Our latest video is live! NYC LIVE: WALKING THE BROADWAYS OF THE LOWER EAST SIDE, CHINATOWN & SOHO

In our NYC LIVE: WALKING THE BROADWAYS OF THE LOWER EAST SIDE, CHINATOWN & SOHO we walk with our dog Hudson along the 3 different Broadways and point out intersecting shops and places of interest. Most tourists have heard of the famous Broadway in Manhattan but may not know that there are 2 other Broadways in lower Manhattan!

Rags-A-GoGo Vintage Clothing, Greenwich Village, NYC

Rags-A-GoGo Vintage Clothing on West 14th Street was in business nearly 30 years before it closed this summer due to the Coronavirus pandemic. We always loved looking through the racks of clothes and vinyl record finds in this shop. We also loved the Jimi Hendrix mural painted by our friend @muckrock! 

As small businesses supporters and advocates, it breaks our heart to share the news about this ship’s closure and with Cyber Monday tomorrow, we hope that people remember to shop small and local (if possible) as the key to these businesses survival is loyal customers!

Odessa Restaurant, East Village, NYC

Odessa Restaurant on Avenue A back was founded in 1994 as a 24-hour eatery next door to Odessa Bar and Cafe. The bar, which was in business since 1965, closed in August 2013 due to a rent increase. Sadly, Odessa Restaurant which specialized in Eastern European dishes, including stuffed cabbage & pierogi closed this past July due to a decrease in business due to the Coronavirus pandemic. 

One of the co-owners has promised that the restaurant will reopen after a renovation but no renovations have taken place after months of it being closed. On this Small Business Saturday, we mourn the loss of yet another small businesses and hope that our photos act as an artistic intervention to help raise awareness of the importance of small unique shops to the fabric of the streets and neighborhoods of the City!

New steady, "fully-gimbaled," live video is up on our YouTube channel! NYC LIVE: CHRISTMAS & HOLIDAY WINDOWS ON BLACK FRIDAY IN NEW YORK CITY

In our NYC LIVE: CHRISTMAS & HOLIDAY WINDOWS ON BLACK FRIDAY IN NEW YORK CITY, we walk with our dog Hudson to see the Christmas & Holiday season windows at the best NYC stores including Bloomingdales, Tiffany & Co. Bergdorf Goodman, Cartier and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Annual BLACK FRIDAY/SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY STORE FRONT PRINT SALE

Annual BLACK FRIDAY/SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY STORE FRONT PRINT SALE all 11x14 inch UNFRAMED prints are NOW $90/print w/free first class shipping in USA or $159 MOUNTED and FRAMED in a white contemporary 1” width frame with glass facing (see Zig Zag Records and CBGB framed prints in middle row). 

Pick-up of framed prints is free in the East Village or shipping of framed prints is an additional $10 in the USA only! Payment via Venmo to Karla-Murray or https://www.paypal.me/KarlaMurray

ORDERS MUST BE PLACED BY 11pm EST on 11/29/20 to qualify for the Black Friday Sale Price & to Ensure Delivery before Christmas!

Join our Patreon page to help support our JamesandKarla YouTube channel

Join our Patreon page to help support our JamesandKarla YouTube channel & see this bonus video of the RBG mural being painted in NYC and receive other bonus perks including 20% of STOREFRONT PRINTS 

https://www.patreon.com/JamesandKarla

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thank you to all supporters!

Full video:https://youtu.be/R3vSdwCmahw

#HappyThanksgiving2020

We've included footage from past yearsInflation Eve event and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade itself! In our MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE #NYC 2020 CHANGES DUE TO COVID-19 & KOREATOWN, NEW YORK, we walk with our dog Hudson to Macy's at West 34th Street between 7th Avenue and Broadway to check out the preparations being made for the television-only Thanksgiving Day Parade this year. We look at this year's Christmas & Holiday window displays at Macy's and also walk along West 32nd Street in nearby #koreatown to see all the Korean shops & restaurants which have reopened with outdoor dining.

Our latest video is live! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

 We've also included footage from past yearsInflation Eve event and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade itself! 

In our MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE NYC 2020 CHANGES DUE TO COVID-19 & KOREATOWN, NEW YORK, we walk with our dog Hudson to Macy's at West 34th Street between 7th Avenue and Broadway to check out the preparations being made for the television-only Thanksgiving Day Parade this year. 

We look at this year's Christmas &  Holiday window displays at Macy's and also walk along West 32nd Street in nearby Koreatown to see all the Korean shops & restaurants which have reopened with outdoor dining.

Our exhibition at The Municipal Art Society of New York opens today!

Open for Business: The Art of the Storefront An Exhibition by James & Karla  

Full exhibition: https://www.mas.org/photo_exhibitions/open-for-business/ 

"The Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS) is pleased to present the latest exhibition in the Doris C. and Alan J. Freedman Gallery, a collection of photographs capturing some of New York’s most iconic mom & pop shop storefronts in the lead up to Small Business Saturday and the holiday season. From hosiery to work boots, wontons to knishes, small businesses across the five boroughs have continued to open their doors and serve their community throughout this difficult year."

McHale’s, NYC

The other day we walked around the Theater District and sadly saw just how the Coronavirus pandemic has affected not only Broadway theaters but also many small businesses which relied on foot traffic from theater-goers. Our thoughts also went to the long-departed McHale’s which was on the corner of Eighth Avenue and 46th Street for over 60 years. This bar which closed in 2006 to make way for a new condo tower was well known by locals for its affordable beer and great burgers 🍔. We are not sure how many restaurants, cafes, convenience stores, and bars will close in the Theater District 🎭neighborhood in the next year as Broadway will stay dark until at least next Spring but we are sure they will be remembered as is McHales’s.

Casey Rubber Stamps, East Village, NYC

Casey Rubber Stamps on East 11th Street in the East Village sells the most amazing rubber stamps!  

Full video: https://youtu.be/v2vovmtf428 

This small shop @caseysrubberstamps was founded in 1979 by Mr. John Casey and needs your help to survive the Coronavirus pandemic as business is down by 40% as tourist traffic accounted for a good portion of his business and there is basically no more tourists walking and shopping in the neighborhood! 

• In our latest YouTube Video NYC BEST RUBBER STAMP SHOP: CASEY RUBBER STAMPS, we visit this historic shop, which sells over 10,000 original stamp designs as well as custom made rubber stamps. We speak with the owner and get a behind-the-scenes tour of the entire old-school process of making stamps with a negative, plate and mold, sheets of rubber and custom-molded maple wood blocks. 

• To watch and subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel (It’s FREE TO SUBSCRIBE & it will help us bring you more videos highlighting unique small businesses in NYC

Our latest YouTube video is live! BEST RUBBER STAMP SHOP: CASEY RUBBER STAMPS

In our NYC BEST RUBBER STAMP SHOP: CASEY RUBBER STAMPS, we visit a historic rubber stamp shop in the #EastVillage, which sells over 10,000 original stamp designs as well as custom made rubber stamps. We speak with the owner, John Casey, and get a behind-the-scenes tour of the entire old-school process of making stamps with a negative, plate and mold, sheets of rubber and custom-molded maple wood blocks. Visit Casey Rubber Stamps: 322 East 11th Street New York, NY www.caseyrubberstamps.com

Lucky Strike, SoHo, NYC

Lucky Strike on Grand Street near West Broadway in SoHo sadly closed in April after 30 years in business “due to the impact of COVID-19.” This French-American bistro was opened by restauranteur Keith McNally in 1989 and soon became a popular SoHo hangout for artists and celebrities. We especially loved the buildings’ cast iron facade and rickety old fire escape.

Thank you 6sqft for including out STORE FRONT prints in your gift guide!

Full list: https://www.6sqft.com/2020-black-friday-cyber-week-deals.../ 

"You’ve seen the work of photographers James and Karla Murray here on 6sqft, but now you can have one of their well-known “storefront” photos in your own home by picking your favorite mom-and-pop print from past or present times. For Black Friday, they’re offering free shipping to anywhere in the USA with an order of a signed 11″ x 14″ Store Front print for $99 or a signed 8″ x  10″ inch print for $75. Payment is via PayPal or Venmo to Karla-Murray. James and Karla ask, “When ordering, please indicate which storefront print you would like to receive. If you have a special request, please let us know as we have photographed thousands of NYC storefronts over the past 30 years!”

Our latest video is live! NYC LIFE: WALKING UNION SQUARE TO WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK

In our NYC LIFE: WALKING UNION SQUARE TO WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK, we walk at night with our dog Hudson from Union Square in Manhattan along University Place to Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village during the #Coronavirus Lockdown in #NYC to see how these neighborhoods look during the reopening of New York with outdoor dining during COVID-19 restrictions.

Jules Bistro, East Village, NYC

Chilly weather in NYC has us reminiscing about warming up over some jazz music at Jules Bistro in the #EastVillage #NYC. Sadly, this French bistro, which was founded by Georges Forgeois in 1993 has closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. We are sad to see another gem close.

We are sad to report that Jay & Lloyd’s Kosher Deli on Avenue U in Brooklyn closed after 28 years in business.

This 3rd-generation family-owned delicatessen was known for its delicious kosher hot dogs 🌭 and pastrami sandwiches. We especially loved its top hat 🎩 and bow tie-wearing hot dog mascot! Please let us know if any favorite moms-and-pop storefronts in your neighborhood have closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic or are in danger of closing as we would love to help out by highlighting them on our feed.

Dan’s Chelsea Guitars, Chelsea, NYC

Dan’s Chelsea Guitars 🎸on West 23rd Street was founded in 1989 but the location operated as a music store since the 1940s. 

We photographed this shop in 2004 and interviewed the owner Dan Courtenay for our book, “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York”. 

We tried to visit its smaller #storefront which seems to be about 1/4 of the size of the original after visiting the Chelsea Flea Market last weekend, but the gates were down and it was locked up tight. We are not sure if it has reopened due to the Coronavirus pandemic so if anybody knows, please let us know!  

In our latest YouTube Video CHELSEA FLEA MARKET: BEST THRIFTING IN NYC, we walk around the Chelsea Flea Market on West 25th Street in with @hudsonpittienyc . 

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

We check out the high-quality antiques, unique vintage items including clothes, vinyl records and jewelry and architectural salvage and other collectibles. This flea market @chelseafleanyc once sprawled over 7 different parking lots in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan and was frequented by artists including Andy Warhol, interior and fashion designers. We spotted the famous journalist, Michael Musto and Lynn Yaeger, Vogue fashion editor shopping there on Sunday, November 8, 2020 when we filmed the video.

La Taza de Oro, Chelsea, NYC

La Taza de Oro, the amazing Puerto Rican restaurant in Chelsea, was in business from 1946-2015. We miss visiting this old-school gem after browsing through the Chelsea Flea Market. 

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

In our latest YouTube Video CHELSEA FLEA MARKET: BEST THRIFTING IN NYC, we walk around the Chelsea Flea Market on West 25th Street in with @hudsonpittienyc . We check out the high-quality antiques, unique vintage items including clothes, vinyl records and jewelry and architectural salvage and other collectibles. 

This flea market @chelseafleanyc once sprawled over 7 different parking lots in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan and was frequented by artists including Andy Warhol, interior and fashion designers. 

We spotted the famous journalist, Michael Musto and Lynn Yaeger, Vogue fashion editor shopping there on Sunday, November 8, 2020 when we filmed the video.

Hudson. Leaping fun over at #astorplace, East Village, #NYC, just now...

 

Our latest YouTube video is live! CHELSEA FLEA MARKET: BEST THRIFTING IN NYC

In our CHELSEA FLEA MARKET: BEST THRIFTING IN NYC video, we walk around the Chelsea Flea Market in New York City with our dog Hudson. We check out the high-quality antiques, unique vintage items including clothes, vinyl records and jewelry and architectural salvage and other collectibles. 

This flea market once sprawled over 7 different parking lots in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan and was frequented by artists including Andy Warhol, interior and fashion designers. We spotted the famous journalist, Michael Musto and Lynn Yaeger, Vogue fashion editor thrifting there on Sunday, November 8, 2020 when we filmed this video. 

Chelsea Flea Market: 29 West 25th Street New York, NY  

Open every Saturday & Sunday 8 AM - 4 PM

Join us for a live chat during our latest video's premiere at 11AM!

Our 2020 CAPTURING THE FACES & VOICES of MOM-AND-POP STOREFRONTS workshop participant, Delphine le Goff and her gorgeous original sketches

Featured in our latest YouTube video: https://youtu.be/C7ZC-ubk_AA

We are excited to announce that we will be hosting a FREE virtual curator talk at the @tompkins_square_library as part of their 4th annual East Village at 6pm on Monday, December 7th

• In this online discussion, James and Karla will discuss and show the work created by the participants of their 2020 Mom and Pop Storefronts workshop. The particpants' artwork will also be displayed at the Tompkins Square Library from December 1-30th, 2020. 

Tompkins Square Library is located at 331 East 10th Street near Avenue B in the East Village and is open for Grab & Go Service Monday-Saturday. Call (212) 228-4747 for hours/details. 

• Experience activism and community through the lens of photographers/artists, as they display their work from a free virtual 2020 workshop with acclaimed photographers and award-winning authors Karla and James Murray. In partnership with the East Village Community Coalition, James & Karla taught participants how to use photography/art and oral history to raise public awareness, build community, and encourage advocacy. Participants learned to create their own powerful photographs and artwork of neighborhood storefronts and to connect with the proprietors through personal interviews.   

To join this online event, please register using this link:  https://www.nypl.org/events/programs/2020/12/07/online-curator-talk-karla-and-james-murray

Our latest video is live! NYC LIFE: WALKING EAST VILLAGE ALPHABET CITY OUTDOOR DINING & VINTAGE

In our NYC LIFE: WALKING EAST VILLAGE ALPHABET CITY OUTDOOR DINING & VINTAGE, we walk along East 14th Street, Avenue B and Avenue A and some neighboring side streets with our dog Hudson during the #Coronavirus Lockdown in #NYC to see how vibrant this neighborhood looks during the reopening of New York with outdoor dining during COVID-19 restrictions. We see many restaurants, cafes and bars open with outdoor seating and check out some flea markets & vintage shops.

Malko Karkanni Bros., Cobble Hill, Brooklyn

Malko Karkanni Bros. on Atlantic Avenue in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn is a family-owned Middle Eastern food shop which sells nuts, candy, imported oils & syrups as well as many other unique goods. 

Full video: https://youtu.be/-TWyKqRICVk 

In our NYC LIFE: WALKING BROOKLYN HEIGHTS & COBBLE HILL ATLANTIC AVENUE, BROOKLYN NEW YORK OUTDOOR DINING, we walk with our dog Hudson along Atlantic Avenue in the Brooklyn Heights/Cobble Hill neighborhoods during the #Coronavirus Lockdown in #NYC to see how vibrant this neighborhood near the Brooklyn Bridge looks during the reopening of New York with outdoor dining during COVID-19 restrictions. 

We see many restaurants, cafes and bars open with outdoor seating and check out Malko Karkanni Bros. and get some delicious roasted pistachios.

Montero’s Bar & Grill, Brooklyn

Montero’s Bar & Grill on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn Heights was founded in Joseph & Pilar Montero as a seafarer’s bar in 1945. 
Full video: https://youtu.be/-TWyKqRICVk  
In our NYC LIFE: WALKING BROOKLYN HEIGHTS & COBBLE HILL ATLANTIC AVENUE, BROOKLYN NEW YORK OUTDOOR DINING, we walk with our dog Hudson along Atlantic Avenue in the Brooklyn Heights/Cobble Hill neighborhoods during the #Coronavirus Lockdown in #NYC to see how vibrant this neighborhood near the Brooklyn Bridge looks during the reopening of New York with outdoor dining during COVID-19 restrictions. We see many restaurants, cafes and bars open with outdoor seating and check out the historic Montero’s and its incredible overhanging vintage #neon sign.

Our new video is live! NYC CELEBRATES IN WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK AFTER 2020 ELECTION RESULTS ANNOUNCED

In our NYC CELEBRATES IN WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK AFTER 2020 ELECTION RESULTS ANNOUNCED video, we walk with our dog Hudson to Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to see the celebrations in New York City happening at this historic park after the 2020 Presidential Election results were announced with Joe Biden as the winner on November 7, 2020. 

Washington Square Park covers 9.75-acre (39,500 m2) in Manhattan and is one of the best known of New York City's public parks. Not only is an an icon of #NYC but it is also is a popular meeting place and center for cultural activity.The park's open space is dominated by the Washington Square Arch and the park's fountain area has long been one of the city's popular spots for residents and tourists.  #GreenwichVillage #Election2020

Our latest YouTube video is live! NYC LIFE: WALKING BROOKLYN HEIGHTS & COBBLE HILL ATLANTIC AVENUE, BROOKLYN NEW YORK OUTDOOR DINING

In our NYC LIFE: WALKING BROOKLYN HEIGHTS & COBBLE HILL ATLANTIC AVENUE, BROOKLYN NEW YORK OUTDOOR DINING, we walk with our dog Hudson along Atlantic Avenue in the Brooklyn Heights/Cobble Hill neighborhoods during the #Coronavirus Lockdown in #NYC to see how vibrant this neighborhood near the Brooklyn Bridge looks during the reopening of New York with outdoor dining during COVID-19 restrictions. We see many restaurants, cafes and bars open with outdoor seating and check out many Middle Eastern specialty stores.

Read in today’s New York Post (11.07.20) about our efforts to save both the Palomba Academy of Music neon sign and the Clover Delicatessen neon signs after these two small independently owned family businesses closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Both photos, CLOVER DELICATESSEN and PALOMBA Academy of MUSIC, featured on this spread were taken by us...

58 Arrested.

Our latest YouTube video is live!  

Full video: https://youtu.be/cIEe0BhBbQQ

In our #NYCPROTESTS FOR CHANGE: PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION NEAR UNION SQUARE TURNED INTO CLASHES WITH POLICE we watch as the peaceful protest for change on East 14th Street near Union Square in New York City on November 4, 2020, turned into clashes between protesters and police, leading to 58 arrests. Police used the tactic known as kettling to contain the protesters and keep them on the sidewalks versus the streets. 

Filmed on November 4, 2020 in New York

Our latest YouTube video is live! NYC PROTEST FOR CHANGE: PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION NEAR UNION SQUARE TURNED INTO CLASHES WITH POLICE

In our NYC PROTEST FOR CHANGE: PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION NEAR UNION SQUARE TURNED INTO CLASHES WITH POLICE we watch as the peaceful protest for change on East 14th Street near Union Square in New York City on November 4, 2020, turned into clashes between protesters and police, leading to 58 arrests. Police used the tactic known as kettling to contain the protesters and keep them on the sidewalks versus the streets. Filmed on November 4, 2020 in New York

Our latest YouTube video is live!NYC WALKING TO TIMES SQUARE NEW YORK

In our NYC WALKING TO TIMES SQUARE NEW YORK, we walk along 7th Avenue from 57th Street Street to Times Square and 42nd Street with our dog during the #Coronavirus Lockdown in #NYC to see how Times Square, the Theater district and the Midtown West neighborhoods looks during the reopening of New York with outdoor dining during COVID-19 restrictions. 

We see many restaurants, cafes and bars open with outdoor seating and people gathering around the Times Square area.

Did you know that New York City has its own “Milky Way” in Brooklyn!

While the City is not known as a great place for star ⭐️ gazing because of all the light pollution in the sky, you can glimpse The Milky Way right on Ralph Avenue in Brooklyn and even get a quart of milk 🥛 and some frozen food in the process.

We are excited to share that you we were guests on the Art Insiders New York Podcast hosted by Anders Holst.

You can listen to both James and Karla (and Hudson) on the hour-long podcast "The Disappearing Face of New York". 

Full interview: https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-d6ekx-f0e2d5 

"THE DISAPPEARING FACE OF NEW YORK - Interview with James and Karla Murray October 30, 2020 James and Karla Murray are not only husband-and-wife but also prolific architectural and interior design photographers whose critically acclaimed books include Store Front: The Disappearing Face New York, New York Nights, Store Front II- A History Preserved and Broken Windows-Graffiti NYC.  

Their important mission is to document the disappearance of the Mom and Pop economy, often the backbone of the New York's cityscape standing in sharp contrast to the city's rapidly evolving corporate facade.  

Their photographs have appeared in numerous publications including the New York Times, London Telegraph, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Daily News, New York Magazine and The New Yorker 

You can follow them on YouTube where they have published some 90 episodes of verité-style neighborhood exploration around New York City from their unique perspective."

Our latest Youtube video is live! NOTE This video is NOT sideways! COVID-19 HALLOWEEN NYC: GREENWICH VILLAGE, NEW YORK

 In our COVID-19 HALLOWEEN NYC: GREENWICH VILLAGE, NEW YORK video, we walk with our dog Hudson, from the East Village to the annual Greenwich Village Halloween Parade route along 6th Avenue from Canal Street to 14th Street/ Union Square. The annual #Halloween Parade in #NYC was cancelled this year due to the #Coronavirus pandemic.