Monday, May 12, 2008

Niagara Falls, then and now: old downtown on Erie Ave.

(click on photos to enlarge!)
Below: East side of Erie Ave, between Bridge St and Park St., taken Oct. 1973 (NFLA). Note the billboards attached to the building (at the left side) which faced the railway station and the back of the Hotel Trennick.
Above: same view, May 12, 2008. by R. Bobak, now known as the Sun Sui Chinese retaurant. Note the billboards at the side were removed at some point revealing underneath an old hand-painted-on-brick advertising mural reading "Coca Cola 7 c", as seen more clearly below.
Below: The "service at all hours" Annex Cafe, seen  Jan.17, 1935 (photo from (NFLA) was located at 248-254 Queen St., on the south side of Bridge St., east of Erie Ave, directly across the street from the busy railway station.
In 1932, the manager of the Annex Cafe was Chong Kwong. It was also a "Souvenir and Gift Shoppe" as well as a "High Class Chinese, English and American Restaurant; Foods Well Cooked and Well Served; Cleanliness, Courtesy and Prompt Service; Private Rooms by Appointment"
The Hotel Trennick's windows and chimney can be seen at the far right side of photo. In 1932 Harold C. Newman was manager of the Trennick Hotel.

Above: same view, May 12, 2008 by R. Bobak. The lot where the Annex Cafe stood is now vacant. The same windows and chimney of the Trennick, as seen in the earlier photo, can be clearly seen here.

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