Raise High the Bridge Beams

Approaching from Jersey side

On Presidents Day, with almost zero fanfare, the first two elevated lanes of the Bayonne Bridge opened to traffic. The new lanes are 64 feet higher than the original roadway, which will eventually be removed, allowing for taller container ships to pass through on their way to the Port of Newark.

The high lanes do mar the beautiful balance of line bisecting parabola of the original design. On the other hand, it is fun to drive.

Photos: F. Someki

Mobile Chloë

The New York Times gets in on the garage and gas station action. In this Style Magazine (February 19) piece, Chloë Sevigny revisits her childhood haunts in and around Darien, Connecticut. Here she is strolling across the Mobil station in New Canaan, "where she and her driver's license-less friends would get dropped off and hang out." 

(Photo: The New York Times)

From the photograph, the location seems to be Kean's Corner Mobil, a 24-hour gas station and convenience store on South Avenue. The Gulf garage just down the street, whose sign you can see peeking through the trees, appears to be closed. 

"QS"

Victory Blvd Quick Stop is a full-serve gas station and deli, next to the Payless Auto Repair Center, in Tompkinsville. A bit beat up, it's banner advertises: Beer - Cigarettes - Cigars. The "QS" insignia (and inclusion of "Blvd" in the name?) hint at loftier ambitions.

Flats and Mozz

On the whole, Staten Island is a good place to break down (carwise, that is). A few weeks ago, as I was heading out to work, the tire pressure alert lit up on my dash. It's happened before, usually means the pressure in one tire is down a bit. So I pulled into this Shell station on Forest Avenue, pumped four quarters into the air machine, and went to work. I knew it was a bad sign when air started coming out of a seam in the tire as fast as it went in. A few minutes later, it was up on the lift, and Jeff was showing me just how bald and bad both front tires were--despite a recent check-up at the Honda dealership. ("They do nothing," said Jeff, "except take your money.") A couple hours later, and I had a pair of all-weather Coopers on the front brought in from Jersey. Just in time for the snow storm.

If you find yourself waiting on your car at Jeff's, cross the street to Bella Famiglia for their fresh mozzarella. I was once served a still-warm sample on the edge of a knife. "You gotta grab it in one," the chef said.

Sunday Night Lights

The Wagner College football stadium lit up on a rainy Sunday evening in February.

Norwich Is Garage Town

Is it a a coincidence that the great Facebook group You're Probably from Norwich If and its guru Ken Keeley have been posting a bunch of vintage garage shots recently? Probably, but if you're a garage freak, check it out. Here's a 1950s's pic of an Esso station from Main Street from a recent post. 

On the other hand, I have called St. George, S.I., "the Norwich on the New York harbor" many times... (Norwich, Connecticut, of course.)

Orange Is the New Gray

Progress on the first stage of the Kosciuszko Bridge replacement. Cables are up, and they are two-toned (at least for now). The friendly old bridge seems smaller and smaller.

Reliant Not Resilient

Back in October 2015, I posted this picture of the shuttered Reliance Auto Service on Targee and Dekalb Streets just off the S.I. Expressway. Today it's just a razed lot.

The Goodyear franchise further on on Dekalb on continues to operate.