2nd Ave Between 73rd St and 71st St

 

Another group of old(ish) photos – these night pictures were shot way back in February of '09. While some stuff may have changed in the interim, something that hasn't is the massive construction fence that surrounds the future path of the 2nd Avenue subway. This obstruction, which takes up about half the street and sidewalk, can be found in intervals up and down the avenue. If you're lucky, you can catch a peek below the street to see some work being done. If not, then it's just a big pain in the ass.

I know the 2nd Avenue Subway is causing plenty of heartache and strife for the residents whose lives are being turned upside down by the project – but I take a more romantic view of the project. In my lifetime, there hadn't been any new, noteworthy work done anywhere in the system. People in my age group who happen to be Subway fans have to enjoy small things like the new South Ferry station. However, if you go back two or three generations there were new IRT, BMT and IND lines popping up left and right. Sure, it was a nightmare to live with the construction, but within 10 years or so they were enjoying massive new public works that benefitted the greater good.

To walk down 2nd Avenue around all this activity is to experience something that New York hasn't seen in nearly 60 years.