Bloomingdale Avenue

Bloomingdale Avenue runs from Broadway six miles northeast to Bloomingdale; it was originally called "Trestle Street". Like several other streets in Saranac Lake, it was named for its destination, as "the road to Bloomingdale." The corner of Bloomingdale Avenue and Broadway was the site of three hotels, the St. Regis, the Arlington, and the Alpine, once the tallest building between Albany and Montreal.

 

Old Address	Post-911 Address	Building Name
Starts at Broadway|
2 Bloomingdale Avenue	Site vacant since 1987	Arlington Hotel]]	TBSWC Cure Cottages, p. 107|
3 Bloomingdale Avenue	12 Bloomingdale Avenue	Leis Block]]	TBSWC D'Ambrisi's Barbershop|
4 Bloomingdale Avenue	7 Bloomingdale Avenue	4 Bloomingdale Avenue]]	TBSWC|
5 Bloomingdale Avenue		See Leis Block Apartments, 3 Bloomingdale Avenue	DIS, Bailey, 1929|
7 Bloomingdale Avenue		7 Bloomingdale Avenue	McVeety's Lunch, Miss Saranac Diner|
8 Bloomingdale Avenue	11 Bloomingdale Avenue	8 Bloomingdale Avenue]]	[Saranac Lanes]|
8 1/2 Bloomingdale Avenue	Bloomingdale Avenue	8 1/2 Bloomingdale Avenue
9 Bloomingdale Avenue	20 Bloomingdale Avenue	9 Bloomingdale Avenue]]	DIS, Sturdy Supply|
10 Bloomingdale Avenue	15 Bloomingdale Avenue	10 Bloomingdale Avenue| DIS [Appliance Store]|
11 Bloomingdale Avenue		11 Bloomingdale Avenue]]
11 1/2 Bloomingdale Avenue			Adirondack Awning Company|
14 Bloomingdale Avenue	30 Bloomingdale Avenue	14 Bloomingdale Avenue]]	Casier's Furniture|
15 Bloomingdale Avenue	30 Bloomingdale Avenue	15 Bloomingdale Avenue]]	Knights of Columbus|
16 Bloomingdale Avenue	27 Bloomingdale Avenue	Grand Union Hotel]]| DIS|
Passes Depot Street|
19 Bloomingdale Avenue		19 Bloomingdale Avenue]]	SLD1906, TBSWC, Taylor & Jackson Studebaker, Mullen's Cash Store|
21 Bloomingdale Avenue		21 Bloomingdale Avenue]]	Elks Club|
Passes Church Street|
22 Bloomingdale Avenue		Sunnyside]]	SLD1906 Ensine Miller Cottage, [[1]], Cure Cottages, p. 85 & 117|
23 1/2 Bloomingdale Avenue		23 1/2 Bloomingdale Avenue	DIS|
27 Bloomingdale Avenue	48 Bloomingdale Avenue	27 Bloomingdale Avenue	DIS|
28 Bloomingdale Avenue	51 Bloomingdale Avenue	Morgan House]]	DIS, Cure Cottages, p. 114|
29 Bloomingdale Avenue	52 Bloomingdale Avenue	Drury Cottage]]	TBSBC, TBSWCS, NYC1915|
31 1/2 Bloomingdale Avenue		31 1/2 Bloomingdale Avenue, Tagliabue Building Supplies
Passes Margaret Street|
35 Bloomingdale Avenue		35 Bloomingdale Avenue	DIS|
37 Bloomingdale Avenue	64 Bloomingdale Avenue	37 Bloomingdale Avenue]]	TBSWC, DIS|
39 Bloomingdale Avenue	66 Bloomingdale Avenue	39 Bloomingdale Avenue]]	TBSWC|
39 1/2 Bloomingdale Avenue		39 1/2 Bloomingdale Avenue
42 Bloomingdale Avenue	75 Bloomingdale Avenue	42 Bloomingdale Avenue]]	DIS|
46 Bloomingdale Avenue	81 Bloomingdale Avenue	81 Bloomingdale Avenue]]
47 Bloomingdale Avenue	82 Bloomingdale Avenue	47 Bloomingdale Avenue]]	DIS|
Passes Woodruff Street|
50 Bloomingdale Avenue	87 Bloomingdale Avenue	50 Bloomingdale Avenue
51 Bloomingdale Avenue	92 Bloomingdale Avenue	51 Bloomingdale Avenue]]	DIS|
54 Bloomingdale Avenue	93 Bloomingdale Avenue	54 Bloomingdale Avenue]]	TBSWC|
55 Bloomingdale Avenue	98 Bloomingdale Avenue	55 Bloomingdale Avenue	DIS|
57 Bloomingdale Avenue	102 Bloomingdale Avenue	Pioneer Lodge]]	SLD1906, SLA1935, TBSBC|
Passes Catherine Street|
58 Bloomingdale Avenue	101 Bloomingdale Avenue	58 Bloomingdale Avenue]]
59 Bloomingdale Avenue		59 Bloomingdale Avenue	Saranac Lake Coal Company|
61 Bloomingdale Avenue	112 Bloomingdale Avenue	W. G. Mussen Cottage]]	TBSBC, Cure Cottages, p. 142|
67 Bloomingdale Avenue	122 Bloomingdale Avenue	67 Bloomingdale Avenue]]	DIS Toddlers Day Nursery|
69 Bloomingdale Avenue	128 Bloomingdale Avenue	69 Bloomingdale Avenue]]	DIS|
70 Bloomingdale Avenue		Evergreen Lodge]]	SLA1935, TBSBC, Cure Cottages, p. 168 & 158|
71 Bloomingdale Avenue	132 Bloomingdale Avenue	Fortune Cottage]]	SLA1935, PHR1930, TBSBC, TBVA|
72 Bloomingdale Avenue	129 Bloomingdale Avenue	Sarbanes Cottage]]
3 Pine Street	132 Bloomingdale Avenue	3 Pine Street]]
Passes Pine Street|
74 Bloomingdale Avenue	135 Bloomingdale Avenue	Mrs. Lawrence Cottage]]	TBSBC, TBSOC, Cure Cottages, p. 80|
74 1/2 Bloomingdale Avenue		74 1/2 Bloomingdale Avenue	DIS  |
76 Bloomingdale Avenue	141 Bloomingdale Avenue	Denny Cottage]]	DIS Was 72 Bloomingdale? |
76 1/2 Bloomingdale Avenue	143 Bloomingdale Avenue	76 1/2 Bloomingdale Avenue]]	DIS|
78 Bloomingdale Avenue	145 Bloomingdale Avenue
80 Bloomingdale Avenue		80 Bloomingdale Avenue	USC1925|
82 Bloomingdale Avenue	157 Bloomingdale Avenue	82 Bloomingdale Avenue]]	DIS|
84 Bloomingdale Avenue		84 Bloomingdale Avenue	DIS|
84 1/2 Bloomingdale Avenue		84 1/2 Bloomingdale Avenue	DIS|
88 Bloomingdale Avenue	32 Cantwell Way
90 Bloomingdale Avenue	Cantwell Way	90 Bloomingdale Avenue]]	DIS, [[2]]|
Bloomingdale Avenue		Clancy Cottage, [[3]]
137 Bloomingdale Avenue		137 Bloomingdale Avenue

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[Daily Enterprise], May 5, 1936

VILLAGE BOARD HEARS PROTEST ON JUNK YARD

…Fifty property owners on Bloomingdale avenue presented a petition protesting the auto grave on Bloomingdale avenue. Attorney William Mulflur represents the petitioners. Trustee Jay Stickney was appointed to investigate...

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Adirondack Daily Enterprise, November 11, 1948

Bloomingdale Avenue Moves into Major Place as Shopping Center

Parking Area and Wider Street for Boom in Business

When executives of the Grand Union Company decided to relinquish their central business section location in favor of larger quarters and better parking facilities for their patrons, they merely confirmed the judgement of a dozen local business men who had preceded them. The movement of business to Bloomingdale avenue has been decisive and continuous in recent years.

Long ago the late Henry Leis had built what was then a modern building on Bloomingdale avenue, with three retail stores on the street floor and two floors of apartments. John Morgan had preceded him with the construction of Saranac Lake's first brick hotel, the St. Regis. The old Grand Union hotel, of wood construction, was already located at Bloomingdale avenue and Depot street.

Hotel St. Regis, 1903

A while later the Potter block was uptilted and raised a floor to make a four-story and basement structure at Bloomingdale avenue and Broadway. William Distin was the architect. Then a fire in mid-winter took away the old Grand Union hotel, and Henry Ricketson of Plattsburg bought land and built the modern brick-and-steel Hotel Alpine, a six-story structure on Broadway, looking up Bloomingdale avenue, and he also built the brick-and-steel structure now occupied by the Food-o-Mat Super-Market of the Grand Union Company, opened for inspecting yesterday and open for business today.

Duprey Brothers built a large brick-and-steel garage building shortly after the Ricketson operations, and this was remodeled about ten years ago and put to use as Saranac Lake's bowling center. This was done by Ingleton Schenck, who still conducts the bowling alleys and also a bowling grill. The building was recently partly renovated and the Altamont Dairy Company has opened a modern dairy bar, its second in Saranac Lake.

One of the better and newer buildings on Bloomingdale avenue is a two-story brick-and-steel building designed by William Distin, architect, and occupied for a time by the late Harry Vincent, the owner. It was bought by Mr. John C. Boyer, and the ground floor now houses the popular Rainbow Bar and Grill and Casier's Utilities, Inc., dealers in fine home furnishings for kitchen and household metal needs. Mrs. Mildred Martin Hover and Miss Edna Boisseau have a beauty parlor on the second floor, and other tenants occupy apartments.

More recently a large automobile agency and garage building was built between the Boyer building and the Bowling center by Aaron A. Hoyt. The large display rooms show new models of the [Frazer] line of automobiles, with a finely equipped garage and service station in the rear. A 24-hour taxi service is operated from the building also.

Following this building operation by several years came a reconstruction of a building owned by the Commercial Roofing Company, facing on Depot street but overlooking Bloomingdale avenue. The building joins up with the property occupied by the big Grand Union store at right angles, and overlooks a station operated by John Heimer. Across Bloomingdale avenue another service station is operated by Lawrence Stott.

The train trestle for which the street was once named, in an 1894 view looking north from the

Berkeley House| to the Saranac River|. "Adirondack Daily Enterprise|, February 18, 2008 ]]

Next to Stott's service station is a large building which houses Vitullo Brothers, tailors and dry cleaners, and back of Vitullo's is the machine shop and battery service operated by Charles Barbata. The adjoining property was bought and reconditioned by the Knights of Columbus, and between this organization and the Elk's modern home is Mullens Cash Store, a modern market, operated and owned by Percy Mullen, who also owns the building.

Several years ago, Saul Drutz purchased the building between the Potter Block and the Bowling center, formerly occupied by the Empire Market, and reconditioned the property to house one unit of the Drutz chain of grocery stores. Mr. Drutz plans to build a new front to the building at a later date. Mr. Drutz owns the building, and H. Drutz, Inc., owns the business.

Across the street a thriving restaurant business has been in operation for many years. It is known as the Miss Saranac Diner, and not only has the most modern and largest diner in this part of the country, but has a brick annex restaurant for particular trade adjoining, built for its purpose. The diner is owned by Earl E. Campbell and Ernest M. Hoeth. The three large stores on the ground floor of the Leis Block are occupied by the Reis Pharmacy, owned by Charles P. Reis; the Bloomingdale Avenue Retail Liquor Store owned by Joseph L. Vuzzi and Paul Stephen and the D'Ambrisi Barber shop.

A smart restaurant and night spot, The Top Hat, owned by Michael J. Volk and John J. Labas, has been operating in the basement of the Potter Block for several years. The cooking is good, the decorations tasteful, and a bar off the foot of the stairway is smart and has its own entrance. The ground floor is occupied by the Mannis used furniture shop, and by Miss Betty Strong, hairdresser.

At the corner of Bloomingdale avenue and Church Street Extension, Neuman and Holmes painting and decorating contractors are reconstructing their building. A large addition to the Church Street Extension end of their property was built a year ago and is occupied by the Saranac Lake News Company. Some distance beyond is the firm of Wood Brothers, painting contractors, and still further beyond the railroad tracks are a number of business firms and restaurant grill businesses.

All-in-all, business is crowding Bloomingdale avenue, and almost over night a smart and sizable new business center has developed there. The older centers, Main street and Broadway, are also picking up, with new buildings and reconstruction of older business blocks now underway. But Bloomingdale avenue is moving fast as an important business center for this part of the Adirondacks.

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Adirondack Daily Enterprise, March 26, 1962,

Property on Bloomingdale Avenue purchased in 1905 for $63 a foot was sold in 1912 for $150 a foot or an increase of 138 percent in seven years. The land (18 ft. frontage) in the transaction was adjoining the Leis building (now Vuzzi & Stephen) and was sold to J. C. Morgan of the Hotel St. Regis whose property was adjacent to the Leis property. One reason given for the big value increase was the street improvements involving paving, sewers and sidewalks.

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This photo taken early 1930s shows Bloomingdale Avenue, looking east from Broadway. The building in lower right was the

Leis Block| at 3-5 Bloomingdale Avenue, containing a pharmacy, liquor store, D'Ambrisi's barbershop|, and apartments. The small house was 9 Bloomingdale Avenue| and next door was tall three story building was 11 Bloomingdale Avenue| which housed Vitullo Brothers Tailor and Dyer shop| and apartments on upper floors. On Depot Street|, a miniature golf course occupies the site of the former Grand Union Hotel| (presently Stewarts). At center left was the site of Ensine Miller|'s home, Sunnyside|, later the site of the Day Nursery|, and later still, the William Morris| Park. Today 3-5 Bloomingdale Ave. is apartments. The small house and Vitullo building have been replaced by Sturdy Supply|. Adirondack Daily Enterprise|, January 8, 2011 ]]

Bloomingdale Avenue runs along the bottom of this photograph that shows the western end of Bloomingdale Avenue with its cluster of three hotels at its intersection with

Broadway| at right. Clockwise from the eight-story Alpine Hotel| at lower right is the Potter Block| (previously the Arlington Hotel|) and the five-story St. Regis Hotel|. Only the Grand Union Hotel| is missing as a result of a 1926 fire, it's lot standing vacant at lower left just across from William Morris Park|. The Church Street Extension| angles up from lower left. (undated) ]] Adirondack Daily Enterprise, October 28, 1975

Beautiful golden memories

By Bill McLaughlin

SARANAC LAKE — Old timers will often tell of the days when the salesmen and visitors coming to Saranac Lake by railroad were lined up from the Union depot to the St. Regis Hotel waiting to register.

Another historic hotel that claimed the bulk of transients traveling by New York Central and the Delaware and Hudson was the strategically located Grand Union Hotel at the corner of Depot Street and Bloomingdale Avenue.

Most hotels that catered to salesmen had spacious sample rooms where the "drummer" could display his wares and the shopkeepers could browse and question the sales people about trends and upcoming styles.

The Grand Union Hotel burned in the year 1924. ¹ There are old movies of its passing with the firemen sitting in rocking chairs while the hoses fought a losing battle with the ancient old hostelry.

The Grand Union fire left a lot of room on the corner, and the only logical use at the time seemed to be for car lots. J.J. Galloway utilized the area which was directly across from his Chevrolet agency where the K of C Hail is located today.

The Elks Club was then Taylor and Jackson's garage and Studebaker agency, and many high powered automobiles recovered in prohibition arrests were stored there briefly until disposition could be made of them by the government.

When miniature golf became the craze in the 1930's the corner became a popular recreation spot. The section of town where the railroad station stands was bounded by noise and happy confusion with two lumbermills, J.A. Latour, the Railway Express, and the Day Nursery all vying for a share of attention.

In competition in this section for automobile sales Buick, Chevrolet and Studebaker agencies fought it out with Glen Harvey's Willys Knight on Woodruff Street or Gray Bellows' Franklin on Upper Main. A few livery stables were making a last ditch stand but Harley Davidson and Indian cycles were causing more runaway horses than the incoming locomotives at the Union Station.

The block from the St. Regis corner east had everything: drug store, lunch cart, Itch Theatre, candy and stationery-store... MacAleer and Phelan's, Duprey Brothers Garage where high powered Minervas and other foreign cars were occasionally stored for the winter.

Just sitting in one of them gave you a feeling of great speed. The post office managed a brief tenure along this part of town and a hat shop for the ladies at Pasho's was present for several years.

The Leis Music store was a good place to buy a kazoo, harmonica, or sweet potato. Percy Mullen handled most of the grocery business on Bloomingdale Avenue.

The St. Regis had its own barber shop with Bob Maurer commanding four good tonsorial experts.

At the railroad a playground for wayward youngsters learning to smoke, Harry Hoffer had the semi-circular newsstand and as an ex-gold medal runner taught youngsters how to spring with high knee action.

At night if you felt brave you had races on top of the arcade roof, a private cinder path 150 yards long and 15 feet wide. If the train happened to be moving along beside it, you could leap onto the sleeping cars and off to the roof again. A slip meant a lost leg or decapitation. Nobody thought much about that part.

The freight and baggage rooms were also an education with crated chickens, pickle barrels, and pathfinder bicycles all arriving on the same baggage cars. A runaway horse was also an exciting event in that section and happened once a week without fail.

Time ran out on the bustling Bloomingdale Avenue business section eventually and in the relocating of mercantile establishments much of the fun and interest of this street disappeared.

But if you were lucky enough to have been a kid in the Roaring 20's and early 30's, the glamor and charisma of Saranac Lake sticks forever in the mind... and happily so.

 

See also: [Streetscapes]

1. 1. Comments

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1. 1. Footnotes

1. According to John J. Duquette, the hotel burned in 1926 (Adirondack Daily Enterprise, December 11, 1993