Harlem, Corner of 125th Street & 7th Avenue – January 31, 1917

125th St & 7th Ave 1917 photo New York Historical Society

We’re looking south along Seventh Avenue towards 125th Street. The tall building directly behind the passing trolley identified by its sign is Harlem’s famous Hotel Theresa. The hotel opened in 1913 and closed in 1967. It is now a mixed use office building named Theresa Towers.

Seventh Avenue above Central Park was renamed in 1974 for the controversial politician and pastor Adam Clayton Powell Jr..

Our photo was taken for Lawrence L. Strauss, a property owner in Manhattan. Blurry figures stroll the avenue passing the neighborhood stores.

The business in the foreground is the Alhambra Pharmacy at 2100 Seventh Avenue. The pharmacy has signage saying “we retail at wholesale prices” and carry “Park & Tilford’s chocolates and bonbons.” Park and Tilford was a high end grocery chain.

Next door to the Alhambra with its distinctive, but not unique, eyes and glasses sign is M.W. Ashman, optician.

Taking the corner spot is the ubiquitous United Cigar store which had branches all over the city.

All the stores are gone today. But the building still exists, housing a unique and lovely branch of Citibank (intentional sarcasm).