Busy Blue Hill Avenue intersection, then and now

By adamg on Mon, 12/11/2023 - 1:44pm

On April 24, 1949, an employee of the Boston Transportation Department took this shot of Blue Hill Avenue outbound at Columbia Road.

Note the trolleys on both roads (the reason both have paved medians today - that's where the trolleys used to go) and compare to today's view:

BTD is currently considering a plan to restore the Blue Hill Avenue median to public transit - but buses, rather than trolleys.

The buildings in the 1949 photo remain, although without the fancy tower and movie theater (now a church):

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Comments

By MisterMagooForYou on Mon, 12/11/2023 - 2:10pm.

If Magoo was a superhero and was stuck in this traffic jam, Magoo would “Shazam!” Magoo’s way out of said traffic jam and fly wonder away. Magoo.

By MrZip on Mon, 12/11/2023 - 5:01pm.

The theatre (now a church) still has the round base of the spire on the roof. I thought it must be some sort of water tank, but now it makes sense.

By Don't Panic on Tue, 12/12/2023 - 1:02am.

I wonder why the big crowd near the Franklin Park theater on a Sunday?

By deselby on Wed, 12/13/2023 - 7:55am.

The movies are "South of St. Louis" with Joel McCrea and Alexis Smith and
"Bad Boy" with Lloyd Nolan (and Audie Murphy).

Ticket was around 25-50 cents.

Looks like there was a soda fountain on the corner, might have been popular.

The neighborhood was Jewish then. The famous G&G Delicatessen was down the street.

Maybe Nat Hentoff and Sheldon Adelson were among that crowd, they were from the neighborhood. Hentoff was 24, Adelson was 16 years old then.

By Don't Panic on Thu, 12/14/2023 - 11:28pm.

People didn't mind walking back in the 40's especially on a nice day which this photo represents.

The fifteen "Boston" blocks from the theater to the deli would be considered quite a walk these days.