In the last issue of the Juniper Berry, we took a trip back in time to Maspeth at 69th Street and Eliot Ave in 1947. We’re in the same spot this time around, now pointed due south toward Middle Village. From left to right we see the pumps of a Tydol gas station with some interesting looking now-vintage vehicles parked behind them. The unfamiliar buildings lining the east side of 69th Street were temporary GI housing units, built for the families of returning WWII service members. They lasted in the area into the 1950s. There were only a handful of vehicles parked or driving along the road. The fence of Lutheran Cemetery lines the western side of the street, which slopes uphill in the distance. The lack of trees allows a glimpse of the hilly landscape of the graveyard.

Today, the Tydol station is now Mobil, and it’s busier than ever, selling not only gas but food and sundries. The GI housing was replaced with permanent homes, mostly of the 2-family variety. The street today is prominently marked with double yellow lines, turning lanes and bike lanes. Tons of cars now park and drive along 69th Street. There are a lot more street trees that beautify the neighborhood, clean the air and obscure the view inside All Faiths Cemetery, renamed from Lutheran Cemetery. Bottom image from Google Street View.