These pictures show a payphone at 33rd Street and 34th Avenue in Astoria. The first picture is from 1999, the next was taken 10 years later in August, 2009.
The payphone location survives, though the phone itself has been swapped. The payphone handset is now bright yellow, replacing the earlier black handset.
What I find interesting about these pictures is not just the payphone but the details of other ephemeral change at this intersection.
Formerly called El Charrito the bodega is now called EL GALLITO GROCERY CORP. The word “SANDWICHS” is still mis-spelled on the awning. (I might add SANDWICHS to my photo series of Typos, Engrish, and Public Grammar Gaffes.)
Armando’s Pizza is now Lentini’s II Pizza. Lentini’s II recently changed its name and I for one have already forgotten what the place was called only a few months ago.
The zebra crosswalk has been re-painted and it appears the curbside parking space has been moved back several feet.
A School Crossing sign is now in a spot where it partly obscures the store’s awning.
One thing that has not changed (besides the payphone location) is the fact that I rarely enter El Gallito/El Charrito.
[gallery link="none" size="large" columns="1" ids="14629,14630,14631,14632"]
These charmers are a recent discovery for me.
https://youtu.be/ajkLQ3RJrsY I procured a VCR for the purpose of digitizing some of my old VHS…
https://youtu.be/0tUj9-TonbY Starts at the Fordham Road subway, where one of the phones I looked at…
An unexpected payphone find in Ozone Park, Queens, led to a trip through its Streetview…