R5 Then and Now

Boom Times

Yonkers, 1906. Those were the days. No car exhaust. No potholes. And no parking meters. But even then—a century ago—the major thoroughfare was bustling with activity. Home to about 65,000 people,  Yonkers was booming—with a new public library, money set aside for the construction of new federal buildings, and local businesses, such as Otis Elevator Company and Alex Smith & Sons Carpet Works, turning great profits. North Broadway, as shown in the photo below, was a lively, happening shopping hub. Looking remarkably similar, North Broadway today is still bustling, with lots of shops—and parking meters—lining the now SUV-filled street.