tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70881137926989265142024-03-16T04:10:44.597-07:00New York NeonT.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.comBlogger200125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-39801785311673764952023-12-29T12:47:00.000-08:002023-12-29T13:28:25.767-08:00Lights Out 2023: Signs We Lost This Year<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;">It's that time again, time to shake the dust of this old blog and tally up another year's worth of New York's neon losses. This year's death toll is a bit higher than that of previous years, sadly, perhaps a measure of what seems to be an intensified development frenzy that has come to grip the city in the wake of the pandemic slowdown. As with previous editions of this post, the list below includes some signs that may have disappeared prior to 2023 but whose loss only came to light (if that's the right word) this year. </span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLMHy00dZIjiLnIKyXxL-UkiKhd_RCGpxQX0VPGsHz0Pyg-qKeEU3t0YiffPHbPL9AmWIhqo-I_WVUwDavY2aVHdG2hbrIVm7ru75lIYq7RxQWkIC9ybPaYWh-8dJgxf4ZvoOCw9n6ka6XTBpgbjkn2u-2gohYGijDRPoKwBZA_h3JP56wCTIBiYct5beU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLMHy00dZIjiLnIKyXxL-UkiKhd_RCGpxQX0VPGsHz0Pyg-qKeEU3t0YiffPHbPL9AmWIhqo-I_WVUwDavY2aVHdG2hbrIVm7ru75lIYq7RxQWkIC9ybPaYWh-8dJgxf4ZvoOCw9n6ka6XTBpgbjkn2u-2gohYGijDRPoKwBZA_h3JP56wCTIBiYct5beU" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Garry Jewelers, 474 Fifth Av., Park Slope, Brooklyn (c. 1961)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;">This perfectly-preserved sign and storefront sat more or less abandoned for a decade since the mom-n-pop jewelry store within finally fizzled out sometime around 2010. As hopes dimmed that the place might somehow spring back to life, admirers remained optimistic that a new tenant might come along and seize on the unique retro charm of Garry’s jewel of an intact midcentury commercial facade, one of the best surviving specimens of its type anywhere in the five boroughs. Alas, Brooklyn correspondent Wayne Heller passed by in February 2023 only to find the place fully gutted and its postcard-perfect storefront completely replaced in anticipation of a new tenant that had yet to appear. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfmA8NPtRlUkOUg7facNAMPkzNqGfjbDe7xLQITsFj_EDM_GJJvHKWIVYoKXwN2evzo0IID1Q-at4lROpa1HP-ZYlE1-ANqWX-eARo9LH5oPbc6AdN7yUoW3DxGyspHwjZNmPna364NmLLnM6sSavIN077lzK4ep0hOIywfi7DqI2L66mHl9wz6vWG6uoe" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfmA8NPtRlUkOUg7facNAMPkzNqGfjbDe7xLQITsFj_EDM_GJJvHKWIVYoKXwN2evzo0IID1Q-at4lROpa1HP-ZYlE1-ANqWX-eARo9LH5oPbc6AdN7yUoW3DxGyspHwjZNmPna364NmLLnM6sSavIN077lzK4ep0hOIywfi7DqI2L66mHl9wz6vWG6uoe" width="320" /></span></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Neil’s Coffee Shop, 961 Lexington Ave., Upper East Side, Manhattan (c. 1966)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;">If a place like Neil's Coffee Shop was ever going to disappear, surely it would have done so a long time ago: anything that had survived this long must be here to stay... or so many of us naively hoped. For all its longevity (it had reportedly opened in 1940) Neil's proved no more enshrined than the most disposable parts of the city's ephemeral landscape when the grim reaper came calling early in 2023. <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2023/3/20/23648664/neils-coffee-shop-closes-nyc-diner">Eater reported</a> that the restaurant owed as much as $1 million in unpaid rent, and the venerable diner met its ignominious end at the hand of city marshals this past April. Its sign was carted off to parts unknown not long thereafter. The storefront remains vacant at press time. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_q_I_aC4E-MfyCWsiucuWiUSGUGHSVWm-Oaz4SaXpaaQLBK5HUI56MfqHFBu3anRszgqK52_ztSPw6aZgyz4Vj0BIOAVV1-ELbgQeBsCtCJgWBIakpH3rS0u0oEuUZma9NApBcs4GstP2ca3Mm7UOniy_Muoszp-Bt05Ih5b5v4FDTVI5uw_7OiaZM441" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_q_I_aC4E-MfyCWsiucuWiUSGUGHSVWm-Oaz4SaXpaaQLBK5HUI56MfqHFBu3anRszgqK52_ztSPw6aZgyz4Vj0BIOAVV1-ELbgQeBsCtCJgWBIakpH3rS0u0oEuUZma9NApBcs4GstP2ca3Mm7UOniy_Muoszp-Bt05Ih5b5v4FDTVI5uw_7OiaZM441" width="180" /></span></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Alleva Dairy, 188 Grand Street, Little Italy, Manhattan (1953)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">One of the year's more painful losses came this past March when Little Italy's stalwart Alleva Dairy called it quits after a 130-year run, citing an inability to keep up with the rent. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/06/dining/alleva-dairy-reopen-new-jersey.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare">The Times reported</a> that the landlord offered to forgive more than $600,000 in unpaid bills if the owners packed up and left quietly. Alleva did just that, taking its vertical neon blade sign (installed in 1953) along with it. The management announced that the age-old cheese shop would reopen at a new location in Lyndhurst, New Jersey (a move similar to that of Brooklyn's Queen Marie Italian Restaurant, which decamped to Bernardsville previously), but this seems not to have come to pass as of year's end. </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMpdLExXaHNcr1lGM7foXgNL-Da5q6mVHxT5NAw2Z8JT5ixRG90FTX1tev6cksg73kv77XkoVK1FoYXB4zp73YRXjBUpiznUoGvG_xldhKSmfqzRlRmt7JBLT7yQ0O6_xpTI3BVY4gH29a-inLSmmFrbkWaze3Hhoi7TryJmkaaM0XXnVrhA6_bjDZ-tqj" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMpdLExXaHNcr1lGM7foXgNL-Da5q6mVHxT5NAw2Z8JT5ixRG90FTX1tev6cksg73kv77XkoVK1FoYXB4zp73YRXjBUpiznUoGvG_xldhKSmfqzRlRmt7JBLT7yQ0O6_xpTI3BVY4gH29a-inLSmmFrbkWaze3Hhoi7TryJmkaaM0XXnVrhA6_bjDZ-tqj" width="180" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jack’s Toy Center, 909 Kings Highway, Midwood, Brooklyn (c. 1955)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">Having outlived the business it advertised by decades (Jack's had already vanished by the 1980s, per the city's tax photo archive), it seemed the winds of attrition might just have forgotten about this relic sign on King's Highway in Midwood, Brooklyn. No such luck: the sign is now <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/235017016019?hash=item36b81b12d3:g:wegAAOSwC81kZ4ot&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA8L3MwMT4MX7DM933ypA2WdfMCjUNTH6yZDrlfxN86yQGylyC5ZzH7CCUv8oJ6f7zc0uJNvb2zuNe8OZ%2FKcQzw44le00sXehspcYlX2N65qaprqMtcqWTsUzEJcbzJi1CruiXk2bTBxCHbroDd%2BRLG9UD9H26VIuDBZfUuMEEmmndR%2FDluQer9SnFxqxV%2BCkvEsovhgf%2BTXFx7A7g%2BLj6sa9uVwk1LgF3DgUIxAb1FO9Ycb66Ioz8YbNAGIs9OF0iq9MURSqTLNlrjKqgqlfFs4jzl1wggmG7xpRsNBWTH7ncsMq8So7TYu1anf%2FJJRgjSQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR7CR5vOWYw">listed on eBay</a> and can be yours for the princely sum of $3,000, if you can coax it down from the second floor perch where it's kept a watchful eye on generations of Brooklynites passing below. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3NP24f70wweSY40qJ5YcFujC86b2qdH0UcOxLfPDLd__SxqQUCOPF2_dr3mzAvIzJ2jdyWTcwbq6IPyV7lEwKU3EpzRp_T1P5-TRb-oIdjQiQzR8C-GDZFqTpU4dBE8tyPbx_yeWnmDkPiWygIZAU6RS6G1G_-34fZsyZlGS3m1uCHiE7Vysh-5KxQwNr" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3NP24f70wweSY40qJ5YcFujC86b2qdH0UcOxLfPDLd__SxqQUCOPF2_dr3mzAvIzJ2jdyWTcwbq6IPyV7lEwKU3EpzRp_T1P5-TRb-oIdjQiQzR8C-GDZFqTpU4dBE8tyPbx_yeWnmDkPiWygIZAU6RS6G1G_-34fZsyZlGS3m1uCHiE7Vysh-5KxQwNr" width="180" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Old Homestead Steakhouse, 56 9th Ave., Chelsea, Manhattan (c. 1945)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">Reportedly founded in 1868 as the Tidewater Trading Post, the Old Homestead bills itself as the "oldest continuously operating steak house in the US," and until last year it had one of the oldest signs in New York to back up the claim. The restaurant survives, but its fantastic luminous beacon - installed c. 1945 in place of <a href="https://nycma.lunaimaging.com/luna/servlet/detail/NYCMA~5~5~174285~499831:56-9-Avenue?sort=borough%2Cblock%2Clot%2Czip_code&qvq=q:nynyma_rec0040_1_00738_0080;sort:borough%2Cblock%2Clot%2Czip_code;lc:NYCMA~5~5&mi=0&trs=1">an earlier neon sign</a> - has been stripped of its neon and slathered in uninspiring LED sign faces, its owners apparently tired of paying to keep the old contraption alight. </span></div></div></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicPG-uKi5EDh7628hMstxMg0Os798ZHEVp23zkj80zzRY_OhJi9IJ9APGjxkxJTlymmFYECOyjreIQFV03NHtFxK420sTdYbGrxEq184GKMkpRSKMCiDBxWd-E0OfnXwMEMynXmBNl5tgXWoiTlUiT678_QLB4_o0ObKGXl8QHesAAr2BRcLxltsVKZkLQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicPG-uKi5EDh7628hMstxMg0Os798ZHEVp23zkj80zzRY_OhJi9IJ9APGjxkxJTlymmFYECOyjreIQFV03NHtFxK420sTdYbGrxEq184GKMkpRSKMCiDBxWd-E0OfnXwMEMynXmBNl5tgXWoiTlUiT678_QLB4_o0ObKGXl8QHesAAr2BRcLxltsVKZkLQ" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pioneer Supermarket, 289 Columbus Ave., Upper West Side, Manhattan (c. 1960)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;">With its big bold italic letters blasting their neon glow out across Columbus Ave., the Pioneer's unmistakable sign was a favorite landmark among admirers of New York's vanishing midcentury storefronts. The ancient supermarket is with us still, but its uniquely lovely neon is no more. The <a href="https://www.westsiderag.com/2023/03/15/whats-going-on-with-pioneer-supermarkets-neon-sign">West Side Rag reported on the sign's disappearance</a> back in March. At the time, the Pioneer's management reassured concerned neighbors that the sign was merely out for repairs, but those proved empty promises when a plastic-faced, LED simulacrum appeared in place of its great neon predecessor a few weeks later. </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEii7MCg0HcQ_93cBSvEtHcajqe9SUkifvAknwubhmHY9zN_YFGVtREeYJILjGtax9FIWOOXUGUYjL89ueU5ebSMtPSsdO_kvuwfJa25AaQbyIRcGr-Q9itZJvA5eUUzT0KsjJDJwbql7IxWnfOImkpq1fa-tVF83zD6fLUVPpNAzVG-9VJC-Y3rjY0E3z1V" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEii7MCg0HcQ_93cBSvEtHcajqe9SUkifvAknwubhmHY9zN_YFGVtREeYJILjGtax9FIWOOXUGUYjL89ueU5ebSMtPSsdO_kvuwfJa25AaQbyIRcGr-Q9itZJvA5eUUzT0KsjJDJwbql7IxWnfOImkpq1fa-tVF83zD6fLUVPpNAzVG-9VJC-Y3rjY0E3z1V" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Kessler’s Liquors, 23 E 28th St., Midtown, Manhattan (1959)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Kessler's landmark LIQUORS sign was a New York classic, with its generic copy rendered in workaday pre-Helvetica letterforms traced in stainless steel channel letters mounted to a stainless steel raceway, this was among the last of hundreds of signs like it that once could be found all over town. Forced to move to a smaller storefront down the block a few years back, the old wine shop took its sign with it, moving its bold neon letters inside over the checkout counter. Sadly Kessler's reboot was not to last: the shop and sign have now vanished, leaving nary a trace behind. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEib65PuFu3HAqflTSMr6EVl4m6a9Lee9q6Brbrx6Cb9VGp1lYFyZJZxKn85k7yUR8t9dpK0pKF4gVUF86WZnXYiIHSGgLRqAwoHDz1xogIBTmNZ2vgqnHkbive_-kPH06u6xmzUlGaPYeWC0L1EYfiy9U5h43g8_l79PawLn7nI3DOWLEdU9yFlfhyXDDKh" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEib65PuFu3HAqflTSMr6EVl4m6a9Lee9q6Brbrx6Cb9VGp1lYFyZJZxKn85k7yUR8t9dpK0pKF4gVUF86WZnXYiIHSGgLRqAwoHDz1xogIBTmNZ2vgqnHkbive_-kPH06u6xmzUlGaPYeWC0L1EYfiy9U5h43g8_l79PawLn7nI3DOWLEdU9yFlfhyXDDKh" width="180" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Roșie O’Grady, 800 Seventh Av., Midtown, Manhattan (c. 1981)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Though it looked like something that might have been around since the 1930s, Rosie O'Grady's landmark projecting neon only appeared on this prominent corner five blocks above Times Square after the Irish Bar set up shop here in the 1980s. After more than forty years, Rosie's seemed as well ensconced on Broadway as any of the marquee names that frequented the place. Yet the restaurant closed abruptly in July amid <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/06/24/rosie-ogradys-toasts-celeb-customers-from-jfk-jr-to-bono/amp/">reports of a dispute</a> with its landlord, S.L. Green Realty. Its sign, which seemed an entrenched part of the landscape here, is indeed gone now. Late reports hint at an <a href="https://www.irishecho.com/2023/12/rosie-o-grady-s-has-a-new-home">impending rebirth</a> for Rosie's at a new location around the corner.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTnB_foabBpAjCO0wQNd8-xODKnXme-vfYHeB1rBeDbwDiY_X_KC2ZvzQxSWjWDM1f11spXBGeRAkVRSFDNjFexwTocDZutbvd7ERRrNNsHRRKUMDUIKdQObV-5tRGyi_vQAcCaAVY4kKw-supVYqmr6KTpoeHi5J9Mnsub7CvdK8Y3UZxRO-vS8WygSX9" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTnB_foabBpAjCO0wQNd8-xODKnXme-vfYHeB1rBeDbwDiY_X_KC2ZvzQxSWjWDM1f11spXBGeRAkVRSFDNjFexwTocDZutbvd7ERRrNNsHRRKUMDUIKdQObV-5tRGyi_vQAcCaAVY4kKw-supVYqmr6KTpoeHi5J9Mnsub7CvdK8Y3UZxRO-vS8WygSX9" width="180" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Heartland Brewery, 127 W43rd St., Times Square, Manhattan (c. 1995)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: courier;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: courier;">Not an especially old sign, Heartland's bold vertical herald was a modern classic, peering out over West 43rd Street just east of Times Square. The sign and restaurant both did a disappearing act in the wake of the pandemic; some decent new neon has <a href="https://www.themermaidnyc.com/mermaid-oyster-bar-times-square/">lately appeared</a> in its place.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCd37BVfP2V6TH2vZvCN3OFBRdT52Ad9wSDcCdmyRSv3poaUd7hjPVApkwKoYT0jSHIkA3hqAaLs4Ag-rich6UMAwfZYQfDkZJo7QeC8WXQkTdXRgVT-pjJRlKcz03Lc2s09mFXcs6sRZt2nKxGfvS1h-uz5ZksqLtqXcASjrSIObQaMk0qHwEiBNR3haN" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCd37BVfP2V6TH2vZvCN3OFBRdT52Ad9wSDcCdmyRSv3poaUd7hjPVApkwKoYT0jSHIkA3hqAaLs4Ag-rich6UMAwfZYQfDkZJo7QeC8WXQkTdXRgVT-pjJRlKcz03Lc2s09mFXcs6sRZt2nKxGfvS1h-uz5ZksqLtqXcASjrSIObQaMk0qHwEiBNR3haN" width="180" /></a></div></span><span style="font-family: arial;">New Amsterdam Theatre, 214 W42nd St., Midtown, Manhattan (1937, alterations 1955)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: courier;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: courier;">The New Amsterdam is alive and well but its marquee is neon no more. Originally opened in 1904, the art nouveau theater's streamlined neon vertical sign appeared when the establishment went from being a live stage theater to showing movies in 1937 (the sign underwent further modifications in the mid-1950s). As alterations to the original facade, the sign and marquee might have vanished when Disney funded a lavish restoration of the venue in the 1990s, but happily they were kept and restored. They survive today, one of the rare electric signs of any kind that enjoys the protection of city Landmark designation, though this did not keep the sign's animated neon from quietly making way for fake neon LEDs, a development that does not bode well for the future of neon more broadly. </div><div style="font-family: courier;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpJYoAAKeufEmtl8RnoGYdXj9U4Pa7duqhJgmsv5MUeqKvxOs529zjUyWA5jF4ThucSTk2q2JoRVc2xJS7EJyIaDNyny1QIyta7HHvcz4IJnShQY0zsbS8zHKM52P8cQ8bCNsTpIfY-yepQvYXxDnu6NEZ1_j88oaEx2VADqqA7Lwyy-MESmrok6BzMM1n" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img alt="" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpJYoAAKeufEmtl8RnoGYdXj9U4Pa7duqhJgmsv5MUeqKvxOs529zjUyWA5jF4ThucSTk2q2JoRVc2xJS7EJyIaDNyny1QIyta7HHvcz4IJnShQY0zsbS8zHKM52P8cQ8bCNsTpIfY-yepQvYXxDnu6NEZ1_j88oaEx2VADqqA7Lwyy-MESmrok6BzMM1n" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Papaya King, 179 E 86th St., Yorkville, Manhattan (1964)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">For all its charm as one of New York's most appealing neon storefronts, it didn't take a real estate whiz to know that the writing was on the wall for Yorkville's 90-year old hotdog stand known as the Papaya King, whose storefront occupied a tiny, one-story building situated on some of the most expensive scraps of land in the country. The bell finally tolled for the King's modest abode this year when plans for a massive new high-rise were announced for its site. Founded by Gus Poulos back in 1932, the Papaya King had been at its most recent address since 1964. The tiny hotdog shop <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2023/4/3/23667969/upper-east-side-hot-dog-papaya-king-moves-to-new-location">reportedly found a new home</a> just across Third Avenue, but more than six months after it closed the business has yet to reopen. Its wonderful sign, which figured into a number of <a href="https://nyneon.blogspot.com/2014/06/papaya-king.html">previous posts</a> at this blog, remains above the empty storefront at press time, a desecrated husk. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVIouwGpvkvQYd4QhswTHCmJjGHKiPZiRPRi5mA9LRK4grSwCTR7cZYO5-wO8o9BfHosqFtMTWn3n0Gi5j5AEYp2JpCjraRy7z3uHWj08J31gWK9Cc3SXR7Fn1XzUF6ozFLDoPnu8VdFDs9pHNsUiwInctmRb923dED5UEkIjbXr66Z8WyhUntd9ou9xAF" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVIouwGpvkvQYd4QhswTHCmJjGHKiPZiRPRi5mA9LRK4grSwCTR7cZYO5-wO8o9BfHosqFtMTWn3n0Gi5j5AEYp2JpCjraRy7z3uHWj08J31gWK9Cc3SXR7Fn1XzUF6ozFLDoPnu8VdFDs9pHNsUiwInctmRb923dED5UEkIjbXr66Z8WyhUntd9ou9xAF" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Starlite Delicatessen, 212 W44th St., Times Square, Manhattan (c. 1984)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Not neon, but deserving of an honorable mention here nonetheless, the Starlite Deli's backlit plexiglas <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/17/nyregion/tracking-privilege-signs-as-they-vanish.html#:~:text=After%20World%20War%20II%2C%20privilege,city%20one%20happened%20to%20land.">"privilege sign"</a> was typical of the kinds of signs that displaced neon in the streetscape after the 1960s. A small placard mounted to one side marked this as the work of Brooklyn's <a href="https://nyneon.blogspot.com/2011/08/salzman-sign-co.html">Salzman Sign Co.</a>, once one of the most prominent neon shops in New York, its surviving works including the great assemblage of neon fascia signs at Nathan’s Famous in Coney Island. Though the sign looks like it could be older, Starlite reportedly opened in 1984; it <a href="https://w42st.com/post/broadway-go-to-starlite-deli-to-close-40-years-times-square/">ended its 39 year run</a> with the retirement of its longtime owner, Jung Min Kim, in April 2023. The sign itself has been preserved at the <a href="https://www.nysignmuseum.org/">New York Sign Museum</a> in Brooklyn. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUktF-xcq8RYVLkSDQgFw5dB4QF9_2rFUeiz4RllI9Dx6djbk_uW6pA0ujdnTZDaeRGxpO-_oFCfIjyoA91E11eDSAHh_xa6916Q324ubZ1eyZHCAv7ybj9Rly3aj8HP2x__3IIWiMpQ09QHHrDHANDRysdKTciIADgY1vhzEdJQfFIvBxRuQ9UB9pVVhE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img alt="" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUktF-xcq8RYVLkSDQgFw5dB4QF9_2rFUeiz4RllI9Dx6djbk_uW6pA0ujdnTZDaeRGxpO-_oFCfIjyoA91E11eDSAHh_xa6916Q324ubZ1eyZHCAv7ybj9Rly3aj8HP2x__3IIWiMpQ09QHHrDHANDRysdKTciIADgY1vhzEdJQfFIvBxRuQ9UB9pVVhE" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;">American Neon, Lefcourt Empire Bldg., 989 Sixth Av., Midtown, Manhattan (c. 1927)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">Also not neon but undeniably worthy of mention on this list, the painted ghost sign of the American Neon company vanished this year along with the 21-story Lefcourt Empire building, from whose side it had <a href="https://nyneon.blogspot.com/2011/10/american-neon.html">presided over the north end of Herald Square</a> since the late 1920s. A relic of a long-vanished chapter in the early history of New York's neon business, American Neon emerged as a competitor to the Claude Neon-affiliated franchises that attempted to maintain a monopoly on the neon business around the world, until the latter company's critical patent finally expired in the early 1930s. In its brassy bid to break Claude's stranglehold on the business, American Neon built a giant neon "airplane beacon" atop developer A.E. Lefcourt's new tower at 37th St. and Sixth Av., which reportedly could be seen for hundreds of miles. Neither the beacon nor the company lasted more than a few years, but it left a subtle mark that endured in the palimpsest of New York's commercial necrology until this year. </span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>AND THE ONES TO WATCH NEXT YEAR ...</b></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJT0T_ygc_-Ud9gQA2WS-7PCp77c1GTyKNEiiXI1im7nUKK-CO3ufIAD4GbQAKiDtzoasGxGJAMtgCSTMfqa5zBg5uCadFuuIABQgij2YR_2_sFph43T7jRlTVw50quc9EREybvVrRsQL_-KAVq77XyzywyhGTdWeI12lfcr69JU8aby1K3EuEQCHCnchP" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJT0T_ygc_-Ud9gQA2WS-7PCp77c1GTyKNEiiXI1im7nUKK-CO3ufIAD4GbQAKiDtzoasGxGJAMtgCSTMfqa5zBg5uCadFuuIABQgij2YR_2_sFph43T7jRlTVw50quc9EREybvVrRsQL_-KAVq77XyzywyhGTdWeI12lfcr69JU8aby1K3EuEQCHCnchP" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;">T-Bone Diner, 107-48 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, Queens (c. 1963)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Opened in the 1930s, Queens' T-Bone Diner quietly closed up shop back in 2022. Its great neon roof sign had been a neighborhood landmark since replacing earlier neon signage during a modernization sometime circa-1963. <a href="https://patch.com/new-york/foresthills/t-bone-diner-reopen-forest-hills-after-shuttering-last-year">Patch has reported</a> on a move afoot to revive the venerable eatery, but as of December 2023 the place remains dark. </span></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFpnmKrjPD27bkHswj1FGDOSedLeehUiBoH1DeDvGeYkfibZf1HbyhZz7hu4rL-w-nKpKhAHyLbejGUxZnpTUAn9mtN4vNEz6qp5LHLLBWy7thzS2Cfp3lxwpM0ZM63mnw0CvrjSsOPKGgisZ4k-2wE43iYgmrlKX-0MzNzNf75tRezFQcC0ZwRuxAoZiz" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFpnmKrjPD27bkHswj1FGDOSedLeehUiBoH1DeDvGeYkfibZf1HbyhZz7hu4rL-w-nKpKhAHyLbejGUxZnpTUAn9mtN4vNEz6qp5LHLLBWy7thzS2Cfp3lxwpM0ZM63mnw0CvrjSsOPKGgisZ4k-2wE43iYgmrlKX-0MzNzNf75tRezFQcC0ZwRuxAoZiz" width="180" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Roebling Liquors, 311 Roebling St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn (1945)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Word on the neon street is that the new owners of this long-time Williamsburg liquor retailer are looking to unload their beautiful stainless steel vertical sign, a <a href="https://nyneon.blogspot.com/2011/08/salzman-sign-co.html">1945 work of the Salzman Sign Co.</a> of Brooklyn (see Starlite Deli blurb above). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjShNDCdUEKl5rw1rIe0qsRZTP8zpYccCuKYtjuIvrwvyEzdbukLmsFRj7-M5-Xb5QMZdvgdXF5dOS4HVyEA25rtlimFEGk7BQm7Ohf1OyYt6y3_oFucIdwPlGaQaaUNeJUgQ2Rr7mmEmGDquK_ZG11vRmD-lBe0O4J2KMMeylnLe1qN9dTmP0a9vxsRpE0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjShNDCdUEKl5rw1rIe0qsRZTP8zpYccCuKYtjuIvrwvyEzdbukLmsFRj7-M5-Xb5QMZdvgdXF5dOS4HVyEA25rtlimFEGk7BQm7Ohf1OyYt6y3_oFucIdwPlGaQaaUNeJUgQ2Rr7mmEmGDquK_ZG11vRmD-lBe0O4J2KMMeylnLe1qN9dTmP0a9vxsRpE0" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Theatre 80 St Marks, 80 St Marks Pl., Lower East Side, Manhattan (c. 1964)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">After a long string of ominous news reports regarding the future of the East Village's beloved "Theatre 80," the small off-Broadway venue finally succumbed this past April, following a prolonged dispute with creditors. The theater's longtime owner, Lorcan Otway, whose family ran the place from the time it opened in 1964, has continued to pursue various means of refloating the business but the building was reportedly sold in in May and the marquee remains dark at press time. </span></div></div></div><p></p>T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-16242099141287760252022-12-30T15:00:00.003-08:002023-01-03T08:01:46.105-08:00Lights Out 2022: Signs We Lost This Year<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The New York Neon blog may be clinging to life, just barely, with new posts once a year. The same cannot be said however of the signs and businesses featured below, which are gathered here for our annual roundup of neon landmarks dead and gone from the landscape. (As usual, some of these may have disappeared before 2022 but their loss only came to my attention this year.) </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDOmvVEepnpjWy0-cPUFU2sqKki699T5uRwwgajm5t7F7tKoGKxqUJSTDCxaGWme_N4Ep63FQWlDv2AD1xzgLlYeYX6BsUi37grBlAwEB0V3C2HPt5CaMGw02wIRYZNWOEPXjSATfD_wyS4DJffZ7hqIfngr0sn-pNxwLg9nTwPS5L4Xx1goIvaC17bg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDOmvVEepnpjWy0-cPUFU2sqKki699T5uRwwgajm5t7F7tKoGKxqUJSTDCxaGWme_N4Ep63FQWlDv2AD1xzgLlYeYX6BsUi37grBlAwEB0V3C2HPt5CaMGw02wIRYZNWOEPXjSATfD_wyS4DJffZ7hqIfngr0sn-pNxwLg9nTwPS5L4Xx1goIvaC17bg" width="320" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjsBr6b68prNcvduVct2FZh0QEU_kADfx6U3spPSTgYCmGNtsEdtZ0QltR66Hmb2jbwNIbyNxfIoAqWXfEVXtc2-FmjOQRk0ORZ9GQamsGWMEjh_0zhxvlgeRxdvgy4RFBApjxVvq8rLY-VAzkLaDhnqcle1lz1lvOOyhNsky0Hz2v4yHSm_AaSv5wkA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjsBr6b68prNcvduVct2FZh0QEU_kADfx6U3spPSTgYCmGNtsEdtZ0QltR66Hmb2jbwNIbyNxfIoAqWXfEVXtc2-FmjOQRk0ORZ9GQamsGWMEjh_0zhxvlgeRxdvgy4RFBApjxVvq8rLY-VAzkLaDhnqcle1lz1lvOOyhNsky0Hz2v4yHSm_AaSv5wkA" width="160" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Mike's Diner, 2237 31st St, Astoria, Queens </div></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Originally opened in 1928, Mike's Diner in Astoria this year sadly joined the ranks of businesses Google lists as "permanently closed." The Astoria Post <a href="https://astoriapost.com/mikes-diner-in-astoria-has-closed-served-neighborhood-for-nearly-a-century">reports</a> that the business shuttered in late summer amid a rent dispute between the landlord and the restaurant's operators. While its modest building had been updated several times, the sign appeared to be the product of an early 1960s makeover. The city's circa-1940 tax photo shows a previous sign hanging outside a real showstopper of a classic streamlined diner building whose spirit lived on here until the business ended a 94-year run this year. Historic photo is via the NYC Municipal Archives.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoA3y8lV5PnLujvA-i0RRLbH7GO8o5M4kpWcw02L7K7xxUTCP6yCN7WyrYp4Z3r8cgi7eXysAx_koYZduflcBQ1V8KuY1l0hOJn3xXhwPaQcW6NGfk8nxHjcLkD3K7Vlp6fuz52DGiqaqwRKAojHfEQ-7SSNp-_RWe8SA68HakHWYMU87C9v1lkTC_5w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="1000" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoA3y8lV5PnLujvA-i0RRLbH7GO8o5M4kpWcw02L7K7xxUTCP6yCN7WyrYp4Z3r8cgi7eXysAx_koYZduflcBQ1V8KuY1l0hOJn3xXhwPaQcW6NGfk8nxHjcLkD3K7Vlp6fuz52DGiqaqwRKAojHfEQ-7SSNp-_RWe8SA68HakHWYMU87C9v1lkTC_5w" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Queen Marie Italian Restaurant, 84 Court St, Brooklyn</span></div><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Somewhat overshadowed by the loss of a certain other Queen this year, downtown Brooklyn's Queen Marie restaurant quietly decamped from its longtime home on Court Street early in 2022. Opened in 1958, the Queen Marie had been a neighborhood staple for generations. The restaurant <a href="https://totalfood.com/brooklyn-old-school-italian-charm-ristorante-mv-nj-hamlet/">has since been reincarnated</a> under the same ownership as "Ristorante MV" in Bernardsville, NJ. Brooklyn's loss is Jersey's gain. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgI6QFGGWoNjK71cDjd-Z5lAoVy7qCbeTgP316G8BQ6RdSuoR2vW34Pgw_D5ul5_cFg-8ssFHcmn-CBVDgRD3anFUXuTS6QZKaUgzQsEluq3D3D-RCBvZABDxAiM1wQVYokxwGSTyNVVRBjbbA20YyV_zobt-MKh8PGYIb2BORwdZEw-heOj8nvwCSklA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgI6QFGGWoNjK71cDjd-Z5lAoVy7qCbeTgP316G8BQ6RdSuoR2vW34Pgw_D5ul5_cFg-8ssFHcmn-CBVDgRD3anFUXuTS6QZKaUgzQsEluq3D3D-RCBvZABDxAiM1wQVYokxwGSTyNVVRBjbbA20YyV_zobt-MKh8PGYIb2BORwdZEw-heOj8nvwCSklA" width="320" /></a></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFDpG2FFxyS3KcInQlfsAyO7nsaBrjpFpIoi3yQHc3cOOyBkzc1ZmZRkD9gfWyvVTu4DSpyUJSkxLh8Tr4iXcspje5gfB4i70iJCZejweoJdqrnkCOgrISH06clzEpmYYs3jITz96me8QHC9GXabWVLImfrFuwyDgsL9KbEAbu9dHvavK3ppg6e2xwNw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFDpG2FFxyS3KcInQlfsAyO7nsaBrjpFpIoi3yQHc3cOOyBkzc1ZmZRkD9gfWyvVTu4DSpyUJSkxLh8Tr4iXcspje5gfB4i70iJCZejweoJdqrnkCOgrISH06clzEpmYYs3jITz96me8QHC9GXabWVLImfrFuwyDgsL9KbEAbu9dHvavK3ppg6e2xwNw" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 256 W 47th St, Manhattan</span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The former Mansfield Theatre on 47th St. in the Theater District gained this lovely sign circa 1960, when it was renamed for veteran New York Times theater critic Brooks Atkinson. The sign vanished this year when the theater was renamed again, this time for the late singer and actor Lena Horne, eminent lady of the stage and now the first African American woman to be honored with a theater bearing her name. I know embarassingly little about Atkinson, but whoever lettered the sign that bore his name had some of the best neon penmanship I'd seen anywhere. Ms. Horne's name is now rendered in simple block letters that are nice enough but leave us wanting for the jaunty pizazz of their predecessors. For the record, they're rendered in genuine neon. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8LFIZIwKRzfm1ZYkOcS-ZlgWfXRTYW_FB12nggRQl3b7A7UAHl6NlUzbPn72rEOxicekbT5PxlAlluEqPWYIc6pHC_w-L5eMt7lMgwC_nhW9doBzfrOD-h6u5pTX-1cMyBqzWq10WwoBneROBW-VbDNv7fpOpxzWv2o0xarwWSHBEgecSzh9fXoC-dQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8LFIZIwKRzfm1ZYkOcS-ZlgWfXRTYW_FB12nggRQl3b7A7UAHl6NlUzbPn72rEOxicekbT5PxlAlluEqPWYIc6pHC_w-L5eMt7lMgwC_nhW9doBzfrOD-h6u5pTX-1cMyBqzWq10WwoBneROBW-VbDNv7fpOpxzWv2o0xarwWSHBEgecSzh9fXoC-dQ" width="180" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Ernst & Young, 5 Times Square, Manhattan</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Not especially old, but a bona fide New York neon landmark in the traditional sense: the monumental Ernst & Young sign loomed over the south end of Times Square for about 20 years, from the time the giant building from which it hung was built in 2002. Rising up nearly a 30-story stretch of the tower's east facade, the sign enjoyed an unobstructed vista down Seventh Avenue that allowed it to be seen from Greenwich Avenue, a mile and a half down the island. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqBOABxKdrTN0e_0hgp_iXmZ-4aQq_ipbpYaptfuTPTSCZGZ351Xxl7PciY96me6WCqzyy7rLPK8VEMgSaC-RjCFjeCKoO0-WzK0ectDa7lV68oFJY7XSrLzINA-5G67lF25PH2VsZ2sE1sF8SsrhKYI_qZ5VTh6baR8hvF-q_XZkbSZX57l8YMCRggg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqBOABxKdrTN0e_0hgp_iXmZ-4aQq_ipbpYaptfuTPTSCZGZ351Xxl7PciY96me6WCqzyy7rLPK8VEMgSaC-RjCFjeCKoO0-WzK0ectDa7lV68oFJY7XSrLzINA-5G67lF25PH2VsZ2sE1sF8SsrhKYI_qZ5VTh6baR8hvF-q_XZkbSZX57l8YMCRggg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Blarney Stone, 410 8th Ave, Manhattan</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The Blarney Stone bar by Penn Station and MSG had shed pretty much all of its bad-old-days trappings in a lobotomizing makeover sometime circa 2004, during which its hallmark deli case, tattered Naugahyde bar stools and ancient terrazzo floor all got cleared out in favor of an "Irish Pub" themed interior cobbled together from what looked like stock moldings from Home Depot. The bar's old sign, however, remained here to testify that this Blarney was in fact the real deal, an authentic, card-carrying survivor of the umpteen Blarney Stones that <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2012/03/12/how-new-yorks-blarney-stone-bars-got-their-start/ ">once existed</a> all over Manhattan in decades past. Alas, the old sign vanished this summer to make way for a schlocky LED approximation of its predecessor. The scene inside the joint however is otherwise a pretty compelling throwback to the Blarneys of old (caveat - not on game nights). Of thirty-some known Blarney Stones that once existed in Manhattan, this is one of just two that remain. </span><span style="font-family: courier;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEha7JBeCi63AbAmNFEgdAtgKYLNVCUBPYu7ZjBDO60yU0yJR_-RfcrMfMhHuoRtOYx7OwRo7i4dM66HwNDmVGmIuXiLjL8FkF-lt9rgFbzTn721XNik3UxZeHDq8hdZawtnTfg_bsQ0OK1t_M6e2cw_Yjwyke3n2LOetsFn0u0xWw77R76ZI9zxuWkaTQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEha7JBeCi63AbAmNFEgdAtgKYLNVCUBPYu7ZjBDO60yU0yJR_-RfcrMfMhHuoRtOYx7OwRo7i4dM66HwNDmVGmIuXiLjL8FkF-lt9rgFbzTn721XNik3UxZeHDq8hdZawtnTfg_bsQ0OK1t_M6e2cw_Yjwyke3n2LOetsFn0u0xWw77R76ZI9zxuWkaTQ" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Flats Fix (née Live Bait), 14 E 23rd St, Manhattan</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">When a "for rent" sign went up over the storefront of the former Live Bait bar on 23rd Street at Madison Square during the pandemic, I thought surely it would be just a matter of time before some savvy restaurateur came along to revive this old space and light those great old signs up again for all of us to enjoy. I soon found myself choking back the vomit rising in my throat when I rounded a corner early this year only to find the signs felled and the storefront gutted to make way for a new Popeyes fried chicken franchise. The old Live Bait signage (the bar was known as "Flat Fixed" in its last days) made for one of the more vibrant vintage storefronts anywhere in New York, though its exact provenance eluded me. Its owners, the same group that ran everyone's favorite Coffee Shop down on Union Square, never responded to requests for an interview. The BAR RESTAURANT fascia sign appeared to have come from somewhere else; traces of older neon signage could be seen hidden behind it. Buildings Dept records indicated that the vertical BAR sign, which beamed out in three glorious directions, had been installed in 1940 for an establishment known as the Metro Tavern. Hopefully someone salvaged those signs to shine again one eday.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgctcHRqYK32NyNhbi_SsUSmZQ_M9Yoz55eJlEx6YyZZvhEPSLS6euH2xDNGxWgUmi0Y-mpT_O8CMG_Os91s2jU8mmJJ3rjlEIsXcIehs-FrzY2ElmMkLoV1sYrrvQT_IhOggprVDpErSygTYjj9v8w2GaiPi1Urpl1v8HxAsE1w7EU_dfN8jYYQvjlAg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgctcHRqYK32NyNhbi_SsUSmZQ_M9Yoz55eJlEx6YyZZvhEPSLS6euH2xDNGxWgUmi0Y-mpT_O8CMG_Os91s2jU8mmJJ3rjlEIsXcIehs-FrzY2ElmMkLoV1sYrrvQT_IhOggprVDpErSygTYjj9v8w2GaiPi1Urpl1v8HxAsE1w7EU_dfN8jYYQvjlAg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhF4_e51v0ut00BFFUt3V9vwFpBxDrPjpdaWingzGUPpujT0NS_yGX4kZdq6pBBgZj8LepeQJM-tObe_yOQ2TEs-3ozXiihj9TUVedgluGqm_oOvfhtW9YyOD5W5FRSN9Wf5PzPUDsS0znGQR8bg0Ab8wXhbAXfouEQJIj0FP_F0J8BVq_8U_KGfQAK1A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhF4_e51v0ut00BFFUt3V9vwFpBxDrPjpdaWingzGUPpujT0NS_yGX4kZdq6pBBgZj8LepeQJM-tObe_yOQ2TEs-3ozXiihj9TUVedgluGqm_oOvfhtW9YyOD5W5FRSN9Wf5PzPUDsS0znGQR8bg0Ab8wXhbAXfouEQJIj0FP_F0J8BVq_8U_KGfQAK1A" width="320" /></a></div>Patriot Saloon, 110 Chambers St, Manhattan</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Speaking of Blarney ... the Patriot Bar opened in 2003, inheriting its space (and its vertical BAR sign) from a certain <a href="https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/bc3bede1-6b6a-cebb-e040-e00a18064596">Blarney Cove bar</a> that had occupied this address for years prior (the storefront actually housed Pearl Paint before that). The Patriot's BAR sign had already disappeared a few years back when a new residential building went up next door. The Tribeca Citizen <a href="https://tribecacitizen.com/2022/06/24/the-patriot-has-gone-dark/comment-page-1/">reported this past summer</a> that the bar itself has now followed its neon herald into the great beyond. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuwftsDZM7o-233hm8nA1hurzINB2hp2orwb-Ent76BpwLWnFkciO7QOyThLKymWFmA9laYSEqni5j3LXasEbErEu97eWadbzwQsjfY0KR7cv3khs29aYu7IFIO5eb7qXaKqOD-kX3jfVFUkLN7Ev7qS-w09ENCfNFxDnkDvEoUP2gUikEp3IKY0QFQw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuwftsDZM7o-233hm8nA1hurzINB2hp2orwb-Ent76BpwLWnFkciO7QOyThLKymWFmA9laYSEqni5j3LXasEbErEu97eWadbzwQsjfY0KR7cv3khs29aYu7IFIO5eb7qXaKqOD-kX3jfVFUkLN7Ev7qS-w09ENCfNFxDnkDvEoUP2gUikEp3IKY0QFQw" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgf_V_R815hnzfAhBU2Nbfl6PYee3VRJA1n6wk8dbmXbgYjGPgXXR9APcFXtPDSp4YtKlUdL3d5lW-GWXnUFjThQuNOVSGnHc4ODdWyg3sbCbQgiR_kJeGxOff0e9Nol_kEsvx-sYn7I912HTH1OTUW18kUmzSUncgyw4Nbo5o1OBKuu3Bx68w0ZCQ3Sw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="1009" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgf_V_R815hnzfAhBU2Nbfl6PYee3VRJA1n6wk8dbmXbgYjGPgXXR9APcFXtPDSp4YtKlUdL3d5lW-GWXnUFjThQuNOVSGnHc4ODdWyg3sbCbQgiR_kJeGxOff0e9Nol_kEsvx-sYn7I912HTH1OTUW18kUmzSUncgyw4Nbo5o1OBKuu3Bx68w0ZCQ3Sw" width="320" /></a></div>Holland Bar, 532 9th Ave, Manhattan</span></div></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The Holland Bar and its sign were both survivors, having been deposed from their previous home in the </span><span style="font-family: courier;">Hotel </span><span style="font-family: courier;">Holland on 42nd Street some time circa 1987. The bar found a new home around the corner on 9th Ave and 39th Street, but when sign proved too big to fit over the tiny storefront, the owners found a spot for it inside above the back bar. Festooned in Christmas lights, it presided over all sorts of proceedings at what became </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/nyregion/27holland.html" style="font-family: courier;">one of New York's more likable dive bars</a><span style="font-family: courier;"> for another few decades until the old Holland </span><a href="https://w42st.com/post/holland-bar-has-closed-hells-kitchen-loses-an-iconic-new-york-dive-bar/" style="font-family: courier;">quietly bowed out</a><span style="font-family: courier;"> this year. In the </span><a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/New-York-Neon/" style="font-family: courier;">Neon Book</a><span style="font-family: courier;"> I noted that the sign held the ashes of longtime regular Charlie O'Connor, who lay in repose in an urn nested between the letters "O" and "L." Historic photo from an old postcard. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-4i9vY6N0hgamKV6_CmajbUOCUbUGsZNdL7g_3fHmdig3tywo92eqs79Uv5oQjM0vg4M-TrramSg9R4-IWKxyLGpV7bJC9qsCJtLn8z0HkcMMBZTlP_MDuuSZbqkgcHZcByZxcpEFXZqAwTWORzUQYiZ2B0hs_iMlgeVQsaGaogEdgT4LUvhD0I3yiQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-4i9vY6N0hgamKV6_CmajbUOCUbUGsZNdL7g_3fHmdig3tywo92eqs79Uv5oQjM0vg4M-TrramSg9R4-IWKxyLGpV7bJC9qsCJtLn8z0HkcMMBZTlP_MDuuSZbqkgcHZcByZxcpEFXZqAwTWORzUQYiZ2B0hs_iMlgeVQsaGaogEdgT4LUvhD0I3yiQ" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">79th Street Wine & Spirits, 230 W 79th St, Manhattan<br /></span><p><span style="font-family: courier;">For decades, this fantastic ensemble of liquor store signs stood on West 79th Street directly across from the flashing neon harp of the old Dublin House Bar, giving us a two-for-one neon special that made this otherwise ordinary Upper West Side block a place I always looked forward to seeing any time I happened to be up this way. A crowdsourced funding campaign helped finance a loving restoration of the Dublin House sign a few years ago. Sadly that outpouring of affection across the street was lost on the proprietors of the liquor store, who junked their great fascia and vertical signs for plastic faced LED crap early in 2022. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJjZ9mKxurWEyVA3SfDlrc4C1c2rmCNNVOUGzvLk6p7y9sFEbo86QumPnDQd3kF-nflLSVG7-oDAwEXSs1JzLxhHgHi0g6gakepLQDv-jjI5EnylOPTnqWeTh12k8NUl6YRX7oYCpn4PqvFinCPzrysMDWvVq99lKhSJgRpBYm9Ctp6IignsovNMbGzQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJjZ9mKxurWEyVA3SfDlrc4C1c2rmCNNVOUGzvLk6p7y9sFEbo86QumPnDQd3kF-nflLSVG7-oDAwEXSs1JzLxhHgHi0g6gakepLQDv-jjI5EnylOPTnqWeTh12k8NUl6YRX7oYCpn4PqvFinCPzrysMDWvVq99lKhSJgRpBYm9Ctp6IignsovNMbGzQ" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyhafxiXboLiEq6AYk4xRhNj7ZfnCHHpXPMFAhUXGJxpx5TMGOA83viTFdGVRPWfl3T7d4UCmyvNkIVepeLdK1SW8l7osezBpRl1OLmTHYa5p3CNmITBe8RT0-Rz5f1xf44NDJjxABZBlZ1NYxsYwLyskwhLYzmx4Li4RqCqssjmb2vKsyuWXkN4jeWA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="1020" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyhafxiXboLiEq6AYk4xRhNj7ZfnCHHpXPMFAhUXGJxpx5TMGOA83viTFdGVRPWfl3T7d4UCmyvNkIVepeLdK1SW8l7osezBpRl1OLmTHYa5p3CNmITBe8RT0-Rz5f1xf44NDJjxABZBlZ1NYxsYwLyskwhLYzmx4Li4RqCqssjmb2vKsyuWXkN4jeWA" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Forlini's, 93 Baxter St, Manhattan</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The late, great Forlini's of Baxter Street was just about the last vestige of Little Italy below Canal Street. A classic, unpretentious redsauce joint, its location near the downtown courthouses made it a go to for everyone from Manhattanites on jury duty to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-jun-09-na-sotomayor-prosecutor9-story.html">future Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor</a>. Founded in 1944, its storefront boasted at least two generations of neon signage, the last of which covered its neon tubes behind red plexi. Its <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/08/style/forlinis-closing.html">demise was sealed</a> when the Forlini family recently sold the building and bowed out of the restaurant business. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7hSMz3jDH0TgPCgy93InXnh-_pZ8d6aT0jTwU-wXtnuu0KpzeGQHMFzYNNPoespymdtpTLvmowditMmrpdjZKxkcyiImcCRycQB7d280-lH72pAgy4mIK6uJZaMNB3hpDi2iMF4xXziBzqfvHdE1uJACdSSvzY0WepXjLfaxQeQHQ1yskCpOMkohsxg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7hSMz3jDH0TgPCgy93InXnh-_pZ8d6aT0jTwU-wXtnuu0KpzeGQHMFzYNNPoespymdtpTLvmowditMmrpdjZKxkcyiImcCRycQB7d280-lH72pAgy4mIK6uJZaMNB3hpDi2iMF4xXziBzqfvHdE1uJACdSSvzY0WepXjLfaxQeQHQ1yskCpOMkohsxg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">National Jewer's Exchange, 2 W47th Street, Manhattan</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">New York's "diamond district," a one block stretch of West 47th Street between 5th and 6th Av's, is still a haunt for some of the more interesting signage left in Manhattan, but sadly its best sign - that for the National Jewelers Exchange - has finally bit the dust. Something about this one always made it one of my favorites. Its pre-Helvetica block letters, half of them slightly askew, its battered sheet metal box, really gave it the look of something that had seen it all. It had been blocked by scaffolding and dark for years, but was still hanging in there until about a year ago, when the great old building off which it hung (along with the one next door) got themselves dates with the wrecking ball amid yet another stupid redevelopment project that we really don't need. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg602qQJ_ZGcYJuCMi3B-qfNhv1Ey6fDvE-VoDmFmU4Uw1SLgIISaXwlJlFFWny1wKqdcDEG2q2XTdCTCHfurBy4IUk-WNICwNKxLfC7hVIB-BCAcjBwJuFE5_2z6_IaZWIL4QgrwC5CCL1f2-u66nla93mBKHaQbxZlg3YYRlZyw-tnPefGJr63XK7Xw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="972" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg602qQJ_ZGcYJuCMi3B-qfNhv1Ey6fDvE-VoDmFmU4Uw1SLgIISaXwlJlFFWny1wKqdcDEG2q2XTdCTCHfurBy4IUk-WNICwNKxLfC7hVIB-BCAcjBwJuFE5_2z6_IaZWIL4QgrwC5CCL1f2-u66nla93mBKHaQbxZlg3YYRlZyw-tnPefGJr63XK7Xw" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEix4e57m8Wc4GzinwhE-bXfSLzDeOC0KN3jo1c7Yre059OsCEeQCjzXwjK9cNjSCSUswIIUp6rKWWmZre6Nt1a5IY--jUhB8alhCOYEXWcTwBSToubgGps4eYtz0QRgmHdLw95Yo3QN-GBxxozbhh0URI32vS5yC2jM9Ghcc18lirdcS6Qp7-AH4S8goA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1516" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEix4e57m8Wc4GzinwhE-bXfSLzDeOC0KN3jo1c7Yre059OsCEeQCjzXwjK9cNjSCSUswIIUp6rKWWmZre6Nt1a5IY--jUhB8alhCOYEXWcTwBSToubgGps4eYtz0QRgmHdLw95Yo3QN-GBxxozbhh0URI32vS5yC2jM9Ghcc18lirdcS6Qp7-AH4S8goA" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggdHPNRMN18CB28H2_U_muJxjJVzLp8miE_CExDp6jArWpTC0vKSVzkd5VTmGRsKH5udOlujp_CcygukXjsUXHh9b8cad8bvkbXzgW37C86jzoaGU8jO-SeHbXYoORbnRaoyOJStNJHVXnSwmf8v3tfjNWc0iY4sidaBqJWpdmSV3mv6aeKfemMWCTjA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="813" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggdHPNRMN18CB28H2_U_muJxjJVzLp8miE_CExDp6jArWpTC0vKSVzkd5VTmGRsKH5udOlujp_CcygukXjsUXHh9b8cad8bvkbXzgW37C86jzoaGU8jO-SeHbXYoORbnRaoyOJStNJHVXnSwmf8v3tfjNWc0iY4sidaBqJWpdmSV3mv6aeKfemMWCTjA" width="278" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">World Telegram, 125 Barclay St., Manhattan</span></div></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: courier;">Speaking of large, handsome Art Deco office buildings being destroyed for stupid redevelopment projects that we don't need . . . New York's old World Telegram building in Lower Manhattan is being skinned at press time to make way for <a href="https://newyorkyimby.com/2022/09/renovation-work-underway-on-125-barclay-street-in-tribeca-manhattan.html">yet another glassy, soul crushing piece of junk</a>, because, you know, New York needs more glassy, soul crushing pieces of junk. The World Telegram's massive roof sign had already been gone for many years, but the big old steel framework that once held it aloft was still there, an interesting relic from a time when giant signs like this beamed out across the harbor from all directions. The building below it was a lesser-known Art Deco gem designed by Howell & Thomas in 1930. Its vibrant green terra cotta scored it a feature in Andrew Garn and Eric Nash's new book "New York Art Deco," published just this year. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpxKvCJxBWWjfHbWJopZ_HwdU3yowdPRFHQlPNQIQn7DiOzQ5yGGlxDL2niBoAQb4rV8r8mj32gK9OBU3Pz24M4kAj2NSnkZa9hXOUJfVHgVgyTCFFY5o5YzsM1JZ94gOO46CdzVsiNfdLmEoXuitPhA55MbvKaG9TGFiMo7qREV4LNbqqI05RywuAVA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1350" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpxKvCJxBWWjfHbWJopZ_HwdU3yowdPRFHQlPNQIQn7DiOzQ5yGGlxDL2niBoAQb4rV8r8mj32gK9OBU3Pz24M4kAj2NSnkZa9hXOUJfVHgVgyTCFFY5o5YzsM1JZ94gOO46CdzVsiNfdLmEoXuitPhA55MbvKaG9TGFiMo7qREV4LNbqqI05RywuAVA" width="180" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgwNIRQHJrpS9E8hgibWoT4hdcFER2pjwwNdHXoqryYZiXIiO9lyQ0icqaXAsiEPC1Fgmsen6Dyg3PVIDBqJzCBMNv0QElcvXUC6RDiqa2mv0pCdmZw5NoaLpCD1_NFG6pdrO9ZRmo_PbpdVS_UW83ZJ21ar3WDHvwweVktRmNOxzzC62Dsz7nl1wDcw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="534" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgwNIRQHJrpS9E8hgibWoT4hdcFER2pjwwNdHXoqryYZiXIiO9lyQ0icqaXAsiEPC1Fgmsen6Dyg3PVIDBqJzCBMNv0QElcvXUC6RDiqa2mv0pCdmZw5NoaLpCD1_NFG6pdrO9ZRmo_PbpdVS_UW83ZJ21ar3WDHvwweVktRmNOxzzC62Dsz7nl1wDcw" width="171" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Eneslow Shoes, 2563 Webster Av, Bronx</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Eneslow's ghost sign off Fordham Road in the Bronx was already a husk, its lettering having been pulled off years ago. It made a great then-and-now study contrasted against a period photo loaned to me by <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2012/02/signmans-album_29.html">Justin Langsner of the LaSalle Sign Co.</a>, who made this and the great Papaya King sign in Manhattan (see below). Eneslow's ghost sign has finally vanished, but the fantastic old-school shoe retailer the sign advertised <a href="https://eneslow.com/">is actually with us still</a>, at a new location over on 3rd Ave in Midtown Manhattan - one of NYC's </span><span style="font-family: courier;">best kept secrets and </span><span style="font-family: courier;">oldest retailers of any kind. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><b>AND THE ONES TO WATCH IN 2023</b></u></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg00B-eHdh1jt6c0yESNL3S4SUC1NB8x82d4fvLHGhDspuWlePG5D2N2MyX3q7P9hb79vEGxQHzbz5xMsw8oDRbn9uRiVhc6WF_H3z5QweKyGNFvX0Gx2Y56o_MeFvOrGWY1XTWQuywDnlZe057MV0-l7aitBcFAgUYcv-sb56sHvlhZfUKsw2qBrKdEQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg00B-eHdh1jt6c0yESNL3S4SUC1NB8x82d4fvLHGhDspuWlePG5D2N2MyX3q7P9hb79vEGxQHzbz5xMsw8oDRbn9uRiVhc6WF_H3z5QweKyGNFvX0Gx2Y56o_MeFvOrGWY1XTWQuywDnlZe057MV0-l7aitBcFAgUYcv-sb56sHvlhZfUKsw2qBrKdEQ" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">P</span><span style="font-family: arial;">apaya King, 179 East 86th St, Manhattan</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">It's almost hard to imagine there was ever a time when a little one story building could occupy a prominent Manhattan street corner without being eyed as a "development opportunity" yet for decades that's just how it was the NW corner of 86th and 3rd, where the erstwhile hotdog dispensary known as the Papaya King has been an Upper East Side landmark for nearly 60 years (and at a different address for another 30 years before that). At length, the corner seems finally poised for a <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/07/23/1113166807/manhattan-institution-papaya-king-is-losing-its-building-what-is-its-future">major redevelopment</a> - here's hoping that <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2014/06/papaya-king.html">incredible sign</a> finds a good home somewhere. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaLdfdMlAF3xoeTqgnQrNaKaVDz8jf2Dj9j81J6kFLwT8ZW8zF9crbp90HKn7hBQuhNYskFCIcIalKqJYqjvo8oNhH3SWEjOurlhKjXSuCiDd__6T3TdSnVhPWVfO26o8qJ7PrQulhoMAIxlN__QedS6xWmPtXYgNVFjDC2SVoyB1xFYp8dOY6RW2ANA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="310" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaLdfdMlAF3xoeTqgnQrNaKaVDz8jf2Dj9j81J6kFLwT8ZW8zF9crbp90HKn7hBQuhNYskFCIcIalKqJYqjvo8oNhH3SWEjOurlhKjXSuCiDd__6T3TdSnVhPWVfO26o8qJ7PrQulhoMAIxlN__QedS6xWmPtXYgNVFjDC2SVoyB1xFYp8dOY6RW2ANA" width="145" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Columbus Hardware, 852 Ninth Av., Manhattan.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Columbus Hardware relinquished its longtime home on 8th Ave in Hell's Kitchen last year, leaving its old sign behind. The mom-n-pop hardware store <a href="https://www.columbushardwareinc.com/">lives on</a> at its new address but the sign remains abandoned and awaiting its fate at the old storefront. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhK2hXQb5H1J3AWDzn9zcLB9Xf55QLCkJQEJCQg7CjzQ-ZmX9bgYmEd1jRzES262bdl9IXANGo-sG2S2bXrbYp_lVyLNThodFzld8eIgusYPXVM-ZftzvYpyli0eNPghcbY91PbRKQL3o43FNBrDxO2WhwFAGlcfQPP-gmezg7j8x4I8piFPV0Vj2ibsg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhK2hXQb5H1J3AWDzn9zcLB9Xf55QLCkJQEJCQg7CjzQ-ZmX9bgYmEd1jRzES262bdl9IXANGo-sG2S2bXrbYp_lVyLNThodFzld8eIgusYPXVM-ZftzvYpyli0eNPghcbY91PbRKQL3o43FNBrDxO2WhwFAGlcfQPP-gmezg7j8x4I8piFPV0Vj2ibsg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Subway Inn, 1140 2nd Ave., Manhattan.</span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The venerable Subway Inn endured a successful transplant over to 2nd Ave and E60th St when developers plowed under its original home by Bloomingdale’s back in 2015. The bar quickly took root at its new location - a rare success story, until the its new digs <a href="https://www.uppereastsite.com/iconic-upper-east-side-dive-bar-the-subway-inn-changing-locations-nyc/">found themselves in another developer’s crosshairs</a> in 2022. The bar closed this past summer and moved its sign to a new location up the block, but both storefronts remain empty at press time, leaving the future of one of Manhattan’s longest running watering holes (established 1937) very much in doubt. </span></p>T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-34015169796160362432021-12-27T06:42:00.005-08:002021-12-27T07:04:44.983-08:00Lights Out 2021: Signs We Lost This Year<p><span style="font-family: courier;">Well, it has come to this: my one and only blog post for an entire year is this annual doomsville round-up of vanished or vanishing signs. In my defense, I did manage to crank out <a href="https://www.phaidon.com/store/design/patented-9781838662561/ ">another book</a> during that time! Anyway - for all the obvious difficulties of the past year, 2021's list of neon casualties is mercifully short. (Please let me know if I've missed any.) In a few cases, the signs are gone but the old businesses they advertised have survived. That's the good news. The bad news is that the list includes some real bitter pills, none harder to swallow than the loss of the Clover Deli on 34th Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan. As with previous round-ups, the list below includes a few that disappeared prior to 2021 but whose loss only came to my attention this year. With that, let's dim the lights for our funerary feature. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4AtYyZRGS9Q/YceG6IXraxI/AAAAAAAAM9U/zcGcMm7ii5ELOdqZRFA_mCD4wSgH76LtQCNcBGAsYHQ/M-02-Angelos-3466-sm.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4AtYyZRGS9Q/YceG6IXraxI/AAAAAAAAM9U/zcGcMm7ii5ELOdqZRFA_mCD4wSgH76LtQCNcBGAsYHQ/M-02-Angelos-3466-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Angelo's of Mulberry St., 126 Mulberry St., Manhattan. c. 1955</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Angelo's ancient Italian restaurant was one of the real stalwarts of Little Italy. Opened in 1902, the restaurant never bobbed back to the surface when others started to re-open after pandemic closures. While there are rumblings that new management might bring it back to life, its fantastic swing sign has already vanished. The sign was a simple beauty, with stainless steel channel letters mounted to a stainless steel box - stainless-on-stainless being a classic hallmark of New York sign shops. All that stainless steel was beautifully offset by the icy blue hue that glowed within its fantastic mid-century script lettering. Hopefully the sign found a good home somewhere. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FeWCgihsBEk/YceHDE8YuzI/AAAAAAAAM9Y/Nb6EYDUak-AWun8ncneDaA-vcuPMdtyGACNcBGAsYHQ/BAR-26-Patriot-06-sm.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="540" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FeWCgihsBEk/YceHDE8YuzI/AAAAAAAAM9Y/Nb6EYDUak-AWun8ncneDaA-vcuPMdtyGACNcBGAsYHQ/BAR-26-Patriot-06-sm.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Patriot Saloon, 110 Chambers St., Manhattan. (Vertical sign only)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The Patriot Saloon on Chambers Street was home to one of New York's dwindling population of classic vertical BAR signs mounted high up over its storefront. With only a one story "taxpayer" building next door, the sign seemed free and clear of zoning ordinances that precluded such installations outside residential windows. But when the little taxpayer building got itself torn down and replaced with luxury apartments recently, the Patriot's old BAR sign suddenly found itself in harm's way - it's a goner now, though the bar's fascia neon remains.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3GdDxukxMUM/YceHL3rULqI/AAAAAAAAM9g/bO86A2lXnyAfzyWekwyDmiormYZQxx2HwCNcBGAsYHQ/M-19-Clover-1438-sm.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3GdDxukxMUM/YceHL3rULqI/AAAAAAAAM9g/bO86A2lXnyAfzyWekwyDmiormYZQxx2HwCNcBGAsYHQ/M-19-Clover-1438-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Clover Delicatessen, 621 Second Ave., Manhattan. Globe Neon, 1956.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">The Clover Deli bit the dust last year, after a more than 70-year run in east midtown. Opened after WWII, urban renewal displaced the deli from its original location after just a few years. But the business landed on its feet at the prominent corner of 34th and 2nd, where it stayed for 65 years before finally closing amid the pandemic in 2020. For a while there was talk of a new business moving in and keeping the signs in place, but that never came to pass: the deli's owners donated the signs to the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio, which came and picked them up in late August. The signs are now in safe hands, but need some TLC (you can make a donation towards their restoration <a href="https://48055.blackbaudhosting.com/48055/Annual-Fund-2">here</a>). Still, Manhattan just isn't the same without the Clover. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3W2w4inlatU/YceHZdKCZoI/AAAAAAAAM9k/B_j7WRnOjUs-GvuKow59P0NzTfdyedKPgCNcBGAsYHQ/M-34-Goldbergers-1541-sm.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3W2w4inlatU/YceHZdKCZoI/AAAAAAAAM9k/B_j7WRnOjUs-GvuKow59P0NzTfdyedKPgCNcBGAsYHQ/M-34-Goldbergers-1541-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Goldberger's Pharmacy, 1200 First Ave., Manhattan. c. 1960.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Like the great Clover Deli, Goldberger's was particularly exciting as one of the few remaining neon-bedecked corner storefronts left in New York, with especially evocative period letterforms beaming out in two directions from its perch at 65th Street and First Ave. It was one of the very few neon storefronts to even get a shoutout in the AIA Guide to NYC ("The Old New York, still dispensing"). Sadly, @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/sign_of_the_time/?hl=en">sign_of_the_time</a> reported on Instagram this past August that the store had to pack up and move down the block. The signs were partially salvaged for display inside. And happily the business, around since 1898, survives. But one of Manhattan's best neon landmarks is no more. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XuCejr4RWQ4/YceHkIFGtWI/AAAAAAAAM9s/QGX0B_mQvzUx_WklT2jG033jlyLtEz9qQCNcBGAsYHQ/I.75-Rose-4355-sm.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XuCejr4RWQ4/YceHkIFGtWI/AAAAAAAAM9s/QGX0B_mQvzUx_WklT2jG033jlyLtEz9qQCNcBGAsYHQ/I.75-Rose-4355-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GtR6iW9uQgM/YceOp4hOY-I/AAAAAAAAM-k/ACkV51HCWuAjQoqXE74DXDwbdFw2zycpwCNcBGAsYHQ/IMG_7433-edit-sm.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GtR6iW9uQgM/YceOp4hOY-I/AAAAAAAAM-k/ACkV51HCWuAjQoqXE74DXDwbdFw2zycpwCNcBGAsYHQ/IMG_7433-edit-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Rose Wine & Liquor, 449 Columbus Ave., Manhattan. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">This age-old Upper West Side liquor store is still around but their fantastic old sign has vanished and been replaced with an approximation of the original, for reasons that at the very least are far from obvious to the vested observer. The original featured blue porcelain sign faces framed in stainless steel edging and accented by stainless channel letters tracing classic "pre-Helvetica" squared-off block letters, each rendered in four-count'em-FOUR strokes of red neon, all of it vested with the hard earned patina of probably 70 years reigning over this stretch of Columbus Ave. The new sign is still neon - fine! - but the neon has gone from four strokes to two, the tubes are too deeply recessed in the channels, the stainless and porcelain has yielded to aluminum, the patina is gone-daddy-gone, and all you can say for the letterforms is at least they're not Arial. Some things I'll just never understand. If anyone needs a case study for the merits of an old sign purely in aesthetic terms, here it is on a silver platter. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2K38wLaap0g/YceHqLNQcVI/AAAAAAAAM90/NRmKGccjnukyH8hHfHZbbLgPepGo6iApQCNcBGAsYHQ/M-21-Columbus-3980-sm.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="893" data-original-width="540" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2K38wLaap0g/YceHqLNQcVI/AAAAAAAAM90/NRmKGccjnukyH8hHfHZbbLgPepGo6iApQCNcBGAsYHQ/M-21-Columbus-3980-sm.jpg" width="145" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Columbus Hardware, 852 Ninth Ave., Manhattan.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Another case of an old business that had to give up its longtime storefront and lost its neon in the process. Columbus Hardware has moved just a few doors down but abandoned its lovely old vertical sign in the process. Unforgiving zoning ordinances and other cold hard realities apparently complicated the prospect of installing the old sign over the new storefront to the point of practical impossibility. What will become of the old sign, a glowing glory of pink fluorescent neon over canary-yellow porcelain, remains unclear. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VzZ8fLZLVcg/YceHz78gd1I/AAAAAAAAM98/t6k1R7p8Z6oiz3aw5Nl4G_IlYc1cvqGrgCNcBGAsYHQ/IMG_9572-sm.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VzZ8fLZLVcg/YceHz78gd1I/AAAAAAAAM98/t6k1R7p8Z6oiz3aw5Nl4G_IlYc1cvqGrgCNcBGAsYHQ/IMG_9572-sm.jpg" width="180" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1OC0-skeFC0/YceH409_FOI/AAAAAAAAM-A/Hu3AUA_ssQE-ZFl5SzBZAO9AJBY_2KyaACNcBGAsYHQ/Mercer-Garage-google-streetview-edit.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1OC0-skeFC0/YceH409_FOI/AAAAAAAAM-A/Hu3AUA_ssQE-ZFl5SzBZAO9AJBY_2KyaACNcBGAsYHQ/Mercer-Garage-google-streetview-edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ljdLnYW2ccs/YceH7GCQl-I/AAAAAAAAM-I/Lg68tyE0BSo80Lc58oe6Tyfn1hS4VArJACNcBGAsYHQ/NYCMA-00513-0022_Mercer-Garage-sm.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="822" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ljdLnYW2ccs/YceH7GCQl-I/AAAAAAAAM-I/Lg68tyE0BSo80Lc58oe6Tyfn1hS4VArJACNcBGAsYHQ/NYCMA-00513-0022_Mercer-Garage-sm.jpg" width="197" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">(Google Streetview; NYCMA / <a href="http://1940s.nyc">1940s.nyc</a>)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Mercer Street Parking Garage, 165 Mercer St., Manhattan. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">A lovely sign, if not so old, this vertical neon still had a classic flavor to it, and was likely the descendant of an older sign that probably hung in the same spot, though none appears in the c.1940 tax photo for this property. One of New York's last big flashers, it blasted out its not-so-subtle mating call to Manhattan motorists with the words PARKING and GARAGE cast aglow in alternate sequence from a very old cast iron SoHo facade. Interestingly, what the old tax photo does show is that the painted signage on that facade hadn't changed much in at least 80 years. But in a land of red hot real estate such as SoHo, something so prosaic as a parking garage behind that beautiful historic facade was on borrowed time: sure enough, the garage got the boot for luxury residential circa 2017-18. The facade is resplendent now. It dripped in neon-lit bird doo before; it drips in something else now. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ziLOppKq4gU/YceIMw4_nFI/AAAAAAAAM-U/fwPhpxy9DKskJEO68Zcrs8kP-MIFm3hlACNcBGAsYHQ/NYCMA-08883-0104_Queens-Schmidt-Candy-alt-crop-wtrmrk.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ziLOppKq4gU/YceIMw4_nFI/AAAAAAAAM-U/fwPhpxy9DKskJEO68Zcrs8kP-MIFm3hlACNcBGAsYHQ/NYCMA-08883-0104_Queens-Schmidt-Candy-alt-crop-wtrmrk.jpg" width="310" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ugVBFE2kbII/YceIRjQCMiI/AAAAAAAAM-Y/-xyZHqlFlUUR4dSJX3ld-nNH61Q_5y5TACNcBGAsYHQ/IMG_1007-sm.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ugVBFE2kbII/YceIRjQCMiI/AAAAAAAAM-Y/-xyZHqlFlUUR4dSJX3ld-nNH61Q_5y5TACNcBGAsYHQ/IMG_1007-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Schmidt's Candy, 94-15 Jamaica Ave., Woodhaven, Queens. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">Still another case of an old business still around but without its venerable neon: @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/sign_of_the_time/?hl=en">sign_of_the_time</a> reported the loss of Schmidt's sign this past February; the business owners said the city Dept of Buildings forced them to take the sign down due to non-compliance issues. The sign was demonstrably if not certifiably old - it shows up in the city's circa-1940 tax photo - which is normally enough to get some clemency. Somehow that didn't happen here. Prewar storefront signs are exceedingly rare in New York today, and sadly, they're even rarer now. Bits and pieces of the old sign have been hung on the wall inside - let's go pay them a visit in 2022. </span></p><p><br /></p>T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-87265651600768661532020-12-26T09:03:00.013-08:002020-12-26T09:16:19.052-08:00Lights Out 2020: Signs We Lost This Year<div><span style="font-family: courier;">2020 has been cataclysmic for the kinds of businesses featured on this blog. Sure enough, this year's New York neon casualties count a number of pandemic-related business closures among them: two of them are among the lost businesses featured <a href="https://nymag.com/press/2020/12/on-the-cover-of-new-york-reasons-weve-loved-new-york.html">on the cover</a> of the 12/7/2020 issue of New York Magazine. Yet somewhat surprisingly, this year's roster of lost neon storefronts is not much out of step with that of previous years. For those of us who have long bemoaned the loss of New York's independent storefront businesses in the face of soaring rent hikes, it comes as a bit of a curveball to find their survival now threatened by an extreme of under-stimulation that is the very opposite of the hypergentrification that had been their leading cause of death up to now. One wonders if perhaps the reason this year's list isn't longer than it is might be taken to mean that even a global pandemic is less toxic for such businesses than a typical year's worth of crushing rent-hikes - in other words, if the mandated shutdowns wound up canceling out the lethal effect of the rent-hikes that normally kill off these businesses. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">That said, the devastating effect of the pandemic shut-downs is far from over. Particularly for bars and restaurants, it is not just the old neighborhood stalwarts that need our support - it is everything under the sun. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">As always, this year's roundup includes some businesses that closed before 2020, but that only came to my attention this year. Not listed are some non-neon favorite storefronts we lost, like Gem Spa, John Jovino, the Paris Cafe, or Frank's Cocktail Lounge in Brooklyn. Nor the ancient R32-series "Brightliner" subway cars that the MTA pulled out of service (but then <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-l-train-normal-service-covid-19-20200628-lntxyjbwdbhizky4sw5i6dbjgq-story.html">briefly resurrected</a>) after 56 years with nary a mention. And the "ones to watch" list is enormously abbreviated - in reality it could include just about every neon storefront in town. In 2021, it will be incumbent on us to look for ways to help one another get back on our feet again as this (hopefully) uniquely difficult year recedes in our wake. </span></div><div><br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-unqPTQIEkPg/X-DKsgEg-oI/AAAAAAAAMIk/T3GFLF7f_Rwv-6Y4OUsgN23pgiHnGCbeQCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_2712-SM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-unqPTQIEkPg/X-DKsgEg-oI/AAAAAAAAMIk/T3GFLF7f_Rwv-6Y4OUsgN23pgiHnGCbeQCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_2712-SM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Palomba Academy of Music, 974 East Gun Hill Road, Bronx</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">The Bronx's Palomba Academy of Music had been a neighborhood anchor since the 1950s, but closed down permanently when in-person music lessons became impossible during the pandemic. Happily, the sign <a href="https://www.pix11.com/news/local-news/neighbors-rally-around-neon-signs-in-nyc">has been preserved</a> at the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati (with help from Let There Be Neon and photographers James & Karla Murray), but the museum can still <a href="https://www.americansignmuseum.org/support">use some support</a> towards its restoration. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UWUWpF6iK78/X-DKsiUk02I/AAAAAAAAMIs/Vuexkn4DB1kSr96kePfipcO1WR1ZzAfCQCLcBGAsYHQ/ROOF-28_3010-SM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UWUWpF6iK78/X-DKsiUk02I/AAAAAAAAMIs/Vuexkn4DB1kSr96kePfipcO1WR1ZzAfCQCLcBGAsYHQ/ROOF-28_3010-SM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">One Penn Plaza, 242 W34th St., Manhattan</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">The big neon "1" atop this midtown office tower quietly disappeared this year. Though not especially old (the building itself dates from the early 1970s), it was nonetheless one of the largest neon installations in town and one of very few illuminated signs on the New York skyline. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9dz84xv2NjE/X-DNZmRimHI/AAAAAAAAMJg/qrl9V22nATMSmSrP5lIf6h6fELIediJgACLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_5789-SM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1000" height="218" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9dz84xv2NjE/X-DNZmRimHI/AAAAAAAAMJg/qrl9V22nATMSmSrP5lIf6h6fELIediJgACLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_5789-SM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">New Corner Restaurant, 7201 8th Ave, Brooklyn</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">Brooklyn's New Corner restaurant was a neighborhood anchor that traced its origins to 1936; its third generation family owners decided it was <a href="https://www.insidehook.com/article/new-york/colandrea-new-corner-brooklyn-italian-restaurant">time to retire</a> in the face of the protracted difficulties of running a dine-in restaurant amid pandemic business closures. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2vDXf4Zd98o/X-I24KkmS9I/AAAAAAAAMKE/XWhDYpAZwUwXQIJJuDRZw0Sc3KvwM4WogCLcBGAsYHQ/DARK-13_4830-sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2vDXf4Zd98o/X-I24KkmS9I/AAAAAAAAMKE/XWhDYpAZwUwXQIJJuDRZw0Sc3KvwM4WogCLcBGAsYHQ/DARK-13_4830-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Spruce Florist, 222 8th Avenue, Manhattan</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">Most recently operated as Spruce Florist, this Chelsea flower shop had earlier been known as Village Florist and earlier still as Nick Case Florist. It had occupied the same 8th Avenue storefront since at least the 1930s until it finally closed around 2017. The sign hung around for a few more years before it finally disappeared in December. I am happy to report that it has found its way to a collector who plans to restore it to its former glory. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IXeU9NyHtpE/X-DKsgU5uQI/AAAAAAAAMIg/xa3bzX8EzngybX0ZF5P4EI9DwZXpMuqsQCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_2857.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IXeU9NyHtpE/X-DKsgU5uQI/AAAAAAAAMIg/xa3bzX8EzngybX0ZF5P4EI9DwZXpMuqsQCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_2857.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Loeser's Deli, 214 W 231st St, Bronx</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">This Kingsbridge Kosher deli had been a neighborhood stalwart since 1960. It appears to have closed permanently at the end of 2019 owing to a <a href="https://www.bxtimes.com/famous-kosher-riverdale-deli-shuttered/">buildings department gas line snafu</a>. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uFARB-lpHtQ/X-DKtExKp6I/AAAAAAAAMI4/s3AXY9mnwWoO7cVgfouk04matSOxV1atwCLcBGAsYHQ/DRUGS-07-HealthWise-02-SM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uFARB-lpHtQ/X-DKtExKp6I/AAAAAAAAMI4/s3AXY9mnwWoO7cVgfouk04matSOxV1atwCLcBGAsYHQ/DRUGS-07-HealthWise-02-SM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Health Wise Pharmacy, 1494 York Ave., Manhattan</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">The Upper East Side's Health Wise Pharmacy ditched its circa-1960 neon in favor of <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSnSTvGWLoE/XqxMhh4SAqI/AAAAAAAALwU/cBsHIjq9Hx0dbmg0chIoOZjQaG3PLj1SwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Healthwise-JoshSilber-02.jpg">plastic-faced LED signs</a> early in 2020. Its lovely script window sign had already vanished, the result of a <a href="https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20161125/upper-east-side/cab-crash-building/">stray taxi</a> that launched itself through the storefront back in 2016. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pXVENyzqJJc/X-DMqQGItFI/AAAAAAAAMJY/X4uH2VcnKjQgImZS2iL64W_bwPy9ulHogCLcBGAsYHQ/MISC-179-Quinn_8026-sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="950" height="229" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pXVENyzqJJc/X-DMqQGItFI/AAAAAAAAMJY/X4uH2VcnKjQgImZS2iL64W_bwPy9ulHogCLcBGAsYHQ/MISC-179-Quinn_8026-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Quinn Funeral Home, 35-20 Broadway, Manhattan</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">Astoria's landmark Quinn funeral home <a href="https://astoriapost.com/122-year-old-funeral-home-relocates-to-woodside">decamped to Woodside</a> in late 2018, and the bell has since tolled for its lovely script raceway sign. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZwtCJ-FkxI8/X-I10uOBF6I/AAAAAAAAMJw/IqmaH1X8JKgDipa3pZvM-xyFS_6eMxV5wCLcBGAsYHQ/M.02-Drugs-Miller_8394.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZwtCJ-FkxI8/X-I10uOBF6I/AAAAAAAAMJw/IqmaH1X8JKgDipa3pZvM-xyFS_6eMxV5wCLcBGAsYHQ/M.02-Drugs-Miller_8394.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Miller's Prescriptions, 173 Broad St, Staten Island</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">Miller's is still around but I'm sorry to report that they ditched one of Staten Island's very last neon storefront signs for more LED plastic bleh, which as far as I know leaves just one historic neon storefront on all of the Island. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>AND THE ONES TO WATCH IN 2021</u>:</span></h3><div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9kVUH2jNtuI/X-DKtW577sI/AAAAAAAAMI0/1XaDAU2lYuco2JKHspkqS4q61AIIyi9cQCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_1466-SM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9kVUH2jNtuI/X-DKtW577sI/AAAAAAAAMI0/1XaDAU2lYuco2JKHspkqS4q61AIIyi9cQCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_1466-SM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Clover Delicatessen, 621 2nd Ave., Manhattan</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">Clover was just about everyone's favorite. Located near the east midtown hospitals, they became a kind of a mascot for many of the frontline workers who trudged back and forth along 34th Street on their way to and from work, and for the neighborhood at large, which they served through three generations of family ownership. Alas, citing a downturn in traffic and the general difficulties of running a business during the pandemic, the owners decided it was time to bow-out and <a href="https://retrologist.com/post/626462060632571904/they-all-hurt-but-this-one-hurts-a-lot-the">Clover quietly closed</a> in the summer of 2020. The family owns the building and is hoping to lease the storefront to a business that might want to keep the signs right where they have been since they were installed in 1956, so stay tuned on this one. </span></div><div><br /></div></div><div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uP3gTmVHT4Q/X-DKsl6M94I/AAAAAAAAMIw/JM5tc0wiXAQu75Muu3umAjnpwsYphdgigCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_4193-SMR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uP3gTmVHT4Q/X-DKsl6M94I/AAAAAAAAMIw/JM5tc0wiXAQu75Muu3umAjnpwsYphdgigCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_4193-SMR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Flat Fixed, 14 E23rd St, Manhattan</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">One of New York's more vivacious neon storefronts, the restaurant that most recently operated under the name "Flat Fixed" closed up shop amid the pandemic, leaving for-lease banners under those darkened signs. These signs are a bit of a mystery; the vertical BAR sign appears to have been installed here for a business called the Metro Tavern in 1941. The horizontal raceway sign looks to be from the 1950s. Here's hoping a new occupant will set these things aglow again soon.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PDWMN5UEVkE/X-DKshAWM1I/AAAAAAAAMI8/_OvAQnMTQ4Y5JmEOWumRJi9ZrYLP3fXJACLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_7286-SM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PDWMN5UEVkE/X-DKshAWM1I/AAAAAAAAMI8/_OvAQnMTQ4Y5JmEOWumRJi9ZrYLP3fXJACLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_7286-SM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Trailer Park, 271 W 23rd St., Manhattan</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">Though not old-old, Chelsea's Trailer Park was part restaurant, part museum, and one of the few spots that seemed to stay afloat more than a few years in a neighborhood that has been an epicenter of high rent blight lately. Its lovely signs are the work of Roadhouse Relics of Austin, Texas. It's one of several places that have remained closed-up tight since the first pandemic shutdowns went into effect in March. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PDslpF4MQLE/X-JjTNlH-LI/AAAAAAAAMKU/u-hHaP0sigMpZTJpZsxgukIr5EdNCGqgQCLcBGAsYHQ/BAR-01_2404-sm.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PDslpF4MQLE/X-JjTNlH-LI/AAAAAAAAMKU/u-hHaP0sigMpZTJpZsxgukIr5EdNCGqgQCLcBGAsYHQ/BAR-01_2404-sm.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Fedora Restaurant, 239 West 4th St., Manhattan</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">Both restaurant and sign at Fedora were recent reincarnations of the originals, which had been fixtures here from 1952 until their owner - the beloved Fedora Dorato - retired in 2010 at the age of 90. The restaurant subsequently reopened as a sort of updated tribute to its former self, in a sequence of events that seemed to be a trend for neon-crowned stalwarts in Greenwich Village at that time (n.b. the cases of Minetta Tavern, Rocco Restaurant et.al). <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2010/07/faux-dora.html">Cold comfort</a>, perhaps, for those of us who loved these places as they were, but the owners kept the signs (or facsimiles thereof) shining and there was something to be said for that, particularly now as the Fedora reboot has become <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2020/9/16/21440264/fedora-west-village-permanently-closed-coronavirus">another casualty of the pandemic</a>. Whatever comes next, let's hope it keeps this neon landmark of the Village right where it has been for the past 68 years.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>AND FINALLY</u></span></h3><div><span style="font-family: courier;">We would be remiss to let the year pass without noting one bit of good news, which was the rescue of incredibly old Neir's Tavern in Woodside, Queens, rescued from the brink of extinction by a <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2020/1/13/21059077/nyc-oldest-bar-neirs-tavern-stays-open">groundswell of community support</a> just before the pandemic hit. Though not neon, this is still a cheerful story that might serve as a useful case study as rescue efforts become the order of the day in the year to come.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D4rLKwiK25E/X-dsrJ8hd-I/AAAAAAAAMK0/0lG8UmF0umwoFCvZ80wuSzczgUqT_yljwCLcBGAsYHQ/NYCMA-08948-0041_Neirs-Queens.tiff" style="clear: left; font-family: courier; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="836" height="215" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D4rLKwiK25E/X-dsrJ8hd-I/AAAAAAAAMK0/0lG8UmF0umwoFCvZ80wuSzczgUqT_yljwCLcBGAsYHQ/NYCMA-08948-0041_Neirs-Queens.tiff" width="320" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://nycma.lunaimaging.com/luna/servlet/detail/NYCMA~9~9~745740~1080057?sort=borough%2Cblock%2Clot%2Czip_code&qvq=q:nynyma_rec0040_4_08908_0041;sort:borough%2Cblock%2Clot%2Czip_code;lc:NYCMA~9~9&mi=0&trs=1">NYC Municipal Archives</a>) </span></div>T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-1168823734348927052020-05-01T09:34:00.000-07:002020-05-01T09:34:17.964-07:00Neon News & Links / April 2020 - Part 2<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Some bits and pieces of neon news here to help pass your springtime quarantine and give us all something to look forward to on the other side of the COVID-19 lockdown. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6jKqqWSDNOs/Xopq1H16_GI/AAAAAAAALpk/INu-zthrnFkhaGJq50mMayqQDxcgfGs1QCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/2019-09-05_FrereJones.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6jKqqWSDNOs/Xopq1H16_GI/AAAAAAAALpk/INu-zthrnFkhaGJq50mMayqQDxcgfGs1QCK4BGAYYCw/s320/2019-09-05_FrereJones.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://frerejones.com/blog/making-type-for-new-yorks-newest-most-historic-market">Frere Jones</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• Have you heard about the fabulous resurrection of the Essex Market sign on Manhattan's Lower East Side <u>AND</u> the new font it inspired? It's a story that warrants its own in-depth blog post and <a href="https://frerejones.com/blog/making-type-for-new-yorks-newest-most-historic-market">that's just what it gets</a> via the graphic designers Frere Jones.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yuG1Ids5GYM/XonvwTD9_rI/AAAAAAAALnM/SyKKlXs71WkRsabSxM0aK8IhhP_D3cxIACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2019-11-25_ENY-Venieros.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yuG1Ids5GYM/XonvwTD9_rI/AAAAAAAALnM/SyKKlXs71WkRsabSxM0aK8IhhP_D3cxIACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2019-11-25_ENY-Venieros.tiff" width="308" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2019/11/25/venieros-has-the-east-villages-best-neon-sign/">Ephemeral New York</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• From the Ephemeral New York blog, we pause to admire <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2019/11/25/venieros-has-the-east-villages-best-neon-sign/">the loveliness of Veniero's Pasticceria</a> and its neon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qtFQJwWacgY/XonwLZixNyI/AAAAAAAALo0/eT83UsVJbZUtzB0hU58t0gwpS99Z5r9PgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/TurksInn-02.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="539" height="217" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qtFQJwWacgY/XonwLZixNyI/AAAAAAAALo0/eT83UsVJbZUtzB0hU58t0gwpS99Z5r9PgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/TurksInn-02.tiff" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://coolhunting.com/food-drink/turks-inn-bushwick-supper-club/">Coolhunting</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• In Brooklyn, the Turk's Inn has <a href="https://coolhunting.com/food-drink/turks-inn-bushwick-supper-club/">brought some vintage Wisconsin neon to Bushwick</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6nPzEGZUC7A/Xonvlbe9hXI/AAAAAAAALmg/FOeVevJ6S4gyRfGpsBmoewIrvrrj8_KSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2019-06-30_Showbiz411-NY-is-dying.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="718" height="247" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6nPzEGZUC7A/Xonvlbe9hXI/AAAAAAAALmg/FOeVevJ6S4gyRfGpsBmoewIrvrrj8_KSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2019-06-30_Showbiz411-NY-is-dying.tiff" width="320" /></a></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://www.showbiz411.com/2019/06/30/new-york-is-allowing-developers-to-kill-the-city-70-year-old-west-side-highway-car-wash-closes-fabled-paris-theater-shuttering-bank-replacing-coffee-shop">ShowBiz411</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• From the this-sounds-almost-quaint-in-our-current-dystopian-reality department: "</span><a href="https://www.showbiz411.com/2019/06/30/new-york-is-allowing-developers-to-kill-the-city-70-year-old-west-side-highway-car-wash-closes-fabled-paris-theater-shuttering-bank-replacing-coffee-shop" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">New York is Allowing Developers to Kill The City</a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">" looks at three neon-crowned mainstays that hit the chopping block in 2019. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0jI5YJRAJ4/Xonvn5kADrI/AAAAAAAALmk/NYZsCzfIv4Ufd3mzpydorZ_DBjPql76BQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2019-08-22_OldSaltBlog-TimesSqOnHudson.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="626" height="216" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0jI5YJRAJ4/Xonvn5kADrI/AAAAAAAALmk/NYZsCzfIv4Ufd3mzpydorZ_DBjPql76BQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2019-08-22_OldSaltBlog-TimesSqOnHudson.tiff" width="320" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2019/08/no-times-square-on-the-hudson-new-york-state-bans-barges-with-electronic-billboards/">Old Salt Blog</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• From the related subjects department - New York State has <a href="http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2019/08/no-times-square-on-the-hudson-new-york-state-bans-barges-with-electronic-billboards/">banned giant Times Square-style floating billboards</a> from circulating around the harbor on barges. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSnSTvGWLoE/XqxMhh4SAqI/AAAAAAAALwU/cBsHIjq9Hx0dbmg0chIoOZjQaG3PLj1SwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Healthwise-JoshSilber-02.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSnSTvGWLoE/XqxMhh4SAqI/AAAAAAAALwU/cBsHIjq9Hx0dbmg0chIoOZjQaG3PLj1SwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/Healthwise-JoshSilber-02.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5tOo2Nseu2U/XqxMhekRLzI/AAAAAAAALwQ/KA7vAKGb9eMFc8SoAzRxv4tI8-m1JZs9QCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Healthwise-JoshSilber-01.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5tOo2Nseu2U/XqxMhekRLzI/AAAAAAAALwQ/KA7vAKGb9eMFc8SoAzRxv4tI8-m1JZs9QCK4BGAYYCw/s320/Healthwise-JoshSilber-01.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Sign Of The Time / Instagram)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">• On Manhattan's Upper East Side, Healthwise Pharmacy has ditched its neon and gone LED. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HWktJQChAw8/XonvlFbWdCI/AAAAAAAALmc/7brtllTdy6Mxkp1DqEj8GO-Dc_uhudWwACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2019-06-24_NYPost-TimesSquare.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="549" height="303" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HWktJQChAw8/XonvlFbWdCI/AAAAAAAALmc/7brtllTdy6Mxkp1DqEj8GO-Dc_uhudWwACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2019-06-24_NYPost-TimesSquare.tiff" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://nypost.com/2019/06/24/new-led-light-show-panels-adorn-one-times-square/">NY Post</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• From the NY Post, a look at </span><a href="https://nypost.com/2019/06/24/new-led-light-show-panels-adorn-one-times-square/" style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Times Square's ongoing LED-ification</a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ql5c7KhEf-Y/Xonvg44YrtI/AAAAAAAALmQ/0GUq_vzMbE4DC-1frOhtET4WuZPQ5OmFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2018-04-25_AtlasObscura-BerlineTypography.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="632" height="281" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ql5c7KhEf-Y/Xonvg44YrtI/AAAAAAAALmQ/0GUq_vzMbE4DC-1frOhtET4WuZPQ5OmFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2018-04-25_AtlasObscura-BerlineTypography.tiff" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/berlin-signs-typography">Atlas Obscura</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• Via Atlas Obscura: <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/berlin-signs-typography">a celebration of Berlin's vanishing commercial typography</a>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eRfoTgD0DvU/XonvpSlkWMI/AAAAAAAALm0/2iZ7CNQu30gDHRSuxkVqlfY1OsTQvYS9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2019-09-20_CrossCut-SeattleNeon.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="500" height="272" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eRfoTgD0DvU/XonvpSlkWMI/AAAAAAAALm0/2iZ7CNQu30gDHRSuxkVqlfY1OsTQvYS9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2019-09-20_CrossCut-SeattleNeon.tiff" width="320" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(</span><a href="https://crosscut.com/2019/09/neon-symbol-seattles-past-what-will-illuminate-its-future" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crosscut.com</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">)</span></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• A status check on Seattle's vintage neon, via Crosscut: "The city's most iconic signs are <a href="https://crosscut.com/2019/09/neon-symbol-seattles-past-what-will-illuminate-its-future">losing their vaunted glow to LED replacements</a>. But not everyone is giving up on neon." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jw4zvczZGp4/Xonvp66aJLI/AAAAAAAALm4/AGPbMF2IPgg4WgoQogoeL_Nl2-um6xg2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2019-09-23_BuzzFeed-NeonSoulmate.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="476" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jw4zvczZGp4/Xonvp66aJLI/AAAAAAAALm4/AGPbMF2IPgg4WgoQogoeL_Nl2-um6xg2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2019-09-23_BuzzFeed-NeonSoulmate.tiff" width="298" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/isabellalouise/pick-some-neon-signs-and-well-reveal-how-close-yo-6zppa57cms?origin=web-hf">Buzzfeed</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">• From the why-not department, via Buzzfeed: "<a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/isabellalouise/pick-some-neon-signs-and-well-reveal-how-close-yo-6zppa57cms?origin=web-hf">Finding Your Soulmate Based On The Neon Signs You Choose</a>." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LUwd39XL8qY/Xonv-2QrFjI/AAAAAAAALn8/nmfUVYtWbtQo9p8CnrBVm-HT4dW6fnhlwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2020-02-21_CreativeMarket-DesignTrendNeon.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="669" height="303" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LUwd39XL8qY/Xonv-2QrFjI/AAAAAAAALn8/nmfUVYtWbtQo9p8CnrBVm-HT4dW6fnhlwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2020-02-21_CreativeMarket-DesignTrendNeon.tiff" width="320" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://creativemarket.com/blog/design-trend-report-neon-design">CreativeMarket</a>)</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">• From CreativeMarket.com, a <a href="https://creativemarket.com/blog/design-trend-report-neon-design">deep dive into the fake neon trend</a> (reported on in this blog back in 2018) in graphic design. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6AO9lG-_WOc/XoprF8AB4EI/AAAAAAAALpw/48YtrDyQ4EIK5JAMqYQrj7X_3yD65T_iACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/2020-01-04_RoadArch-01.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6AO9lG-_WOc/XoprF8AB4EI/AAAAAAAALpw/48YtrDyQ4EIK5JAMqYQrj7X_3yD65T_iACK4BGAYYCw/s320/2020-01-04_RoadArch-01.jpg" width="314" /></a></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://roadarch.blog/2019/11/23/site-updating-report-1/">Debra Jane Seltzer / roadarch.blog</a>)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">Debra Jane Seltzer has been making the rounds <a href="https://roadarch.blog/2019/11/23/site-updating-report-1/">updating her encyclopedic, coast-to-coast documentation</a> of signs and ephemeral architecture. The news is predictably not good but the findings are as fascinating as they are heart wrenching, and, as with all of Debra Jane's output, meticulously organized. Some updates by category: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /> - <a href="https://roadarch.blog/2020/01/04/website-updating-mid-century-modern/">Midcentury Modern Architecture</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> - <a href="https://roadarch.blog/2020/01/04/website-updating-signs-pt-1/">Signs from Arizona to California</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> - <a href="https://roadarch.blog/2020/01/04/website-updating-signs-pt-2/">Signs from Florida to Louisiana</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> - <a href="https://roadarch.blog/2019/12/21/website-updating-gas-stations-eateries/">Roadside Architecture - Gas Stations and Eateries</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> - <a href="https://roadarch.blog/2019/11/30/website-updating-report-3/">Car Dealers, Giant Animals, and Miscellany</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sN5K-yegfbw/XonwCspu6JI/AAAAAAAALoQ/8b6ZcHCOp64SWQKRryI4db0zBmX_ZxaRgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2020-NeonSpeaks.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="435" height="292" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sN5K-yegfbw/XonwCspu6JI/AAAAAAAALoQ/8b6ZcHCOp64SWQKRryI4db0zBmX_ZxaRgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2020-NeonSpeaks.tiff" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://neonspeaks.org/">NeonSpeaks.org</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• And finally, something to look forward to, we hope: this September, the <a href="http://neonspeaks.org/">third annual Neon Speaks symposium</a> is still on in San Francisco. </span>T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-4440558383452878092020-04-07T19:17:00.000-07:002020-04-08T09:27:42.711-07:00Neon News & Links / April 2020 - Part 1<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I suspect I am not alone in having secretly longed for some kind of mandatory downtime to come along and keep me corralled at home with nothing to do but catch up on a long list of backlogged projects. Cleaning out the linen closet, finally cookin' up those hotdogs that have been peeking out at me from the back of the freezer for the past decade, and - yes - whipping up a post or two for the old neon blog. Pandemic wasn't quite what I had in mind, but - well folks, here we are. As I write this (April 2020) there's no telling how long our Covid-19 sequester will last - long enough, at least, to check-in on a few neon news items, starting here with part one of at least two. Enjoy these in good health and solitude. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-znRS6AQOQlY/Xonv2gFnVDI/AAAAAAAALnk/UJpV5EGuaOk1B8ybmck0Y5lWIuXK9G9ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2020-01-21_Gothamist-CoffeeShop.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="579" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-znRS6AQOQlY/Xonv2gFnVDI/AAAAAAAALnk/UJpV5EGuaOk1B8ybmck0Y5lWIuXK9G9ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2020-01-21_Gothamist-CoffeeShop.tiff" width="312" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Gothamist)</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• Covid-19 might get you in the lungs, but this one's coming straight for your gut: the landmark Coffee Shop sign on Union Square is gone. The Coffee Shop shuttered in 2018 in the face of a crushing rent hike. After months sitting empty, the space <a href="https://gothamist.com/food/union-square-coffee-shop-now-chase-bank-of-course">finally revived</a> (if you can call it that) as a Chase Bank branch in late 2019. When the old sign, a favorite of many, disappeared just before New Year's, some of us crossed our fingers that it might just be out for restoration. Alas, this was too good to hope for: a <a href="https://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2020/01/chase-sign.html">plastic-faced LED sign</a> appeared in its place. As a tribute to its predecessor, the new sign is salt in the wound, arguably worse than nothing at all. In a fateful twist (of the knife), the shuttered eatery had opened decades ago as the Chase Coffee Shop, an irony attested to by script lettering cast into its vestibule floor. Of course, Chase (the bank) got rid of that, too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w7eV2zjs8lQ/Xoz27ZLGKFI/AAAAAAAALrs/QkLrnMw8bTsiUsbcyGDxTrzRjCJAIlH8QCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_9265-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w7eV2zjs8lQ/Xoz27ZLGKFI/AAAAAAAALrs/QkLrnMw8bTsiUsbcyGDxTrzRjCJAIlH8QCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_9265-sm.jpg" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w7eV2zjs8lQ/Xoz27ZLGKFI/AAAAAAAALrs/QkLrnMw8bTsiUsbcyGDxTrzRjCJAIlH8QCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_9265-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sp9R9xEa074/Xoz29rgPnqI/AAAAAAAALsA/Fmxx3lK_jgsLkRNsepdESCNn0d-pKi0UACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_4557.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sp9R9xEa074/Xoz29rgPnqI/AAAAAAAALsA/Fmxx3lK_jgsLkRNsepdESCNn0d-pKi0UACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_4557.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w7eV2zjs8lQ/Xoz27ZLGKFI/AAAAAAAALrs/QkLrnMw8bTsiUsbcyGDxTrzRjCJAIlH8QCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_9265-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bkUY9h89qVY/Xoz29_DhLaI/AAAAAAAALsE/2XHIFQz57bcMgBaY2trn16N9-PrGcl2BACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_9381.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bkUY9h89qVY/Xoz29_DhLaI/AAAAAAAALsE/2XHIFQz57bcMgBaY2trn16N9-PrGcl2BACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_9381.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TLxzGs4a628/Xoz29ja33qI/AAAAAAAALr8/i3A6zeRMBeEZF8neR-rWINwd7lr8IuJbACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_4560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TLxzGs4a628/Xoz29ja33qI/AAAAAAAALr8/i3A6zeRMBeEZF8neR-rWINwd7lr8IuJbACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_4560.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Chase then and now. (T. Rinaldi) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8VBlpoEhRlc/XonvoNiHWFI/AAAAAAAALmo/8lCG-3ThYXYtDtyHaA9FQNEhN8Q7o_2WwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2019-08-29_JVNY-Paris%2526Beekman.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "\"courier new\"", "\"courier\"", monospace; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="444" height="273" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8VBlpoEhRlc/XonvoNiHWFI/AAAAAAAALmo/8lCG-3ThYXYtDtyHaA9FQNEhN8Q7o_2WwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2019-08-29_JVNY-Paris%2526Beekman.tiff" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• Last summer New York <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2019/08/paris-and-beekman.html">lost its cherished Paris Theatre</a>, then <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-leases-paris-theatre-in-new-york-city-2019-11">got it back again</a> a few weeks later, reincarnated as a special screening venue for Netflix. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HwleDGeSXiI/XonvtJQK0YI/AAAAAAAALnE/3EALSJh96PEoY-Tm5BUeWdJ_50uvjKqgACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2019-11-25_BusinessInsider-NetflixTakesParis.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="641" height="212" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HwleDGeSXiI/XonvtJQK0YI/AAAAAAAALnE/3EALSJh96PEoY-Tm5BUeWdJ_50uvjKqgACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2019-11-25_BusinessInsider-NetflixTakesParis.tiff" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Business Insider)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• Via the Jeremiah's Vanishing NY blog: De Robertis' Pastry Shop disappeared back in 2014 and last year <a href="https://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2019/06/derobertis-neon-sign.html">so too did its timeworn relic sign</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UQaxehQW9aQ/Xonvh9haB3I/AAAAAAAALmU/5dK9T6aebB0XahXG5bNvQniZWiAptkPsgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2019-06-11_JVNY-DeRobertis.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UQaxehQW9aQ/Xonvh9haB3I/AAAAAAAALmU/5dK9T6aebB0XahXG5bNvQniZWiAptkPsgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2019-06-11_JVNY-DeRobertis.tiff" width="283" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• Bad news downtown: Forlini's, Little Italy's long standing last gasp below Canal Street, is <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2020/1/6/21051771/forlinis-closing-little-italy-nyc">likely to close this year</a>, as reported by Eater in January 2020. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A7Mx8XY1cus/Xonvyi5lcmI/AAAAAAAALnY/3wkPLg_TDrAbXDCjNKleu-E87KupUYb4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2020-01-06_Forlinis.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="452" height="281" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A7Mx8XY1cus/Xonvyi5lcmI/AAAAAAAALnY/3wkPLg_TDrAbXDCjNKleu-E87KupUYb4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2020-01-06_Forlinis.tiff" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Eater)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">• From the not-neon-but-still-cool department: Photographer Arthur Riley's <a href="https://savingplaces.org/stories/photographer-riley-arthurs-dash-to-document-every-diner-in-new-york#.XkIP8C2ZOi4">Dash to Document Every Diner</a> in New York (via Preservation Mag Online). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SuNOhR_ecuk/Xopqc3jHrMI/AAAAAAAALpY/ud9oMx9Jnao6PGQdJD7RZOzj4oPFru9iACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/PresMag-2020-02.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SuNOhR_ecuk/Xopqc3jHrMI/AAAAAAAALpY/ud9oMx9Jnao6PGQdJD7RZOzj4oPFru9iACK4BGAYYCw/s320/PresMag-2020-02.jpg" width="317" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Preservation Online)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">• Via the Ephemeral NY Blog: <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2020/02/10/why-did-almost-all-of-the-mcanns-bars-disappear/">a remembrance</a> of New York's vanished network of neon-encrusted McAnn's Bars. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_0OmwLjQc3o/XonwHopvZHI/AAAAAAAALoo/2ghM-4aHct4-uxKXjEe5dKINxfmKCInSACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/McAnns-TheMovieDistrict-com.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="668" height="230" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_0OmwLjQc3o/XonwHopvZHI/AAAAAAAALoo/2ghM-4aHct4-uxKXjEe5dKINxfmKCInSACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/McAnns-TheMovieDistrict-com.tiff" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(themoviedistrict.com via Ephemeral NY)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">• In upstate NY, Coxsackie's triple-screen Hi-Way Drive-In Theatre is <a href="https://www.dailyfreeman.com/news/local-news/hi-way-drive-in-in-coxsackie-for-sale-as-owners/article_0438d156-573a-11ea-a18c-fb3f045a89fc.html">up for sale</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mf4bD8NMkZM/XonwAx0paxI/AAAAAAAALoA/4UyI3PseCfMlpvfgwFWsfC1wzhfM5zFQACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2020-02-24-Freeman-HiWay-DriveIn.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="610" height="193" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mf4bD8NMkZM/XonwAx0paxI/AAAAAAAALoA/4UyI3PseCfMlpvfgwFWsfC1wzhfM5zFQACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2020-02-24-Freeman-HiWay-DriveIn.tiff" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Kingston Daily Freeman)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• From way out west: <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/seattles-queen-of-neon/">meet Bea Haverfield</a>, designer of iconic signs in midcentury Seattle (via the Seattle Times).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-31jx5inddcM/Xonv6fU6kFI/AAAAAAAALnw/_jWbLPOok0gqaZdnRCD47ki9k_UOjB2iACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2020-01-26_SeattleTimes.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="519" height="292" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-31jx5inddcM/Xonv6fU6kFI/AAAAAAAALnw/_jWbLPOok0gqaZdnRCD47ki9k_UOjB2iACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2020-01-26_SeattleTimes.tiff" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Seattle Times)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">• From the king's ransom department: a neon-lit boot from the vanished Regal Shoe chain has </span><a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Advertising-Regal-Figural-Boot-Neon-Trade-Sign-Ultra-RARE-1930s-NYC/333441934309">turned up on eBay</a><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3JOdTY41oIo/XonwLcbtsVI/AAAAAAAALow/_Guj1vvC2cQJHI8GUMYqYpDF3hko55iWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/eBay-Regal-Shoes.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="803" height="177" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3JOdTY41oIo/XonwLcbtsVI/AAAAAAAALow/_Guj1vvC2cQJHI8GUMYqYpDF3hko55iWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/eBay-Regal-Shoes.tiff" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(eBay)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• Feeling cooped up? Now might be a great time for a virtual road trip with Debra Jane Seltzer, inimitable documentarian of signs and roadside architecture. Debra Jane piloted her trusty van Sparkle on a 29-day road trip last year from Louisiana to Oklahoma, publishing the outtakes in a series of blog posts starting last June. "I put another 12,519 miles on Sparkle's odometer (nearly 500,000 now). That's an average of about 417 miles per day. I took more than 4,000 photos. I spent $2231 on gas (about $74 per day). Granted, Sparkle only gets about 17mpg but when you're traveling with four dogs & you need the space for clothes, human/dog supplies & other stuff, you gotta suck that up." You can track the trip by starting with <a href="https://roadarch.blog/2019/06/">this kick-off post</a> and following along with the series that follow. And check out Debra Jane's <a href="https://www.roadarch.com/whatsnew.html">what's new</a> page at her main web archive. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(roadarch.blog)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• From the Shorpy blog, a nationwide roundup of scenes from the neon-lit past, most of them captured by photographers shooting under the auspices of the federal government's WPA-era Farm Security and Resettlement administrations in the lead-up to WWII: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H_hhFgfSfvw/Xo0yHXJDssI/AAAAAAAALsc/0l0q9kmiv7M9lSEyjC_PJ0ABZuOdyEYcgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/2019-11-22_Shorpy.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H_hhFgfSfvw/Xo0yHXJDssI/AAAAAAAALsc/0l0q9kmiv7M9lSEyjC_PJ0ABZuOdyEYcgCK4BGAYYCw/s400/2019-11-22_Shorpy.jpg" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">~ </span><a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/25324">San Joaquin Valley, CA, 1939</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">~ <a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/25267">Pierre, SD, 1940</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">~ <a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/25239">Grand Forks, ND, 1940</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">~ <a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/25232">Michigan, ND, 1937</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">~ <a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/25231">Des Moines, 1940</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">~ <a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/25206">Dubuque, 1940</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">~ <a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/25121">Corpus Christi, 1939</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">~ <a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/25056">New Orleans, 1940</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">~ <a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/24970">Clarksdale, MS, 1940</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">~ <a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/24943">Alexandria, LA, 1940</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">~ <a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/24861">Bardstown, KY, 1940</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">~ <a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/25436">Saginaw, MI, 1941</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">~ </span><a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/24878">Orlando, FL, 1955</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• Check out <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/neonspectacular/neon-spectacular-japan?ref=project_link">NEON SPECTACULAR: JAPAN</a>, a Kickstarter project by Kody Shafer who has set out to document Japan's famous neon-lit commercial landscape as it fades to LED. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: monospace;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KcmKGITimoo/XonwA9sJTdI/AAAAAAAALoE/iRFf6bXS_pEKfKrd24EoNofdXsPXkJItwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2020-02-03_KodyShafer-NeonSpectacularJapan.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="1107" height="158" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KcmKGITimoo/XonwA9sJTdI/AAAAAAAALoE/iRFf6bXS_pEKfKrd24EoNofdXsPXkJItwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2020-02-03_KodyShafer-NeonSpectacularJapan.tiff" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Neon Spectacular: Japan / Kickstarter)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• From KQED in San Francisco, a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUonRTHi9iY">videographic appreciation</a> of the signs by the bay. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CIkdUOQBHEE/XonvgA9oJnI/AAAAAAAALmE/rrA1l9m8tyATs506Hm1CYWIDZo8RAAirQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2018-02-08_Youtube-SF-Neon.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="696" height="220" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CIkdUOQBHEE/XonvgA9oJnI/AAAAAAAALmE/rrA1l9m8tyATs506Hm1CYWIDZo8RAAirQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2018-02-08_Youtube-SF-Neon.tiff" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(KQED / YouTube)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• And finally, wrapping up on an up-beat bit of New York neon news: a happy development in the on-again-off-again restoration of the Loft's Candies storefront on Nassau Street in Lower Manhattan, whose neon tubes are back in place. We'll be keeping tabs for more on this as it continues to develop. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GPGVJ4hTxP4/Xoz2O4gMqHI/AAAAAAAALrc/elpyi-p9zq0-Zx7OH4QbMmqSyXTXeicrQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2020-01-17_Instagram-Lofts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="952" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GPGVJ4hTxP4/Xoz2O4gMqHI/AAAAAAAALrc/elpyi-p9zq0-Zx7OH4QbMmqSyXTXeicrQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2020-01-17_Instagram-Lofts.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Let There Be Neon / Instagram) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">That's all for Part 1. Thanks to all who sent me tip-offs for the above. Stay well, stay safe, stay home and stay tuned for more neon news later this month. </span></div>
<br />T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-1434649889527952842020-02-10T05:23:00.002-08:002020-02-10T05:23:52.877-08:00Lights Out 2019: Signs We Lost This Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I'm a little behind the ball in getting out 2019's list of vanished signs. Better late than never, as I like to say. (To which my high school history teacher would answer "better never late.") Here I must add the usual caveat that this listing isn't strictly limited to signs that disappeared in 2019, but to signs that I <u>noticed</u> had disappeared during the year - In other words, some may have vanished earlier. With that, let's begin our dirge. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-macKvbYe-4s/XgJgzKmB83I/AAAAAAAALbA/SHGvoXV3zn8vyAGFw4IwSDifEVOS47uTgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/LIQUOR-14-JL-03-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-macKvbYe-4s/XgJgzKmB83I/AAAAAAAALbA/SHGvoXV3zn8vyAGFw4IwSDifEVOS47uTgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/LIQUOR-14-JL-03-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>J&L Liquors, 34th Street, Manhattan </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">This age-old midtown liquor emporium lost its fantastic Futura-esque neon lettering to LED-lit knockoffs that more or less approximated their predecessors. The liquor store survives, but the sign has now been completely replaced with a new backlit panel contraption leaving not the slightest suggestion of anything special ever having come before.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l6v1Y8DNeps/XgJg0-ryPrI/AAAAAAAALbI/D2DdPd-MAVkH3gyyMb-8TtIIr4RfosnuACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_5845-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l6v1Y8DNeps/XgJg0-ryPrI/AAAAAAAALbI/D2DdPd-MAVkH3gyyMb-8TtIIr4RfosnuACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_5845-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Xcellent DVD, 515 6th Ave., Manhattan </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">This outpost of old-world smut survives on 6th Ave just below 14th Street, but it has kissed its neon goodbye in favor of more el-blando LED crap.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Jolson's Liquors, 22-24 31st St., Astoria, Queens</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">Beaming out from under the elevated, Jolson's extra-likable variant of the classic neon LIQUOR storefront seemed to be here for the long haul, with those jaunty letters rendered in four strokes of flawless red neon. Sadly Jolson's has yielded this storefront to a new Taco Bell franchise. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HBgCEBSQAps/XgJiIzWGElI/AAAAAAAALdY/fn_cyL2Y-dcxr68OORtIjMTqQvflhSmlACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/MISC-03-DeRoberti-02-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HBgCEBSQAps/XgJiIzWGElI/AAAAAAAALdY/fn_cyL2Y-dcxr68OORtIjMTqQvflhSmlACK4BGAYYCw/s320/MISC-03-DeRoberti-02-edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div>
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<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">DeRobertis Pasticceria, 176 First Av., Manhattan</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">DeRobertis packed up a few years ago but left its old sign behind as a reminder of this pasticceria's 110-year tenure here on Manhattan's east side. Alas, the sign has now followed the business into oblivion. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Pore House of Bay Ridge, 7901 3rd Av., Bay Ridge, Brooklyn</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">The bar is still there but this old porcelain enamel and stainless steel beauty has vanished from its perch over Third Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Boulevard Tavern, 575 Meeker Av., Williamsburg, Brooklyn</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">Williamsburg's Boulevard Tavern <a href="https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150813/greenpoint/greenpoints-boulevard-tavern-close-after-decade/">vanished back in 2015</a> and its fantastic, pre-WWII-era sign has now disappeared too. A plywood placard advertising a new bar hangs in its place. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6_D3LPtCQ8I/XgJhx2P0JeI/AAAAAAAALdM/D1sIiQ35rKY8yZdc_-TVExUPiZdy3F5NQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/MISC-31-FortWashington-01-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6_D3LPtCQ8I/XgJhx2P0JeI/AAAAAAAALdM/D1sIiQ35rKY8yZdc_-TVExUPiZdy3F5NQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/MISC-31-FortWashington-01-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Fort Washington Florist, 4257 Broadway, Manhattan</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">Simple two-stroke neon tracing classic midcentury letterforms marked the Fort Washington Florist as one of the oldest businesses in the neighborhood. Both are gone now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yCVamVk1wdk/XgJhCoLExcI/AAAAAAAALbw/PJFjmhVz0iEDPLgdaiKULdPF7NozDtYTgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/MISC-25-SofiaBros-02-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yCVamVk1wdk/XgJhCoLExcI/AAAAAAAALbw/PJFjmhVz0iEDPLgdaiKULdPF7NozDtYTgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/MISC-25-SofiaBros-02-sm.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Sofia Bros Moving, 4396 Broadway, Washington Heights, Manhattan</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\\\\22 courier new\\\\22 " , "\\\\22 courier\\\\22 " , monospace;">Way-on-away-uptown, this splash of redletter neon brightened the unadorned facade of an old brick storage warehouse on the upper reaches of Broadway. The building and the business both survive, but that old brick facade is unadorned now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sFd0Unzzuq0/XgJhD1vG5DI/AAAAAAAALb4/ubghleCcO7Ieon-DoCTK5gG4oqVAvNMJgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/MISC-54-Sabatino-24-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sFd0Unzzuq0/XgJhD1vG5DI/AAAAAAAALb4/ubghleCcO7Ieon-DoCTK5gG4oqVAvNMJgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/MISC-54-Sabatino-24-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Sabatino Funeral Home, 321 Avenue U, Gravesend, Brooklyn</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\\\\22 courier new\\\\22 " , "\\\\22 courier\\\\22 " , monospace;">Sabatino's is still with us and so is one of its matched pair of signs, which formerly faced both directions down Avenue U in Gravesend, Brooklyn. One of the twin signs has disappeared to make way for new construction on the lot next door. Some of the very finest script lettering in town. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1ybDo39_zeg/XgJhG2fwGHI/AAAAAAAALcM/Om-oDDgSj_w7RtwmbGNoDAUOTTmEA8vFQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/MISC-64-Florist_5662-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1ybDo39_zeg/XgJhG2fwGHI/AAAAAAAALcM/Om-oDDgSj_w7RtwmbGNoDAUOTTmEA8vFQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/MISC-64-Florist_5662-sm.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Langdon Florist, 62 Reade St., Manhattan </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">After 71 years in business, Tribeca's Langdon Florist packed up and <a href="https://www.silive.com/northshore/2018/04/manhattan_mainstay_langon_flor.html">moved out to Staten Island</a> in 2018, taking its neon with it. The restored sign now hangs inside their new showroom at the corner Victory Blvd and Clove Road. Langdon's old Manhattan storefront remains empty at last check. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iP79VivBrCQ/XgJhIwGgXCI/AAAAAAAALcU/9qV-HmT4tOUIBM387YaVvkU0695yg0TOwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/MISC-73-HotBialys_4418-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iP79VivBrCQ/XgJhIwGgXCI/AAAAAAAALcU/9qV-HmT4tOUIBM387YaVvkU0695yg0TOwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/MISC-73-HotBialys_4418-sm.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Coney Island Bialy Bakery, 2359 Coney Island Av., Brooklyn </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">After a <a href="http://v/">near death experience back in 2011</a>, New York's oldest bialy shop finally bit the dust for good circa 2016, yielding its storefront to an offbrand cell phone shop. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nT2a83KHSYE/XgJhJy0pMKI/AAAAAAAALcc/Xfv-dk3eQ1g-3uS-ca1M2Ac6CLbOBiV0QCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/LIQUOR-09-Beacon-01-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nT2a83KHSYE/XgJhJy0pMKI/AAAAAAAALcc/Xfv-dk3eQ1g-3uS-ca1M2Ac6CLbOBiV0QCK4BGAYYCw/s320/LIQUOR-09-Beacon-01-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Beacon Wine & Spirits, 2120 Broadway, Manhattan </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">Beacon Wine & Spirits on the Upper West Side has ditched its finely proportioned neon storefront sign in favor of more plastic-wrapped LED schlock. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K_HvaEpmiHw/XgJhMiG_yqI/AAAAAAAALck/ra_0oNSOVD0uOzTQxcrOLGZS16PQp8kEQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/LIQUOR-07-7061-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K_HvaEpmiHw/XgJhMiG_yqI/AAAAAAAALck/ra_0oNSOVD0uOzTQxcrOLGZS16PQp8kEQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/LIQUOR-07-7061-sm.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>IC Liquors, 2255 First Av., Manhattan</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">Veteran East Harlem liquor purveyor IC Liquors has moved from its longtime home near the corner of First Ave and East 116th Street, leaving this fabulous old vertical sign orphaned. Sign still there at last check but the future is not bright for this uptown commercial landmark. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s89FET0cP3k/XgJhN1VSXAI/AAAAAAAALcs/WPsj_ppEI8YJSX59X1onHQenPH91hkhqwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-81-Misc-StratfordFuel_4554.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s89FET0cP3k/XgJhN1VSXAI/AAAAAAAALcs/WPsj_ppEI8YJSX59X1onHQenPH91hkhqwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-81-Misc-StratfordFuel_4554.JPG" width="213" /></a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Stratford Fuel, 1162 East Tremont Av., Bronx</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">Though I never saw it lit, I loved the idea of a neon sign beaming the simple word FUEL out into the nocturnal East Tremont landscape. Sad to report, this circa-1952 product of the <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2011/11/grauer-sign-co.html">Grauer Sign Co</a> no longer figures into the daytime streetscape either, having vanished sometime after its last Google <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/DDixfKUNTa7Gczfg9">Streetview cameo</a> in 2015. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sb47llDp8hc/XgJg8mwwhhI/AAAAAAAALbY/rZrz_do7RU8uFGbpNnkofc0Hwz2bUtNPwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/REST-11-CoffeeShop-01-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sb47llDp8hc/XgJg8mwwhhI/AAAAAAAALbY/rZrz_do7RU8uFGbpNnkofc0Hwz2bUtNPwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/REST-11-CoffeeShop-01-sm.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Union Square Coffee Shop, 29 Union Sq. West, Manhattan</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">And finally ... 2019's most noteworthy neon casualty was one of everyone's favorites: the almost-famous Coffee Shop sign on Union Square. Here since 1960, the sign survived at least three incarnations of the restaurant it advertised, until the place finally went belly-up in the face of another rent hike in 2018. When news broke that a Chase bank would take over the space, some of us withheld our eye-rolls in hopes that the sign might somehow survive. No such luck: Chase replaced it with <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2020/01/chase-sign.html">a fake-neon LED sign</a> that as a tribute to its predecessor is truly worse than nothing. You may now proceed with your eye-rolling. </span></div>
T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-48871616217592105062019-06-18T04:08:00.000-07:002019-06-24T07:06:17.992-07:00Neon News & Links / June 2019 Edition <div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The neon highlight of the past few months has to have been this year's second-annual Neon Speaks symposium out in San Francisco at the end of April 2019, hosted by San Francisco Neon. The three day event featured presentations by neon practitioners, historians and enthusiasts from across the country, as well as walking tours and shop visits. If you missed it, the good news is that the organizers are looking forward to a third annual installation set for April 2020. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l9hmOuVGLLM/XQPJuFmN0YI/AAAAAAAALKs/y_7ADQ4dqEkxVuk7wgpYEdeFsD8RYkrrwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_1066.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l9hmOuVGLLM/XQPJuFmN0YI/AAAAAAAALKs/y_7ADQ4dqEkxVuk7wgpYEdeFsD8RYkrrwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_1066.jpg" width="272" /></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jericl/">jericl on Instagram</a>)</span><br />
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• The White Horse Tavern, one of New York's most venerated neon landmarks, has closed and <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2019/5/23/18636146/white-horse-tavern-reopening-new-owner-west-village-nyc">re-opened</a> amidst a <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2019/03/white-horse-tavern-sold.html">controversial ownership change</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #232323; font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j2gggfjVQUE/XQOrSW7sKNI/AAAAAAAALKU/caiCHrOG41AfPqB8Vtur7R0Xdm2K8gHJQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_1368.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j2gggfjVQUE/XQOrSW7sKNI/AAAAAAAALKU/caiCHrOG41AfPqB8Vtur7R0Xdm2K8gHJQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_1368.JPG" width="320" /></a></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(T. Rinaldi)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">• From the RIP department, via the Vanishing NY blog: DeRobertis' Pastry Shoppe's relic sign on First Ave is <a href="https://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2019/06/derobertis-neon-sign.html">gone daddy gone</a>. DeRobertis <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2014/11/derobertis.html">closed in 2015</a> after 110 years in business. The sign hung on a few years longer but has now joined New York's silent neon majority. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #232323; font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XjaqoV6UrC0/XQOrVlUZR8I/AAAAAAAALKc/kiJHxY0PjqAweNARVogwfFjoMbZ7DCBfwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/MISC-03-DeRoberti-02.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XjaqoV6UrC0/XQOrVlUZR8I/AAAAAAAALKc/kiJHxY0PjqAweNARVogwfFjoMbZ7DCBfwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/MISC-03-DeRoberti-02.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(T. Rinaldi)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• And still more crappy news, also via Vanishing NY: the dead husk of Union Square's old Coffee Shop <a href="https://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2019/06/chase-takes-coffee-shop.html">will become a bank</a>. What will become of its great sign is still TBD but we can guess.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• Still more crappy news? You bet! Jolson's Liquors in Astoria Queens will become a Taco Bell. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tj5m6-H2GCI/XQed_EwxUPI/AAAAAAAALLA/IMX19ci0E-IpeEpA2yC1Hmu0xDRy-PWPwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_1140.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tj5m6-H2GCI/XQed_EwxUPI/AAAAAAAALLA/IMX19ci0E-IpeEpA2yC1Hmu0xDRy-PWPwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_1140.jpg" width="256" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mcarsten/?hl=en">MCarsten on Instagram</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• The old McHale's Bar sign has resurfaced, appropriately enough, at McHale's Bar in Hell's Kitchen. The original bar, at 46th and 9th, had been a favorite neon landmark before it closed around 15 years ago. Part of the old sign turned up at Emmett O'Lunney's on 51st Street. Another part <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2018/11/mchales-sign.html">resurfaced recently on eBay</a> and has now been installed at the McHale's reboot a few blocks from the original. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tLuIOQBwjXM/XRDYvbDCogI/AAAAAAAALL4/nZKeVPZ3EfsD1uQBjh_AEE2LzBmTsLDIQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_0098-EDIT.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tLuIOQBwjXM/XRDYvbDCogI/AAAAAAAALL4/nZKeVPZ3EfsD1uQBjh_AEE2LzBmTsLDIQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_0098-EDIT.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(T. Rinaldi)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• Not neon but still cool: vanished flower shop signage has <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2019/06/10/the-ghostly-flower-shop-sign-in-carroll-gardens/">resurfaced</a> in Carroll Gardens, via the Ephemeral NY Blog. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• From the Graphic Design department: at long last, the <a href="https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/new-york-poster-house-opening-graphic-design-290519">Poster House museum is set to open</a> in the former Tekserve space on 23rd Street in Manhattan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• Sign maven and commercial archeology scholar extraordinaire Debra Jane Seltzer has <a href="http://roadarch_com%20instagram/">launched an Instagram</a> feed and it's spectacular.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K2LHWw1leC8/XQDdio4swNI/AAAAAAAALJ4/gY-eSt7J574lwnG1o-sUgMyYAX1zQwLRgCLcBGAs/s1600/RoadArch_com-Instagram.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="492" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K2LHWw1leC8/XQDdio4swNI/AAAAAAAALJ4/gY-eSt7J574lwnG1o-sUgMyYAX1zQwLRgCLcBGAs/s320/RoadArch_com-Instagram.tiff" width="316" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://www.instagram.com/roadarch_com/">roadarch_com on Instagram</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">• Also from Debra Jane - rounding out a (very depressing) <a href="https://roadarch.blog/2019/02/16/signs-updates-final-post/">status-check</a> on some of the many signs she's documented around the country. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">• From the sweet revenge department: a Times Square LED billboard shorted out and </span><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/18/us/new-york-times-square-billboard-fire/index.html">burst into flames</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> last month. Heh.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• The NY Times takes a tantalizing <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/19/nyregion/nyc-tax-properties.html">dive into the city’s archive of 1980s tax photos</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wkdlKQhgU_I/XQBUaC8COqI/AAAAAAAALJc/Y9W5ks2jalU7eejnGJse8siqVEwG4wt-ACLcBGAs/s1600/2019-04-19_NYT-1980s-Tax-Photos.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="570" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wkdlKQhgU_I/XQBUaC8COqI/AAAAAAAALJc/Y9W5ks2jalU7eejnGJse8siqVEwG4wt-ACLcBGAs/s320/2019-04-19_NYT-1980s-Tax-Photos.tiff" width="312" /></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/19/nyregion/nyc-tax-properties.html">NY Times</a>) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• The Ephemeral NY blog salutes <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2019/04/22/the-many-lives-of-an-east-houston-street-theater/">Houston Street's doomed Sunshine Theater</a>, whose bold marquee was a landmark of latter-day NY Neon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">•</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Your Guide to Downtown: Denise Scott Brown - a </span><a href="https://archidose.blogspot.com/2019/04/your-guide-to-downtown-denise-scott.html">new book</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> focusing on the observations and theories of architect Denise Scott Brown, whose seminal “Learning From Las Vegas” changed the way many of us look at neon and the commercial landscape. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">•</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://www.designboom.com/art/neon-animation-after-effects-blotter-media-ofir-shoham-02-07-2019/">Fake neon goes anim</a><a href="https://www.designboom.com/art/neon-animation-after-effects-blotter-media-ofir-shoham-02-07-2019/">e galore</a>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">•</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>And still more fake neon anime - check out this <a href="https://www.louisefili.com/poulet-sans-tete">lovely neon logo</a> from graphic designer, author and sign connoisseur Louise Fili for restaurant <a href="https://www.pouletsanstete.com/">Poulet Sans Tete</a>:</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iiFo3TDekCA/XQBVKhCHOwI/AAAAAAAALJs/VFPlvZBnpssQiOLOuN2kAakY3zzUMjCVgCLcBGAs/s1600/LFL_website_restaurants_PST_flashing.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iiFo3TDekCA/XQBVKhCHOwI/AAAAAAAALJs/VFPlvZBnpssQiOLOuN2kAakY3zzUMjCVgCLcBGAs/s320/LFL_website_restaurants_PST_flashing.gif" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-kerning: none; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://www.louisefili.com/poulet-sans-tete">Louise Fili</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">• From Paste Magazine, a fabulous <a href="https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/05/50-american-movie-palaces-a-venue-based-theatrical.html">assemblage of neon movie theater marquees</a> from across the lower 48. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J8WQeUTgLQA/XQBT4ch1sRI/AAAAAAAALJI/wt0KISWrhPcbyWQCD_5jysfyeKed0aLBgCLcBGAs/s1600/2016-05-10_PasteMag-MovieTheaterMarquees.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="477" height="269" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J8WQeUTgLQA/XQBT4ch1sRI/AAAAAAAALJI/wt0KISWrhPcbyWQCD_5jysfyeKed0aLBgCLcBGAs/s320/2016-05-10_PasteMag-MovieTheaterMarquees.tiff" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/05/50-american-movie-palaces-a-venue-based-theatrical.html">Paste Magazine</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">•</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>The Ephemeral NY Blog pays <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2019/03/04/the-last-tads-steaks-is-in-the-theater-district/">tribute to Tad's Steaks</a>, the under-the-radar relic of Times Square's now-all-but-vanished heyday of neon and grit. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">•</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>From the ItsNiceThat blog: "Marilyn Mugot's photos <a href="https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/marilyn-mugot-night-project-photography-270219">capture the neon melancholy</a> of China's streets."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• Out in the Pac-NW - if you haven't yet, check out <a href="http://electricletterland.com/#classimage">Electric Letterland</a>, "home to Portland Oregon’s neon walking tours, printed neon maps, and neon GIF classes," a project of designer <a href="https://www.kwiddows.com/">Kate Widdows</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cjb0MCXDo_A/XQBT4ZGLHPI/AAAAAAAALJA/JTuo83zbQCkc7vEq1AVatc7hOvvzX5XugCLcBGAs/s1600/ElectricLetterland-Banner.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="514" height="262" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cjb0MCXDo_A/XQBT4ZGLHPI/AAAAAAAALJA/JTuo83zbQCkc7vEq1AVatc7hOvvzX5XugCLcBGAs/s320/ElectricLetterland-Banner.tiff" width="320" /></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://electricletterland.com/#classimage">Electric Letterland</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">•</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>In a follow-up to an earlier story about mysterious anonymous calls to report allegedly non-code-compliant storefront signs around NYC, the Times reports that New York's City Council has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/09/nyregion/nyc-city-council-store-sign-fines.html">stopped issuing violations</a> until the situation gets sorted out. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">•</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>From Las Vegas, the following: "Teacher, students behind push to <a href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/2019-legislature/teacher-students-behind-push-to-make-neon-nevadas-official-element-1604543/">make neon Nevada’s official element</a>."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pe9nc6HXNrA/XQBT4VMT40I/AAAAAAAALJE/4KDSLQa5dpUfnT-Zwp27uHeAEBpGIkCAwCLcBGAs/s1600/2019-02-24_LasVegasReviewJournal-Neon-For-State-Element.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="652" height="277" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pe9nc6HXNrA/XQBT4VMT40I/AAAAAAAALJE/4KDSLQa5dpUfnT-Zwp27uHeAEBpGIkCAwCLcBGAs/s320/2019-02-24_LasVegasReviewJournal-Neon-For-State-Element.tiff" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/2019-legislature/teacher-students-behind-push-to-make-neon-nevadas-official-element-1604543/">Las Vegas Review Journal</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">•</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>And finally, via Shorpy, three visions of America's neon past: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > <a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/24568">Belzoni, Mississippi, 1939</a>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > <a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/24501">Berwyn, Maryland, 1940</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > <a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/24438">Delano, California, 1940</a>.</span></span></div>
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T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-11080695677173403962019-02-28T05:41:00.000-08:002019-03-01T05:42:04.711-08:00Neon News & Links / February 2019 Edition<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• Talkin' neon, in SF! I'll be presenting a status check on the state of New York neon for this year's <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/neon-speaks-2019-festival-and-symposium-registration-54182583566">Neon Speaks Festival & Symposium</a> in San Francisco on Saturday, April 27, 2019. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RhMWadOFESk/XHbEwyDZZvI/AAAAAAAALAE/j77eOfBaE_As00zaQE3UpanumH3iuJzQwCLcBGAs/s1600/NeonSpeaks-2019.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="505" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RhMWadOFESk/XHbEwyDZZvI/AAAAAAAALAE/j77eOfBaE_As00zaQE3UpanumH3iuJzQwCLcBGAs/s320/NeonSpeaks-2019.tiff" width="293" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/neon-speaks-2019-festival-and-symposium-registration-54182583566">Neon Speaks</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• "Neon Lights Making a Comeback as Smaller Businesses Desire Unique Signs" - a nice write-up by </span><a href="https://www.3newsnow.com/news/national/neon-lights-making-a-comeback-as-smaller-businesses-desire-unique-signs" style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 ", "\\22 courier\\22 ", monospace;">Scripps Networks reporter Chris Welch</a><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"> on the output of neon shops today.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"> Not neon but still fantastically cool: via the Uni-Watch blog, in East Midwood, a great midcentury porcelain enamel storefront was <a href="https://uni-watch.com/2018/12/27/signs-of-the-times-the-brief-rebirth-of-nathans-food-o-rama/">recently unearthed</a> with the removal of newer signage. Alas, if you missed it, you missed it: it was quickly ruined upon seeing the light of day. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6rDJXXYeSpE/XHDA4mumOII/AAAAAAAAK-Q/-HsoC4FJT2sIG9ED_-4g2w1B5Ki8DZ__wCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Uni-Watch_2018-12-27.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6rDJXXYeSpE/XHDA4mumOII/AAAAAAAAK-Q/-HsoC4FJT2sIG9ED_-4g2w1B5Ki8DZ__wCK4BGAYYCw/s320/Uni-Watch_2018-12-27.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://uni-watch.com/2018/12/27/signs-of-the-times-the-brief-rebirth-of-nathans-food-o-rama/">Uni-Watch</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"> From the wonderful Ephemeral NY blog, the following: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"> > An homage to <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2018/12/03/how-new-york-did-coffee-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/">the late great Chock-Full-O-Nuts</a> coffee shop chain and its bygone New York storefronts. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R7G5REv4GAk/XHDBH0FlAtI/AAAAAAAAK-k/qLCMzxkYZGUXlyn1ozUM32q2V0gw880owCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/ENY-Chock.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R7G5REv4GAk/XHDBH0FlAtI/AAAAAAAAK-k/qLCMzxkYZGUXlyn1ozUM32q2V0gw880owCK4BGAYYCw/s320/ENY-Chock.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2018/12/03/how-new-york-did-coffee-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/">Ephemeral New York</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"> > An appreciation of <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2019/01/14/what-remains-of-3-old-school-corner-drugstores/">surviving vintage drugstore neon</a> in Brooklyn and Manhattan </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-whYWgVbakd8/XHDBJ-3ipsI/AAAAAAAAK-s/kCTbfQm05hAkJRnC5vZzETPc2Fn9bgXWACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/ENY-DrugStores.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-whYWgVbakd8/XHDBJ-3ipsI/AAAAAAAAK-s/kCTbfQm05hAkJRnC5vZzETPc2Fn9bgXWACK4BGAYYCw/s320/ENY-DrugStores.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2019/01/14/what-remains-of-3-old-school-corner-drugstores/">Ephemeral New York</a>)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"> The inimitable Debra Jane Seltzer has been status-checking the historic signs and roadside architecture she's photographed across the country, and the state of our old signs is not good. As she puts it, "what shall we conclude from all this devastation?" Here are direct links to a few of a dozen or so entries she's posted in this series over the past month or so.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"> > Updates on <a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2019/01/11/updates-ship-buildings-theatres-car-dealerships/">theatres, car dealers and "ship buildings"</a> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2019/01/12/gas-station-updates/">Gas Station</a> Updates </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="https://roadarch.blog/2019/02/02/time-for-signs-part-1-of-many/">Signs</a> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="https://roadarch.blog/2019/02/02/more-sign-news-part-2/">More signs</a> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"> > And <a href="https://roadarch.blog/2019/02/08/sign-updates-part-2/">still more signs</a>. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QTG-0eg20FA/XHDBNdEBFGI/AAAAAAAAK-4/jhH9w1Vdgog1zgz-ZM__KKNWo6HDuIxGgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DebraJaneSeltzer-WhatShallWeLearn.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QTG-0eg20FA/XHDBNdEBFGI/AAAAAAAAK-4/jhH9w1Vdgog1zgz-ZM__KKNWo6HDuIxGgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DebraJaneSeltzer-WhatShallWeLearn.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://roadarch.blog/2019/02/08/sign-updates-part-2/">Debra Jane Seltzer</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• Meanwhile, from the SHORPY blog, a look at some old signs across the USA - before they were old:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \\22 " , "\\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/24186">Fayetteville, 1941</a> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> ></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/24274">US 1 in Jessup, Maryland</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/24257">Swing Street, Manhattan, 1948</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/24281">Human Freaks, 1941</a> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/24331">Chicago, 1941</a></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/24338">Brattleboro, VT, 1941</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="https://www.shorpy.com/node/24310">Childersburg, Alabama, 1941</a>. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mgjJOweOlWI/XHDEjlWHj6I/AAAAAAAAK_g/fvBPUpXAXrMIoCy5ZmJMfUV5PafcMY7kwCLcBGAs/s1600/Gottlieb-SwingStreet-LibraryOfCongress.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="528" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mgjJOweOlWI/XHDEjlWHj6I/AAAAAAAAK_g/fvBPUpXAXrMIoCy5ZmJMfUV5PafcMY7kwCLcBGAs/s320/Gottlieb-SwingStreet-LibraryOfCongress.tiff" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/24257">William Gottlieb, Library of Congress / Shorpy</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Some new-New York neon: Russ & Daughters, erstwhile institution of Manhattan's Lower East Side, has opened up a branch at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FBo6lIrYyPs/XHSZ6TELDNI/AAAAAAAAK_0/-3j5cWrEceY0rmNCFC3pZqcnTyFvcKlUACLcBGAs/s1600/GrubStreet-MelissaHom-Russ%2526DaughtersBNY.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="689" height="264" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FBo6lIrYyPs/XHSZ6TELDNI/AAAAAAAAK_0/-3j5cWrEceY0rmNCFC3pZqcnTyFvcKlUACLcBGAs/s320/GrubStreet-MelissaHom-Russ%2526DaughtersBNY.tiff" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://www.grubstreet.com/2019/02/russ-and-daughters-brooklyn-navy-yard.html">Grub Street</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> And finally, some sad news from Jersey: Elmwood Park's sprawling, historic Marcal Paper plant <a href="https://www.nj.com/news/2019/01/5-alarm-fire-at-marcal-paper-plant-as-firefighters-brave-blistering-cold-to-save-factory.html">burned to the ground</a> in a spectacular fire in January, taking with it hundreds of jobs, an important complex of historic industrial buildings, and the greatest commercial neon installations in the entire state. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\22 courier new\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\22 courier\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier" , , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier new\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\\\\\\\22 courier\\\\\\\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ScVjICN3IjE/XHDBnzoXjcI/AAAAAAAAK_M/7T-W-mr-XTksUJjB6ZOJee5aCXdbduVgQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/2019-01-30_CarlaNiutta-Marcal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ScVjICN3IjE/XHDBnzoXjcI/AAAAAAAAK_M/7T-W-mr-XTksUJjB6ZOJee5aCXdbduVgQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/2019-01-30_CarlaNiutta-Marcal.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Carla Niutta / <a href="https://www.nj.com/news/2019/01/5-alarm-fire-at-marcal-paper-plant-as-firefighters-brave-blistering-cold-to-save-factory.html">NorthJersey.com</a>)</span><br />
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<br />T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-65139987537311727562019-01-09T19:27:00.000-08:002019-01-09T19:27:47.532-08:00Neon News & Links / January 2019 Edition <span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ParutWkqkN4/XCTUHBFaEEI/AAAAAAAAK4I/rZ2KWbDIDO4wYdPio6yGJ8SqWsjnipZVACLcBGAs/s1600/TudorCityConfidential.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="662" height="250" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ParutWkqkN4/XCTUHBFaEEI/AAAAAAAAK4I/rZ2KWbDIDO4wYdPio6yGJ8SqWsjnipZVACLcBGAs/s320/TudorCityConfidential.tiff" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Tudor City Confidential)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• Via the Tudor City Confidential blog, <a href="http://www.tudorcityconfidential.com/2017/05/the-sign-part-one.html">everything you ever wanted to know</a> about Tudor City's giant ghost sign over East 42nd Street. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7eCrYWFqaDM/XDVMPQYtE5I/AAAAAAAAK5k/H6O4q2XcaHs98iSWh-LpQDYbsVZW5NR7ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/NY1-Rinaldi.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7eCrYWFqaDM/XDVMPQYtE5I/AAAAAAAAK5k/H6O4q2XcaHs98iSWh-LpQDYbsVZW5NR7ACK4BGAYYCw/s320/NY1-Rinaldi.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2018/11/14/tribeca-neon-sign-business-is-still-lit#">NY1</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• Talkin' neon on TV! In this <a href="http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2018/11/14/tribeca-neon-sign-business-is-still-lit#">short piece</a> with NY1's Michael Scotto featuring sign shop Let There Be Neon. </span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VtyTDbI5Xxw/XCTUHOuxIrI/AAAAAAAAK4M/thBbV7UwefgIRtOjNBs1dT-hbwlskQdXgCLcBGAs/s1600/LaumeierSculpture%2BPark.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="725" height="251" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VtyTDbI5Xxw/XCTUHOuxIrI/AAAAAAAAK4M/thBbV7UwefgIRtOjNBs1dT-hbwlskQdXgCLcBGAs/s320/LaumeierSculpture%2BPark.tiff" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Laumeier Scuplture Park)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• In St. Louis, an <a href="https://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/neon-exhibit-lights-up-laumeier-sculpture-park/article_f657ca52-cb2c-52d5-ba1c-7c7053554841.html">exhibit of preserved neon</a> signs will light up Laumeier Scuplture Park - hurry, it's only up through January 13, 2019. More <a href="http://www.laumeiersculpturepark.org/current-exhibition">here</a>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vbk2Oe0uNh4/XDa50QGd-AI/AAAAAAAAK60/ihI07C-X4NUP4pB6xjq77Z2btslj159dgCLcBGAs/s1600/GTF-Publishing-MotelNeon.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="629" height="299" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vbk2Oe0uNh4/XDa50QGd-AI/AAAAAAAAK60/ihI07C-X4NUP4pB6xjq77Z2btslj159dgCLcBGAs/s320/GTF-Publishing-MotelNeon.tiff" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Steve Fitch via AtlasObscura)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• At AtlasObscura, a <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/vanishing-neon-motel-signs">photographic tribute to neon motel signs</a> by Steve Fitch, and an interview with the photographer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• From the Ephemeral NY blog, a <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2018/08/27/the-mortar-and-pestles-of-a-former-city-pharmacy/">remembrance of Manhattan's Lascoff Pharmacy</a>, an Upper East Side institution for more than a century until it closed a few years ago. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IX8EEA9NrPI/XCTUG0JOVTI/AAAAAAAAK4E/BZZquBVKyxUx8zpURuVBjtuJiTUd2YFJQCLcBGAs/s1600/DanielWeeks-WestSideRag.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="91" data-original-width="580" height="50" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IX8EEA9NrPI/XCTUG0JOVTI/AAAAAAAAK4E/BZZquBVKyxUx8zpURuVBjtuJiTUd2YFJQCLcBGAs/s320/DanielWeeks-WestSideRag.tiff" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Daniel Weeks via the <a href="https://www.westsiderag.com/2011/10/05/photographer-unearths-pictures-of-lost-upper-west-side-storefronts">West Side Rag</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• In case you missed it (as I did), a wayback machine story from 2011: photographer <a href="https://www.westsiderag.com/2011/10/05/photographer-unearths-pictures-of-lost-upper-west-side-storefronts">Daniel Weeks' 1982 survey of Upper West Side storefronts</a> (via the WestSideRag). </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KbwUrtI2NhI/XDa6d2pA46I/AAAAAAAAK68/Tkx9TWXdIFQm7OKq5eG_El7r8fHa_RsHACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_4141%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="700" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KbwUrtI2NhI/XDa6d2pA46I/AAAAAAAAK68/Tkx9TWXdIFQm7OKq5eG_El7r8fHa_RsHACLcBGAs/s320/DSC_4141%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://yazcountry.com/">Rob Yasinsac</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• Upstate in Albany, it's lights-out for one of New York State's greatest storefront signs as Lombardo's Italian Restaurant, a south-side landmark for more than 100 years, <a href="https://blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping/61276/lombardos-in-albany-closing-after-nearly-100-years/">closed at the end of 2018</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• From Curbed: "</span><span style="font-family: "\\\\22 courier new\\\\22 " , "\\\\22 courier\\\\22 " , monospace;">There may be no designer who’s left so deep an imprint on downtown Austin as the <a href="https://www.curbed.com/2017/12/12/16735474/neon-signs-austin-texas">antiques dealer turned neon restorer turned neon artist Evan Voyles.</a>" </span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LdWeJw8GCjA/XCYjaWFl-9I/AAAAAAAAK40/TZfy4InE5Ks8IzzuLyUYtfndombDYXzSwCLcBGAs/s1600/NYTimes-Masuike.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="677" height="279" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LdWeJw8GCjA/XCYjaWFl-9I/AAAAAAAAK40/TZfy4InE5Ks8IzzuLyUYtfndombDYXzSwCLcBGAs/s320/NYTimes-Masuike.tiff" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://Hiroko Masuike">Hiroko Masuike / NY Times</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• Around the five boroughs, a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/11/nyregion/311-nyc-store-sign-fines.html">mystery snitch</a> has been anonymously ratting-out code-violating signs - some of them decades old - prompting a hellfire of steep fines for mom-and-pops all over town, many of whom have forfeited their old storefront signs in the process. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DgiTcPuF--w/XCYjZkIFOfI/AAAAAAAAK4o/HZgVvAgcZJYoITT_Q38-xbjUyRTakeTmQCLcBGAs/s1600/JaneDicksonInTimesSquare-ItsNiceThat.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="596" height="244" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DgiTcPuF--w/XCYjZkIFOfI/AAAAAAAAK4o/HZgVvAgcZJYoITT_Q38-xbjUyRTakeTmQCLcBGAs/s320/JaneDicksonInTimesSquare-ItsNiceThat.tiff" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/jane-dickson-times-square-photography-231118">It's Nice That</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• "<a href="https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/jane-dickson-times-square-photography-231118">Jane Dickson in Times Square</a>" - a new book featuring the work of artist Jane Dickson, whose photographs and paintings capture Times Square's glory days of grit perhaps more vividly than anything else you can fit on a coffee table. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y5jonX8v7FA/XCYjZwDOmzI/AAAAAAAAK4w/DBvZzzPEouk_9KJeRZWvapemJnmsbrykACLcBGAs/s1600/Bond-45_NYPost.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="649" height="282" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y5jonX8v7FA/XCYjZwDOmzI/AAAAAAAAK4w/DBvZzzPEouk_9KJeRZWvapemJnmsbrykACLcBGAs/s320/Bond-45_NYPost.tiff" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(NY Post)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• On the subject of Times Square neon, restaurateur Shelly Fireman’s revived <a href="https://nypost.com/2018/11/23/bond-45-is-back-with-a-perfect-show-business-ending/">Bond 45</a> offers a tangible tribute to one of New York’s best neon storefronts. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JmFONUYBwXY/XCYjZtGoVdI/AAAAAAAAK4s/2csmWQYa81Qm2MGXgL1Y1Fe70yZLZPTTgCLcBGAs/s1600/McHales-JeremiahMoss.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="351" height="224" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JmFONUYBwXY/XCYjZtGoVdI/AAAAAAAAK4s/2csmWQYa81Qm2MGXgL1Y1Fe70yZLZPTTgCLcBGAs/s320/McHales-JeremiahMoss.tiff" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2018/11/mchales-sign.html">Jeremiah's Vanishing NY</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• McHale’s hide and seek: a chunk of a much-lamented neon storefront sign <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2018/11/mchales-sign.html">surfaced briefly on eBay</a>, only to vanish again into the ether. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• Via AtlasObscura, a <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/historic-movie-theater-marquees">panorama of marquee neon</a> nationwide. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• Check out these <a href="https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/okuyama-taiki-design-practice-work-graphic-design-161118">wild neon-like gifs</a> from Japanese graphic designer Okuyama Taiki. </span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6NrKeFuYsd4/XDVMSRkBqrI/AAAAAAAAK5s/2B8rP8e5ttA3Ot0utae56pINRNFNvE3zACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/ENY-Olds.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6NrKeFuYsd4/XDVMSRkBqrI/AAAAAAAAK5s/2B8rP8e5ttA3Ot0utae56pINRNFNvE3zACK4BGAYYCw/s320/ENY-Olds.jpg" width="197" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2018/11/05/the-oldsmobile-sign-that-once-lit-up-in-brooklyn/">Ephemeral NY</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• At the Ephemeral NY blog, <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2018/11/05/the-oldsmobile-sign-that-once-lit-up-in-brooklyn/">an homage to Brooklyn’s Ghostmobile neon</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wBHZp96g3ts/XDavFTzHl-I/AAAAAAAAK6s/OTh-wJOfhCYObpV1dkBqdOJEO9UiLCSlwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Jeremiah-TaxPhotos.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wBHZp96g3ts/XDavFTzHl-I/AAAAAAAAK6s/OTh-wJOfhCYObpV1dkBqdOJEO9UiLCSlwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/Jeremiah-TaxPhotos.jpg" width="320" /></a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(</span><a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2018/11/municipal-archives-online.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Jeremiah's Vanishing NY</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• Hold onto your horn rims: at long last, the NYC Municipal Archives has <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2018/11/municipal-archives-online.html">posted the city's 1940s tax photos online</a>, unleashing a veritable street view of the city as it looked at what was probably its neon heyday. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jz3GiG4w15k/XDVMZgmBAPI/AAAAAAAAK58/R8WVhAtV4BQjL8qmOz1QeqS9gszWGAn6ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/SignsOfLifeExhibit.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jz3GiG4w15k/XDVMZgmBAPI/AAAAAAAAK58/R8WVhAtV4BQjL8qmOz1QeqS9gszWGAn6ACK4BGAYYCw/s320/SignsOfLifeExhibit.jpg" width="304" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• If you missed it, you missed it - last year's "<a href="http://www.theperfectexposuregallery.com/exhibit/signs-of-life-presented-by-signs-united/">Signs of Life</a>" photo exhibit at the Perfect Exposure Gallery in Alhambra, CA. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HLcyygHwWkU/XDVMcnJ2rzI/AAAAAAAAK6E/H6vKzgxT464UFy4brjrTTrAIAotO8JpKgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Shorpy-Cascade.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HLcyygHwWkU/XDVMcnJ2rzI/AAAAAAAAK6E/H6vKzgxT464UFy4brjrTTrAIAotO8JpKgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/Shorpy-Cascade.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Russell Lee / Library of Congress, via Shorpy)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• Some Shorpy Specials: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/24046">New Bedford Noir, 1940</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/24004">Cascade neon, 1941</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/23979">Arizona neon, 1940</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/23827">Twin Falls neon, 1941</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/23822">Texas hotel neon, 1939</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/23735">Big (Neon) City, 1941</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dapM31I-Fns/XDVMoVbEaqI/AAAAAAAAK6Q/zCU7FhYEt6AcXPiiVxmb606dS2P3SshhwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/HiLineBling.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dapM31I-Fns/XDVMoVbEaqI/AAAAAAAAK6Q/zCU7FhYEt6AcXPiiVxmb606dS2P3SshhwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/HiLineBling.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://thehighline.org/">thehighline.org</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;">• Highline neon: if you haven't yet, check out “Agora,” an <a href="https://www.thehighline.org/art/projects/agora/">outdoor exhbition of neon and other illuminated installations</a> on the High Line through March. More <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/08/20/artist-activists-light-up-the-high-line-with-agora">here</a> at the New Yorker. </span>T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-2024355576899603882018-12-26T04:53:00.000-08:002018-12-26T10:14:23.280-08:00Lights Out 2018: Signs We Lost This Year<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">As with previous years, this year's list covers signs that disappeared within the past year and a bit prior. The list is a little longer than usual this year - that owes to some past-due auditing of my list. Christmas is over. There's a lot to look at here so let's cut the crap and get to it: </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sNrkjBV39_M/XCEUCF3p_jI/AAAAAAAAK3c/77BIXd_czOYqr8KaBrVywqdS40SFVCRyACLcBGAs/s1600/MISC-38-NYPD_2581-EDIT-SM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sNrkjBV39_M/XCEUCF3p_jI/AAAAAAAAK3c/77BIXd_czOYqr8KaBrVywqdS40SFVCRyACLcBGAs/s320/MISC-38-NYPD_2581-EDIT-SM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>NYPD Times Square Kiosk, Midtown Manhattan / Installed c. 1982</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Times Square's old NYPD kiosk was one of the very last vestiges of the old, pre-LED-signboard Times Square, so it's a real bummer to learn that the little building was totally replaced this year (and its neon all LEDed). (Note: The Yahoo! sign in the background disappeared a while ago.) More via the <a href="https://www.boweryboogie.com/2018/04/times-square-nypd-substation-demolished-ahead-of-glossy-makeover/">BoweryBoogie</a> blog.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4XVz0g4Yho/XCEUHetBF2I/AAAAAAAAK3g/g3ETzSkPKgglPhSTIUH_cx-3pc_lwTP3ACLcBGAs/s1600/MISC-84_3937-CROP-SM-WATERMARK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4XVz0g4Yho/XCEUHetBF2I/AAAAAAAAK3g/g3ETzSkPKgglPhSTIUH_cx-3pc_lwTP3ACLcBGAs/s320/MISC-84_3937-CROP-SM-WATERMARK.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The "Network" Sign, 756 9th Avenue, Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">This sign was always a bit of a mystery, "modern" (1980s?) sign faces having been mounted over its original lettering. The old sign faces had begun to peek out from below, prompting some of us sign enthusiasts to eagerly anticipate the day when they might emerge to reveal what this sign had been about. Sorry to report that the whole thing is gone now. A little internet digging suggests that the sign may have belonged to <a href="http://hellskitsch.com/2014/06/9th-ave-network-sign">Grossman's Furniture</a>. See also <a href="http://www.scoutingny.com/the-mystery-of-the-hells-kitchen-ghost-sign/">this homage</a> from a few years back at the ScoutingNY blog. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CPIBWdNB-m4/XBrgHyF25zI/AAAAAAAAK2A/-wg3tN2cys4aLc7kkHdM5UUqfLUVZvVcACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/LIQUOR-18_0612-crop-watermark.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CPIBWdNB-m4/XBrgHyF25zI/AAAAAAAAK2A/-wg3tN2cys4aLc7kkHdM5UUqfLUVZvVcACK4BGAYYCw/s320/LIQUOR-18_0612-crop-watermark.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>North Village Wine & Liquor, 254 W14th Street, Manhattan / Installed c. 1950</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">This old favorite finally disappeared in 2018 as the whole southeasterly corner of 14th and 8th has now been cleared for redevelopment. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5XmrJMFE8HU/XBrciRur7cI/AAAAAAAAKzE/-rn0f4n60fEiVzPQAWQbza50hpHSGoCzACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/47.berkleysign1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5XmrJMFE8HU/XBrciRur7cI/AAAAAAAAKzE/-rn0f4n60fEiVzPQAWQbza50hpHSGoCzACK4BGAYYCw/s320/47.berkleysign1.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Berkley Clothes, 568 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn (Photo via <a href="http://forgotten-ny.com/2005/10/5-alive-5th-avenue-in-park-slope/">Forgotten-NY</a>)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">A great neon ghost that had presided over the corner of 5th Ave and 15th Street in South Slope, Brooklyn. I went out to shoot it this autumn only to find that I came too late. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JJ2zDGZViKY/XBrdfPaXpzI/AAAAAAAAK0s/AQr8Uzru10Y10tKgbLk4w_gzQs6bd9JeQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Gramercy-Cafe_James%2526Karla-Murray.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JJ2zDGZViKY/XBrdfPaXpzI/AAAAAAAAK0s/AQr8Uzru10Y10tKgbLk4w_gzQs6bd9JeQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/Gramercy-Cafe_James%2526Karla-Murray.jpg" width="301" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Gramercy Cafe, 184 Third Ave., Manhattan (Photo via <a href="http://jamesandkarlamurray.blogspot.com/2016/01/gramercy-cafe-on-third-avenue-and-17th.html">James and Karla Murray</a>)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Gramercy Cafe's great little script-vs-block sign is another one that got away from me. The old diner bit the dust a few years ago. A new occupant gave the sign a rotten little LED make-over not long after. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CvHbvcgt-qY/XBrc5T1w6cI/AAAAAAAAKzY/vVWaHNRwD0sk83Vj45mILLQ1YImLEV8rwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/REST-40_3798-SM.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CvHbvcgt-qY/XBrc5T1w6cI/AAAAAAAAKzY/vVWaHNRwD0sk83Vj45mILLQ1YImLEV8rwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/REST-40_3798-SM.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Armando's Restaurant & Bar, 143 Montague Street, Brooklyn Heights</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Armando's gave us all a scare when it temporarily closed a few years back. It came back, but this year it closed for good, taking its fabulous old sign (in fact, a fabulously replicated old sign) with it. More here by way of <a href="https://patch.com/new-york/heights-dumbo/iconic-brooklyn-heights-eatery-armandos-closes-after-82-years">Patch</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LjxDjrG9HzU/XBrdJl-vU1I/AAAAAAAAK0I/XkfJ-THuzjMXeNq8ZlmAsKvMNbLmPMTqQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-33-Misc-Raccuglia_3786.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LjxDjrG9HzU/XBrdJl-vU1I/AAAAAAAAK0I/XkfJ-THuzjMXeNq8ZlmAsKvMNbLmPMTqQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-33-Misc-Raccuglia_3786.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Raccuglia Funeral Home, 323 Court Street, Brooklyn </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">It seems no one held a funeral for this now-vanished funerary neon, long a neighborhood fixture in Carroll Gardens. A 2009 tribute <a href="http://lostnewyorkcity.blogspot.com/2009/06/raccuglia-sons-funeral-home-takes-all.html">here</a> at the Lost City blog. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yLFoVdtYbrE/XBrc7_gic0I/AAAAAAAAKzg/ZMPkXc0-p_Q4uUZsXffmr0LSvfgZmtqcQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-70-Misc-Smolenski_8259.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yLFoVdtYbrE/XBrc7_gic0I/AAAAAAAAKzg/ZMPkXc0-p_Q4uUZsXffmr0LSvfgZmtqcQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-70-Misc-Smolenski_8259.JPG" width="213" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>John Smolenski Funeral Home, 1044 Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint, Brooklyn</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Time's up for John Smolenski: more vanished Brooklyn funeral home neon, this time in Greenpoint. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A1Qp-kGugjA/XBrc-GaEgCI/AAAAAAAAKzo/EaTyFTk9GC4dV7w5QpWD5LxT3j7MjqxBwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-72_4606-EDIT-SM.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A1Qp-kGugjA/XBrc-GaEgCI/AAAAAAAAKzo/EaTyFTk9GC4dV7w5QpWD5LxT3j7MjqxBwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-72_4606-EDIT-SM.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>J. Josephs Sons Appliances, 1056 Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint, Brooklyn </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">J. Josephs occupied a panorama of veteran storefronts on the same block as the similarly-vanished Smolenski Funeral Home. The signs, storefronts and the buildings that housed them have all been erased to make way for <a href="https://greenpointers.com/tag/j-joseph-sons/">a new 7-story apartment building</a>. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9QmutWGsiFg/XBrhqpiVmPI/AAAAAAAAK2k/N5oNjAO3oDUKW_tHmiBj3Y8D1gXFrbJmACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/PARK-02.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9QmutWGsiFg/XBrhqpiVmPI/AAAAAAAAK2k/N5oNjAO3oDUKW_tHmiBj3Y8D1gXFrbJmACK4BGAYYCw/s320/PARK-02.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
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<b>205 East 38th Street (The Quaker House Garage?), Manhattan (LEDed) </b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Manhattan parking garages were long a bastion of midcentury neon, but this is a typology careening toward extinction. This one (and the three below) went the way of the Studebaker in the last few years, either replaced by LED signs or plowed-under along with the garages they advertised for new more lucrative real estate ventures. </span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6pd74CD1TwI/XBrhtEYcrQI/AAAAAAAAK2s/c-uMfmHU00w1YmmecScunAJDXYJti5LIQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/PARK-05-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6pd74CD1TwI/XBrhtEYcrQI/AAAAAAAAK2s/c-uMfmHU00w1YmmecScunAJDXYJti5LIQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/PARK-05-edit.jpg" width="240" /></a></span><span style="color: red;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>825 Second Ave (facing East 45th Street), Manhattan (LEDed)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2uDwHEu2GHA/XBrf87TP5jI/AAAAAAAAK1o/3LnUWU3qZqkweOO7nqT9Ae-uXwJEPLskACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/PARK-18-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2uDwHEu2GHA/XBrf87TP5jI/AAAAAAAAK1o/3LnUWU3qZqkweOO7nqT9Ae-uXwJEPLskACK4BGAYYCw/s320/PARK-18-edit.jpg" width="243" /></a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>330 West 38th Street, Manhattan (redeveloped)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NxAZz0HWx4w/XBrf-ylBKAI/AAAAAAAAK1w/UFKfv14hfpMFueisXncqK-AGQ3sjgv6YwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/PARK-32_3588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: '"arial"', '"helvetica"', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NxAZz0HWx4w/XBrf-ylBKAI/AAAAAAAAK1w/UFKfv14hfpMFueisXncqK-AGQ3sjgv6YwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/PARK-32_3588.JPG" width="213" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>509 West 34th Street, Manhattan (demolished) </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LX4XYkXbJi0/XBrdoC94QUI/AAAAAAAAK1I/LilPY5bTNUsMhEIy4ZTZ6XOIiMJnwM0XACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_8889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LX4XYkXbJi0/XBrdoC94QUI/AAAAAAAAK1I/LilPY5bTNUsMhEIy4ZTZ6XOIiMJnwM0XACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_8889.JPG" width="320" /></a></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>IDCNYC International Design Center (ex-Sunshine Biscuits), Long Island City, Queens</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This massive Long Island City roof sign was the spiritual descendant of the enormous Sunshine Biscuits sign of the early 20th century, and the Executone Intercom sign of midcentury decades (more on these <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2012/09/long-island-city.html"><span style="color: #551a8b; line-height: normal;">here</span></a>). Reusing the massive metal framework of the older electronic billboards, the IDC sign appeared here in the 1980s (it was, in fact, flood-lit, not neon), its lettering the handiwork of graphic designer Massimo Vignelli (of NYC Subway signage fame). Signs and framework all disappeared in the last few years as part of a concomitant wham-bam-thankyou-ma'am recladding that has trashed the classic terra cotta facades of this great old industrial building. </span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7Ac6E0i-KmA/XBrdBtSYBcI/AAAAAAAAKzw/Y9_iU_zCDeYTqqJKfewTjY1-ZZRY3g9cgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7067.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7Ac6E0i-KmA/XBrdBtSYBcI/AAAAAAAAKzw/Y9_iU_zCDeYTqqJKfewTjY1-ZZRY3g9cgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7067.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u3RoaUZTjzI/XBrdEArc-aI/AAAAAAAAKz4/2WC1aC_cd3435stLUVH3yBe4TBd0nyZPgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7080.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u3RoaUZTjzI/XBrdEArc-aI/AAAAAAAAKz4/2WC1aC_cd3435stLUVH3yBe4TBd0nyZPgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7080.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Dante Pastry Shop, 4715 White Plains Rd, and Peerless Dry Cleaners, 4706 White Plains Rd, Bronx</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Two classic storefronts that faced eachother across White Plains Road in the Wakefield section of the Bronx. Both have now bit the dust. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nXl76bXQWFc/XBrdHdh7zaI/AAAAAAAAK0A/65aOWg1GQ2gUZxXT19MyxnOtbUd4SUckwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-76-Misc-Maryland_4536.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nXl76bXQWFc/XBrdHdh7zaI/AAAAAAAAK0A/65aOWg1GQ2gUZxXT19MyxnOtbUd4SUckwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-76-Misc-Maryland_4536.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Maryland Furniture, 911 East Tremont Avenue, Bronx</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Another Bronx classic now gone.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7tbNs0rytMs/XBrgQBAxNCI/AAAAAAAAK2Q/9zvWX-uvamwzoxu2jFRUiZVwAJDWGRGvgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_2840.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7tbNs0rytMs/XBrgQBAxNCI/AAAAAAAAK2Q/9zvWX-uvamwzoxu2jFRUiZVwAJDWGRGvgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_2840.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Schiller's Liquor Bar, 131 Rivington Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Not an old sign, but a classic of recent years: Schiller's closed in 2017 and its signs are now gone. Their lovely script lettering was the work of <a href="http://www.nancyhowell.com/">Nancy Howell Calligraphy</a>. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hFCFcI7xDp4/XBrdVTRnAJI/AAAAAAAAK0g/ZL3_YaQ5YGE6TonXHy2MfSfV5kAOMEykwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_2517-SM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: '"arial"', '"helvetica"', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hFCFcI7xDp4/XBrdVTRnAJI/AAAAAAAAK0g/ZL3_YaQ5YGE6TonXHy2MfSfV5kAOMEykwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_2517-SM.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "\22 arial\22 " , "\22 helvetica\22 " , sans-serif;">B.B. King's, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">237 West 42nd Street, Times Square, Manhattan</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Another recent classic that proved too good to make it through 2018.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p-TGMRFN1t8/XBrdL7-8v2I/AAAAAAAAK0Q/scKTkeBp980Ezqobmb3Oh1ZRfDjjCrnyQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_2287.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p-TGMRFN1t8/XBrdL7-8v2I/AAAAAAAAK0Q/scKTkeBp980Ezqobmb3Oh1ZRfDjjCrnyQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_2287.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Seward Park Liquors, 393 Grand Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Seward Park Liquors vanished last year from their longtime home on Grand Street. It has since <a href="http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/2018/11/grand-re-opening-new-location-45-years-in-business-sponsored-by-seward-park-liquors-2.html">reopened around the corner</a>, with an LED approximation of its now-vanished neon predecessor. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>AND THE ONES TO WATCH IN 2019</u>:</span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H1PwwRK3hgQ/XBrgDapF8gI/AAAAAAAAK14/9pI-z7ulfAUtD2KclfKNjRiiXxTAl_pxQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_9392-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H1PwwRK3hgQ/XBrgDapF8gI/AAAAAAAAK14/9pI-z7ulfAUtD2KclfKNjRiiXxTAl_pxQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_9392-sm.jpg" width="213" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Coffee Shop, 29 Union Square West, Manhattan</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">A longtime landmark of Union Square, pushed out by a rent hike late in 2018. The signs have been here since about 1960. They survived several incarnations of this now-shuttered eatery, but may not be here much longer as the spot is rumored to be earmarked for a bank. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V89aQ-NjGdg/XCEPG4C4b_I/AAAAAAAAK3M/m23chzy7ACI7Q4-HKjQDr7gNPtZWVKZogCLcBGAs/s1600/Desco-Jeremiah.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="439" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V89aQ-NjGdg/XCEPG4C4b_I/AAAAAAAAK3M/m23chzy7ACI7Q4-HKjQDr7gNPtZWVKZogCLcBGAs/s320/Desco-Jeremiah.tiff" width="293" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Desco Vacuum Cleaners, 131 West 14th Street, Chelsea, Manhattan</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In February 2018, the Jeremiah's Vanishing New York blog gave us the <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2018/02/desco-vacuum.html">really sucky news</a> that 14th Street's Desco Vacuum Cleaners had shuttered. Its lovely old vertical neon sign is still hanging in there but probably not for long. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6CDCoJ5qS7k/XBrc1Af5cEI/AAAAAAAAKzQ/omZaiJYVdsgq8EZc0vE1bi3VGfXtr9YHwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/REST-37-ElQuijote-03-crop.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6CDCoJ5qS7k/XBrc1Af5cEI/AAAAAAAAKzQ/omZaiJYVdsgq8EZc0vE1bi3VGfXtr9YHwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/REST-37-ElQuijote-03-crop.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>El Quijote, 226 West 23rd Street, Chelsea, Manhattan</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In March, the El Quijote (in business since 1957) <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2018/03/el-quijote.html">succumbed</a> to ass-the backwards ownership-shuffle / gut-renovation that has had the Chelsea Hotel and most of its storefronts shuttered since 2011. The restaurant's new owners announced that it would re-open later in 2018 but that of course never happened and the fate of the establishment and its sign remain in doubt at pencils-down. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Buk3XTp-ns/XBrdjx9RXWI/AAAAAAAAK00/_nLviseoyEIi7azqcKmnCy8YplO8EDJOACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_2438%2B%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Buk3XTp-ns/XBrdjx9RXWI/AAAAAAAAK00/_nLviseoyEIi7azqcKmnCy8YplO8EDJOACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_2438%2B%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="303" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Loft Candies, 88 Nassau Street, Lower Manhattan / Installed c. 1960</b></span>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The sad saga of this fantastic sign got quite a bit of attention at this blog in 2017, when it looked like a fabulously improbable resurrection was about to play out here. Alas, it has thus far proved too good to be true, and what will happen with this great historic storefront remains to be seen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ImPcOvpUycw/XBrdl7yBqTI/AAAAAAAAK1A/3FEE2vJnFWELfMfdfC7GNjhx_OWQJylDwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_5079-edit%2B%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ImPcOvpUycw/XBrdl7yBqTI/AAAAAAAAK1A/3FEE2vJnFWELfMfdfC7GNjhx_OWQJylDwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_5079-edit%2B%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Horn & Hardart Retail Shop, Dekalb Av. at Bond St., Brooklyn / Installed circa-pre-1960</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Like Loft's of Nassau Street, this great ghost sign was revealed with the removal of newer signage that had kept it hidden for years. Unlike the Loft's sign, this one was never slated for any kind of revival as the whole block is scheduled for demo to make way for another massive new building in downtown Brooklyn. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ul2y134Lut8/XBreAlsR0JI/AAAAAAAAK1c/UEpU7QGqpEoB1p58Yx0oEOwRPmNRZ43-wCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_1207.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ul2y134Lut8/XBreAlsR0JI/AAAAAAAAK1c/UEpU7QGqpEoB1p58Yx0oEOwRPmNRZ43-wCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_1207.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Show World Center, 669 Eighth Ave., Midtown Manhattan</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In May, we learned (also <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2018/05/show-world-center.html">via Jeremiah</a>) that the Show World Center, smutty stalwart of old Times Square, had finally peeped its last. The sign remains, likely not for long, a ghost of bygone grit. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7JbhPO8Rp2k/XCEUs2hOaPI/AAAAAAAAK3s/aNsxy7KOTn4tPaYQ3NlJ50qZbh-wAZSWwCLcBGAs/s1600/REST-36-Pearl-01-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7JbhPO8Rp2k/XCEUs2hOaPI/AAAAAAAAK3s/aNsxy7KOTn4tPaYQ3NlJ50qZbh-wAZSWwCLcBGAs/s320/REST-36-Pearl-01-sm.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Pearl Diner, 212 Pearl St, Lower Manhattan</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Finally, in one last little turd of toilet-worthy news, we learn that the Pearl (Street) Diner - Lower Manhattan's little train that could since 1958 - has a date with the bulldozer in 2019, <a href="https://newyorkyimby.com/2018/12/21-story-hotel-coming-to-212-pearl-street-in-financial-district-manhattan.html">its site to be cleared</a> for a new 21-story hotel. </span><br />
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T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-29603101166283350642018-08-02T16:05:00.000-07:002018-08-14T12:55:02.272-07:00Neon News & Links<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> From the good-news-for-once department, word that 42nd Street's monumental <a href="http://www.tudorcityconfidential.com/2018/07/miracle-on-42nd-street.html">Hotel Tudor sign has come back alight</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rn-iKvqLQZM/W2BtmeyKsGI/AAAAAAAAKk4/EkxnJMR5B3gDRD920e8D3TIjWb3YjFm0QCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/ROOF-25-HotelTudor_1116-sm_edited-rect.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rn-iKvqLQZM/W2BtmeyKsGI/AAAAAAAAKk4/EkxnJMR5B3gDRD920e8D3TIjWb3YjFm0QCK4BGAYYCw/s320/ROOF-25-HotelTudor_1116-sm_edited-rect.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> I'm on TV! <a href="https://youtu.be/HoKW3vA6gRA">Talkin' Neon</a> at Let There Be Neon with Ovation TV's <a href="https://www.xumo.tv/channel/9999262/journy?p=6725&v=XM01DBAKH8ZAP4">Kyle Supley</a>.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L1C-MycnSFU/W1_jQxgwmdI/AAAAAAAAKkU/68Af5Xyfn08d4OMRKc07j-MV0VvojvM0gCLcBGAs/s1600/OvationsPassport-TR-01.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="627" height="158" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L1C-MycnSFU/W1_jQxgwmdI/AAAAAAAAKkU/68Af5Xyfn08d4OMRKc07j-MV0VvojvM0gCLcBGAs/s320/OvationsPassport-TR-01.tiff" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Ovation TV)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> Way out west, director Quentin Tarantino has done <a href="https://la.curbed.com/2018/7/25/17614416/quentin-tarantino-once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood">a serious solid</a> for admirers of LA neon: for the production of his next film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" Tarantino has "recreated old theaters and storefronts with astonishing detail." </span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n3JxdmS9444/W2BtiEhFnkI/AAAAAAAAKkw/1tfpZ-2OmbkSmeedpOo-tImcMzNnT9lLACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Vogue-CurbedLA-AlisonMartino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'courier new', courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n3JxdmS9444/W2BtiEhFnkI/AAAAAAAAKkw/1tfpZ-2OmbkSmeedpOo-tImcMzNnT9lLACK4BGAYYCw/s320/Vogue-CurbedLA-AlisonMartino.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://la.curbed.com/2018/7/25/17614416/quentin-tarantino-once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood">Curbed LA</a>)</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• I'm a little behind the ball on posting this one, but don't let that stop you from enjoying this </span><a href="https://www.juliarothman.com/carnegie-deli-closing/19s3ir1t22ek264yj8ia6ge1omsbpk" style="font-family: 'courier new', courier, monospace;">graphic tribute to the late Carnegie Deli</a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">by illustrator Julia Rothman.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-heJbNtYbdEA/W2BtgLuN06I/AAAAAAAAKko/ArZ3num_gKQirLOwEV5LjBmanGAjtqvbwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/CarnegieDeli-JuliaRothman.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'courier new', courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-heJbNtYbdEA/W2BtgLuN06I/AAAAAAAAKko/ArZ3num_gKQirLOwEV5LjBmanGAjtqvbwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/CarnegieDeli-JuliaRothman.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://www.juliarothman.com/carnegie-deli-closing/19s3ir1t22ek264yj8ia6ge1omsbpk">Julia Rothman</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> Let there be ... another <a href="http://www.gvshp.org/_gvshp/events/index.htm">NEW YORK NEON WALKING TOUR</a>! But it's already sold out, alas. This tour is sponsored by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation and is currently available for GVSHP members only. Stay tuned for news of future tours, which will be reported at this blog.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> From the not-neon-but-still-interesting department, feast your eyes on a <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2018/07/23/italian-food-stores-have-new-yorks-best-signs/">selection of NYC's Italian culinary signage</a> via the Ephemeral NY blog. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> Via the Shorpy blog, the following: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > Not neon and not NY but <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/23626">a sign so fantastic</a> that who cares. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\\22 courier new\\22 " , "\\22 courier\\22 " , monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">> </span><a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/23658" style="font-family: 'courier new', courier, monospace;">Neon New Mexico</a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">, 1940. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> Union Square's Coffee Shop, whose glorious vertical sign is a perennial favorite among admirers of New York neon, has joined the endangered list with the restaurant's closing announced for this October. See this coverage at <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2018/07/coffee-shop.html">Jeremiah's Vanishing New York</a>, and at <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2018/7/12/17565402/the-coffee-shop-union-square-shutter-nyc%20//">Eater</a>. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> From the Neon-in-Art department, a lot going on: </span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> ></span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> Old Town Bar and other neon landmarks of New York <a href="http://www.borbay.com/2017/02/09/old-town-bar-neon-sign-painting/">on canvas</a>, </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>by artist Borbay.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> ></span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">More fantastic </span><a href="https://maryanneerickson.com/paintings/signs/" style="font-family: '"courier new"', '"courier"', monospace;">neon on canvas</a><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> by Mary Anne Erickson. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> > </span>Radio City neon in the distance in <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2018/07/02/dreaming-on-the-elevated-tracks-at-47th-street/">this 1936 view</a> by John J. </span></span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">Soble, via Ephemeral NY. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">> From photographers James & Karla Murray, a crazy cool display </span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">of "</span><a href="https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/FiscalSponsorship/profile?id=17417" style="font-family: '"courier new"', '"courier"', monospace;">Mom n Pops of the Lower East Side</a><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">" is on view outdoors at </span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">Seward Park . . . and indoors at </span><a href="http://www.storefrontproject.com/" style="font-family: '"courier new"', '"courier"', monospace;">the Storefront Project</a><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> on </span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">Orchard Street. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xVwBAyccShg/W2Btt8YYnXI/AAAAAAAAKlI/A9OrHCwYlRQqqq1CFG6E0Gzts8oSL17sACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/FracturedAtlas-J%2526KMurray.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xVwBAyccShg/W2Btt8YYnXI/AAAAAAAAKlI/A9OrHCwYlRQqqq1CFG6E0Gzts8oSL17sACK4BGAYYCw/s320/FracturedAtlas-J%2526KMurray.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="https://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/FiscalSponsorship/profile?id=17417">Fractured Atlas</a>)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> In the great southwest, Debra Jane Seltzer has undertaken maybe her most comprehensive documentary road trip yet: California to Tuscon Parts 1-30, starts <a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2018/06/15/day-1-of-30-california-to-tucson/">here</a>. </span></div>
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T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-70097479798185582422018-07-09T05:47:00.001-07:002018-07-11T19:17:00.231-07:00Hotel Neon: the Penn-Post Hotel<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In the whole dark, sordid milieu of New York's gritty neon-clad hotels, one establishment stands out as a particularly dark star. A nondescript parking lot is all that remains where once stood the Penn-Post Hotel, at the southwesterly corner of Eighth Avenue and West 31st Street in Manhattan. Scratch just a little below the asphalt, and this unassuming corner comes alive with stories of sin and scandal that could make even Philip Marlowe himself think twice before taking the case.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Penn-Post circa 1920 (<a href="http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/rcmaxwellco_XXX2260/">Duke University Libraries</a>)</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I first noticed the Penn-Post in an old photo from the early 1970s, taken just before it was torn down. Something about the place seemed worth second look. But where to start? The hotel's name lay partly hidden behind a M34 "Culture Loop" bus parked in the foreground. Beyond the bus, a tantalizing glimpse of the hotel's ancient neon sign yielded only the letters "PENN P-"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://gallery.bustalk.info/displayimage.php?album=384&pos=168">Joe Testagrose</a>)</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I filled in the rest a few months later, on a visit to the Municipal Archives downtown. It took just a few minutes to scan through a grainy, microfilmed copy of a 1933 City Directory pulled from a battered metal file cabinet. "Penn-Post Hotel," it said: "Marg't L. Donohue, mgr." Something told me ole Peggy must have been quite a gal. I decided to keep digging.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Joe Testagrose)</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">With the hotel's name in hand, the rest came easy. Exactly when the Penn-Post first reared its head on this corner is unclear: the building likely dates to the 1870s or so, but the name must have come after the advent of the neighboring General Post Office (now the Farley PO), opened in 1914, and of course Penn Station, opened in 1910. The hotel turns up with an encouraging illustration in the 1920 edition of something called the "Official Hotel Red Book and Directory," advertising itself as the "Penn-Post Hotel For Men . . . A Place You'll Like!" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"A Place You'll Like!" (Official Red Book and Directory, 1920)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Turns out the Penn-Post wasn't all that likable, unless maybe you had nowhere else to go. A New York Times search yields a succession of headlines that read like a stack of film noir screenplays. First comes the murder, in November 1920, of one Leeds Vaughn Waters, "globe-trotter," by a certain John Reidy, aged 24, deserter from the navy. Waters, it seems, picked up Reidy on 42nd Street in the wee hours of Wednesday, November 3rd. Reidy later told police that Waters, apparently a friendly sort, invited him to spend the night in his rooms at the nearby Hotel Plymouth. One thing led to another and Waters wound up dead at the hands of his new friend. The cops caught up with Reidy a few weeks later, at the Penn-Post Hotel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The next year, more trouble: "Two Restaurants and Hotel Robbed," read the headline. At around 2 a.m. on December 21st, a pair of armed assailants kicked off a minor-league crime spree at the Penn-Post, where they managed to shake down the night manager for $50 (they also made off with the room clerk's diamond tie clasp.) "They were swarthy," said the Times of the gunmen, who remained at large the next day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">1922: another year, another stick-up, this time complete with a cops-n-robbers car chase straight out of the Untouchables. The two gunmen had just gotten started with the night clerk when the cops, alerted by "a newsboy known only as 'Abie,'" crashed the party. Caught off guard, the bad guys split up: one dove into a getaway car where a couple of girlfriends were waiting and took off down Eighth Avenue. New York's finest commandeered a passing sedan and gave chase, finally catching up with the bad guys at First Avenue and 18th Street, shots exchanged all along the way. The girls wound up in the slammer, but the gunman got away. The other bandit meanwhile had hopped on the running board of a "north-bound touring car" headed up Eighth Avenue and, "holding his pistol at the chauffeur's head, ordered him to put on at full speed." A police detective hailed another passing car and tailed him as far as 47th Street, but the second gunman too managed to give the law the slip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The Penn-Post made headlines again in 1923, when one of its residents - a certain Frank Kelly - got himself shot in the neck by the men in blue after a botched robbery attempt at a pool hall on West 41st Street. The hotel lost another lodger to the clink in 1924, when police nabbed Edward Diamond, aged 21, for holding up a jewel truck (aptly) that June. The cops collared yet another of the Penn-Post's esteemed guests the following year, this time arresting one James Tackney for allegedly making off with $35 from the 14th Street Station of the Ninth Avenue El. Tackney, a bit of a bad seed, had previously escaped from the Randall's Island "House of Refuge" (juvenile prison) by swimming across the East River.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">1926 brought the unhappy story of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Sharkey of Scranton. Having planned themselves a holiday weekend in the big city, the Sharkeys made an ill-advised booking at the Penn-Post. As it happened, their visit coincided with one of the hotel's seasonal hold-ups. Craving an early morning snack, Mr. Sharkey had gone out for "some coffee and crullers" and came back just as the night clerk was forking over the contents of the hotel's safe to three armed men. Sharkey's bad timing cost him $495 in cash and a diamond ring reportedly worth $450. Later that day, the couple picked up their car on 26th Street only to discover that their topcoats had been likewise pilfered: "Mr. and Mrs. Sharkey were thoroughly robbed in their brief stay in the city," reported the Times. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The headlines for the rest of 1926 didn't get much better: "Slaying Laid To Feud of Drug Peddlers" in June, then "30 Crimes Fastened on Weeping Gunmen" in July (the Penn-Post figures into both stories tangentially). Then came another armed robbery in 1927 ("3 Youths Steal Car, Hold Up Two Places"), this time unburdening the hotel of $282 ($52 from the night manager, $5 from the porter, and $225 from the safe). "Gunmen Shot Down in a Running Fight" came the news the following April, as the Penn-Post lost another guest to the scales of justice that spring. "Held For Robbing Friend," headlined the Penn-Post's next moment of fame: "Ricardo Diaz, 24 years old, an unemployed waiter living at the Penn-Post Hotel . . . was held on $5000 bail yesterday. . . ." A heist of silver fox skins led to the loss of yet another tenant in 1930. This was followed by another stick-up in July of '31, then at least three more guests claimed by the law in 1935 and 36. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The most notorious name on the Penn-Post's illustrious guest register may have been that of Charles McGale, whom the police collared (at the Penn-Post) for a botched robbery in January 1936. Sentenced to fifteen years at Sing Sing, McGale apparently got antsy about five years in. He and two fellow inmates decided to make a break for it in April of 1941. "4 Dead, 2 Captured in Sing Sing Break" read the front page of the Times on April 15th. McGale and his cohorts made it to freedom, however briefly, but not before fatally shooting a guard while checking out. Minutes after breaking free, one of the escaped prisoners got caught up in a mutually-fatal gunfight with a local patrolman from the Ossining PD. (The fourth casualty was an unentangled inmate who dropped dead of a heart attack upon hearing news of the break.) McGale and his surviving conspirator hijacked a rowboat and made it across the Hudson River to Rockland County, where they were promptly arrested and returned to Sing Sing. Both men got the chair the following June. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Things seemed to quiet down at the Penn-Post after the 1930s. Maybe the hotel's glory years were behind it. Or maybe the Times had better things spill its ink on. In any case, the litany of headlines trails off to a trickle by the 1940s. This is not to say that the hotel turned over a new leaf. A 1964 story made subtle reference to a little secret the Penn-Post kept down in its basement all the while: "Policeman Demoted Over Hotel Inquiry," read the headline, a somewhat demure outline of a case in which a deputy police inspector got himself in hot water for "impeding a police investigation into alleged homosexual activities" at the hotel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The Penn-Post didn't offer much in the way of amenities, except for a "turkish bath" in its basement. This was open to guests and non-guests alike. "Hotel for men," read the advertisement back in 1920, "a place you'll like!" While a reform commission identified the Penn-Post as a house of assignation as early as early as 1923, the baths downstairs had earned a reputation as a down-low meeting place for gay men by the 1920s. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">"Beginning in the 1920s, the Penn-Post Baths, located . . . in the basement of a seedy assignation hotel on West Thirty-first Street near Eighth Avenue, offered a strikingly different sexual scene," writes historian George Chauncey in his book <a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/Gay_New_York.html?id=NNHGuVdPELYC">Gay New York</a>. "Like the [nearby Everard baths], it was busiest in the evening, especially after the bars closed, during lunch, and right after work, when it drew men from the many offices and depots in the neighborhood and from among the commuters who passed through Penn Station, just across the street. But because it was so cheap, its clientele ... included poorer office and manual workers. It had none of the privacy or elegance of the Everard, for its facilities consisted of little more than one large room, which held a dozen or so bunks and a few benches, plus a shower room and a tiny steam room, and its exhibitionistic sexual scene, as well as its 'low-class' clientele, gave it a somewhat unsavory reputation among middle-class gay men."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jon8h5Qizis/W0VBa1uvpzI/AAAAAAAAKiM/TVVMsjcuAng5TT9KsIWr0ly8H-Dup7qGwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/PennPost-Duke-crop-01.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jon8h5Qizis/W0VBa1uvpzI/AAAAAAAAKiM/TVVMsjcuAng5TT9KsIWr0ly8H-Dup7qGwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/PennPost-Duke-crop-01.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(</span><a href="http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/rcmaxwellco_XXX2260/" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Duke University Libraries</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">While the Times laid this aspect of the Penn-Post story between the lines, the hotel's gay days are recounted in greater detail in the book "Alienated Affections" by Stanley Kleinberg, who frequented the basement baths beginning in the 1940s. Kleinberg described the establishment as an "eerie Turkish bath" where he "paid a dollar to 'use the showers'" while still a minor. "What I saw at the Penn-Post was lust in action," he wrote, "silent, genital, brief and somewhat grim. . . . there were no rooms or corners, no place for privacy and therefore no place for foreplay. I did not see two men kiss for years . . . by then, the Penn-Post was attracting younger men with its growing reputation as the raunchiest baths in town." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cy2gaBi9bNE/WyOzx2lufrI/AAAAAAAAKfg/x7ELxyQNuYgGb8HNb_LPbAnFbOlOiUzbgCLcBGAs/s1600/01393u-SHORPY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1161" height="246" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cy2gaBi9bNE/WyOzx2lufrI/AAAAAAAAKfg/x7ELxyQNuYgGb8HNb_LPbAnFbOlOiUzbgCLcBGAs/s320/01393u-SHORPY.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A "Ten-Cent Turkish Bath" on the Bowery, c. 1900. (<a href="https://www.loc.gov/resource/ggbain.01393/">George Grantham Bain Collection, Library of Congress</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The Penn-Post made its last New York Times appearance in a 1974 story on Single Room Occupancy hotels being shut down to make way for various more lucrative redevelopment schemes. Long before New York's hyper-gentrification seemed even a remote possibility in a then crumbling Gotham, city agencies were already monitoring conditions at places like the Penn-Post on behalf of the elderly and other low income persons for whom they provided much needed de-facto affordable housing. The Penn-Post, reported the Times, was one of at least 23 SROs that had closed in the preceding year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The city's Department of Buildings issued a demolition permit for the old hotel in 1975, still a few years before the the AIDS crisis exploded and the health department put an end to New York's bath house culture in the 1980s. A fenced-in parking lot now occupies the corner where the hotel once stood. The stretch of Eighth Avenue below Penn Station remains one of the last bastions of urban grit in midtown, though it too, has begun to turn. A few blocks down Eighth Avneue, the old <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/a-night-in-the-vigilant-hotel-2012-3">Vigilant Hotel</a> - one of the city's last Bowery-style flops - seems finally to have flipped its last flop. On the same block as the Penn-Post, the gutted shell of the old <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2011/11/grauer-sign-co.html">D'Aiuto bakery</a> sits empty, while on the next corner, a new neon sign heralds the Riff Chelsea, a hip hotel with "rockstar rooms for 2-star rates." One TripAdvisor review laments the "just-get-over-it" attitude of the hotel's staff, but concedes that its "location is perfect."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Eighth Avenue and West 31st Street in 2018. (T. Rinaldi)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><u>POSTSCRIPT</u>: </b>The Real Deal reports that the Riff Chelsea was <a href="https://therealdeal.com/2018/05/03/riff-hotel-chelsea-sells-for-28m/">sold for $28 million</a> in May 2018. The hotel closed immediately and is being prepped for demolition at the time of posting. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-spacing: 2px; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><u>THIS IS THE NINTH</u> </b>in a series of stories entitled "Hotel Neon," exploring the unique resonance of neon hotel signs in the American psyche. </span>See also:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-spacing: 2px; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2016/02/hotel-neon-hotel-allerton.html">Hotel Neon, Part 8: The Hotel Allerton</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-spacing: 2px; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2013/11/hotel-neon-hotel-arlington_25.html">Hotel </a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-spacing: 2px; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2013/11/hotel-neon-hotel-arlington_25.html">Neon, Part 7: The Arlington Hotel</a> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-spacing: 2px; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2013/08/hotel-neon-st-james-hotel.html">Hotel Neon, Part 6: The St. James Hotel</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-spacing: 2px; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2012/12/hotel-neon-penn-terminal-hotel.html">Hotel Neon, Part 5: The Penn Terminal Hotel</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-spacing: 2px; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2012/10/hotel-neon-keller-hotel.html">Hotel Neon, Part 4: The Keller Hotel</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2012/08/hotel-neon-cavalier-hotel.html">Hotel Neon, Part 3: The Cavalier Hotel</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-spacing: 2px; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• <span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2012/06/hotel-neon.html">Hotel Neon, Part 2: Hotel Neon (Introduction)</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-spacing: 2px; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">• </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2012/05/hotel-neon-chelsea-hotel.html">Hotel Neon, Part 1: The Chelsea Hotel</a></span></span></div>
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T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-81516940555429181142018-06-17T07:39:00.000-07:002018-06-17T07:39:12.296-07:00Neon News & Links<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">From the another-one-bites-the dust department: Armando's, redsauce stalwart of Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights, has <a href="http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2018/5/22/armandos-montague-st-82-years-closes-building-sold-Brooklyn">gone to neon's the great beyond</a>. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(T. Rinaldi)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Via the Jeremiah's Vanishing New York blog: in midtown Manhattan, <a href="https://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2018/05/a-good-corner.html">high rent blight is encroaching</a> on Cambridge Liquors and its great, gritty corner. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(T. Rinaldi)</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Also from JVNY, word that 8th Avenue's <a href="https://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2018/05/show-world-center.html">Show World Center has peeped its last</a>, bringing down the curtain on one of the last vestiges of Times Square's bad old days. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8_vwPEzGIz0/WyEk-TEj8OI/AAAAAAAAKeo/l8ZgGGbBN20nF9NlUKa9hCbF7lQe1PAkACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8_vwPEzGIz0/WyEk-TEj8OI/AAAAAAAAKeo/l8ZgGGbBN20nF9NlUKa9hCbF7lQe1PAkACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1207.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(T. Rinaldi)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> From the still-more-bad-news-from-Jeremiahs-Vanishing-New-York department, <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2018/04/bb-kings.html">say goodbye to B.B. King's Blues Club & Grill</a> on 42nd Street, a latterday neon landmark of Times Square. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yfyZ5oSiP88/WyEk-rNeIDI/AAAAAAAAKes/_gywEZIRHb0sUZ5_r9UTp0KvR2oRMyheACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2517-SM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yfyZ5oSiP88/WyEk-rNeIDI/AAAAAAAAKes/_gywEZIRHb0sUZ5_r9UTp0KvR2oRMyheACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_2517-SM.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(T. Rinaldi)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">By way of the Ephemeral New York blog, tributes to three neon landmarks past and present: </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">> <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2018/05/21/eating-at-jack-dempseys-in-times-square/">Jack Dempsey's</a>, a bygone neon staple on 8th Avenue </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2018/05/21/the-glory-days-of-julians-14th-street-pool-hall/">Julian's</a>, a long-vanished 14th Street pool hall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: '"courier new"', '"courier"', monospace;"> > The </span><a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2018/05/07/this-parking-garage-was-once-a-silent-film-studio/" style="font-family: '"courier new"', '"courier"', monospace;">20th Century Garage</a><span style="font-family: '"courier new"', '"courier"', monospace;"> and its forgotten cinematic past.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B7WMaL_yiVE/WyOwbMhX1RI/AAAAAAAAKfM/gprXguc8k2I6PQwuI0qHwp8xxJpFkanMwCLcBGAs/s1600/ENY-JackDempsey.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="477" height="237" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B7WMaL_yiVE/WyOwbMhX1RI/AAAAAAAAKfM/gprXguc8k2I6PQwuI0qHwp8xxJpFkanMwCLcBGAs/s320/ENY-JackDempsey.tiff" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Ephemeral New York)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">From way out west, <a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2018/05/26/quickie-socal-roadtest/">another incredible tour-de-neon</a> from Debra Jane Seltzer. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">From Greenpoint, Brooklyn, two more neon death notices on a single block: J. Smolenski Funeral Home has shuttered, and J. Joseph's Furniture & Appliances has closed <a href="https://newyorkyimby.com/2016/04/hap-investments-plans-apartments-at-1056-manhattan-avenue-in-greenpoint.html">and been demolished</a> for new luxury residential construction. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uexnebRJ5Rc/WyEk9yUzhGI/AAAAAAAAKeg/YRuv_SBhav81cwqvIv4bHguRZwhygyGyQCLcBGAs/s1600/DARK-70-Misc-Smolenski_8259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uexnebRJ5Rc/WyEk9yUzhGI/AAAAAAAAKeg/YRuv_SBhav81cwqvIv4bHguRZwhygyGyQCLcBGAs/s320/DARK-70-Misc-Smolenski_8259.JPG" width="213" /></span></a></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VczGe7H9SEI/WyEk95edqnI/AAAAAAAAKek/Swf97Z0F144bjy6ARUvEP8ozBdrNnivTACLcBGAs/s1600/DARK-72_4606-EDIT-SM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VczGe7H9SEI/WyEk95edqnI/AAAAAAAAKek/Swf97Z0F144bjy6ARUvEP8ozBdrNnivTACLcBGAs/s320/DARK-72_4606-EDIT-SM.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Gone and gonner: J. Smolenski and J. Josephs, neon neighbors on Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint. (T. Rinaldi)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">For the fake neon enthusiast, Bud Lite's Post Malone Dive Bar Tour has <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg_hFgIhQ3F/">gone for the gold on Instagram</a>. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">From the not-neon-but-still-cool department, a fabulous <a href="https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/t-the-new-york-times-style-magazine-ilya-milstein-illustration-180418?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+itsnicethat%2FSlXC+%28It%27s+Nice+That%29">graphic tribute to New York in the 80s</a> from Ilya Milstein via the NYT Style Mag. or the fake neon enthusiast, Bud Lite's Post Malone Dive Bar Tour has <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg_hFgIhQ3F/">gone for the gold on Instagram</a>. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> And finally, from the let's-try-to-end-on-something-positive department - a super awesome looking <a href="https://www.rosekennedygreenway.org/public-art/currently-greenway/glow/">outdoor exhibit of old neon signs</a> has been installed in Boston's Rose Kennedy Greenway. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O-3GOuWgoNU/WyOwbMbTiZI/AAAAAAAAKfQ/SMyzcwjdkVwILccwDoJPhFT-FP6AYdaoQCLcBGAs/s1600/Greenway-BostonHerald-ChrisChristo.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="639" height="310" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O-3GOuWgoNU/WyOwbMbTiZI/AAAAAAAAKfQ/SMyzcwjdkVwILccwDoJPhFT-FP6AYdaoQCLcBGAs/s320/Greenway-BostonHerald-ChrisChristo.tiff" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/arts_culture/2018/05/greenway_is_all_a_glow">Chris Christo / Boston Herald</a>)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-25201179986470519482018-06-05T18:20:00.001-07:002018-06-05T18:20:56.905-07:00Ephemeral Landmarks of the Eternal City<div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In a city known for older, more monumental landmarks, the ancient neon signs of Rome tend to get lost in the fray. Yet 20th century Romans embraced neon as much as anyone, and the city has the commercial archeology to prove it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OQ7BLHemc1w/WwgFQzIJKiI/AAAAAAAAKbs/L_FoeIvln68rTaQ1PSAtUyUzaYLM3ZV6wCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: '"arial"', '"helvetica"', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OQ7BLHemc1w/WwgFQzIJKiI/AAAAAAAAKbs/L_FoeIvln68rTaQ1PSAtUyUzaYLM3ZV6wCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7862.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 arial\22 " , "\22 helvetica\22 " , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">UPIM, 169 Via del Tritone</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">When I first visited Rome as a kid, its neon signs were one of the first things I noticed. I remember my amusement in reading projecting signs backwards when approaching them from the "wrong" side. Unlike neon signs back in the US, whose lettering was typically mounted over solid sheet metal sign faces, projecting signs in Rome were characterized by an open latticework of neon tubes attached to an almost invisible framework. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bk-B8RppHUM/WwgFQ0IfqqI/AAAAAAAAKbw/2ulPuduNczkyBoTKjq4MYYUC4ikCdl20ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: '"arial"', '"helvetica"', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bk-B8RppHUM/WwgFQ0IfqqI/AAAAAAAAKbw/2ulPuduNczkyBoTKjq4MYYUC4ikCdl20ACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7863.JPG" width="240" /></a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">UPIM in reverse. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In addition to using half as much neon tubing, this approach required almost none of the costly metalwork involved in typical North American signs of the same period. Especially in postwar Europe, with resources scarce, this must have represented a critical savings. The same technique, I later learned, can be found elsewhere in Europe and Latin America as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cOWOl3Uw4HM/WwgBdE4d4vI/AAAAAAAAKbA/ygWKPsN6cFcPv6v_S099kOkBZ3LRh7rOQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_2379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: '"arial"', '"helvetica"', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cOWOl3Uw4HM/WwgBdE4d4vI/AAAAAAAAKbA/ygWKPsN6cFcPv6v_S099kOkBZ3LRh7rOQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_2379.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<img border="0" height="168" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gspMQ4Qw01g/WwgBdLkS7RI/AAAAAAAAKa4/js5qjKr1PGIW2yWjOIwXnRYE4vJPo4hSgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_2382.JPG" style="font-family: '"arial"', '"helvetica"', sans-serif;" width="320" /><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZH_tBcFHHkk/WwgBdBIvpqI/AAAAAAAAKa8/WbbzRmp_oPsa6XyKRpeuINds-mruiXUSgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_2381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: '"arial"', '"helvetica"', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZH_tBcFHHkk/WwgBdBIvpqI/AAAAAAAAKa8/WbbzRmp_oPsa6XyKRpeuINds-mruiXUSgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_2381.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Scene from "Boccaccio '70" (1962)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Rome has so much great old commercial signage that it once occurred to me there might be enough here for a book dedicated to the subject. As it happens, that book has already been written: Louise Fili's fantastic "<a href="https://www.louisefili.com/graficadellastrada">Grafica Della Strada</a>," published in 2014, is as fine an homage to the subject as one can conjure. (Fili has issued companion volumes for Paris and Barcelona.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F5UK7X2nHms/Wwf6jsAf04I/AAAAAAAAKag/5Gl727-HA_4GQejFffPS_l2jeTLamTYZwCLcBGAs/s1600/Grafica-Della-Strada.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: '"arial"', '"helvetica"', sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="747" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F5UK7X2nHms/Wwf6jsAf04I/AAAAAAAAKag/5Gl727-HA_4GQejFffPS_l2jeTLamTYZwCLcBGAs/s320/Grafica-Della-Strada.tiff" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Grafica della Strada" by Louise Fili. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Like most tourists in Rome, my attention on that first visit was usurped by the usual suspects - the Forum, the Vatican - some of the most photographed places on the planet. But on subsequent visits, my interest gravitated towards more ephemeral parts of the Roman cityscape. Now, 20-odd years later, the Colosseum and the Pantheon look pretty much as they have since the advent of photography. The big UPIM sign on Via del Tritone however has vanished forever. Rome's other neon signs seem similarly destined to be outlived by the ancient buildings from which they hang. When they go, these relics of the Rome of Fellini and De Sica will take with them a certain magic from the streets whose character they helped define for generations. Over in the forum, though, I doubt anyone will take much notice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JV5G4Lr8woM/WwbO2JAaRQI/AAAAAAAAKUY/1baogNye27gXBYv3CwtMaDnJMBZq-tdrwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7004-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: '"arial"', '"helvetica"', sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JV5G4Lr8woM/WwbO2JAaRQI/AAAAAAAAKUY/1baogNye27gXBYv3CwtMaDnJMBZq-tdrwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7004-sm.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Ristorante Veneto (Closed) / Via del Viminale 15</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MG9yyrapNgk/WxX9firaL1I/AAAAAAAAKdM/o7MpT8uswHMSq3CDKxDyZNK70QN3xhCBgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7860.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MG9yyrapNgk/WxX9firaL1I/AAAAAAAAKdM/o7MpT8uswHMSq3CDKxDyZNK70QN3xhCBgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7860.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Il Messaggero / Via del Tritone 154</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qD8IXm-G9Es/WwbTdu-pdCI/AAAAAAAAKY4/SzqZyUkHxHQRN4g_hI7m1-poudZ-T9tUgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7130-SM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qD8IXm-G9Es/WwbTdu-pdCI/AAAAAAAAKY4/SzqZyUkHxHQRN4g_hI7m1-poudZ-T9tUgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7130-SM.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Ristorante Da Giggetto / Via del Portico D'Ottavia 21a-22</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OfsBh88n0eI/WwbTdmwbb3I/AAAAAAAAKY0/UTBN9FQSG2kjfOtHnnTimlNstlcral9ggCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7154-SM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OfsBh88n0eI/WwbTdmwbb3I/AAAAAAAAKY0/UTBN9FQSG2kjfOtHnnTimlNstlcral9ggCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7154-SM.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Calzature Ugo Celli / Via Arenula 86</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y86N7p9D34M/WwbTdg24PhI/AAAAAAAAKY8/iEPDRqsfSuwQF8B7x3mIPD5M0QqyPRcXACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7158-CROP-SM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y86N7p9D34M/WwbTdg24PhI/AAAAAAAAKY8/iEPDRqsfSuwQF8B7x3mIPD5M0QqyPRcXACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7158-CROP-SM.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Ditta G. Spizzichino Di Spizzichino Ester / Via di Santa Maria del Pianto 18</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yif5prSZ2p4/WwbTfCCsrsI/AAAAAAAAKZI/pO7R1fey-bstLXD2e8qb8W8G8mE7DQ0kgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7173-SM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yif5prSZ2p4/WwbTfCCsrsI/AAAAAAAAKZI/pO7R1fey-bstLXD2e8qb8W8G8mE7DQ0kgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7173-SM.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nGun52rqcxk/WwbQCAkSOaI/AAAAAAAAKYQ/hC4ZdE51uSIifsQaTum4tcmUG4sMG5s2wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nGun52rqcxk/WwbQCAkSOaI/AAAAAAAAKYQ/hC4ZdE51uSIifsQaTum4tcmUG4sMG5s2wCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7222.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Ristorante Alfredo alla Scofa (Il Vero Alfredo) / Piazza Augusto Imperatore 30</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QEqo_YHtapE/WwbTgAh2OmI/AAAAAAAAKZQ/Gak2eStxswsZeuhO3P5wnt4PBrPrvVifgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7192-SM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QEqo_YHtapE/WwbTgAh2OmI/AAAAAAAAKZQ/Gak2eStxswsZeuhO3P5wnt4PBrPrvVifgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7192-SM.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Fiori Romano (L'Angoletto Romano) / Via Tomacelli 20</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sD_VYmuZYAc/WwbTguia1pI/AAAAAAAAKZU/Keu-yyZnBEEvNd8trAeoXbAnkHYrx1hAACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7198-SM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sD_VYmuZYAc/WwbTguia1pI/AAAAAAAAKZU/Keu-yyZnBEEvNd8trAeoXbAnkHYrx1hAACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7198-SM.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Antichità / Largo della Fontanella di Borghese</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bIlz1AwmotA/WwbTiP8JacI/AAAAAAAAKZg/1UUNkOYB3Fs-GmjI-jtd7l-MRlL7R-6bgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7212-SM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bIlz1AwmotA/WwbTiP8JacI/AAAAAAAAKZg/1UUNkOYB3Fs-GmjI-jtd7l-MRlL7R-6bgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7212-SM.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Tabacchi Verni Emanuele / Piazzale Prenestino 20</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-etu1lD-wzKc/WwbThJtuKMI/AAAAAAAAKZY/FFvW0pBkzj8e_Vb0XXgoiZrUoQrVUo3JgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7208-SM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-etu1lD-wzKc/WwbThJtuKMI/AAAAAAAAKZY/FFvW0pBkzj8e_Vb0XXgoiZrUoQrVUo3JgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7208-SM.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Frutteria / 5 Via Raimondo Montecuccoli</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nKPAEpBhqaA/WwbTjssjPpI/AAAAAAAAKZs/fqc2bh2gaTMjCjM-J9uX3d7Aboi6sGGMQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7324-SM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nKPAEpBhqaA/WwbTjssjPpI/AAAAAAAAKZs/fqc2bh2gaTMjCjM-J9uX3d7Aboi6sGGMQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7324-SM.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Ristorante da Robertino / Via Panisperna 231</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P5mTaeeqaQk/WxX90suvaXI/AAAAAAAAKdY/60dGC5fxVsA3Tj1b4meglx_pq3ici1E4ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_6789.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P5mTaeeqaQk/WxX90suvaXI/AAAAAAAAKdY/60dGC5fxVsA3Tj1b4meglx_pq3ici1E4ACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_6789.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Barbiere / for the life of me I can't remember where this was.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sNUn7hhfY6w/WwbTknmakeI/AAAAAAAAKZ0/iFnt1pznCRc6B_zwqGmY1939YbWBCFLfQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7342-SM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sNUn7hhfY6w/WwbTknmakeI/AAAAAAAAKZ0/iFnt1pznCRc6B_zwqGmY1939YbWBCFLfQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7342-SM.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">A. Guidi Abbigliamento / Via Principe Eugenio 6-8</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jau5y5pz34g/WwbP1OTgVzI/AAAAAAAAKWY/wRIgBv6MSkQHIL2ef8MwHR0xegtkXRxuwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jau5y5pz34g/WwbP1OTgVzI/AAAAAAAAKWY/wRIgBv6MSkQHIL2ef8MwHR0xegtkXRxuwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7016.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Cinema America / Via Natale del Grande 6</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kYAUIiEQfW4/WwbP7e2q-mI/AAAAAAAAKXQ/wDbFWzlvcKcZ0yASyIHzgZZx-SbJ-FHNQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kYAUIiEQfW4/WwbP7e2q-mI/AAAAAAAAKXQ/wDbFWzlvcKcZ0yASyIHzgZZx-SbJ-FHNQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7148.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Antica Trattoria Bersagliere / Via Giovanni Amendola 18</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y_ZWQzGficg/WwbP-UQ_kHI/AAAAAAAAKXs/P0wATdigKR8osE8QhIyhlXOh7DqzzsT5wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y_ZWQzGficg/WwbP-UQ_kHI/AAAAAAAAKXs/P0wATdigKR8osE8QhIyhlXOh7DqzzsT5wCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7167.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Trattoria Esperia Pizzeria / Via Firenze 16-17</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-53XEe5B3LjY/WwbP_WFJxvI/AAAAAAAAKXw/NjlCycvm9ConBYWMUs4T5OUeFJSqmN5KQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-53XEe5B3LjY/WwbP_WFJxvI/AAAAAAAAKXw/NjlCycvm9ConBYWMUs4T5OUeFJSqmN5KQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7182.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Trattoria Rosetta / Via della Rosetta 8-9</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZYlS8uel1o/WwbQAUPfo7I/AAAAAAAAKYA/2hSnnmu5OQ0HpneEeL8cNHDVtiidOeXXACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZYlS8uel1o/WwbQAUPfo7I/AAAAAAAAKYA/2hSnnmu5OQ0HpneEeL8cNHDVtiidOeXXACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7203.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Albergo Sole / Via del Biscione 76</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BDom-VE0Gqk/WxAMvUNLzOI/AAAAAAAAKc4/GpCNqus7noIoaXqnz1npBk2YAiomXVSaQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_3619-edit-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BDom-VE0Gqk/WxAMvUNLzOI/AAAAAAAAKc4/GpCNqus7noIoaXqnz1npBk2YAiomXVSaQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_3619-edit-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Cinema Alcazar / Via Cardinale Merry del Val 14</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KtKLYrATxC4/WwbP95Cwu3I/AAAAAAAAKXk/5vJIqhsci0AJpjyQdrHFU2TqO6l4goKcwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KtKLYrATxC4/WwbP95Cwu3I/AAAAAAAAKXk/5vJIqhsci0AJpjyQdrHFU2TqO6l4goKcwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7165.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Hotel L’Impero / Via del Viminale 19</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cgQfAUwIryg/WwbPuXGoQ8I/AAAAAAAAKWA/0g1gnD6boj47SE7gyUV4mlRRGW9mvy4DwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7008.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cgQfAUwIryg/WwbPuXGoQ8I/AAAAAAAAKWA/0g1gnD6boj47SE7gyUV4mlRRGW9mvy4DwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7008.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Farmacia Santa Agata / Piazza Sidney Sonnino 47</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mVEXIwHzJNw/WwbP2W-ye7I/AAAAAAAAKWo/JihCCZuNDQwmAzsuipB8xgVeIy8FW1qXQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mVEXIwHzJNw/WwbP2W-ye7I/AAAAAAAAKWo/JihCCZuNDQwmAzsuipB8xgVeIy8FW1qXQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7025.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Chico Er Carettiere / Via Benedetta 10</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YozBYx5x5tI/WwbO_PIWQXI/AAAAAAAAKVQ/8cu2Om9iddYW_yPp-X41p-4A7S9Jvm4FACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7275-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YozBYx5x5tI/WwbO_PIWQXI/AAAAAAAAKVQ/8cu2Om9iddYW_yPp-X41p-4A7S9Jvm4FACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7275-sm.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Bar Sistina / Via Sistina 127 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7OGbPGRk7DY/WwbP1X_vvvI/AAAAAAAAKWc/j2ZIxqh5YxYwzYLZOQt8n4Hwz-W-tJpzQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7OGbPGRk7DY/WwbP1X_vvvI/AAAAAAAAKWc/j2ZIxqh5YxYwzYLZOQt8n4Hwz-W-tJpzQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7023.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Bar San Callisto / Piazza di S. Calisto 4</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sZ_ymDK6ljo/WwbP3SjS73I/AAAAAAAAKWw/Gt3X73ZZFO4vpG2VRmayUp_J4BBoLHVGQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sZ_ymDK6ljo/WwbP3SjS73I/AAAAAAAAKWw/Gt3X73ZZFO4vpG2VRmayUp_J4BBoLHVGQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7031.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Antica Pizzicheria Ruggeri / Piazza Campo de' Fiori 1</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oANyPITvBJw/WwbP4U4GS1I/AAAAAAAAKW4/-jYUEZ5XPjEglpwjMpZy8R7i2aS_62mbACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oANyPITvBJw/WwbP4U4GS1I/AAAAAAAAKW4/-jYUEZ5XPjEglpwjMpZy8R7i2aS_62mbACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7039.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Macelleria Fadda Giovanni / 28 Via D'Ascanio</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wgLbXA1zEVc/WwbP0hZO_nI/AAAAAAAAKWU/31kXrvRXtmcyIoOs6rnOGjUaasUc2XRWgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wgLbXA1zEVc/WwbP0hZO_nI/AAAAAAAAKWU/31kXrvRXtmcyIoOs6rnOGjUaasUc2XRWgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7012.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_cYSPITPG94/WwbP0vzz_fI/AAAAAAAAKWQ/EiQFx40tOMwGzh_sffP5LYchdeG3p2VBwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_cYSPITPG94/WwbP0vzz_fI/AAAAAAAAKWQ/EiQFx40tOMwGzh_sffP5LYchdeG3p2VBwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7014.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Vittorio / Viale Trastevere 38</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MhMU_PJ8pKI/WwbP82V1X1I/AAAAAAAAKXc/xXFnZwQEK58KdNPAHb0POngo7qZep2VNwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MhMU_PJ8pKI/WwbP82V1X1I/AAAAAAAAKXc/xXFnZwQEK58KdNPAHb0POngo7qZep2VNwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7160.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Trattoria Esedra / Via Principe Amedeo 3</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JMqzLgzs8qg/WwbPCv2TkyI/AAAAAAAAKVg/8kBNk7Be6toHAcbIO3gGWrxdxt0-i6bQQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7289-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JMqzLgzs8qg/WwbPCv2TkyI/AAAAAAAAKVg/8kBNk7Be6toHAcbIO3gGWrxdxt0-i6bQQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7289-sm.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Abbigliamento Sermoneta / Piazza del Viminale 17</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-79T0XPmZloU/WwbPAupGM_I/AAAAAAAAKVY/3gsIGaG2ULcs1ulze3FA_iH9VDx6RKfhACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7278-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-79T0XPmZloU/WwbPAupGM_I/AAAAAAAAKVY/3gsIGaG2ULcs1ulze3FA_iH9VDx6RKfhACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7278-sm.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">L’Antica Roma Ristorante / Via dei Cappuccini</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BLbTofp9jUw/WwbO6swIZwI/AAAAAAAAKUw/Orh8KfRoW7kY1wUGqbvkdzjlBpuqzWDygCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7252-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BLbTofp9jUw/WwbO6swIZwI/AAAAAAAAKUw/Orh8KfRoW7kY1wUGqbvkdzjlBpuqzWDygCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7252-sm.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Ristorante Canova / Piazza del Popolo 16-17</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YkxRoG2fcEI/WwbO3YeQy1I/AAAAAAAAKUg/0k8VXNTP4EgfiHP3Un3dZpTLiBLJ_pU1ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7239-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YkxRoG2fcEI/WwbO3YeQy1I/AAAAAAAAKUg/0k8VXNTP4EgfiHP3Un3dZpTLiBLJ_pU1ACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7239-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">F.A.M.A.R. / Piazza Unità 51</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-31Z08GO-Wf4/Wxc0wNlXJsI/AAAAAAAAKdw/gNP17h_Hd6sqAnigQrTohp4mnKI58f8GwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6768-SM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-31Z08GO-Wf4/Wxc0wNlXJsI/AAAAAAAAKdw/gNP17h_Hd6sqAnigQrTohp4mnKI58f8GwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_6768-SM.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Hotel Genio / Via Giuseppe Zanardelli, 28</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l7fAqmXtzGw/WwbP_59O76I/AAAAAAAAKX8/1fs2M6mxlb8nBUBVZLsKyoUyWLxg5gj6wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l7fAqmXtzGw/WwbP_59O76I/AAAAAAAAKX8/1fs2M6mxlb8nBUBVZLsKyoUyWLxg5gj6wCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7199.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Autorimessa / Piazza della Trinita dei Pellegrini 28</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rVyZ0dofzAM/WwbQAiVkbaI/AAAAAAAAKYE/e5s7_hwYo0ISMPyI3vrEZxbsXfLdanTaQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rVyZ0dofzAM/WwbQAiVkbaI/AAAAAAAAKYE/e5s7_hwYo0ISMPyI3vrEZxbsXfLdanTaQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7207.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Lana della Vecchia Merceria / Via dei Baullari 3</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Vuj2YeF9EQ/WwbQBkOK5FI/AAAAAAAAKYM/6cZK5xj1LYUEweZ-FemhmS1F4foTO7ZHQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Vuj2YeF9EQ/WwbQBkOK5FI/AAAAAAAAKYM/6cZK5xj1LYUEweZ-FemhmS1F4foTO7ZHQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7218.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Al Sogno / Piazza Navona 53</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qWSuXEGp_Y8/WwbP_UxiGLI/AAAAAAAAKX0/62RqoJGAtLMaD4ISxmzMS38RLsyMh5ltgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qWSuXEGp_Y8/WwbP_UxiGLI/AAAAAAAAKX0/62RqoJGAtLMaD4ISxmzMS38RLsyMh5ltgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7193.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">San Eustachio / Piazza di S. Eustachio</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-219tbYQ_0SQ/WwbP5cuAAsI/AAAAAAAAKXA/dci8fny3Tn0cOvuVNqK2279gWdc7mc21gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-219tbYQ_0SQ/WwbP5cuAAsI/AAAAAAAAKXA/dci8fny3Tn0cOvuVNqK2279gWdc7mc21gCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7133.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Farmacia / Via Giovanni Giolitti 21</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4tnkDchtWAo/WwbP48GWXQI/AAAAAAAAKW8/75bWHBMT4-cy0Nr8DmuzlG-9ZMRsELoVQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4tnkDchtWAo/WwbP48GWXQI/AAAAAAAAKW8/75bWHBMT4-cy0Nr8DmuzlG-9ZMRsELoVQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7049.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dal Pollarolo 1936 / Via di Ripetta 4</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gspMQ4Qw01g/WwgBdLkS7RI/AAAAAAAAKa4/js5qjKr1PGIW2yWjOIwXnRYE4vJPo4hSgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_2382.JPG" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jti9gtNsNfU/WwgFNBqrJII/AAAAAAAAKbQ/1OCDInAop5Md2-Krsx0phPhbHggTrRwQQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7860.JPG" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jz1uJ2OgNvQ/WwgFRI95OsI/AAAAAAAAKcA/vXxoenRe9aMY_ouo0jplEeYnR_mDE-3KACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7944.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jz1uJ2OgNvQ/WwgFRI95OsI/AAAAAAAAKcA/vXxoenRe9aMY_ouo0jplEeYnR_mDE-3KACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7944.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Bar Monti / Via Urbana 93</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JsGp0P908NA/WwgFQ2fKNaI/AAAAAAAAKb0/bpdLdW9mZ-ctYW9nKC10NNMu8ogg1yE5ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JsGp0P908NA/WwgFQ2fKNaI/AAAAAAAAKb0/bpdLdW9mZ-ctYW9nKC10NNMu8ogg1yE5ACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7935.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Caffe Leonina, 68 Via Leonina</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lmGjuNCdHIY/WwbP17cHviI/AAAAAAAAKWg/LrjCNUYf7hwGtqMnb-dNTU4qFsQ6k9hXQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lmGjuNCdHIY/WwbP17cHviI/AAAAAAAAKWg/LrjCNUYf7hwGtqMnb-dNTU4qFsQ6k9hXQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7024.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Checco er Carrettiere / Via Benedetta 6</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V7sXS54INmg/WwbP27TH5CI/AAAAAAAAKWk/6MTkHla5AY0ewUg4NaBbN2b5IZstWWV6ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V7sXS54INmg/WwbP27TH5CI/AAAAAAAAKWk/6MTkHla5AY0ewUg4NaBbN2b5IZstWWV6ACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7027.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JAkbzt3r86Y/WwbP3QelGHI/AAAAAAAAKWs/P8V9e_DDHgQDzXjJEj-rTRh93JfulJgWQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JAkbzt3r86Y/WwbP3QelGHI/AAAAAAAAKWs/P8V9e_DDHgQDzXjJEj-rTRh93JfulJgWQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7029.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Antico Bar Pasticceria Mariani / Via dei Pettinari 44</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Po08zfYCcM/WwbP6ecEUrI/AAAAAAAAKXI/456T_in-OFkh4eswW-WMvAUg91cakqgiACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Po08zfYCcM/WwbP6ecEUrI/AAAAAAAAKXI/456T_in-OFkh4eswW-WMvAUg91cakqgiACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7137.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trattoria Al Fagianetto / Via Filippo Turati, 21</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vy14i3sxoHY/WwbP68f6hUI/AAAAAAAAKXM/S9YBVCv9xiIyxqqsREhRQiwSx9czdIuHgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vy14i3sxoHY/WwbP68f6hUI/AAAAAAAAKXM/S9YBVCv9xiIyxqqsREhRQiwSx9czdIuHgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7140.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trattoria Giovanni, Via Filippo Turati 36</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2xhPeldqz4s/WwbP74OhlUI/AAAAAAAAKXU/7Npd5pWy89gr9YAK8nxzK2-NL2J3doApwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2xhPeldqz4s/WwbP74OhlUI/AAAAAAAAKXU/7Npd5pWy89gr9YAK8nxzK2-NL2J3doApwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7151.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lA5-EUFejD0/WwbP8RpMgdI/AAAAAAAAKXY/4UNquYodDoU0-GezaJic4SoobZboABzBACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lA5-EUFejD0/WwbP8RpMgdI/AAAAAAAAKXY/4UNquYodDoU0-GezaJic4SoobZboABzBACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7154.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Ristorante L'Europeo da Colella Giovanni / Via Principe Amedeo 8</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-APJJif0l1kc/WwbP-_x05xI/AAAAAAAAKXo/q2keMynZpeMn-IVixaRU1_I3Chrexq7BgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"></span></a></div>
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TxsF60e5aiw/WwbP3xLmoyI/AAAAAAAAKW0/iRH7n9bt0GoVhXKJmHDJtvLGYnxos3qggCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TxsF60e5aiw/WwbP3xLmoyI/AAAAAAAAKW0/iRH7n9bt0GoVhXKJmHDJtvLGYnxos3qggCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7035.JPG" width="240" /></span></a><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_TKd-QsQtEE/WwbQBFR5mMI/AAAAAAAAKYI/HjnERUwZYF43v4RoxgOe_cCStmvnP1iGwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_TKd-QsQtEE/WwbQBFR5mMI/AAAAAAAAKYI/HjnERUwZYF43v4RoxgOe_cCStmvnP1iGwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7208.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Ristorante La Piccola Cuccagna / Via della Cuccagna 14</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7ohyN-8JMDo/WwbO7_6-dZI/AAAAAAAAKU4/dHYkuE8bQVoropYGUvBYyC-JRKDxW59YACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7257-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7ohyN-8JMDo/WwbO7_6-dZI/AAAAAAAAKU4/dHYkuE8bQVoropYGUvBYyC-JRKDxW59YACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7257-sm.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Trattoria Da Giggi / Via delle Carrozze 53/54</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aRbyc-H-CYs/WwbO9Y9aG3I/AAAAAAAAKVI/retTHD61THgv5fk7ejdaRbVLxy3t5hVAQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7263-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aRbyc-H-CYs/WwbO9Y9aG3I/AAAAAAAAKVI/retTHD61THgv5fk7ejdaRbVLxy3t5hVAQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7263-sm.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Bar della Croce / Via della Croce 80</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IR4B268qSMo/WwbO4kFhYSI/AAAAAAAAKUo/GcGG9RaRyoEH7YZuampEmb5JcEc2irg5gCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7241-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IR4B268qSMo/WwbO4kFhYSI/AAAAAAAAKUo/GcGG9RaRyoEH7YZuampEmb5JcEc2irg5gCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7241-sm.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">La Tavernella / Via Ezio 5</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pjrr4M3P40o/WwbTircT8PI/AAAAAAAAKZk/sxzUP1YL-14D5OGlpFNSt-wMRt91NhvhgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7311-SM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pjrr4M3P40o/WwbTircT8PI/AAAAAAAAKZk/sxzUP1YL-14D5OGlpFNSt-wMRt91NhvhgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7311-SM.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P_PzzppfME8/WwbTjH45OtI/AAAAAAAAKZo/IjKrVNUJJ-QxL_L32ZVUWzIerSzef96jACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7318-SM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P_PzzppfME8/WwbTjH45OtI/AAAAAAAAKZo/IjKrVNUJJ-QxL_L32ZVUWzIerSzef96jACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7318-SM.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">And lastly, calling cards from some of Rome's neon shops. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PdhEfmxeddM/WxYBATuR7kI/AAAAAAAAKdg/qexuxxxE9Q4I8g0Im4hj9GOt34CyJyvrwCLcBGAs/s1600/nuovo-cinema-paradiso-end-title-still.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PdhEfmxeddM/WxYBATuR7kI/AAAAAAAAKdg/qexuxxxE9Q4I8g0Im4hj9GOt34CyJyvrwCLcBGAs/s320/nuovo-cinema-paradiso-end-title-still.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(<a href="http://annyas.com/screenshots/images/1988/nuovo-cinema-paradiso-end-title-still.jpg">Cinema Paradiso</a>)</span></div>
T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-76442458579208438692018-04-26T06:10:00.002-07:002018-05-22T11:22:26.379-07:00Neon News & Links<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">From the no-news</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">-</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">is</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">-</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">good</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">-</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">news department, a number of recent losses to report </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">(at least recently learned of by me)</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cI61sPyyyVw/WuE5s5SHxuI/AAAAAAAAKKg/7bh-R1JPiigsHLOIxsxHy5nyYtiLhmghQCLcBGAs/s1600/DARK-76-Misc-Maryland_4536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1001" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cI61sPyyyVw/WuE5s5SHxuI/AAAAAAAAKKg/7bh-R1JPiigsHLOIxsxHy5nyYtiLhmghQCLcBGAs/s320/DARK-76-Misc-Maryland_4536.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Maryland Furniture, formerly on East Tremont Ave. in the Bronx. (T. Rinaldi)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FUOJobTsdyw/WuE5s8xKoSI/AAAAAAAAKKo/__CpfqTIJL0t_qBogFiyhuvDDw6iMTsQACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1001" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FUOJobTsdyw/WuE5s8xKoSI/AAAAAAAAKKo/__CpfqTIJL0t_qBogFiyhuvDDw6iMTsQACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7080.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Peerless Cleaners, 4706 White Plains Road, Bronx. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(T. Rinaldi)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h05T6QBel5Y/WuE5s7-PSMI/AAAAAAAAKKk/tLDK6gh1U2oxvEDEsylDZ9EZcbRHFm8iACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1001" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h05T6QBel5Y/WuE5s7-PSMI/AAAAAAAAKKk/tLDK6gh1U2oxvEDEsylDZ9EZcbRHFm8iACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_7067.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Dante's Pastry Shop, 4715 White Plains Road, Bronx. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(T. Rinaldi)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">From the erstwhile Shorpy blog, the following: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > Two fantastic scenes (<a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/23240">1</a> & <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/23241">2</a>) of Times Square in 1949.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > And, lest we be accused of being too New York-centric - two </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">scenes (</span><a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/23150" style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace;">1</a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> & </span><a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/23148" style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace;">2</a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">) of neon-clad Atlanta, Georgia, in 1957 (feat. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Shriners).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> <span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In the Chelsea Hotel, the veteran El Quijote restaurant has been <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2015/1/2/7479103/el-quijote-chelsea-hotel-sietsema">shuttered by its new owners</a>. The management has pledged to re-open in four or six or eight months but what will come here remains to be seen. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> For your neon bookshelf, get a load of "<a href="http://neonmuzeum.bigcartel.com/product/neon-revolution">Neon Revolution</a>," a very handsome new book featuring vintage neon of the Eastern Block. This follows-up on author / photographer <a href="http://ilonakarwinska.com/pages/about.html">Ilona Kadwinska</a>'s previous volume entitled "<a href="https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/ilona-karwinska-polish-cold-war-neon">Polish Cold War Neon</a>."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Neon Revolution, a new book by Ilona Kadwinska (<a href="http://neonmuzeum.bigcartel.com/product/neon-revolution">Neon Muzeum</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">• One of</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> Manhattan's better neon storefronts has transitioned: Live Bait, on East 23rd Street is now Flats Fix. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Live Bait is now Flats Fix. (T. Rinaldi) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBbB-A_gAWQ">Renato, Renato, Renato</a> - from the kindred spirit department, a tribute to "Renato," an ancient Greenwich Village restaurant sign, via the <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2018/04/02/a-last-sign-of-a-defunct-italian-restaurant-in-soho/">Ephemeral New York blog</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hU9Pt0RhNKA/WuE2jsqENoI/AAAAAAAAKJ4/sKGi-cwfkdcTOywmOWzYhiivdZ4V5PUaQCLcBGAs/s1600/RENATO-EphemeralNY.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="885" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hU9Pt0RhNKA/WuE2jsqENoI/AAAAAAAAKJ4/sKGi-cwfkdcTOywmOWzYhiivdZ4V5PUaQCLcBGAs/s320/RENATO-EphemeralNY.tiff" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Renato's Van Dam Street ghost sign, Greenwich Village, NYC (<a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2018/04/02/a-last-sign-of-a-defunct-italian-restaurant-in-soho/">Epmeheral New York</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> And finally, to end on a bright note - Debra Jane Seltzer takes us on a <a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2018/04/01/very-socal/">SoCal signage sojourn</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o2cx8qqIuvE/WuE2mE5vqEI/AAAAAAAAKJ8/ixdUtm_lFwIPIkacm8mR6PIG7dPpHKzoQCLcBGAs/s1600/DJSeltzer-blog15.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="695" height="305" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o2cx8qqIuvE/WuE2mE5vqEI/AAAAAAAAKJ8/ixdUtm_lFwIPIkacm8mR6PIG7dPpHKzoQCLcBGAs/s320/DJSeltzer-blog15.tiff" width="320" /></a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Imperial Apartments, El Centro, CA (<a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2018/04/01/very-socal/">Debra Jane Seltzer</a>)</span><br />
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<br />T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-7775347745722672332018-04-11T05:44:00.000-07:002018-04-12T06:53:00.373-07:00Neon Mascots<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Drop into the various shops, restaurants and bars behind New York's old neon storefront signs, and you may notice a curious common thread: the old signs outside are represented inside, too. Little versions of them turn up on menus and matchbooks, t-shirts and business cards. And, almost invariably, they feature front and center on the business's web site. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6vQ6WUli3tQ/WWJe-8MYaJI/AAAAAAAAJZA/gDpc_VDzSkAnT0ErpTtO9HlnHl8CZUiWgCLcBGAs/s1600/BlockDrugsT-Jeremiah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6vQ6WUli3tQ/WWJe-8MYaJI/AAAAAAAAJZA/gDpc_VDzSkAnT0ErpTtO9HlnHl8CZUiWgCLcBGAs/s320/BlockDrugsT-Jeremiah.jpg" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Block Drugs T-Shirt. (<a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2015/08/block-drugs-t.html">Jeremiah's Vanishing New York</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">As I came to find in writing the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/New-York-Neon-Thomas-Rinaldi/dp/0393733416">neon book</a>, the signs are not just beloved by casual admirers, patrons or passers-by: many are also celebrated by their owners as treasured mascots. Some owners have gone to great lengths to keep their signs lit. When <a href="http://www.capitolfishing.com/">Capital Fishing Tackle</a> re-located to a new storefront on West 36th Street a few years back, they took their sign along with them, giving it a thorough restoration and featuring it on their website at the same time. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nyAoqtDTDHQ/WWJe_RzyuJI/AAAAAAAAJZE/MSg6uA8-pw4yXt-qQ8_vDxvYZCXWttM6ACLcBGAs/s1600/CapitolTackle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="1260" height="212" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nyAoqtDTDHQ/WWJe_RzyuJI/AAAAAAAAJZE/MSg6uA8-pw4yXt-qQ8_vDxvYZCXWttM6ACLcBGAs/s320/CapitolTackle.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">On Manhattan's Upper East Side, the Subway Inn lately did the same. They don't have a web site, but their sign gets top billing on the bar menu.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kRtq7eppc-k/WWJgagIxOgI/AAAAAAAAJaM/KSyNy3rltaEH5nN4EPsZmq8C0KWNlZtrwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kRtq7eppc-k/WWJgagIxOgI/AAAAAAAAJaM/KSyNy3rltaEH5nN4EPsZmq8C0KWNlZtrwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_6330.JPG" width="240" /></a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Such devotion is not entirely impractical: these signs have undeniable </span><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">caché in the city today. </span></span>This was not always the case, however. For decades, beginning as early as the 1930s, businesses began turning their backs on neon. Neon signs were expensive, finicky. The signs cost as much as a new car to install, and they needed regular maintenance to keep up with their flickering tendencies. By the 1950s, they had become associated with down and out dives, shorthand for urban grit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V73SSXQDk_4/WWJgahGBI3I/AAAAAAAAJaQ/YtuZ8a1ZgWsrIRMps4EKZMPzG-KBwQo7wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V73SSXQDk_4/WWJgahGBI3I/AAAAAAAAJaQ/YtuZ8a1ZgWsrIRMps4EKZMPzG-KBwQo7wCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5567.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Today, however, those old neon signs that survive are widely admired. In the <a href="http://books.wwnorton.com/books/New-York-Neon/">New York Neon book</a>, I trace the fascinating story of neon's fall from grace and its incredible climb back to good standing in our collective consciousness. Today, there are few better manifestations of neon's high esteem than the pride these businesses owners often take in their old signs. That pride has its basis in more than just sentiment: t</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">o have such a sign marks a business as a survivor, one that has probably been around longer than everything else on the block, maybe the whole neighborhood. Small wonder, then, to find the signs held high, like great urban figureheads. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rg3c7JNc6VA/WWJe-AsRmJI/AAAAAAAAJY4/m8vzK_i-FVw1pkUI92oKS0nmo9O38xukQCLcBGAs/s1600/Bigelow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="1166" height="209" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rg3c7JNc6VA/WWJe-AsRmJI/AAAAAAAAJY4/m8vzK_i-FVw1pkUI92oKS0nmo9O38xukQCLcBGAs/s320/Bigelow.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">True, every so often a business owner yields to the temptation of cheaper LED signs, and an old neon mascot goes dark forever. But for the most part, the disappearance of an old neon sign in New York means the death of the old business it advertised. For as long as they last, the signs are not just the pride of their respective business owners, but of their neighborhoods and of the city whose streets they make just a little bit brighter, both literally and figuratively. </span><br />
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<br />T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-9673510380857462712018-03-19T05:03:00.000-07:002018-03-19T09:48:55.327-07:00Neon Purgatory<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">One might argue that we enthusiasts of New York's old neon signs tend to lavish our affections on those that still come aglow at night, advertising old restaurants and other businesses that have been neighborhood anchors for generations. Less attention is diverted to those old signs that exist in a kind of purgatory - those that haven't lit up in years, either because their owners haven't been able to keep up with their maintenance, or because they've simply outlived whatever business they once advertised. Abandoned and sometimes forgotten, these are the signs that are most likely to disappear. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PiMFW14-rRM/Wqhr4RzPYmI/AAAAAAAAJ9I/oBSTsJV2VoQ0OFOHYIYY_LYfeiJq5WEmgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Bk-21-Vasikauskas-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: '"arial"', '"helvetica"', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PiMFW14-rRM/Wqhr4RzPYmI/AAAAAAAAJ9I/oBSTsJV2VoQ0OFOHYIYY_LYfeiJq5WEmgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/Bk-21-Vasikauskas-01.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vasikauskas Bar & Grill / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">279 Grand St. / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Williamsburg, Brooklyn</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Sometimes, contemplating these old forgotten signs in my idle hours, I imagine ways they might be restored and lit up again. Then, one day last year, an e-mail came from out of the blue suggesting that at least I wasn't the only one thinking about this. It seemed that a prominent whiskey brand was looking for ways to partner with business owners to restore their crumbling old neon signs. Could I suggest some good candidates for restoration in New York? Could I ever! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wDQMjjYurC4/Wqhr7iyTQII/AAAAAAAAJ9Q/cBvcE7u0cYIv2jFkvTxfWqNyWwGGJlPqQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-13_4830-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: '"arial"', '"helvetica"', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wDQMjjYurC4/Wqhr7iyTQII/AAAAAAAAJ9Q/cBvcE7u0cYIv2jFkvTxfWqNyWwGGJlPqQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-13_4830-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><u style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spruce Florist / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">222 8th Avenue / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chelsea, Manhattan</span></u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">As it happened, I already had a shortlist of such signs. That surprise e-mail prompted me update the list and punch it up with photos. (Sadly, if not surprisingly, the updating revealed that a bunch of the signs on my list had already disappeared.) Unfortunately, that heaven-sent restoration plan has died on the vine. So I present this gallery of New York's neon purgatory as an open invitation back to the drawing board. Other cities have found ways to preserve and re-light some of their neon ghost signs as unique objects of cultural heritage that make appealing nocturnal landmarks. Perhaps a bright future lays in store for some of these, too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZbUnLP77rJs/WqhrxHmwC2I/AAAAAAAAJ9A/Dv0XixO6NIAMX25ncv1YvUSOicHyLVwBQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/LIQUOR-30_7275-edit-02.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZbUnLP77rJs/WqhrxHmwC2I/AAAAAAAAJ9A/Dv0XixO6NIAMX25ncv1YvUSOicHyLVwBQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/LIQUOR-30_7275-edit-02.jpg" width="235" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Home of Cheers Liquors / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">261 W18th St / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chelsea, Manhattan</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SN5EV7r5TGk/Wqhr-HMpGqI/AAAAAAAAJ9Y/2y_N9rraCDIBegBp1adXbwgFHvQmwxE_wCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/BAR-19_9839.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SN5EV7r5TGk/Wqhr-HMpGqI/AAAAAAAAJ9Y/2y_N9rraCDIBegBp1adXbwgFHvQmwxE_wCK4BGAYYCw/s320/BAR-19_9839.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Marie's Crisis & </u></span><u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Arthur's Tavern / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">57-59 Grove St. / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Greenwich Village, Manhattan</span></u><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3r2eA7gyO8E/WqhsFgL1HmI/AAAAAAAAJ9g/dbw3a5hiqQg4pSW508xOL15N93m4A7aYQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-16-Theatre-Loews175th_3737.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3r2eA7gyO8E/WqhsFgL1HmI/AAAAAAAAJ9g/dbw3a5hiqQg4pSW508xOL15N93m4A7aYQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-16-Theatre-Loews175th_3737.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">United Palace Theatre / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4140 Broadway / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Washington Heights, Manhattan</span></u><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4yzRaazAWr8/WqhsLMnzS1I/AAAAAAAAJ9o/FYzMBW3grQYwn-G6PBE1RH8UHWqfXO2PgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-21-Zuflacht_4052.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4yzRaazAWr8/WqhsLMnzS1I/AAAAAAAAJ9o/FYzMBW3grQYwn-G6PBE1RH8UHWqfXO2PgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-21-Zuflacht_4052.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Louis Zuflacht / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">154 Stanton St. / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lower East Side, Manhattan</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-87mhD-5Q3AI/WqhsN68AY7I/AAAAAAAAJ9w/MK3sfaO-eEg7qV6YWf8Z0sVcsOGuF20mgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-28-Liquor-Chelsea_2757.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-87mhD-5Q3AI/WqhsN68AY7I/AAAAAAAAJ9w/MK3sfaO-eEg7qV6YWf8Z0sVcsOGuF20mgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-28-Liquor-Chelsea_2757.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chelsea Liquor Store / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">114 9th Ave. / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chelsea, Manhattan</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wd9c-P3n4Bw/WqhsR1qR9UI/AAAAAAAAJ98/cIdWt-OlBngBnPuP4w62UhYT8RrTJg-QwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-43-Bar_4062.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wd9c-P3n4Bw/WqhsR1qR9UI/AAAAAAAAJ98/cIdWt-OlBngBnPuP4w62UhYT8RrTJg-QwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-43-Bar_4062.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Suffolk Arms Bar / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">269 East Houston St. / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">East Village / Lower East Side, Manhattan</span></u><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jiJUsvIWf28/WqhsU0GqpyI/AAAAAAAAJ-E/NssBLc0Q-c0zoSp5zj1wR7Dq1EM510oZACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-58-Liquor-Williamsburg_8226.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jiJUsvIWf28/WqhsU0GqpyI/AAAAAAAAJ-E/NssBLc0Q-c0zoSp5zj1wR7Dq1EM510oZACK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-58-Liquor-Williamsburg_8226.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Liquor Store / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">140 Havemeyer St / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Williamsburg, Brooklyn</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l3ztthnNjzA/WqhsqAhMRAI/AAAAAAAAJ-o/bO0K8bsvNuARnxRC1tlZESLIRxSQR1BPACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/MISC-72-Abramo_5743.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l3ztthnNjzA/WqhsqAhMRAI/AAAAAAAAJ-o/bO0K8bsvNuARnxRC1tlZESLIRxSQR1BPACK4BGAYYCw/s320/MISC-72-Abramo_5743.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Adamo Chapel / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">405 Humboldt Street / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Williamsburg, Brooklyn</span></u><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Loft's Candies / 88 Nassau Street / Manhattan</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6om4XiGTrk/Wqhslh_s_sI/AAAAAAAAJ-g/edJuvCXd4f0zi7jTy0ttOYAlIOoYGmdBwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-108-7805.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6om4XiGTrk/Wqhslh_s_sI/AAAAAAAAJ-g/edJuvCXd4f0zi7jTy0ttOYAlIOoYGmdBwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-108-7805.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Broadway Liquors / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3139 Broadway / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Harlem, Manhattan</span></u><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">North Village Liquors / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">254 W14th St. / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chelsea / Greenwich Village, Manhattan</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sad9Yy7EnS8/Wqhsv51YEyI/AAAAAAAAJ-4/MJVLR6nmFEE6aGi9D2j-0Zs8-Mm85rmrACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/MISC-81_4235.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sad9Yy7EnS8/Wqhsv51YEyI/AAAAAAAAJ-4/MJVLR6nmFEE6aGi9D2j-0Zs8-Mm85rmrACK4BGAYYCw/s320/MISC-81_4235.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">French Garment Cleaners Co / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">85 Lafayette Ave / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fort Greene, Brooklyn</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GHwgRJY775I/WqhsyQeTHBI/AAAAAAAAJ_A/0oFRS_y6FW0OHF60jfAry1gmmolpcrfrwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/K_14-Katz-2689.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GHwgRJY775I/WqhsyQeTHBI/AAAAAAAAJ_A/0oFRS_y6FW0OHF60jfAry1gmmolpcrfrwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/K_14-Katz-2689.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Katz's Drugs / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">76 Graham Avenue / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Williamsburg, Brooklyn</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vySZfY0Ls5g/Wqhs2ILP8nI/AAAAAAAAJ_I/LLymin5w7QYCffQIPXzvaEWDW3uPSLxuQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/M.02-Drugs-Miller_8394.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vySZfY0Ls5g/Wqhs2ILP8nI/AAAAAAAAJ_I/LLymin5w7QYCffQIPXzvaEWDW3uPSLxuQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/M.02-Drugs-Miller_8394.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Miller's Drugs / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">173 Broad St / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stapleton, Staten Island</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8i4M19jQScc/Wqng98aS2pI/AAAAAAAAKCY/Sfmd0XCLs98hYJZrVDseSTPdLzZ6rCCNwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-40-PostRd_4160-edit-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8i4M19jQScc/Wqng98aS2pI/AAAAAAAAKCY/Sfmd0XCLs98hYJZrVDseSTPdLzZ6rCCNwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-40-PostRd_4160-edit-sm.jpg" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Post Road Theatre / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3429 Boston Road / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Eastchester, The Bronx</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vwTQVHn_ZUc/Wqhs84EIViI/AAAAAAAAJ_U/7CnhUEulSUcIUIFW2WyWMY6Utz-AcDbdQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/K.7-DeVito_8111.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vwTQVHn_ZUc/Wqhs84EIViI/AAAAAAAAJ_U/7CnhUEulSUcIUIFW2WyWMY6Utz-AcDbdQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/K.7-DeVito_8111.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">DeVito Paints / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">371 Graham Ave / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Williamsburg, Brooklyn</span></u><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ox Line Paints (OTB Bar) / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">141 Broadway / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Williamsburg, Brooklyn</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AEJ5unh99_8/WqhtGcK-vzI/AAAAAAAAJ_g/2G-gdNznfcAzeZ-Fn20DKNZYYLmy7_fGACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-01-Rest-WuHan_3608%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AEJ5unh99_8/WqhtGcK-vzI/AAAAAAAAJ_g/2G-gdNznfcAzeZ-Fn20DKNZYYLmy7_fGACK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-01-Rest-WuHan_3608%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wu Han Restaurant / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1533 Pitkin Ave. / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">East New York, Brooklyn</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i4Qgnd3QGR4/WqhtRwCXTFI/AAAAAAAAJ_0/0vAC_AUtEiEyLjzR0oSxXJ1TDvyQIYzBgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-82-Misc-RubinsteinKlein_4603%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i4Qgnd3QGR4/WqhtRwCXTFI/AAAAAAAAJ_0/0vAC_AUtEiEyLjzR0oSxXJ1TDvyQIYzBgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-82-Misc-RubinsteinKlein_4603%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rubinestein & Klein / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">6001 14th Ave / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Borough Park, Brooklyn</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vVINlgsJX3c/WqhtWlPV9qI/AAAAAAAAJ_8/Hr_ARak09DgEs1zUiU5efGks5lOLICGIgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-83-Bar-Joes_4087.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vVINlgsJX3c/WqhtWlPV9qI/AAAAAAAAJ_8/Hr_ARak09DgEs1zUiU5efGks5lOLICGIgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-83-Bar-Joes_4087.JPG" width="213" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Joe’s Tavern / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">258 10th Ave / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">West Chelsea, Manhattan</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ar5up5aYQSs/WqhtaEt3JkI/AAAAAAAAKAE/wjsOFO-hCm8e6YFQR77XbfijsKouLqXjACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-98-Misc-Bangerts_5395%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ar5up5aYQSs/WqhtaEt3JkI/AAAAAAAAKAE/wjsOFO-hCm8e6YFQR77XbfijsKouLqXjACK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-98-Misc-Bangerts_5395%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bangert’s Florist / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">86-06 117th Street / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Richmond Hill, Queens</span></u><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zaHyW6Q3LVE/WqhtmKPRqEI/AAAAAAAAKAQ/wtE2Z2nFmrEV-ni6pL-H1qvG1qq6-3I6ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-417517%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zaHyW6Q3LVE/WqhtmKPRqEI/AAAAAAAAKAQ/wtE2Z2nFmrEV-ni6pL-H1qvG1qq6-3I6ACK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-417517%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="222" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lenox Liquors / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">100 W124th St / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">West Harlem, Manhattan</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T2YrnBLWNNI/WqhtowxP1wI/AAAAAAAAKAY/8EOPiFbQQpEy3XzhvebuhsYZS25sdbqzACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DRUGS-Retail-23_9769%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T2YrnBLWNNI/WqhtowxP1wI/AAAAAAAAKAY/8EOPiFbQQpEy3XzhvebuhsYZS25sdbqzACK4BGAYYCw/s320/DRUGS-Retail-23_9769%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="230" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Point Pharmacy / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hunts Point & Garrison Ave / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hunts Point, The Bronx</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RU1Zuvvof44/WqhtrIdGzFI/AAAAAAAAKAg/Kv5jo_FUNHw2LtGcuMaQbVnJ3nSbIMXUwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_1851%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RU1Zuvvof44/WqhtrIdGzFI/AAAAAAAAKAg/Kv5jo_FUNHw2LtGcuMaQbVnJ3nSbIMXUwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_1851%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="230" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fuller’s Drugs / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2688 3rd Ave. / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mott Haven, The Bronx</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xspg4UcXqC0/WqhtvhxetVI/AAAAAAAAKAo/H-XoOqPcpbsBsM1wFOWtVvAfg5StLD_xQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-85-Bar_8171.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xspg4UcXqC0/WqhtvhxetVI/AAAAAAAAKAo/H-XoOqPcpbsBsM1wFOWtVvAfg5StLD_xQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-85-Bar_8171.JPG" width="213" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Q Tavern / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">761 Nostrand Ave / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Crown Heights, Brooklyn</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N7WXtODBBwc/WqngZ3y0F5I/AAAAAAAAKCA/g-CZX5YBK84GKEUzUJJdQsepIMrV3BFVwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_2328-edit-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N7WXtODBBwc/WqngZ3y0F5I/AAAAAAAAKCA/g-CZX5YBK84GKEUzUJJdQsepIMrV3BFVwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_2328-edit-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gun Post Lanes / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1215 E Gun Hill Road / </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Williamsbridge, Bronx</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DjSZsfi9eu0/WqngYeWHOZI/AAAAAAAAKB4/M5LumuAzKBAJDm_u85Oj7klACFxLhagTQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-03_9640%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DjSZsfi9eu0/WqngYeWHOZI/AAAAAAAAKB4/M5LumuAzKBAJDm_u85Oj7klACFxLhagTQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-03_9640%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Delicatessen / 40 8th Ave., Greenwich Village, Manhattan</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RrV1ELTNVhs/WqngWWAZeTI/AAAAAAAAKBw/QHOpB_l7_ggFTmsYzC0hi42OG9iUEx-CQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-39-Jesus-StPauls_3139.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RrV1ELTNVhs/WqngWWAZeTI/AAAAAAAAKBw/QHOpB_l7_ggFTmsYzC0hi42OG9iUEx-CQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-39-Jesus-StPauls_3139.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>St Paul’s Church / 256 W145th Street, Hamilton Heights, Manhattan</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--0CNyr-5AlU/WqngTRGPaHI/AAAAAAAAKBo/tVYxtcvtL5soJhpJdJjuGUUC5939F9UpgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-64_0743-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--0CNyr-5AlU/WqngTRGPaHI/AAAAAAAAKBo/tVYxtcvtL5soJhpJdJjuGUUC5939F9UpgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-64_0743-edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Pier 40 / Greenwich Village, Manhattan</u></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pOoeja9N-6w/WqngQ4K7smI/AAAAAAAAKBg/lezMwGBZPtY-EtNWxWofAmg05hX5PEs-ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-65-Bar-MagicTouch_4096-edit-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pOoeja9N-6w/WqngQ4K7smI/AAAAAAAAKBg/lezMwGBZPtY-EtNWxWofAmg05hX5PEs-ACK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-65-Bar-MagicTouch_4096-edit-sm.jpg" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Magic Touch Restaurant / 69 3rd Street, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8n2oulOSE50/WqngNxZiInI/AAAAAAAAKBY/ELGJypbv5sogD6DLOwHOlbF_OKhvvr_SwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-70-Misc-Smolenski_8259.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8n2oulOSE50/WqngNxZiInI/AAAAAAAAKBY/ELGJypbv5sogD6DLOwHOlbF_OKhvvr_SwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-70-Misc-Smolenski_8259.JPG" width="213" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Smolenski Funeral Home / 1044 Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint, Brooklyn</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EDcOYfWFYlY/WqngKyvxZrI/AAAAAAAAKBQ/auQS0J_zEI8aM9LCOJ-rLAFUZDbIW3NWACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-107-Bar-KingstonLounge_3747-PANO.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EDcOYfWFYlY/WqngKyvxZrI/AAAAAAAAKBQ/auQS0J_zEI8aM9LCOJ-rLAFUZDbIW3NWACK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-107-Bar-KingstonLounge_3747-PANO.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Kingston Lounge / 120 Kingston Ave., Crown Heights, Brooklyn </u></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fd_oDR8FiYE/Wq6zGj8pmPI/AAAAAAAAKDQ/YfDGATmn4hMrB0dggDdEZYtwKAJ4P2fOwCLcBGAs/s1600/DARK-80-Misc-Catanias_4516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fd_oDR8FiYE/Wq6zGj8pmPI/AAAAAAAAKDQ/YfDGATmn4hMrB0dggDdEZYtwKAJ4P2fOwCLcBGAs/s320/DARK-80-Misc-Catanias_4516.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Catania’s Shoe Shop / 3015 Westchester Ave., Pelham, Bronx</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IZNuotF6bEQ/Wq61wRAzKMI/AAAAAAAAKDY/fSZ3XlYynVcmDml-agTcudK-_Q9kqNAAgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/MISC-41-Garry-07.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IZNuotF6bEQ/Wq61wRAzKMI/AAAAAAAAKDY/fSZ3XlYynVcmDml-agTcudK-_Q9kqNAAgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/MISC-41-Garry-07.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Garry Jewelers / 474 5th Ave., Park Slope, Brooklyn</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gwCl-39v1Qo/Wq618F8XNmI/AAAAAAAAKDg/_0vF5mOVrjIXotx-ArTo4HBui3CxS2gnACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/LIQUOR-05-HouseofWine%2526Liquor-01.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gwCl-39v1Qo/Wq618F8XNmI/AAAAAAAAKDg/_0vF5mOVrjIXotx-ArTo4HBui3CxS2gnACK4BGAYYCw/s320/LIQUOR-05-HouseofWine%2526Liquor-01.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><u style="font-family: '"arial"', '"helvetica"', sans-serif;">House of Wine & Liquor / 250 East 34th Street, Manhattan</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aU3n7nG-QyQ/WqngEB0Jh2I/AAAAAAAAKBI/P5TP8l3amXsZazI8i2BIdlQOfrabVAgMwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_3184-sm.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aU3n7nG-QyQ/WqngEB0Jh2I/AAAAAAAAKBI/P5TP8l3amXsZazI8i2BIdlQOfrabVAgMwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_3184-sm.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span>Caffe Roma / 176 Mulberry Street, Little Italy, Manhattan</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><u>IN OTHER NEON NEWS</u>: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Check out San Francisco <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/neon-speaks-early-bird-festival-pass-tickets-43226770434">NEON SPEAKS</a>! A weekend celebration of neon by the bay, coming April 20-22, 2018. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> From the Shorpy photo blog:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/23137">Picadilly Circus</a>, London's answer to Times Square, in 1961</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > An <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/23123">extravaganza of period signage</a> (including one little neon goblin) in small town Texas.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> In LA, an <a href="http://www.neonmona.org/collection/">arousing exhibit of preserved signs</a> at the Museum of Neon Art in LA. See also blogger Debra Jane Seltzer's <a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2018/03/11/mona-opening-liquor-motels-live-nude-girls/">review of the show here</a>. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> In Anchorage, Alaska, "The fate of the <a href="https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2018/03/07/an-anchorage-trash-company-took-an-iconic-neon-palm-tree-now-the-feds-want-it-back/">iconic neon palm tree</a> sign that once stood in front of the derelict Paradise Inn on Spenard Road will now be decided by a federal judge."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Reporting belatedly from Manhattan's Lower East side, the latterday neon landmark <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_923619776"></span>Schiller's restaurant has bowed out<span id="goog_923619777"></span></a>.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> In Rockland County, NY, someone has tried and failed to sell the wreckage of the <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-23VWFBKeXHU/UGsYNu_G41I/AAAAAAAACwA/l_wcIP-j8lU/s1600/Monsey-RocklandDriveIn-1.JPG">Rockland Drive-In Theatre signage</a> for <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/Huge-Historic-Vintage-Neon-Sign-Rockland-Drive-In-Theatre-18-039-double-sided-resto-/282855508824?">a whopping $19k</a>. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> And finally, from the extremely depressing news department, <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2018/3/16/17119988/el-quijote-hotel-chelsea-closure-nyc">confirmed reports</a> came late last week that the El Quijote restaurant on West 23rd Street, in Manhattan's shuttered Chelsea Hotel, will close at the end of March 2018 after an 88 year run. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-1007488376280005742018-02-27T04:56:00.000-08:002018-02-27T04:56:14.304-08:00Neon News & Links<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> From the bad news department, Angelo's on Mulberry Street in Little Italy <a href="https://ny.eater.com/2018/2/20/17031618/angelos-little-italy-fire-closed-nyc">suffered a serious fire</a> on February 17, 2018, and will be closed at least for several months. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BUO4GEIaDn0/WpTTcwRbALI/AAAAAAAAJ64/STUEUFFrEhENu7Xi-TGWsa4L_au-xHhcQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_2968%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BUO4GEIaDn0/WpTTcwRbALI/AAAAAAAAJ64/STUEUFFrEhENu7Xi-TGWsa4L_au-xHhcQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_2968%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Closed indefinitely due to fire: Angelo's of Mulberry Street. (T. Rinaldi)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> The official fork has been stuck in Two Boots Pizza's plan for the former Loft's Candy space on Nassau Street. A "space for rent" sign has gone up. This casts serious doubt on the future of the incredible Loft's sign, whose <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2016/10/lofts-lost-and-found.html">restoration was in progress</a>.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--giJMM0t6oU/WpTTljrh_wI/AAAAAAAAJ7A/WeoGyjPkI4QynaRILJYP9g3Ew3WK0XjVwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_2438%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--giJMM0t6oU/WpTTljrh_wI/AAAAAAAAJ7A/WeoGyjPkI4QynaRILJYP9g3Ew3WK0XjVwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_2438%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="303" /></a></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not so fast: Loft's neon resurrection in doubt. (T. Rinaldi)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> Also from the bad news department: we learned recently that Seward Wines and Liquors on Grand Street is no more. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CEefISeZ7Ls/WpTToxHVm7I/AAAAAAAAJ7I/vZYdNmDFcpE35aR4iySjtAQqo4XhkNLewCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_2235%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CEefISeZ7Ls/WpTToxHVm7I/AAAAAAAAJ7I/vZYdNmDFcpE35aR4iySjtAQqo4XhkNLewCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_2235%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RIP: Seward Park Wines & Liquors. (T. Rinaldi)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> From the Shorpy blog, the following: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > Neon Central - <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/23065">Times Square NYC, 1957</a> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> > Anytown Neon - <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/23062">Durham, NC, 1940</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Check out the American Sign Museum's "<a href="https://www.americansignmuseum.org/restore/projects/all">Save Our Signs</a>" campaign. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> A lovely <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/02/nyregion/the-elegant-relic-of-restaurant-row.html">tribute to West 46th Street's legendary Barbetta Restaurant</a> featured in the New York Times, with an honorable mention for the NY Neon blog, by writer Julie Besonen. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XeuArfApWyM/WpTTskYXgKI/AAAAAAAAJ7Q/JxVoiB_NYDoUeUP4BN3XjKU9kL7lMEOjQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_3957%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XeuArfApWyM/WpTTskYXgKI/AAAAAAAAJ7Q/JxVoiB_NYDoUeUP4BN3XjKU9kL7lMEOjQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_3957%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pre-neon survivor: Barbetta's opalescent sign glows on over West 46th Street. (T. Rinaldi)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> In Jersey, the great TRENTON MAKES - THE WORLD TAKES sign <a href="http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2017/12/trenton_makes_sign_getting_a_facelift_for_its_100t.html">has been LED-ed</a>. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Over at the Bowery Boys podcast, an <a href="http://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2017/09/times-square-1970s-grindhouses-peep-shows-xxx-neon-nostalgia.html">evocative visit to the low years of Times Square</a> in all its neon-clad glory. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> While listening to the Bowery Boys reminisce on 42nd Street's bygone grit, feast your eyes on <a href="http://allthatsinteresting.com/1970s-times-square">these fantastic photos</a> by Maggie Hop showing Times Square and environs awash in crumbling, grit-encrusted neon signs. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> And finally, from Debra Jane Seltzer, enough bad news to make you sick for a good long time. Debra Jane spent the first months of 2018 checking in on a few dozen of the old signs she's photographed across the country. The results of her survey are just plain heart breaking. Her state-by-state redux starts <a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2018/01/21/read-em-weep-part-1/">here</a>. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taking stock at Debra Jane Seltzer's Roadside Architecture blog.</span><br />
<br />T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-27142856898876006112018-02-13T05:15:00.000-08:002018-02-13T05:15:32.551-08:00Strand Books Neon<div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I will grant that my neon-centric worldview has made me abnormally attuned to all things neon. But on a recent visit to the Strand bookstore here in New York, neon seemed to be everywhere. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The trend for fake neon in graphic design (as noted in <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2017/01/fake-neon.html">this post</a> from last year) continues, as can be seen in cover art for all sorts of books. Some of these neon covers, like that of Sheldon and Stefan Nadelman's superb book called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USDCEyHt7rI">Terminal Bar</a>, are at least tangentially related to the subject matter within. Others, not so much. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tFZwo_EmUQ4/WoHmb5SgbeI/AAAAAAAAJ2c/MBV4IMy00PQAlGLPNYFGTNGeKgql1HqiwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_6744%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tFZwo_EmUQ4/WoHmb5SgbeI/AAAAAAAAJ2c/MBV4IMy00PQAlGLPNYFGTNGeKgql1HqiwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_6744%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_tQTq_kjy9M/WoHmmf8dmrI/AAAAAAAAJ2s/fQSdgRvhT4gjprjPjDLybZ-Amt1GeXmdgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7935%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_tQTq_kjy9M/WoHmmf8dmrI/AAAAAAAAJ2s/fQSdgRvhT4gjprjPjDLybZ-Amt1GeXmdgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7935%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Over on the new releases table, we find Hermione Hoby's novel <a href="http://www.strandbooks.com/fiction/neon%2Din%2Ddaylight%2Da%2Dnovel/_/searchString/neon%20in%20daylight">Neon in Daylight</a>, named in reference to Frank O'Hara's <u>Lunch Poems</u> ("Neon in daylight is a great pleasure . . . "). O'Hara, incidentally, lived just two blocks down from the Strand, in an old building that <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2011/04/791-broadway.html">was destroyed a few years back</a> to make way for a junior sized luxury residential palazzo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JiUlYao2LGg/WoHmvM8xV8I/AAAAAAAAJ28/s_K1PYLUogQtblASgd7bgZmpjszOKORfwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7947%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JiUlYao2LGg/WoHmvM8xV8I/AAAAAAAAJ28/s_K1PYLUogQtblASgd7bgZmpjszOKORfwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7947%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Better still, neon between the covers. Some old New York signs (neon and other) get their due in <a href="http://www.juliawertz.com/">Julia Wertz</a>'s lovely new book <a href="http://www.strandbooks.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=search.results&includeOutOfStock=0&searchString=tenements%2C+towers+and+trash">Tenements, Towers & Trash: An Unconventional Illustrated History of New York City</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9ePhkwGXP74/WoHmzlqivYI/AAAAAAAAJ3E/sjmmMniFjUIVaUW1L1pVa_sdp9aUwJgIQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7940%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9ePhkwGXP74/WoHmzlqivYI/AAAAAAAAJ3E/sjmmMniFjUIVaUW1L1pVa_sdp9aUwJgIQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7940%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Up in the photography section, meanwhile, neon makes some resplendent cameos in "<a href="http://www.strandbooks.com/product/fred%2Dherzog%2Dmodern%2Dcolor/_/searchString/fred%20herzog">Modern Color</a>," a monograph of works by photographer <a href="https://www.equinoxgallery.com/artists/portfolio/fred-herzog">Fred Herzog</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ug5Vi0aCoYs/WoHm9RDKssI/AAAAAAAAJ3U/TubLJcPLViIKDJWgbTWvGqlmswW2y68QwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7930%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ug5Vi0aCoYs/WoHm9RDKssI/AAAAAAAAJ3U/TubLJcPLViIKDJWgbTWvGqlmswW2y68QwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7930%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">And then there's <a href="http://www.strandbooks.com/product/i%2Dsee%2Da%2Dcity%2Dtodd%2Dwebbs%2Dnew%2Dyork/_/searchString/i%20see%20a%20city">I See A City: Todd Webb's New York</a>, an exceptional photographic freeze-frame of the city as it appeared in the 1940s and 50s. If not the first compendium of NYC street photographs from this era, this is certainly one of the most engaging and drool-inducing I've seen in a long time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KWynfLGZDUc/WoHnAT5xOHI/AAAAAAAAJ3c/qfYKs2M7JSIJ5VcJpF1lPVJbWjdrbwsOACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_6727%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KWynfLGZDUc/WoHnAT5xOHI/AAAAAAAAJ3c/qfYKs2M7JSIJ5VcJpF1lPVJbWjdrbwsOACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_6727%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3e4g2WD0TTk/WoHnG8bJ0zI/AAAAAAAAJ3s/4KL4XqeUBRUL3jGAGqfycixPETDqa2Y5ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_6729%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3e4g2WD0TTk/WoHnG8bJ0zI/AAAAAAAAJ3s/4KL4XqeUBRUL3jGAGqfycixPETDqa2Y5ACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_6729%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A9odqPs7ODI/WoHnJqIIPyI/AAAAAAAAJ30/AxcPhqn3NU8AMbXBAAWu9XLWKOwN_EgxwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_6736%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A9odqPs7ODI/WoHnJqIIPyI/AAAAAAAAJ30/AxcPhqn3NU8AMbXBAAWu9XLWKOwN_EgxwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_6736%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Finally, over by the cash registers, one last little testimonial for neon's place in the iconography of the city: a nice glamour shot of the Chelsea Hotel sign in a rack of postcards featuring classic images that define the city, from the Staten Island Ferry to the Brooklyn Bridge to the famed WE ARE HAPPY TO SERVE YOU coffee cup. In <a href="http://books.wwnorton.com/books/New-York-Neon/">the New York Neon book</a>, I wrote that <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2012/05/hotel-neon-chelsea-hotel.html">the Chelsea Hotel sign</a>'s neon tubes are "as much interwoven with the fabric of the city's identity as any landmark of brick and mortar." The sign itself has gone unlit for years now, leaving us to wait and see whether this particular icon will prove more or less ephemeral than its likeness in books and picture postcards.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TTO-n0ewIKc/WoHnOs1HrDI/AAAAAAAAJ38/0tfFWMRznfkoKxGwuVBCtyi1407fnMSVQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7926%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TTO-n0ewIKc/WoHnOs1HrDI/AAAAAAAAJ38/0tfFWMRznfkoKxGwuVBCtyi1407fnMSVQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7926%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a> </span></div>
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T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-12729977029871886652018-01-10T05:03:00.001-08:002018-01-10T05:03:17.438-08:00Lights Out 2017: Signs We Lost This Year<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">Once again, this year's headline is a bit of a misnomer - some of these seem to have already been gone for a year or more. Be that as it may - here they are, another year's round-up. Read'em and weep.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-bxmV8hvr0/WlQvRtuijTI/AAAAAAAAJx4/_10MuHQtFJolJDBiWn0P86OiSYhAwIKUwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_1917%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-bxmV8hvr0/WlQvRtuijTI/AAAAAAAAJx4/_10MuHQtFJolJDBiWn0P86OiSYhAwIKUwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_1917%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">East 94th Street (Yorkville) Garage, 231 E94th Street, Manhattan / Installed c.1937</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;">This sign featured splendid, totally unique art deco detailing. Gone now, replaced rather inexplicably by <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/Jnorcx37nb52">a new neon sign</a> with none of the charm of its predecessor. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4gFjFTRMcL4/WlQvXcwo9aI/AAAAAAAAJyA/T18w0G4w14Yv1yoLkiu9h7GBImrf5SKIQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_0335%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4gFjFTRMcL4/WlQvXcwo9aI/AAAAAAAAJyA/T18w0G4w14Yv1yoLkiu9h7GBImrf5SKIQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_0335%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Joe Abbraciamento Restaurant, 62-96 Woodhaven Blvd., Queens / Installed c. 1949, alterations c. 1998</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;">This longtime Queens eatery actually <a href="http://www.qchron.com/editions/queenswide/abbracciamento-s-closing-its-doors/article_516a1076-d460-5218-8f4d-fec1f045f13e.html">closed back in 2014</a>. Its building, a former movie theater, was subsequently bulldozed to make way for a new apartment building, but the site remained vacant for years afterward.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A7f9ev2BPu8/WlQvnRASoII/AAAAAAAAJyI/FvDytaSGoiofKIwVXXTcAK5Nv92rELuUACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_3113%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A7f9ev2BPu8/WlQvnRASoII/AAAAAAAAJyI/FvDytaSGoiofKIwVXXTcAK5Nv92rELuUACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_3113%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Metropolitan Life Insurance Co, 200 Park Avenue, Manhattan / Installed 1992-93</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;">Heir to the spot once held by <a href="https://www.6sqft.com/the-metlife-buildings-letters-are-getting-a-makeover/">the famed Pan Am sign</a>, the giant Met Life logo <a href="http://newyork.citybizlist.com/article/355612/iconic-metlife-building-signs-to-be-updated-with-energy-efficient-led-lighting">came down this past summer</a> to make way for the company's updated logo, now rendered in LEDs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uN8sn8FPy_s/WlQvrWPI_EI/AAAAAAAAJyQ/xnkQgDXTvNUG12ZXkmeRve3lemalDuXxACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_7498%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uN8sn8FPy_s/WlQvrWPI_EI/AAAAAAAAJyQ/xnkQgDXTvNUG12ZXkmeRve3lemalDuXxACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_7498%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Leonard’s Bootery, 89-35 164th Street, Jamaica, Queens / Installed c. 1950</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;">Leonard's decamped from this address around 2015. The storefront has since been completely stripped and re-faced. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ocIVMylG0Z8/WlQvxVZqWXI/AAAAAAAAJyY/T1n7lfaAPTEU9v61DkuxDaEX8kkEJJVZgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/REST-51-Carnegie-19%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ocIVMylG0Z8/WlQvxVZqWXI/AAAAAAAAJyY/T1n7lfaAPTEU9v61DkuxDaEX8kkEJJVZgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/REST-51-Carnegie-19%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Carnegie Deli, 854 7th Avenue, Manhattan / Installed c. 1960</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;">In business since 1937, the Carnegie Deli was one of the city's most iconic commercial institutions until its owners bowed out at the end of 2016 so that its lovely old building could be knocked down for new development. The Carnegie's sign was <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2017/02/carnegie-deli-sign-ii.html">later seen being carted off</a> through the streets of Lower Manhattan. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-otdcqonn56I/WlQv00xpxMI/AAAAAAAAJyk/Lw4dU5hU1u0yhjA1BF_fKg8Pq4mcOvZlwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/PARK-23_1908%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-otdcqonn56I/WlQv00xpxMI/AAAAAAAAJyk/Lw4dU5hU1u0yhjA1BF_fKg8Pq4mcOvZlwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/PARK-23_1908%2B%2528Large%2529.JPG" width="213" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">West 57th St Garage, 622 W57th Street, Manhattan / Installed 1949</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;">A side street favorite, this sign bore the maker's tag of the long-vanished E.G. Clarke Sign Co., the same company that gave us the great <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-class-of-33.html">Dublin House sign</a> on West 79th Street. The entire building was demolished in 2015-16 to make way for new high rise development. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eqFvI0UQMnY/WlWDgMrtT9I/AAAAAAAAJzg/axAuXHbDZLkHvDUfIRM7Wofw1aVSmBl-ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_0174-edit-crop-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eqFvI0UQMnY/WlWDgMrtT9I/AAAAAAAAJzg/axAuXHbDZLkHvDUfIRM7Wofw1aVSmBl-ACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_0174-edit-crop-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Famous Cozy Corner Soup'n'Burger, 730 Broadway, Manhattan </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;">Cozy Corner is still with us but its lovely exposed tube neon fascia sign has been LED'd. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IGigJ7862_Y/WlWKLlGE2OI/AAAAAAAAJ0E/iIrQ_LFyqCkof5rOOGuIWNUjVYbvSEJuACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_9885.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IGigJ7862_Y/WlWKLlGE2OI/AAAAAAAAJ0E/iIrQ_LFyqCkof5rOOGuIWNUjVYbvSEJuACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_9885.JPG" width="213" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Manor Community Church, 348-350 W26th St., Manhattan / Installed c. 1945</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;">LED'd in 2017 after several years unlit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GhFyKIZJm1s/WlWDqfHdN1I/AAAAAAAAJzw/MJaVSVaahnM0FdusMM3ZZvz6VqUOYMoYACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_2202.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GhFyKIZJm1s/WlWDqfHdN1I/AAAAAAAAJzw/MJaVSVaahnM0FdusMM3ZZvz6VqUOYMoYACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_2202.JPG" width="212" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Campanile Restaurant (formerly the Weathervane Inn), 30 E29th St., Manhattan / Installed 1952</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;">Darkened when the Campanile was forced to close a few years ago as this entire block of handsome old facades was being emptied in preparation for demolition, which began in late 2017. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nz2agoQLVOE/WlQv8vgT8RI/AAAAAAAAJys/-q_HV5MwWbUanqHAeSDiGyTcEU27ZOeIwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/ROOF-33-19-Rector_3557-edit%2B%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: '"courier new"', '"courier"', monospace;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nz2agoQLVOE/WlQv8vgT8RI/AAAAAAAAJys/-q_HV5MwWbUanqHAeSDiGyTcEU27ZOeIwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/ROOF-33-19-Rector_3557-edit%2B%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">19 Rector Street (roof sign), 19 Rector Street, Manhattan / Installed circa-pre-1960</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;">Hidden in plain sight, this massive roof sign beamed out across New York Harbor for decades. In the 1980s it scored <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2012/05/working-girl-neon.html">a minor cameo</a> in the film Working Girl. It quietly disappeared in late 2017. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><u>AND THE ONES TO WATCH IN 2018</u>:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gFR9GtVcV1M/WlQxRoCEF9I/AAAAAAAAJy4/cTAOAUljn7sOpKrCK8yaixqMiYOddMW7gCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/LIQUOR-18_0612-crop-watermark.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gFR9GtVcV1M/WlQxRoCEF9I/AAAAAAAAJy4/cTAOAUljn7sOpKrCK8yaixqMiYOddMW7gCK4BGAYYCw/s320/LIQUOR-18_0612-crop-watermark.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">North Village Wine & Liquor, 254 W14th Street, Manhattan / Installed c. 1950</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;">Slated to vanish along with a cluster of old buildings at the southeast corner of 14th Street and 8th Avenue that are scheduled to be cleared for large scale new construction. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9eLBEYEGkPo/WlWDj-ZcexI/AAAAAAAAJzo/TnfPChmoXxgWbIkqsQcJwxcHlLbwh50hgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_5079-edit%2B%2528Large%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: '"arial"', '"helvetica"', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9eLBEYEGkPo/WlWDj-ZcexI/AAAAAAAAJzo/TnfPChmoXxgWbIkqsQcJwxcHlLbwh50hgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_5079-edit%2B%2528Large%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Horn & Hardart Retail Shop, Dekalb Ave. at Bond St., Brooklyn / Installed circa-pre-1960</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;">Best known for their chain of Automats, Horn & Hardart also operated a number of retail shops in New York City for many years. This remnant was unearthed with the removal of later signage in preparation for the demolition of the old Downtown Brooklyn building on which it hangs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WNktHVrDZqE/WlQxafU84pI/AAAAAAAAJzA/uqgFdyHPdOc3RZ5V7De1MHZcLiJcPTu7ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_8969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'courier new', courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WNktHVrDZqE/WlQxafU84pI/AAAAAAAAJzA/uqgFdyHPdOc3RZ5V7De1MHZcLiJcPTu7ACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_8969.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">L</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">oft Candies, 88 Nassau Street, Manhattan / Installed c. 1960</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;">An especially sad story, as this sign was in the midst of being restored after years laying hidden under newer signage. Alas, the deal for this storefront to be reactivated as a Lower Manhattan outpost of the Two Boots Pizza chain has been stalled for more than a year, so this sign merits listing on the 2018 endangered list. Here's hoping for better news to come. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><b><u>PREVIOUSLY IN THIS SERIES</u>:</b></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Lights Out <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2016/12/lights-out-2016-signs-we-lost-this-year.html">2016</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Lights Out <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2015/12/lights-out-2015-signs-we-lost-this-year.html">2015</a></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "courier new";">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new";"> Lights Out <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2014/12/lights-out-2014-signs-we-lost-this-year.html">2014</a></span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><span style="font-family: "courier new";">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new";"> Lights Out <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2013/12/lights-out-2013-signs-we-lost-this-year.html">2013</a></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><span style="font-family: "courier new";">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new";"> Lights Out <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2012/12/lights-out-2012-signs-we-lost-this-year.html">2012</a></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Lights Out <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2011/12/lights-out-signs-lost-in-2011.html">2011</a></span></b></span>T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-26010596462986775472017-10-23T05:15:00.000-07:002017-10-23T06:38:49.543-07:00Neon News & Links<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Ladies and gentlemen, we give you: <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/Vintage-Signs-of-Americ-Debr-Jane-Seltzer/9781445669489?ref=grid-view">Vintage Signs of America</a>! For years, I've posted links to the extraordinary work of sign and roadside architecture documentarian Debra Jane Seltzer. I'm happy to report that Debra Jane now has published a book featuring some of her work - <a href="http://www.cnn.com/travel/article/vintage-american-road-signs/index.html">check it out</a>! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4jwKnYUnjxI/WeoEztwJvOI/AAAAAAAAJpQ/Kct9ODIxsFYP9mGZIaWlWfg6Y6cQXMVgACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Seltzer-VSofA.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4jwKnYUnjxI/WeoEztwJvOI/AAAAAAAAJpQ/Kct9ODIxsFYP9mGZIaWlWfg6Y6cQXMVgACK4BGAYYCw/s320/Seltzer-VSofA.jpg" width="221" /></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"> </span><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Vintage Signs of America" by Debra Jane Seltzer. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> 14th Street's seemingly indestructible DISCOUNT LIQUORS sign may be near the end, as an entire corner looks to be poised for bigtime redevelopment - via <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2017/09/14th-and-8th.html">Jeremiah's Vanishing NY</a> and the <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2017/10/16/the-gritty-appeal-of-a-14th-street-liquors-sign/">Ephemeral NY blog</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W4LN8Yc04aU/WeoGSGz2-wI/AAAAAAAAJpc/DEL0-610bmIJQUQBzblEWHwAt9K9Q589QCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/LIQUOR-18_0612-crop-watermark.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W4LN8Yc04aU/WeoGSGz2-wI/AAAAAAAAJpc/DEL0-610bmIJQUQBzblEWHwAt9K9Q589QCK4BGAYYCw/s320/LIQUOR-18_0612-crop-watermark.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">14th Street's DISCOUNT LIQUORS sign in better days. (T.Rinaldi)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/13/style/neon-is-back.html?emc=eta1">Neon is Back</a>" - The Times on New York's neon revival.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> In Philadelphia - a great <a href="https://newsblog.drexel.edu/2017/04/14/vintage-neon-signs-light-up-at-drexel/">exhibit of old neon signs</a> from the <a href="http://www.davidsonneon.com/">Len Davidson collection</a> has been extended at least through October - check it out at Drexel University. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Not neon but still of note: on Manhattan's Lower East Side, JVNY reports that the empty husk of the late Cup and Saucer lunch counter has been <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2017/09/cup-saucer-stripped.html">stripped of its great old signs</a>. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-klocvzmWVs4/WelmeslVNZI/AAAAAAAAJo4/MD_617JGZhEn7z4mPpk7QEgqoTJQIYY9ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_6626-sm-watermark.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-klocvzmWVs4/WelmeslVNZI/AAAAAAAAJo4/MD_617JGZhEn7z4mPpk7QEgqoTJQIYY9ACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_6626-sm-watermark.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The late lovely Cup & Saucer Luncheonette, formerly at 89 Canal Street in Manhattan. (T. Rinaldi)</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> In Dalles, Oregon, the <a href="http://www.nationalneonsignmuseum.org/">National Neon Sign Museum</a> is set to open next year. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> If you haven't yet - head over to the old Tekserve space on 23rd street and check out a <a href="https://untappedcities.com/2017/08/29/nycs-first-poster-museum-is-coming-to-chelsea/">great gallery of vintage NYC posters</a>, remnants of vanished venues and businesses across the city. (The gallery can be visited by appointment only).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Some <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/22429">vintage Vegas neon</a> via the Shorpy blog. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> After years laying in limbo, the west side's old <a href="http://nyneon.blogspot.com/2012/10/hotel-neon-keller-hotel.html"><span id="goog_1666910365"></span>Keller Hotel<span id="goog_1666910366"></span></a> is finally <a href="https://www.yimbynews.com/2017/04/landmarks-approval-paves-way-for-revival-of-west-villages-keller-hotel.html">staged for restoration</a>, together with its fantastic old sign.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-THb-7MntgZI/Welmk8YxHkI/AAAAAAAAJpA/FFdJhMhC8kIqW3RULsoZZO4hMwiW9ir-ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/DARK-18_7002-sm-watermark.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-THb-7MntgZI/Welmk8YxHkI/AAAAAAAAJpA/FFdJhMhC8kIqW3RULsoZZO4hMwiW9ir-ACK4BGAYYCw/s320/DARK-18_7002-sm-watermark.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Poised for restoration: the Keller Hotel, at the foot of Barrow Street in Greenwich Village. (T. Rinaldi)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-68680268835627633852017-09-24T11:52:00.002-07:002017-09-24T11:52:18.046-07:00East Side, West Side: New Neon Walking Tours and Other Neon News<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> New Neon Walking Tours scheduled! In association with <a href="https://www.pentagram.com/work/poster-house">PosterHouseNYC</a>. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > West Village Tour, Oct 3, 2017. Click <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vintage-neon-of-greenwich-village-walking-tour-tickets-37455850457">here</a> for Tickets!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > East Village Tour, Oct 10, 2017. Click <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vintage-neon-of-the-east-village-walking-tour-tickets-37455886565">here</a> for Tickets!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OL8bOCmJbVc/Wcf80tuvkfI/AAAAAAAAJkg/gOE97HGHe84cyH7Dk04Zu49o29qK5ie8QCLcBGAs/s1600/I.43-Katz-2066-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OL8bOCmJbVc/Wcf80tuvkfI/AAAAAAAAJkg/gOE97HGHe84cyH7Dk04Zu49o29qK5ie8QCLcBGAs/s320/I.43-Katz-2066-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Katz's Delicatessen on Houston Street, a stop on the East Village Tour. (T. Rinaldi)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > Also - check out the <a href="https://ny.curbed.com/2017/8/23/16190754/nyc-poster-museum-chelsea-high-line">super awesome PosterHouse exhibit</a> in the ex-Tekserve space on West 23rd Street, featuring posters from vanished NY businesses.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> </span>From the shameless self promotion department: if you're on Instagram, so am I: Check out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nyneonbook/">@nyneonbook on Insta</a>. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MM3IuuZrNPw/Wcfm-0jNM1I/AAAAAAAAJjo/axODHfqKz1MpzLdBz8RLYebaaWTesBumgCLcBGAs/s1600/NYNeonBook-IG.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="496" height="278" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MM3IuuZrNPw/Wcfm-0jNM1I/AAAAAAAAJjo/axODHfqKz1MpzLdBz8RLYebaaWTesBumgCLcBGAs/s320/NYNeonBook-IG.tiff" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nyneonbook/?hl=en" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">NYNeonBook</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center;"> on Instagram.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> A whole bunch of stuff from Debra Jane Seltzer - here's a few to get you started:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2017/06/20/day-2-and-3-but-its-a-dry-heat/">Southwest Neon</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2017/06/21/day-4-mostly-tucson/">Mostly Tuscon</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2017/06/21/day-5-from-tucson-onward-to-new-mexico/">Tuscon to New Mexico</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2017/06/22/day-6-more-southern-nm-el-paso/">Southern New Mexica to El Paso</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2017/06/23/day-8-texas-hot/">Texas</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2017/06/24/day-10-onward-to-fort-worth/">Towards Fort Worth</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> > <a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2017/06/24/day-9-toughing-it-out-around-abilene/">Abilene & Around</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Via Jeremiah's Vanishing New York, the <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2017/06/second-ave-san-loco.html">loss of Second Avenue's San Loco</a>. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Savor the neon in the backdrop of <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2017/07/03/a-dutch-sailors-photos-of-the-new-york-of-1979/">these 1979 NYC street scenes</a> by Dutch sailor Peter van Wijk (via Ephemeral NY) - then enjoy these non-neon-but-still-cool <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2017/08/07/7-greenwich-village-shops-from-summer-1979/">vanished storefronts</a> from the same collection. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Not neon, but from the typography department - check out these pretty pictures from the <a href="http://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/gail-bichler-the-new-york-times-magazine-graphic-design-100717?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+itsnicethat%2FSlXC+%28It%27s+Nice+That%29">NY Times Magazine Typography Exhibition</a>. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> An <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2017/07/10/going-back-in-time-at-the-villages-corner-bistro/">homage to the Corner Bistro</a>, from Ephemeral NY. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T5M7EuUVy3A/Wcf70aqTmmI/AAAAAAAAJkQ/WYK4HknO7k8FkQ6iSqzk1VprelEdhi7jgCLcBGAs/s1600/REST-31-3600-crop-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1000" height="287" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T5M7EuUVy3A/Wcf70aqTmmI/AAAAAAAAJkQ/WYK4HknO7k8FkQ6iSqzk1VprelEdhi7jgCLcBGAs/s320/REST-31-3600-crop-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Corner Bistro. (T. Rinaldi)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> In Roanoke, VA: "<a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/local/roanoke/as-neon-fades-roanoke-explores-new-options-for-iconic-star/article_fa9517ec-654e-5a7a-ac0f-11541ad5f04d.html">As Neon Fades, Roanoke Explores New Options for Iconic Star</a>." </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> In Fall River, MA, the <a href="http://www.heraldnews.com/news/20170509/al-macs-neon-sign-comes-down">Al Mac's Diner sign has come down</a>.... but there's <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/x5wkkpw">a GoFundMe to save it</a>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Not neon, but - from the disappearing old stores of NYC department, <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2017/07/park-deli.html">say goodbye to the Park Delicatessen</a> in Greenpoint, Brooklyn (via JVNY) </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Via SHORPY: Some scenes of vanished neon glory in <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/22339">Omaha</a> and in the backdrop of a <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/22396">creepily-timely photo of a 1930s Nazi march in NYC</a>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> In Washington, DC, crisis averted: the <a href="http://dcist.com/2017/07/uptown_theater_1.php">near-demise</a> of the classic Uptown Theatre neon. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Neon in the backdrop of <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2017/08/carole-tellers-changing-new-york.html">these great 1960s-70s photos by Carole Teller</a>, part of an archive recently digitized and made <a href="http://www.archive.gvshp.org/collections/show/23">available online by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation</a> (via the JVNY blog).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> From the Le Sigh department .... In Syracuse, the <a href="http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2017/01/new_led_syracuse_sign_greets_travelers_at_hancock_airport.html">supremely cool Hancock Airport sign</a> <a href="http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2016/12/iconic_syracuse_sign_at_hancock_airport_getting_led_replacement.html">has gone LED</a>. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> New York sign shop <a href="https://www.signsofthetimes.com/article/cuban-connection">Let There Be Neon is helping out with a campaign to save Havana's historic neon</a> (via Signs of the Times Magazine).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Feast your eyes on the glorious vanished neon (and other) storefronts of Brooklyn in a collection of photos called "<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BXN5JWkHgYO/?taken-by=urbanarchiveny">Great Store F(r)onts</a>," from UrbanArchiveNY and the Brooklyn Historical Society.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hKreZGt0dbU/Wcfr6Ine0fI/AAAAAAAAJkA/CK5tRNFulNMqfrm6pNe1akNy44shBdySwCLcBGAs/s1600/UrbanArchive-IG.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="477" height="208" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hKreZGt0dbU/Wcfr6Ine0fI/AAAAAAAAJkA/CK5tRNFulNMqfrm6pNe1akNy44shBdySwCLcBGAs/s320/UrbanArchive-IG.tiff" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Great Store F(r)onts, via <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BXN5JWkHgYO/?taken-by=urbanarchiveny">UrbanArchiveNY</a>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> In Long Beach, CA, a plan to <a href="http://www.presstelegram.com/general-news/20160807/long-beachs-fly-dc-jets-sign-symbol-of-a-bygone-era-may-become-historic-landmark">protect and save the fabulously historic "Fly DC Jets" sign</a>. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> In the Bronx, the old Potter's Men's Shop has gone and now so has its reliquary neon.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f4gVeNbd6FY/Wcfm8X2o-oI/AAAAAAAAJjk/f1NOpqPzEZMOxgS5qOK4Y8qb1G89sW5xgCLcBGAs/s1600/MISC-108-Potters_9342-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f4gVeNbd6FY/Wcfm8X2o-oI/AAAAAAAAJjk/f1NOpqPzEZMOxgS5qOK4Y8qb1G89sW5xgCLcBGAs/s320/MISC-108-Potters_9342-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">RIP: Potter's Men's Shop vanished a few years ago. Now their ghost sign has too. (T. Rinaldi)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Via Thrillist.... <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Thrillist/videos/10105186441785890/?hc_ref=ARRTX8chNDILd_9SgIDkqLq3p6Xu8OA_kmfd-HWuw7tqlvctQyibkoN550AXcbXcOEQ">step inside</a> the shop of LiteBrite Neon of Gowanus (video) </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Learn or re-learn: "<a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/peopleandplaces/this-is-how-neon-signs-are-made/vp-BBDU7eT">This is How Neon Signs Are Made</a>" ~ a tutorial with Esteban Salazar of UrbanGlass in Brooklyn (also video).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> In Philadelphia: author and neon practitioner Len Davidson's dream of a neon museum is <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/living/neon-sign-museum-leo-davison-drexel-show-collector-inga-saffron.html">coming closer to reality</a>. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Neon on the cover of the Atlantic.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Atlantic at Oblong Books, Rhinebeck, NY</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-83682637540885758552017-06-21T04:29:00.000-07:002017-06-21T10:44:05.472-07:00In Other Neon News<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">For want of a more substantive post, some neon news and links.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">In New York, no neon news is good neon news these days:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> On the west side, the West 57th Street Garage (along with its gorgeous, three-story high sign) is no more. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h9NUr1pViKg/WUnMRVKoy9I/AAAAAAAAJTM/t4y6r-Dz9EEr_CwGsRF4380sF904F9--QCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_8438-sm-watermark.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h9NUr1pViKg/WUnMRVKoy9I/AAAAAAAAJTM/t4y6r-Dz9EEr_CwGsRF4380sF904F9--QCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_8438-sm-watermark.JPG" width="213" /></a></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The once resplendent West 57th Street Garage has been demolished. (T. Rinaldi)</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span>On the east side, the veteran Japanese restaurant <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BVi1axvjek0/?taken-by=sign_of_the_time">East has closed</a>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;"> Uptown, the picked-over husk of the Lenox Lounge has been <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2017/05/lenox-lounge-demolished.html">put out of its misery</a>, to make way for unspecified chain retail. </span><span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;"> Give me strength. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 \\22 courier new\\22 \22 " , "\22 \\22 courier\\22 \22 " , monospace;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Downtown, Pearl Paint's vanished neon has resurfaced as <a href="http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2017/03/pearl-paint-luxe.html">luxury tsotschke</a>. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> All over town, American Apparel has <a href="http://bedfordandbowery.com/2017/04/its-closing-time-for-all-of-american-apparels-nyc-stores/">left New York</a>, dimming some of the city's best new neon. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> In Queens, Astoria's Broadway Liquors <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BVfnvpAhkIu/?taken-by=larnjee">has LEDed</a> what was one of New York's best neon storefronts.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CW2BsOK0-oQ/WUnNKUvm2YI/AAAAAAAAJTg/leQ5fsolmQMEcMbFaeuNr7DmmlYZTMMywCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/LIQUOR-29_4685-sm-WATERMARK.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CW2BsOK0-oQ/WUnNKUvm2YI/AAAAAAAAJTg/leQ5fsolmQMEcMbFaeuNr7DmmlYZTMMywCK4BGAYYCw/s320/LIQUOR-29_4685-sm-WATERMARK.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Broadway Wines & Liquors in Astoria boasted one of New York's best neon storefronts. (T. Rinaldi)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Goodbye to all that. Meanwhile, elsewhere . . . </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> For your listening pleasure: <a href="http://www.starktruthradio.com/?p=2228">my interview</a> on the Stark Truth podcast with Robert Stark. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Out west, sign chronicler Debra Jane Seltzer has been out and about - warning, there are some grizzly before-and-afters here:</span></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > <a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2017/06/04/day-1-sw-vacation-calif-to-arizona/">Cali to AZ</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > <a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2017/05/18/road-testing/">In-n-around LA</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > <a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2017/04/03/l-a-ish-quickie/">More In-n-around LA</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > <a href="https://roadsidenut.wordpress.com/2017/03/05/two-mini-trips/">A little here, a little there</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> Via Weather.com, "<a href="https://weather.com/photos/news/creepy-abandoned-ghost-signs-us">Creepy Abandoned Ghost Signs</a>" </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">From down south: "</span><a href="https://www.wideopencountry.com/todd-sanders-texas-neon/" style="font-family: '"courier new"', '"courier"', monospace;">Meet Todd Sanders</a><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">, the Man Who Keeps the Texas Neon Burning" </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Some windows into a neon-lit past over at Shorpy: </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > Chicago's great Pabst spectacular <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/47">by day</a> and <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/46">by night</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> > And a bonus of <a href="http://www.shorpy.com/node/21764">Indianapolis neon</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Look for neon in the backdrop of <a href="http://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/marvin-e-newman-taschen-020517">these photos by Marvin E Newman</a> in a new Taschen monolog of his work. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> A <a href="http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2017/04/13/old-downtown-albany-signage">glorious gallery</a> of vanished Albany storefronts, from AllOverAlbany. </span></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> From the not-neon-but-still-cool file: Ephemeral New York pays <a href="https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2017/03/27/this-might-be-the-coolest-sign-on-canal-street/">homage to Canal Plastics</a>. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> And finally ~ nationwide neon: <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/neon-museum-saving-the-bright-lights-of-las-vegas/">Las Vegas' neon museum</a> on CBS Sunday Morning. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Metropolitan Life. ("<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1734477/">Public Speaking</a>")</span>T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7088113792698926514.post-36428369634860547542017-03-07T04:16:00.001-08:002017-03-07T04:16:47.778-08:00Edmund Vincent Gillon's New York<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Not long ago, I chanced upon an online gallery featuring a great banquet of exceptionally fine New York street scenes by photographer Edmund Vincent Gillon, Jr, who died in 2008. The photographs, housed at the Museum of the City of New York, date mostly to the 1970s and 80s. Judging by their content, Mr. Gillon seems to have been drawn to the grand, the quirky, the ephemeral. New York in those years must have been a wonderland for him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">From top: Schapiro's Kosher Wines, 143 Rivington St; Ratner's, 138 Delancey; Streit's Matzos, 148 (?) Rivington St. (Edmund Vincent Gillon / MCNY)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Says the Museum of the <a href="http://collections.mcny.org/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&VBID=24UAYWELYSAEJ">Gillon gallery</a>: "His photographs bring to life not only the countless readily apparent changes that have taken place in the city's urban landscape over the past several decades, but also the many subtle changes that transformed neighborhoods such as SoHo, Tribeca, and Dumbo as they transitioned, building by building, from gritty wastelands into the vibrant urban oases they have become."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--M97z-ZKiqA/WKtCv_GHlWI/AAAAAAAAI6M/Q_ilgMI9-Asx8q1ML-juk-6H0vhLkQpvwCK4B/s1600/MN125791-140Delancey-Watermarked.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--M97z-ZKiqA/WKtCv_GHlWI/AAAAAAAAI6M/Q_ilgMI9-Asx8q1ML-juk-6H0vhLkQpvwCK4B/s320/MN125791-140Delancey-Watermarked.jpg" width="313" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">From top: Loew's Delancey, 140 Delancey St; The Star Cafe, 167 West 23rd Street. (Edmund Vincent Gillon / MCNY)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Old neon signs - already old, even then, forty-odd years ago - often haunt the backdrop of Mr. Gillon's street scenes, as seen in the images excerpted here. Like so much of what one finds in these photographs, all of the signs in this selection of photos are gone today. Perusing the online gallery, I find that the photographs pose more questions than they answer. With interests in the quirky and the ephemeral, where, I wonder, would a young Mr. Gillon point his lense in the city today? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VCnAA1aMrhY/WKtCvw2qMyI/AAAAAAAAI5w/Avdck6oRr9ArGLLwG9w1CIAPYoQCv9wIACK4B/s1600/MN112713-Watermarked.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VCnAA1aMrhY/WKtCvw2qMyI/AAAAAAAAI5w/Avdck6oRr9ArGLLwG9w1CIAPYoQCv9wIACK4B/s320/MN112713-Watermarked.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">From top: Variety Theatre, 110 Third Ave.; Automat et al, East 14th Street, north side near Irving Place. (Edmund Vincent Gillon / MCNY)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The MCNY's gallery of photographs by Edmund Vincent Gillon Jr can be viewed online <a href="http://collections.mcny.org/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&VBID=24UAYWELYSAEJ">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><u>SEE ALSO</u>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Edmund Gillon Jr's photographs are featured in a number of books published in the heyday of Dover Publications. Some of these include "Cast-iron Architecture in New York: a Photographic Survey" (1974); "New York Then and Now: 83 Manhattan Sites Photographed in the Past and the Present" (1976); "South Street : a Photographic Guide to New York City's Historic Seaport" (1977); "The Lower East Side : a Guide to its Jewish Past" (1979); "Provincetown Discovered : the Fishing Village Where The Pilgrims First Landed" (1986); "Beaux-Arts Architecture in New York : a Photographic Guide" (1988); and "The Great Sights of New York : A Photographic Guide" (1991).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b style="font-family: '"courier new"', '"courier"', monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><u>NEON WALKING TOURS</u>:</span></b><span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Thursday, April 20, 2017</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span><span style="font-family: '"courier new"', '"courier"', monospace;">•</span><span style="font-family: '"courier new"', '"courier"', monospace;"> May date TBD</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 courier new\22 " , "\22 courier\22 " , monospace;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Mark your calendars! Tickets will be available at <a href="http://untappedcities.com/tours/">this link</a>.</span></div>
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T.E. Rinaldihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07342150623593087755noreply@blogger.com0