

Massachusetts Avenue and Albany Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Corner filling stations like Jerry’s Atlantic were once convenient places to get a fill up and a variety of basic repair services. They were also places that a kid could get a start in the business pumping gas and gradually acquire skills that would serve him well later in life. A contemporary view of this location looks very different. One building comes down, a lot is cleared and, slowly but surely, the old neighborhood disappears. While you are living through it, the gradual changes in a neighborhood can seem insignificant.

But when you compare a photo like this one, those changes are quite dramatic. The scene below on the Tremont Street side of Boston Common has not changed quite as much. The historic nature of the well known park and the Park Street Church in the distance would discourage anything so extreme. You can see earlier installments in this series on The Old Motor. Photos by Nishan Bichajian courtesy of MIT Libraries. Tell us all about the cars you see here on the streets of Boston.