance all the way to 242nd Street. The east side IRT is also elevated in the Bronx. There are also elevated lines in Queens and Brooklyn. It’s a great way to see the city, but not fun to live near. They’re loud, depress property values, and stuff falls off therm from time to time making them a bit dangerous.
This totally …
This totally reminds me of Shaun Tan’s ‘The Arrival’. Well, with less giant bird statues and pet-monsters, but still
was there a reason …
was there a reason why they shut it down?
I’m guessing that …
I’m guessing that when this was made it was considered an “odd” film but it can now be regarded as a slice of Manhattan life that sadly does not exist any more.
The el closed down in Manhattan in 1955 but most of the original Bronx stations were being used until 1973 when this el line finally came to an end. What a shame that it had to close down.
If I was around I …
If I was around I would have saved the entire line from the Bronx to Manhattan. I would do what was right cause not only did the freaking SAS didn’t get built the 4 and 5 are crowded. The only thing I’d have a problem with is what type of IRT equipment would be good for the job.
*OUTSTANDING* video …
*OUTSTANDING* video!!!
~Cindy!
..
that was a stupid …
that was a stupid thing to do. look what happened now. we got the 4, 5, and 6 trains being over stuffed because thats the only line on the east side. and in the bronx, you only have the Bx55 bus, and buses are slower than trains.
theres one on …
theres one on broadway between 125 and 135 street.
and the metro north line on park ave thats about it. I wish i had the oportunity to see the 3rd ave El cuz I cant ever imagine an outside train running there lol
15 cents!?!?!
Is …
15 cents!?!?!
Is that a typo?
Maybe Dec. 21st …
Maybe Dec. 21st 2012!
i bet soem people …
i bet soem people on the east side miss this line.
Then you live on …
Then you live on the 3rd or 4th floor of any of the buildings that have elevated trains.
Ever see Blues Brothers? Remember Elwood’s apartment? That’s why.
hey,c’mon …
hey,c’mon everybody knows it was taken down in 1933, by Kong.