Tropy Washing Machines is a little neighborhood shop on 117th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues.
The sign is sweetly old-timey, but the AT exchange? It probably stood for Atlantic, according to this chart, but it’s a mystery.
Same with the TR exchange on this sign for Alexander Plumbing. The sign comes from an apartment building on Edgecomb Avenue in Harlem.
TRafalger covered parts of Manhattan, TRiangle was the exchange for a section of Brooklyn, and TRemont, of course, part of the Bronx.
Tags: NYC two-letter phone exchanges, old phone exchanges in New York City, old signs in Manhattan, Tropy Washing Machines sign, Vintage store signs in New York City
Ephemeral New York 
November 22, 2010 at 5:19 am |
I swear that AT-9 used to be ATwater.
November 28, 2010 at 1:17 am |
According to the exchange chart, an AT Manhattan exchange would have stood for ATWATER. (Yes, I’m a total dork for pointing this out!)
November 29, 2010 at 6:02 am |
I remember AT being short for Atwater as well. Good to see I have some dorky company.
April 23, 2011 at 2:40 am |
Yes it is ATwater 9. I know because I used to have this as an exchange in Washington Heights. Then it became Tompkins and then Swinburne before finally going to 785
June 27, 2011 at 2:59 am |
I love that second sign: “adequate brass plumbing”
October 4, 2022 at 11:16 pm |
I have and old picture with me and the tropy sign behind me. I knew the owner years ago.