STORE FRONT II - Fall 2015

"James and Karla Murray have been capturing impeccably accurate photographs of New York City since the 1990s. In the course of their travels throughout the city’s boroughs they’ve also taken great care to document the stories behind the scenery. The Murrays have rendered the out of the way bodegas, candy shops and record stores just as faithfully as the historically important institutions and well known restaurants, bars and cafes. From the Stonewall Inn to the Brownsville Bike Shop and The Pink Pussycat to Smith and Wolensky, the Murrays reveal how New York’s beleaguered mom & pop business stand in sharp contrast to the city’s rapidly evolving corporate facade. The authors’ landmark 2008 book, Store Front, was recently cited in Bookforum’s 20th Anniversary issue as having “...demonstrated the paradoxical power of digital photo editing to alter actual views in order for us to see more clearly what is really there.” James and Karla Murray live in New York City and were awarded the New York Society Library’s prestigious New York City book award in 2012 for their last book, New York Nights."

Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, Con Edison Tower, last night.

Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, NY.

Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, NY. New York City has recently named Stonewall Inn a landmark. This is the first time a site has been declared a landmark because of its cultural significance in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history. On June 28, 1969 the patrons of Stonewall Inn fought back against a police raid on the premises and the protests that followed for several days are credited with galvanizing gay activism in NY and around the world. In honor of the Stonewall Riots in 1969, New York City annually holds a Pride Rally and Pride March and Fest. This year the Pride March marshals are the honorable English actors and Sirs Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi. Full image from our forthcoming book STORE FRONT II: The Disappearing Face of New York due out later this fall.

Big Gay Ice Cream Shop, West Village NY.

In celebration of the Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in all 50 states, we are posting this ‪#‎icecream‬ shop that specializes in soft-serve ‪#‎cones‬ with fun and unique toppings. In May 2013, the Daily Beast and USA Today ranked Big Gay Ice Cream as one of the top five ice cream parlors in the world.

Rizzo's Fine Pizza on Steinway Street in Astoria, Queens was founded in 1959 by brothers Joseph and Salvatore Rizzo, and their brother-in-law Hugo Lupi.

They made a simple thin crust #Sicilian style #pizza using only the freshest ingredients. The #pizzeria is still owned and operated by the Rizzo family but they have expanded their menu to include ultra-thin Neapolitan slices and specialty #pies, #calzones, #garlic knots, #salads and other delicious items. We love their #vintage tri-color #neonsign.

Corine's Diner, Overtown, Miami.

The area experienced serious economic decline from the late 1950s. Issues ranging from urban renewal to the construction of interstate highways like I-95 (then, the North-South Expressway), the Dolphin Expressway and the Midtown Interchange in the 1960s, fragmented the-once thriving center with the resident population decimated by nearly 80 percent from roughly 50,000 to just over 10,000. The area became economically destitute and considered a "ghetto" as businesses closed and productivity stagnated in the neighborhood.

2015 GVSHP Annual Meeting and Village Awards with Exec. Director Andrew Berman and Calvin Trillin

A great recap of GVSHP's tireless efforts to keep the village special and the presentation of our award (59:53)
https://youtu.be/KwiHpGYSWkA?t=59m53s

Frank's Sporting Goods is a family-owned and operated store that has been in business in the Bronx since 1922.

Frank's Sporting Goods is a family-owned and operated store that has been in business in the Bronx since 1922. Founded by Frank Stein, it is the oldest sporting goods store in the #Bronx. We love their #vintage #neon sign that was installed in the late 1940s. Photo from 2004 appears in our book "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York".

STORE FRONT II - Fall 2015

"James and Karla Murray have been capturing impeccably accurate photographs of New York City since the 1990s. In the course of their travels throughout the city’s boroughs they’ve also taken great care to document the stories behind the scenery. The Murrays have rendered the out of the way bodegas, candy shops and record stores just as faithfully as the historically important institutions and well known restaurants, bars and cafes. From the Stonewall Inn to the Brownsville Bike Shop and The Pink Pussycat to Smith and Wolensky, the Murrays reveal how New York’s beleaguered mom & pop business stand in sharp contrast to the city’s rapidly evolving corporate facade.

The authors’ landmark 2008 book, Store Front, was recently cited in Bookforum’s 20th Anniversary issue as having “...demonstrated the paradoxical power of digital photo editing to alter actual views in order for us to see more clearly what is really there.” James and Karla Murray live in New York City and were awarded the New York Society Library’s prestigious New York City book award in 2012 for their last book, New York Nights." ‪#‎storefrontII‬

Our pit Hudson with ENZ'S owner Mariann Marlowe after we purchased our ENZ'S T-Shirt.

ENZ'S has officially reopened at 125 2nd Ave after the east village fire/explosion. Stop by for all your pinup and rockabilly needs and support this small business...

http://www.enzsnyc.com/

Ted & Honey in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn

Ted & Honey in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn was founded by chef Ted Jackson and his sister Michelle. We found this lovely cafe when exploring the neighborhood after visiting the nearby Brooklyn Historical Society @brooklynhistory in 2008 where we had a show of our #Brooklyn Storefront photos. All of their baked goods are made in-house using #organic milk and butter and they also use locally sourced #farm ingredients in their delicious sandwiches. Ted & Honey is located adjacent to a park and although there is some seating outside, we elected to bring our lunch (BLTs) and sit in the park.

We are extemely honored to win GVSHP's 2015 Regina Kellerman Award.

Join us tomorrow night in the beautifully styled Auditorium at The New School, 66 West 12th Street.

We are highlighted today on the GVHSP's blog: http://gvshp.org/…/…/village-awardee-james-and-karla-murray/  

"Their photographs of these storefronts, and the stories of the people that ran them, are now all that remains of many of these important pieces of the fabric of our City, as we lose more and more every week."

Tomorrow night we are honored to receive our GVSHP Award...stop by, its FREE!

2015 GVSHP Annual Meeting and Village Awards Please join us at 6:30 P.M. at the Auditorium at The New School, 66 West 12th Street. Reservations are required. Please send an  e-mail to rsvp@gvshp.org.
http://www.gvshp.org/_gvshp/events/awards.htm  

GVSHP will present its 25th Annual Village Awards this year at our Annual Meeting on Wednesday, June 17th, 2015 in recognition of those people, places, and organizations which make a significant contribution to the quality of life in Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo. The GVSHP Awards Committee is a group of GVSHP members, community leaders, business owners, and past award recipients from all areas of the Village.

Congratulations to this year's Village Award winners:
Barbara Shaum
Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks
David Rothenberg
The Renee & Chaim Gross Foundation
201 East 12th Street Renovation,
The Regina Kellerman Award Winners: James & Karla Murray

French Garment Cleaners is a clothing boutique in Fort Greene, ‪#‎Brooklyn‬

French Garment Cleaners is a clothing boutique in Fort Greene, ‪#‎Brooklyn‬ selling a curated collection of independent designers. The store was named after the gorgeous 1960s-era neon ‪#‎sign‬ complete with an Eiffel Tower replica that was installed when this ‪#‎storefront‬ operated as a dry cleaners. We love that the owners kept the original name and ‪#‎signage‬! We wish more stores took such care in preserving ‪#‎vintage‬ ‪#‎neon‬ signs.

Hudson enjoying TYPELAB, East Village, NYC.

A pop-up “TypeLab” and book store occupied the former home of the St. Marks Book Shop at 31 Third Avenue in New York, NY, as part of the Typographics festival. The TypeLab hosted for the past few days a set of hands-on workshops, demos, interviews, and experiments – a multi-day hackathon for type and typography.

Hudson holding it down with B&H Dairy owners Fawzy & Ola Abdelwahed at The Cooper Square Committee's Annual 2nd Avenue Festival on 2nd Avenue. East Village, NYC

Selling T-Shirts and hoping to re-open in 2 weeks. ‪#‎savenyc‬

Azucar Ice Cream Company in Little Havava, Miami

Azucar Ice Cream Company in Little Havava, Miami specializes in artisanal #icecream and #sorbet in #Cuban and tropical flavors. It was founded in 2011 and is known for its #Abuela Maria flavor that has Maria #cookies and ruby red guava and cream cheese in a vanilla ice cream and our favorite Cafe con Leche ice cream (Cuban #coffee with #Oreo). We fell in love with their #storefront with the huge cone holding 5 scoops and a cherry on top and their #neon #sign.

New Works Now Available:

http://www.clic.com/index-clic/#/james-karla-murray-clic/

5 Books to Read When You’re Moving to New York: Barnes & Noble

5 Books to Read When You’re Moving to New York
by Monique Alice June 11, 2015 for Barnes & Noble
"Broken Windows leaves you with the sense that graffiti, like the larger hip-hop culture to which it belongs, is an indelible part of New York history."
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/5-books-to-read-when-youre-moving-to-new-york/
Just Kids, by Patti Smith
Broken Windows: Graffiti NYC, by James T. Murray & Karla L. Murray
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith
Bright Lights, Big City, by Jay McInerney
Sex and the City, by Candace Bushnell

John's Deli in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn

John's Deli in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn was founded in 1968 by John Cicero. It has been voted as the home of "the best hero in Brooklyn". This ‪#‎hero‬ is the "John's Signature Hot Roast Beef with Mutz and Gravy" which consists of a half-pound of thinly sliced ‪#‎roastbeef‬ and two slices of ‪#‎mozzarella‬, carmelized onions and dark gravy on a long hero roll. We love their ‪#‎vintage‬ ‪#‎sign‬ with its unique ‪#‎font‬ spelling DELI as well as the ‪#‎script‬ "John's".

Lucky's Corner, The Bronx NYC Circa 2001

We found this 35mm photo in our archives and although we know who the graffiti artists are (Free5 and Menos) who did the work on the side of the building, we don't know much about the actual business that had been called Lucky's Corner. We guess that it was a bar because there is a martini glass with bubbles on the sign. Does anyone remember anything about this business?

Mika Koch on New York Nights

Ist es da.( Obwohl ich nicht darauf gewartet hab ,da ich erst vor ca. einer Woche von seiner Existenz erfahren hab). Das NY Buch ,dass sozusagen überfällig war. Wohl zu keiner anderen Stadt gibt es so viel Lektüre und Bildbände wie New York. Aber die Auswahl der Bücher ,die wirklich durch ihren Inhalt bestechen,ein Stück Wirklichkeit vom Ort transportieren oder eine poetische Sichtweise auf diesen erwecken (oder beides) sind dann schon viel rarer gesät. Um ehrlich zu sein haben es von mittlerweile sicher mehr als hundert Büchern und Heften zum Thema,die ich im Geschäft angesehen oder zur Ansicht hatte sechs in das Regal meiner Sammlung guter Fotobücher geschafft. Und mittlerweile gibt es zumindest ein paar Bücher über New York die wirklich sehr gut sind und durch excellente Bilder und Machart bestechen. Dieses Buch ist die schönste, persönlichste und wärmste Hommage an diese Stadt,die ich bisher in Buchform gesehen hab. Dieses Buch ist das beste Beispiel urbaner Fotografie, dass ich kenne. Die Frage stellt sich immer und immer wieder, wie man sich fotografisch und auch dokumentarisch einem solch komplexen und speziell auch visuell komplexen Ort wie New York nähert. Sehenswürdigkeiten, Straßenszenen, heut und früher Thematiken etc. sind schon in so einigen Büchern mehr oder weniger gut verarbeitet worden. Aber New York ist eine organisch gewachsene Stadt . Und eine ihrer größten Attraktionen ist der geballte Lebensmut und die Bereitschaft zum Neuanfang, etwas besseres zu machen, die die Menschen hier in Form von geballter kultureller Energie hergatragen haben. Diese spiegelt sich vor allem in Geschäften, gastronomischen Betrieben ,wie cafes, pubs und anderen kulturellen Einrichtungen und Veranstaltungsorten wieder,zu denen dieses Buch führt. Und darin wie diese auf sich aufmerksam machen. Darin wie die Summe der Details der Stadt eine lebendige und auch individuelle und komplexe Atmosphäre verleihen. Dieses Buch fängt diese Summe der Details und Strukturen, dieser Orte ,die beständig gewachsen und durch leidenschaftlichen Einsatz geformt wurden in wundervollen Bildern ein. Dazu gibts informative Texte und Interviews mit spannenden Hintergrundgeschichten zu den Orten ,zu den dieser wundersame nächtliche Spaziergang führt. Um alle Aspekte New Yorks zu erfassen reicht ein Buch sowiso nicht. Aber als Hommage und poetiche Annäherung an diese Stadt kennt dieses keine Konkurrenz. Dabei sollte man erwähnen, dass bereits der vor einigen Jahren erschienene Vorgänger Store Fronts ,von den selben Autoren ein excellentes und sehr empfehlenswertes Buch ist . ( Ein weiterer Tipp an der Stelle sei das von mir auch rezensierte Buch der deutschen Fotografen Horst und Daniel Zielske, welches auch großartig ist)

Via Goggle Translate: Is it because. (Although I have not been waiting, as I know only about a week ago of its existence). The NY Book That was sort overdue. Probably no other city there is so much reading and illustrated books such as New York. But the selection of books that really impress with their content, carry a piece of reality from the place or a poetic way of looking at these awaken (or both) are then sown much rarer. To be honest there are six managed by now certainly more than one hundred books and booklets on the subject, which I had seen in the shop or to view on the shelf of my collection of good photo books. And now there are at least a couple of books about New York that really are very good and are characterized by excellent images and style. This book is the most beautiful, most personal and warmest tribute to this city that I've ever seen in book form. This book is the best example of urban photography that I know. The question arises again and again how to photographically and also documentary such a complex and especially visually complex place like New York approaches. Attractions, street scenes, today and earlier themes etc. have been processed more or less already in so few books. But New York is an organically grown city. And one of its greatest attractions is the concentrated courage and the willingness to start anew, to make something better, who hergatragen people here in the form of concentrated cultural energy. This is reflected especially in shops, catering establishments, such as cafes, pubs and other cultural institutions and venues again, which are inherent in this book. And it make how this attention. Darin as the sum of the details give the city a vibrant and well as individual and complex atmosphere. This book captures this amount of details and structures of these places that have grown resistant and shaped by a passionate commitment in wonderful pictures. To this was informative articles and interviews with exciting background stories about the places, the results of these miraculous nocturnal walk. To every aspect of New York to capture is not enough a book sowiso. But as a tribute and poetiche approaching this city knows this is no competition. One should mention that already a few years ago appeared predecessor storefronts, by the same authors is a excellentes and highly recommended book. (Another tip at the site was done by me also reviewed book of German photographer Horst and Daniel Zielske, which is also great)
The critics on NEW YORK NIGHTS:

Winner New York Society Library  2012 New York City Book Award

NEW YORK NIGHTS is a neon-soaked celebration of the nocturnal institutions that keep the city that never sleeps awake, satiated and comfortably numb.
Mark Lamster The New York Times

The Murray's, who gave us the enchanting Store Front, a daylight look at dozens of mom & pop storesacross the five boroughs, have returned with New York Nights. But please don't think of this as the noir version of their first book. It's more like the Through the Looking Glass companion to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Gotham at night for the Murrays is pure enchantment.
Malcolm Jones Newsweek

Inside Veniero's and Moishe's Kosher Bake Shop in the East Village today on our Store Front:The Disappearing Face of New York walking tour sponsored by @mas_nyc Municipal Art Society of New York

A huge thanks to owner Moishe and his manager for providing us with free samples of their delicious kichel (see Karla holding the tray of kichel, which is a #Jewish #cookie made with egg and #sugar rolled out flat). We had a wonderful time visiting Moishe's and talking about its history and of course sampling their wonderful #bakery items. You can also see on the shelves and cases the amazing assortment of fresh-baked #challah, rye #bread, rugelach, strudel and black and white #cookies.

Also we can't thank fourth-generation owner, Robert Zerilli, enough for generously providing free samples of delicious mini cannolis, rainbow cake, eclairs and assorted Italian cookies. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the pastries and cookies and also loved seeing the pressed tin ceiling and original tile floor in the front of the bakery.

Thanks to everyone who attended our 2-hour stroll through the #EastVillage and Lower East Side!

Perfect Day for an East Village Walking Tour!

We will visit some of the remarkable ‪#‎momandpop‬ ‪#‎storefronts‬ documented in our book "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York" and "New York Nights" and remember those that have disappeared. We will stop in many culinary specialty stores and sample ‪#‎food‬ David's Shoe Store and Repair in the East Village closed in 2013 after a rent increase forced him to move out of the area. It had been operating as a shoe repair business for over 35 years and before being owned by David and David's grandson, it was called A. Brym Shoe Repairing. We loved this ‪#‎handpainted‬ ‪#‎sign‬ in the window as well as the overhanging sign.
Please join us as we lead a Store Front walking tour of the East Village and Lower East Side today, Sunday, June 7th at 12 pm (noon) sponsored by the Municipal Arts Society of New York. @mas_nyc The cost is $20/$15 Members Tickets can be purchased online at www.mas.org or call (212) 935-2075 Monday-Friday 9-5. Meeting location is provided after tickets are purchased. Tour will proceed rain or shine. And for those who cannot attend tomorrow's tour, we will be leading another one on Sunday, July 17th at noon. ‪

Veniero Pasticceria and Caffe was established in 1894. Please join us as we lead a Store Front walking tour of the East Village and Lower East Side this Sunday, June 7th at 12 pm (noon) sponsored by the Municipal Arts Society of New York.

Veniero Pasticceria and Caffe was established in 1894. It is one of the oldest continuously-family-owned businesses in the East Village of Manhattan. It is currently being run by the fourth-generation owner, Robert Zerilli who told us that "We bake so many cakes and pastries that we go through about 1,000 pounds of sugar every week." We especially love their ‪#‎Italian‬ cheesecake and their ‪#‎cannolis‬. The overhanging ‪#‎vintage‬ ‪#‎neonsign‬ was installed in the 1940s. Photo and full interview with Robert appear in our book, "New York Nights".
Please join us as we lead a Store Front walking tour of the East Village and Lower East Side this Sunday, June 7th at 12 pm (noon) sponsored by the Municipal Arts Society of New York. @mas_nyc The cost is $20/$15 Members We will visit Veniero's and some of the remarkable ‪#‎momandpop‬ ‪#‎storefronts‬ documented in our book "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York" and "New York Nights" and remember those that have disappeared. We will stop in many culinary specialty stores and sample ‪#‎food‬ Tickets can be purchased online at www.mas.org or call (212) 935-2075 Monday-Friday 9-5. Meeting location is provided after tickets are purchased. Tour will proceed rain or shine but gorgeous weather is expected this Sunday! ‪#‎savenyc‬ ‪#‎mas_nyc‬

The Wrong Number Cocktail Lounge In Gravesend, Brooklyn

The Wrong Number Cocktail Lounge In Gravesend, Brooklyn was in business for over 35 years before it closed in 2009. We loved its unique name and interesting ‪#‎signage‬ with its multi-colored jumbled letters spelling out "Wrong Number" and the ‪#‎script‬ letters of "Cocktail Lounge". This was a true neighborhood dive bar and sadly there are not that many more in existence as gentrification pushes them out.

Monte's Trattoria in Greenwich Village has been in business since 1918.

Monte's Trattoria in Greenwich Village has been in business since 1918. It has been owned by chef Pietro Mosconi and his family since 1983. The ‪#‎neon‬ ‪#‎sign‬ is from the 1950s. Pietro told us that when he bought the ‪#‎Italian‬ ‪#‎restaurant‬ from the original owner he decided to keep the name and ‪#‎signage‬ because he was so fond of it. We love this ‪#‎vintage‬ sign too, especially the chef holding a steaming bowl of ‪#‎pasta‬. The name "Monte" was shortened from Monteverde, a city in ‪#‎Italy‬ known as the "green mountain". Photo of entire restaurant and full interview with Pietro Mosconi appear in our book "New York Nights".

STORE FRONT WALKING TOUR THIS SUNDAY sponsored by @mas_nyc Please join us as we lead a Store Front walking tour of the East Village and Lower East Side this Sunday, June 7th at 12 pm (noon) sponsored by the Municipal Arts Society of New York.

Russ & Daughters Appetizers is a family-owned business which specializes in smoked salmon, herring, caviar, pickles, and dried fruits and nuts. It was founded in 1914 by Joel Russ and passed down to his daughters. Shown here are Joel Russ Tupper and Niki Russ Federman, fourth-generation co-owners being interviewed by Cat Greenleaf for NBC New York's segment "New Book Chronicles Disappearing NYC Store Fronts" in 2009. watch the segment here:  http://www.nbcnewyork.com/the-scene/archives/New_Book_Chronicles_Disappearing_NYC_Store_Fronts_New_York.html 

STORE FRONT WALKING TOUR THIS SUNDAY sponsored by @mas_nyc Please join us as we lead a Store Front walking tour of the East Village and Lower East Side this Sunday, June 7th at 12 pm (noon) sponsored by the Municipal Arts Society of New York. @mas_nyc The cost is $20/$15 Members We will visit Russ & daughters and some of the remarkable#momandpop #storefronts documented in our book "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York" and "New York Nights" and remember those that have disappeared. We will stop in many culinary specialty stores and sample #food Tickets can be purchased online at www.mas.org or call (212) 935-2075 Monday-Friday 9-5. Meeting location is provided after tickets are purchased. Tour will proceed rain or shine.  https://secure3.convio.net/masnyc/site/Ecommerce/444340424?store_id=1221

Please join us as we lead a Store Front walking tour of the East Village and Lower East Side this coming Sunday, June 7th at 12 pm (noon) sponsored by the Municipal Arts Society of New York.

Please join us as we lead a Store Front walking tour of the East Village and Lower East Side this coming Sunday, June 7th at 12 pm (noon) sponsored by the Municipal Arts Society of New York. @mas_nyc The cost is $20/$15 Members We will visit some of the remarkable ‪#‎momandpop‬ ‪#‎storefronts‬ documented in our book "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York" and "New York Nights" and remember those that have disappeared. We will stop in many culinary specialty stores and sample ‪#‎food‬ Tickets can be purchased online at www.mas.org or call (212) 935-2075 Monday-Friday 9-5. Meeting location is provided after tickets are purchased. Tour will proceed rain or shine.
Sunshine Theater was established in 1917 by Charlie Steiner, but previously was a church and then a nickelodeon showing Yiddish theater. The Sunshine Theater remained in business until 1945 but was reopened in late 2001 as an art-house multiplex after a $12 million renovation. The theater site is now being marketed to developers with an asking price of $35 million, so although Sunshine Theater's lease runs through 2018, its future looks in serious jeopardy. Photo and full text appear in our book "New York Nights". ‪#‎storefront‬ ‪#‎theater‬ ‪#‎lowereastside‬ ‪#‎saveNYC‬ ‪#‎cinema‬ ‪#‎masnyc‬