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Q. The demolition of tenements on the west side of Eighth Avenue between 47th and 48th Streets has revealed an old painted sign on the side of a building. It reads: ''Young & ******* -- Fine Wines, Liquors & Cigars -- Pool & Billiard Parlor.'' Can you give any information about the pool hall, Young or *******?
A. Very little. The five-story building, at 772 Eighth Avenue, sits at the eastern edge of Hell's Kitchen, then a broad-shouldered factory and tenement district that by the late 19th century was one of the city's grittier slums. The Irish were the largest group, but there were also Scots, Germans and African-Americans.
According to the architectural historian Christopher Gray, Fred ******* was the original owner of the building, which was built in 1873. The wide, handsome tenements now being demolished to the north were built in 1897; the ''Young & *******'' sign was no doubt painted during this 24-year period, when pool halls were becoming popular around the city. Mr. Gray added, however, that census records and city directories during these years do not show a Young or a ******* at the address, or associated with a billiard parlor.
Mr. Gray also said newspaper reports beginning in the 1890's record many police raids of liquor, gambling and prostitution dens in the area, but Young & *******'s billiard parlor was not mentioned. Further research is called for.
As recently as last year, 772 Eighth Avenue retained an astonishingly unaltered, turn-of-the-century wooden storefront, beneath layer upon layer of chipped and peeling paint.
**this is exactly where my scariest moment was when i was 17--when we quickly walked off the avenue because of the hustlers, junkies and drunks hanging around--right in front of 772!!**
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