Frederick Victor
In the 1930s, Vernon Boulevard was the industrial heart of Long Island City, Queens. The cobblestone and paved street ran parallel to the East River, serving a dense corridor of factories, warehouses, and power plants. The air was often thick with the smells of industry and the sounds of machinery, train whistles, and boat horns from the river.
The boulevard was a critical artery for commerce. Large industrial buildings lined the street, many with their own railroad sidings connected to the Long Island Rail Road’s freight lines. These factories produced a wide range of goods, including pianos, furniture, and food products like Silvercup Bread, whose large sign was a neighborhood landmark. The Great Depression hit these industries hard, leading to slowed production and job losses for many of the area’s working-class residents. Despite the economic hardship, the factories continued to operate, forming the backbone of the local economy.
Transportation was a mix of rail, road, and water traffic. Heavy trucks rumbled along the boulevard, transporting raw materials and finished products. Streetcar lines also ran along Vernon Boulevard, providing essential transit for the thousands of workers who commuted to the factories each day. The boulevard’s western end was close to ferry terminals that provided a direct link to Manhattan, carrying both passengers and vehicles across the East River.
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Housing for the factory workers and their families was located on the streets just inland from the boulevard. The residential buildings were primarily modest row houses and tenement-style apartment buildings. Life for these families was directly tied to the fortunes of the factories along the waterfront.
Towards the end of the decade, a major new construction project began to take shape. Work started on the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, with its ventilation building rising near the Long Island City waterfront. This massive undertaking brought new activity and employment to the area, signaling a future where the connection between Queens and Manhattan would become even more direct. The boulevard served as a key access route for materials and workers involved in the tunnel’s construction.
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