Thursday, May 30, 2019

Our new YouTube Episode 7: "NoLita - Italian Shops & Books" is live!

 In this episode, we visit the neighborhood of NoLita, a vibrant section of the Lower East Side of Manhattan. We stop in and have some cappuccino from Cafe Belle, visit with the owners of the nearly century-old Italian butcher shop, Albanese Meats & Poultry, and browse inside McNally Jackson Independent Booksellers.

We also see some wonderful architecture, including St. Patrick's Old Cathedral, as we walk the tree-lined streets of this quaint neighborhood.

We would love for you to subscribe to our channel and hit the thumbs up if you enjoy the video. We will be posting more new videos to our channel soon.

SUBSCRIBE TO NEVER MISS AN EPISODE: https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesandKarla


No Malice Palace or Bar N.M.P in the East Village opened in 1999.

This #divebar was known for its loud music 🎶 with live DJs blasting hip-hop and reggae.


Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Episode 6: Lower East Side - Pizza & Rock and Roll

Full episode: https://youtu.be/dSll81KfRKc 

We check in with multi-media artist and musician, Peter Missing, founder of Missing Foundation before finishing up watching The Undead perform at the WASTECREW Party in Tompkins Square Park. 

We would love for you to subscribe to our channel and hit the thumbs up if you enjoy the video. We will be posting more videos to our channel soon.


Lightning, rolling over the East Village, NYC, last night...


Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Our visit to Scarr’s Pizza 🍕 on Orchard Street is highlighted in our latest YouTube Episode 6: Lower East Side-Pizza & Rock and Roll.

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel JamesandKarla to see the episode and other videos highlighting small independently owned businesses in the City.

@scarrspizza was founded in 2016 by Scarr Pimental, who was inspired to create a NY slice 🍕 shop using healthy high-quality ingredients including fresh milled organic flour that is mulled on site. We would love for you to subscribe to our YouTube channel: JamesandKarla

SUBSCRIBE TO NEVER MISS AN EPISODE: https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesandKarla



Photography from our visit to finger painting pioneer Iris Scott's Bed-Stuy studio for 6sqft...

Full article: https://www.6sqft.com/my-1200sqft-finger-painting-pioneer-iris-scott-shows-off-her-bright-bed-stuy-studio/

"Nearly ten years ago, while living in Taiwan, artist Iris Scott didn’t feel like washing her blue-stained paint brushes. Instead, she used her finger to finish the piece and, to her surprise, discovered that this childhood arts and crafts project works really well on her own oil paintings. She searched online to see if any artists out there were already dedicated to finger painting and found no one. “I was like, it’s my purpose!” she told 6sqft during a recent tour of her Bed-Stuy studio."


Monday, May 27, 2019

Our new YouTube Episode 6: "Lower East Side - Pizza & Rock and Roll" is live!

Our new YouTube Episode 6: "Lower East Side - Pizza & Rock and Roll" is live on our https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesandKarla channel!


In this episode we visit the Lower East Side of Manhattan, get some pizza from Scarr's Pizza on Orchard Street and see fashion icon Jimmy Webb's rock and roll clothing boutique, I Need More. While there, we ran into spikey hair model/actress Erin Micklow, https://www.erinmicklow.com/ We also see lots of graffiti and street art as we walk the streets of the Lower East Side and visit an independently-owned small record shop and community center on Forsyth Street, Commend. We also check in with multi-media artist and musician, Peter Missing, founder of Missing Foundation before finishing up watching The Undead perform at the WASTECREW Party in Tompkins Square Park. We would love for you to subscribe to our channel and hit the thumbs up if you enjoy the video. We will be posting more videos to our channel soon. SUBSCRIBE TO NEVER MISS AN EPISODE: https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesandKarla

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Our new YouTube Episode 5: "Hell's Kitchen Historic Shops during Fleet Week" is live on our JamesandKarla channel!

 Full episode: https://youtu.be/NaudUugV2mU 

In this episode we visit some historic independently-owned businesses in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, including Kaufman's Army & Navy, Poseidon Greek Bakery, and Rudy's Bar & Grill.

We celebrate Fleet Week 2019 by purchasing some military surplus equipment and even get custom-stamped dog tags for our rescue dog, Hudson. 

We also sample some delicious Greek cookies and baklava, see and listen to the busy streets surrounding the Port Authority Bus Terminal and 42nd Street and even some some street art by Faile.


Thank you Viewing NYC for sharing our YouTube video "The Lower East Side - Then and Now"!

Full article: https://viewing.nyc/james-and-karla-murray-explore-new-york-city-the-lower-east-side-then-and-now/


Thank you Curbed NY for putting our Mom-and-Pops of The L.E.S. installation in Seward Park # 1 on the list of New York’s best public art installations this season!

Full article: https://ny.curbed.com/maps/best-public-art-installations-new-york-city


Friday, May 24, 2019

Our new YouTube Episode 5: "Hell's Kitchen Historic Shops during Fleet Week" is live on our https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesandKarla channel!

Full episode: https://youtu.be/NaudUugV2mU

In this episode we visit some historic independently-owned businesses in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, including Kaufman's Army & Navy, Poseidon Greek Bakery, and Rudy's Bar & Grill.  We celebrate Fleet Week 2019 by purchasing some military surplus equipment and even get custom-stamped dog tags for our rescue dog, Hudson.

We also sample some delicious Greek cookies and baklava, see and listen to the busy streets surrounding the Port Authority Bus Terminal and 42nd Street and even some some street art by Faile.


Thursday, May 23, 2019

Our new YouTube Episode 4: Greenwich Village- A Taste of England and Beyond is live!

Our new YouTube Episode 4: Greenwich Village- A Taste of England and Beyond is live on our https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesandKarla   channel.


In our latest episode, we visit three British-owned 🇬🇧shops including A Salt & Battery, a fish & chip shop co-owned by Nicky Perry. @asaltandbatterynyc sells only the freshest and finest quality fish 🐟 and ingredients fried in the best vegetable oil. Fish options include cod, haddock, sole and whiting and deep-fried scallops and shrimp 🍤 are also available.  Nicky also co-owns Tea & Sympathy @teaandsympathynyc and its take-away grocery store, Carry on Tea & Sympathy.

In our video, we speak with Nicky Perry about the history of the shop and its struggle to survive in the face of rent increases and other operating costs. We also stroll down many #GreenwichVillage tree-lined streets and visit an independent bookstore and popular bakery.


 Please subscribe to our YouTube channel JamesandKarla as we are trying to build support of our mission to document the many small businesses that make every neighborhood of the city unique!


Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Our new YouTube Episode 4: Greenwich Village- A Taste of England and Beyond is live on our JamesandKarla YouTube channel.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesandKarla 

In our latest episode, we visit three British-owned 🇬🇧shops including Tea & Sympathy @teaandsympathynyc. We also visit its take-away grocery store, Carry on Tea & Sympathy Tea ☕️ and A Salt & Battery, a Fish & Chip Shop 🐟.  We speak with the owner, Nicky Perry about the history of the shop and its struggle to survive in the face of rent increases and other operating costs. We also stroll down many #GreenwichVillage tree-lined streets and visit an independent bookstore and popular bakery.

Tea & Sympathy is being awarded a Village Award to honor its outstanding service to the neighborhood by Village Preservation - Greenwich Village Society For Historic Preservation on June 12th at 6:30 pm at the Auditorium at The New School 66 West 12th Street. It is free to attend and a reception will follow the award ceremony.

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel JamesandKarla (direct link in bio) as we are trying to build support of our mission to document the many small businesses that make every neighborhood of the city unique!


Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Our new video on Greenwich Village "Episode 4" is UP!

In this episode we visit the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City and visit a few British owned shops, an independent small bookstore and a popular bakery. We also stroll down a number of beautiful tree-lined streets with historic brownstones and townhouses, which make this neighborhood of New York so unique and charming.

If you enjoy this video, give it a thumbs up and click the subscribe button.

Full video: https://youtu.be/vL9PrOy39nE


Monday, May 20, 2019

New Hi-Tech Corp Electronic Service Center on Canal Street is one of the small businesses we feature in our new YouTube Episode 3: Lower East Side: Then and Now.

This shop which was founded in 1983 repairs all brands of electronics including video cameras 📹 TVs, turntables and computers 💻 🖥 . The owner, Alex is also a professional technician. The shop is full of cool #analog equipment including #vintage radios 📻, reel to reel tape decks, boom boxes, and 35mm and medium format cameras 📷 🎥.

To see and hear more about this shop as well as others in the neighborhood please subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesandKarla

Thank you so much to all of our followers who have already subscribed to our channel. We really appreciate the love and support as we try to bring awareness to the importance of these small shops to the community!


Sunday, May 19, 2019

YouTube video Episode 3: Lower East Side - Then and Now

For everyone who has not yet watched our latest YouTube video Episode 3: Lower East Side - Then and Now, please check it out as we visit independently-owned shops in the neighborhood and also remember ones that have sadly disappeared including Cup & Saucer. •

This 1940s era #Luncheonette complete with its original lunch counter and stainless stools was forced to close in 2017 after their rent was greatly increased from $8,200 a month to $15,800. We were so saddened by the loss of Cup & Saucer ☕️that we decided to raise awareness of its importance to the community by installing our near life-size photo of the Luncheonette in our @momandpopsles art installation inside Seward Park, which you can see until the end of June 2019. •
There are four different neighborhood stores represented in the rectangular wood-frame installation and we are currently trying to find a new home for all of them. We are willing for each business represented to go to a separate home...Cup & Saucer is printed on two 4 ft x 8 ft Dibond aluminum composite panels (total dimension of 8 ft x 8 ft) so if you are interested in obtaining the panels and installing them in your business/home or exterior location as they are weather-proof please DM or email us for specifics. •

To watch our Lower East Side: Then & Now video please subscribe to our YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesandKarla


Saturday, May 18, 2019

Please watch our new YouTube video and subscribe (link to subscribe is in our bio) to our James and Karla channel to be alerted to every new video we upload

Episode 3: https://youtu.be/7bmhZtFnOME 

Our new YouTube Episode 3: Lower East Side - Then and Now is live on our James and Karla YouTube channel. In our latest episode, we visit independently-owned shops including the newly opened Two Bridge’s Diner on Canal Street by Eldridge. Two Bridge’s Diner was founded by the former co-owner of the beloved Cup & Saucer Diner, John Vasilopoulos and his brother Teddy. Cup & Saucer was forced to close in 2017 after their rent was greatly increased from $8,200 a month to $15,800 a month and their real estate taxes were also increased. We were so saddened by the news, that we decided to include our near life-size photo of the Cup & Saucer Luncheonette in our @momandpopsles art installation inside Seward Park, which you can see until the end of June 2019. • We were so happy to see that John and Teddy were able to reopen their new diner right next door to where Cup & Saucer used to be. •

We had a cheeseburger 🍔 deluxe with fries 🍟 and a grilled cheese sandwich 🥪 to celebrate the opening and our rescue dog 🐕 @hudsonpittienyc had his own hamburger 🍔 thanks to Teddy!


Friday, May 17, 2019

Our new video on the Lower East Side "Episode 3" is UP!

In this episode we travel to the Lower East Side of Manhattan and visit independently-owned shops including Little Canal, Hi-Tech Electronic Service Center and Two Bridge's Diner on Canal Street. We also view our public art installation inside Seward Park, "Mom-and-Pops of the L.E.S." and talk about its mission to help raise awareness of the importance of the unique and irreplaceable contribution made to New York City by small, often family-owned businesses.

In addition, we take a look back at some of the small 'mom-and-pop' stores which have sadly disappeared from the Lower East Side. Our rescue dog, Hudson comes along with us and even gets his own hamburger from Two Bridge's Cafe thanks to Teddy.

If you enjoy this video, give it a thumbs up and click the subscribe button.

Full video: https://youtu.be/7bmhZtFnOME


Diner in Williamsburg located right underneath the Williamsburg Bridge was founded by Andrew Tarlow in 1999.

@dinernyc is a tiny spot inside a converted classic Pullman #diningcar and is best known for its signature burgers 🍔. In warmer weather, there is also outdoor seating but we always love sitting on one of the stainless stools lining the counter.


Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Thank you Untapped Cities for sharing our latest youtube video!

Full Untapped Cities article: 

https://untappedcities.com/2019/05/15/video-go-inside-new-statue-of-liberty-museum-and-abandoned-ellis-island-hospitals/

We are excited to share our photos and our new video on YouTube of our visit to the new Statue of Liberty Museum🗽 : and both sides of Ellis Island, including the Ellis Island Immigration Museum and the off-limits Abandoned Ellis Island Hospital Complex with @untappedcities.

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the thumbs up 👍 button if you enjoy our video:

Latest Episode: https://youtu.be/RNLCTSTW5Cw






Photography from our visit to an East Village neighbor's pinup-glam and retro-kitsch apartment for 6sqft...

Full article: https://www.6sqft.com/my-600sqft-pinup-glam-and-retro-kitsch-collide-in-this-east-village-apartment/

"One might assume that a professional organizer’s home would be streamlined and sparse, but before our current obsession with ridding our homes of everything that doesn’t “spark joy,” home organization had many different forms. Case in point–Jeanie Engelbach’s East Village apartment. Jeanie started her career creating professional scrapbooks and soon landed a role as design manager at ABC Carpet & Home. Her knack for mixing styles, integrating color and pattern, and not taking design too seriously started attracting the attention of clients, and before long she was helping them not only organize their homes but create spaces representative of their personalities as ApartmentJeanie. And this is on display nowhere more than her one-bedroom rental at the new 14th Street development EVGB."


Tuesday, May 14, 2019

We are excited to share our photos and our new video on YouTube of our visit to the new Statue of Liberty Museum🗽 : and both sides of Ellis Island, including the Ellis Island Immigration Museum and the off-limits Abandoned Ellis Island Hospital Complex with @untappedcities.

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the thumbs up 👍 button if you enjoy our video:

https://youtu.be/RNLCTSTW5Cw

The Statue of Liberty Museum officially opens to the public on Thursday, May 16th but we were able to attend a press preview with @6sqft

For full article and more photos visit: https://www.6sqft.com/see-inside-the-statue-of-libertys-new-museum-ahead-of-this-weeks-opening/

"Opening this Thursday, the new Statue of Liberty Museum aims to educate visitors about the history and legacy of the statue through immersive gallery spaces and artifacts. During a press preview last week, 6sqft toured the 26,000-square-foot museum and its landscaped roof, located on Liberty Island across from Lady Liberty herself."




Monday, May 13, 2019

We are excited to announce that we have just launched our own YouTube Channel: James and Karla Murray.

On our first episode, we experience a taste of Italy in New York City's East Village as we visit local independently-owned shops including Veniero's Pasticerria @venierospastry , Russo's Mozzarella & Pasta and Motorino Pizzeria @motorinopizza We also highlight local architecture, street art and vendors.  RUSSO’s MOZZARELLA & PASTA has been in business since 1908. They specialize in homemade mozzarella, which is made by hand all day long on the premises and they also make their own pasta. Please watch our new episode: East Village taste of Italy to see inside this third-generation owned shop as well many other gems.
See direct link to our YouTube video and please give us a thumbs up 👍 if you enjoy the video and hit the subscribe button as we will be posting more new videos this week.

https://youtu.be/EEye-5Zhekl


Friday, May 10, 2019

Mulberry Street Bar in Little Italy 🇮🇹, Manhattan.

This bar opened in 1908 and still retains much of its original interior including pressed-tin ceilings, tiled floor, and long wooden bar. Many movies 🎥 and Tv 📺 shows have been filmed at the historic bar including Donnie Brasco, The Sopranos, and Law & Order.


Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Nom Wah Tea Parlor which was founded in 1920 is the oldest dim sum restaurant in Chinatown.

To hear more about its history please join us this Saturday, May 11th at 11am as we discuss the past and present of legacy small businesses in New York City at “The Shop Around the Corner: Celebrating New York’s Immigrant Businesses” at the Bohemian National Hall, 321 East 73rd Street. This symposium is sponsored by the Historic Districts Council @hdcnyc and co-sponsored by the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts @friendsoftheues.

Please Register to attend here:  https://hdc.org/events/the-shop-around-the-corner-celebrating-new-yorks-immigrant-businesses/


Photography from our visit to the world’s largest pizza box collection apartment for 6sqft...

Full article: https://www.6sqft.com/my-1100sqft-pizza-pundit-scott-wieners-midwood-home-holds-the-worlds-largest-pizza-box-collection/

"How does one person amass 1,471 pizza boxes you may ask? After spending a few minutes with Scott Wiener, this will seem like a silly question. Scott founded Scott’s Pizza Tours 11 years ago, and since his first tour, he has become NYC’s resident pizza expert. In addition to his company’s signature bus tours, it now hosts daily walking tours, and Scott is often cited in both gastronomy and historical publications. But the real reason people from all over the world are keen to send Scott one of their pizza boxes is his genuine personality."


Tuesday, May 7, 2019

We are excited to share this article about our "Mom-and-Pops of the L.E.S" storefront art installation currently on display inside Seward Park.

It was written by 3A Composite USA, the manufacturers of Dibond, the aluminum composite material we used to create our large-scale photos of four "mom-and-pop" shops.

Full article: https://graphicdisplayusa.com/blog/public-art-with-dibond-raises-awareness-of-disappearing-mom-and-pop-shops-in-new-york-city/

"To help raise awareness about the plight of these small businesses, the Murrays created “Mom-and-Pops of the L.E.S.”, a large-scale wood-frame sculptural installation designed to resemble a store. Each of the installation’s four walls is covered with a lifelike 8-by-12 foot photograph of a neighborhood storefront from Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Three of these businesses have closed."


Once Upon A Tart, SoHo, NYC

This lovely French #bakery had a history dating back to the early 1900s and was reopened with a new chef at its helm in 2014 after briefly shuttering but sadly has closed again. We are not sure if it fell victim to the rapid rise in rents that has caused many small businesses to close but since this week is National Small Business Week, we are hoping to help raise awareness of small shops importance to the fabric of the community.


Monday, May 6, 2019

Tony’s Park Barber Shop in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

We absolutely love this old-school #barbershop 💈and its owner, Tony Garofalo who first began working at the shop in 1964 after arriving from Italy. Although he told us that he didn’t speak a word of English when he first arrived, the neighborhood was predominantly Italian so he quickly fit in and less than a year later was able to purchase the shop and later the entire building. We originally photographed the shop in 2006 for our book, “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York” and also had the chance to watch him work. Sadly, we just heard from our friend @americansquares that Tony has retired and closed the shop. We wish him the best and will always remember watching him cut the hair of a youngster whose father also was a long-time customer of Tony (see below).


Sunday, May 5, 2019

#cincodemayo!

In honor of #cincodemayo, which commemorates the Mexican Army’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla and in the U.S. celebrates Mexican-American culture, we are highlighting “La Guadalupana Mexicana Deli Grocery” in Brooklyn. We absolutely love its #handpainted signage, which was done in the colors of the Mexican flag 🇲🇽.


Thursday, May 2, 2019

We are happy to be speaking at Historic Districts Council​'s "The Shop Around the Corner: Celebrating New York’s Immigrant Businesses" symposium!

Saturday, May 11, 2019
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Bohemian National Hall
321 East 73rd Street, NY, NY

Registration link: https://hdc.org/events/the-shop-around-the-corner-celebrating-new-yorks-immigrant-businesses/

"The Shop Around the Corner: Celebrating New York’s Immigrant Businesses is a symposium discussing the different aspects of running a small business in an immigrant community."



Sadly, we just learned that Paul Georgoulakos, the co-owner of Gregory & Paul’s passed away on Monday at the age of 89.

Our hearts go out to his family 🙏. 

We photographed Gregory & Paul’s Restaurant on the Boardwalk in Coney Island (2005) for our book “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York”. We loved all of the #handpainted signage on this restaurant as well as the Astroland rocket on the roof. Gregory & Paul’s closed in 2009 (and the rocket was removed from the roof in 2008) but the restaurant location was reopened as Paul’s Daughter with Paul and his daughter Tina in charge.




Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Capitol Restaurant in Inwood (Upper Manhattan).

This #diner has been in business since the 1920s and retained some of its original interior including a tin ceiling and stainless stool seating alongside the lunch counter when we photographed it in 2004 for our book “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York”. We loved its interior as well as its vintage #signage.

Sadly, we just heard from one of our followers that it just recently closed. We have lost so many old-school diners in NYC in the past few years as they operate on very slim profit margins and can’t absorb large rent increases.