The Subway (sandwich shop)
closed on the Bowery at the end of June. The storefront at 342 Bowery between Great Jones and Bond is currently for rent.
While recently researching 342 Bowery, Jeff Klepper, who was born and raised in Manhattan and now lives in Boston, came across our Subway closing post.
He shared the following photo with us... of his great-grandfather, Aaron Klepper, in front of his diamonds and jewelry shop at 342 Bowery just about 100 years ago ...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGpWxozIjCMLy3m7C-LkXJXAb9mWUTImLv4fnDAV0TnWeB49yzdKnZjeluMPSzOR3oGAsvOh-x_-AaCzCocU4Ivz4lpB73sLZHrgHGoicoKJmqNDFhiZYOYPi_M-aRawcqdlFutrnxmv_/s510/unnamed.jpg)
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Photo courtesy of Jeff Klepper]
We asked Jeff for a few more details, such as if his great-grandfather and family lived in the apartment above the shop.
Aaron's daughter, my great-aunt Sue, talked about living "behind the store" in one large room, in which her father had built some partitions. There was no heat, except for a kerosene stove, and the toilet was outside in back. But I think she was referring to their tenement on Allen Street.
I'm guessing they moved to the Bowery around 1905, and probably lived in an apartment above the store, because she said that her father would "go upstairs" to sleep when he was ill.
Jeff said that this photo had been hanging in his house for years, but he never knew the street until one of his cousins figured it out based on the 1920 census records.