During my “afternoon delight” ride, I came across this:
In the Bronx, one can find many buildings like it: handsome, even beautiful, structures built during the early 20th century, just after the Bronx became a borough of New York City.
(Most of the Art Deco buildings for which the Bronx is famous were constructed during the interwar period.)
Like so many structures in the Bronx—and throughout New York City—it is not serving its original intended purpose. Today a moving and storage company operates in it. From some of the building’s details, I am guessing that it was once a medical or health facility of some sort.
What really intrigued me, though, was this:
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Apparently, a “Cuneo” family was involved. That caught my eye, in part because I cycled to Cuneo, Italy during a bicycle tour of the Alps. But I couldn’t help but to notice the inscription for Lorenzo Cuneo, born during the same year—1913–Anthony Cuneo erected the building but who died in 1924. I would think that he was Anthony’s son, nephew or grandson. Why did he die so young?
When I stopped to look at the building, someone gave me a suspicious glance. Did she think I wanted to buy the building (which I am in no position to do) and price her out of the neighborhood? Or is she one of many people in this city who pass things that are beautiful, interesting or simply unusual but has no curiosity about it?
