Elevated Railroad Tracks at 34th Street and Third Avenue,
c.1880
The Third Avenue Elevated Railroad began operation in August 1878. By 1880,
a spur line was completed that ran down 34th Street from Third Avenue to the
East River, connecting with the Long Island Railroad ferry terminal. The impact
of elevated trains on the neighborhood was enormous, with sunlight blocked from
the streets below and noisy trains passing by the windows of tenements. Soot
from the steam engines collected on adjacent buildings and cinders and oil fell
on pedestrians. These hazards were reduced after the elevated lines were electrified
in 1902 to 1903.
