Slow day at the Banter. Hey, here’s a New York moment for guys from the ‘burbs. This armless gas station giant used to be painting a different color but he’s still standing. I remember passing through Elmsford when we’d got visit our aunt Ruthie in New Rochelle.
Be back tonight for the game.
[Photo Credit: Rolandopujol]
Used to be Red and blue if I remember. An AMCO station maybe? It's on Saw Mill River road on the intersection with 287. Wait, is this a Where and When quiz???? D'oh!
A Westchester landmark.
http://goo.gl/maps/F776a
Right where 9A meets I-287, across from the long boarded-up Red Fox Diner. The Bridge Auto Parts up the road used to be a Robert Hall menswear; I remember buying my first suit there for my grandfather's funeral, and I flash on the image whenever I hear Debbie Harry sing about "a Robert Hall sweatah."
The gas man used to have arms, one of which was raised in salute. And boy, he used to seem a mile tall. This station has passed through many hands, and my gut says it was an Esso when I was a kid.
This part of Elmsford is one of those depressingly rundown but necessary crossroads you find in every corner of the country. Even nice places need a spot to stick the auto wrecking yard, the tool and die stamping plant, the giant shipping hub warehouse. This is the guts of the county that makes the leafy homesteads and pin-neat shopping malls possible.
Also a serviceable batting cage a bit up the way.
Got curious. For every topic, there's at least one person on the internet devoting way too much time to that topic:
http://usagiants.com/
I find the statue above is part of a class known as "Muffler Men." And there are also giant fiberglass "Uniroyal Gals" dotting the country in various states of dress.
It's probably for the best that I didn't find out about the Gals until now. My teenage self would have found that pretty distracting.
with the yellow shirt, green pants, and hefty beard, that looks a little like Josh Reddick wearing a throwback A's uniform.
[2] great story about your suit purchase. I grew up in White Plains, worked for a bit (summers) in Elmsford. I see him when I go to Valhalla, where the parents are planted.
The giant reminds me of one of my favorite college memories, when my frat stole the Bob's Big Boy Giant off the local outlet, and installed him on top of our frat house (ah, the value of an Ivy League education!).
[1] Heh, one less I need to put up. Glad it's gotten into our heads >;)
I remember when it was an Amoco gas station and he was wearing red, blue and plaid like a traditional Paul Bunyan. I've crossed through that intersection many times from childhood on.
I'm willing to bet that it was a sparsely populated region with a suburban village and some houses dotting the region before the highways reached the area. But I have to look it up. I'll let you know what I find out.
[5] some of my family are there, too.
[6] Lived in the area when they were building 287; we used to ride bikes from White Plains to Elmsford on the highway before it opened.
Lots of Westchester love! He's still proudly there, not far from the wholesale fresh fish distributor, and adult notions store. Hmmm.
[7] That's amazing to consider, given what the highway is today.
[6] re [5] - Gehrig, Ruth and Billy Martin are up there too.