It’s hard to tell how old this Realty Corp. faded ad is. But it could date as far back as 1930. That’s when the Midwood phone exchange was created, usually abbreviated MI.
Construction off Kings Highway and East 16th Street brought the ad—and vintage graffiti—back into view. The best vantage point: from the Q train platform at the Avenue P Kings Highway subway station.
Phone exchange spotting is always fun, and there’s plenty of signs and ads still left in the city that have them. Just keep your eyes peeled!
Tags: Faded Ads in Brooklyn, Midwood 1800 faded ad, Midwood 1800 phone exchange sign, Midwood Brooklyn, old phone exchanges in New York City, old signs Brooklyn
Ephemeral New York 
September 3, 2015 at 7:05 am |
I adore this old stuff! I especially enjoyed the urns on the bridge….Central Park! Progress! Restoring beauty!!!!
September 4, 2015 at 1:15 am |
It looks like the phone number only has 3 digits after the MI (Midwood). That must be very old! I can’t read the sign above it, but that style of writing looks even older! Can anyone read it?
September 4, 2015 at 5:06 am |
I can’t read it…just Realty Corp. It looks like MIDWOOD 8100
September 4, 2015 at 5:42 am |
no avenue P station on the Q, you must mean kings highway…
September 5, 2015 at 2:42 am |
Yes, of course!
September 4, 2015 at 6:02 pm |
It has 4 digits, not 3 (as Wensube said), after the Midwood name. Since NYC went from 3 letters + 4 digits to 2 letters + 5 digits in December 1930, the sign is before that time. (Actually, the MIDwood exchange goes back to 1920, as seen at http://phone.net46.net/nyc/earlyalpha.html#Midwood . The sign could be from any time between 1920 and 1930.)
September 5, 2015 at 2:42 am |
Thank you Bruce! I love that it’s pre-1930.
May 16, 2016 at 7:59 am |
[…] hiding-in-plain sight vintage phone exchanges can still be found all over New York . . . if you look very […]
July 4, 2016 at 3:39 am |
[…] traditional two-letter phone number prefix was officially abandoned in the […]
July 13, 2016 at 1:11 pm |
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/57553105/
Klngsway Realty Corporation, 16U East 16th at. Phone Midwood 8100.
1922!
October 1, 2017 at 2:09 pm |
The view was from Kings Highway Brighton Line station but the new building has gone up and blocks the wall with the sign.
October 1, 2017 at 2:11 pm |
rygb
website requires subscription so I can’t see it. Can you correct address 16″U” – thanks
March 6, 2018 at 3:06 am |
Newspaper article says Kingsway Realty which owned the building, in front of the sign, that was knocked down,
https://www.brooklyndaily.com/stories/2014/17/bn-new-mall-kings-highway-2014-04-18-bk_2014_17.html