7B aka Vazac’s Horseshoe Bar on the corner of Avenue B and East 7th Street has roots dating back to 1935 when it was a Polish Catering Hall.

It has a gorgeous wooden bar actually shaped like a 🐴horseshoe! 

Full video: https://youtu.be/bwUJBsPO0g4 

In our latest livestream YouTube video, we check out the outdoor dining and take-away window set up by @7bhorseshoebar . We wish we could have shown you the gorgeous interior with its horseshoe-shaped bar but it’s closed due to indoor dining restrictions & the blinds covering the windows were also down, but if you watch the movies Godfather Part II, Crocodile Dundee and many episodes of Law & Order as well as a few other movies and TV shows you can see it !

PASTICCERIA ROCCO has been family owned and operated since 1974.

Rocco Generoso emigrated to NYC from Italy and first started working as a dishwasher at Zema’s Bakery in 1957. 

Full video: https://youtu.be/_5JdSeBfwKc 

The owner took him under his wing because of his great work ethic and taught him all about the pastry business and he became Zema’s apprentice and eventually the head pastry chef. In 1974 he took ownership of Zema’s Bakery and renamed it Rocco’s Pastry Shop. 

After Rocco retired in 2010, his children took over and re-fronted the store. They continue to serve wonderful cannoli that are filled by hand and served fresh with each order. 

In our latest livestream YouTube video, we visit @roccospastry and check out all their amazing freshly baked pastries , cakes and cookies. We purchase some treats including assorted biscotti & gingerbread cookies to eat later!

McNulty’s Tea & Coffee on Christopher Street in the West Village has been in business since 1895.

Full video: https://youtu.be/_5JdSeBfwKc 

Although founded by two Irish brothers, it has been owned by the Wong family for 40 years. In our latest livestream YouTube video, we visit @mcnultys1895 and see its historic interior complete with pressed tim ceiling and vintage metal tea and coffee bins which date back to the 1920s, which were especially made for the store. We also purchase their holiday Mocha Java blend of coffee which we highly recommend! McNulty's Tea & Coffee Co., Inc.

Village Revival Records on Bleecker Street near 6th Avenue in Greenwich Village has been struggling to survive during the Coronavirus pandemic.

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

In our latest YouTube video, we visit this I ndependently-owned #vinyl record shop, which has been in the neighborhood for close to 30 years. We speak with the owner of Village Revival Records, Jamal Jararah of @villagerevivalrecordsnyc about his historic #NYC shop and the difficulties he has faced due to #Coronavirus.

Hudson. Sunday walk fun. Watch our extra good live stream walk "NYC LIVE: WALKING BLEECKER STREET GREENWICH VILLAGE TO EAST VILLAGE"

Full video: https://youtu.be/_5JdSeBfwKc 

We visit many unique independently-owned shops and point out places of interest along the side streets too!

Our latest video is live! NYC VINYL RECORDS: GREENWICH VILLAGE RECORD SHOP STRUGGLING

In our NYC VINYL RECORDS: GREENWICH VILLAGE RECORD SHOP STRUGGLING w/ @Urbanist: Exploring Cities we walk with YouTuber Ariel Viera around Greenwich Village to visit many small mom-and-pop businesses which are struggling to survive during the Coronavirus pandemic. 

In this Part I of our tour, we visit an independently-owned #vinyl record shop, which has been in the neighborhood for close to 30 years. We speak with the owner of Village Revival Records, Jamal Jararah about his historic #NYC shop and the difficulties he has faced due to #Coronavirus. 

Village Revival Records: 197 Bleecker Street New York, NY (near 6th Ave)

In our epic 2 hour 40 minute YouTube live stream walk on Christmas Eve "NYC LIVE CHRISTMAS EVE WALKING GREENWICH VILLAGE, SOHO, LITTLE ITALY & CHINATOWN OF MANHATTAN" we visit @labonbonnierenyc

In our epic 2 hour 40 minute YouTube live stream walk on Christmas Eve "NYC LIVE CHRISTMAS EVE WALKING GREENWICH VILLAGE, SOHO, LITTLE ITALY & CHINATOWN OF MANHATTAN" we visit @labonbonnierenyc and purchase one of their new t-shirts created by @neighborhoodspot to help support this small independently owned business. 

Full video:  https://youtu.be/T4moUUiJOUg 

La Bonbonniere on 8th Ave In the West Village was founded in the 1930s and has been owned by Marina Arreta & Gus Maroulletus. This mom-and-pop diner, serving breakfast 🥞 all day long has been struggling to survive during the Coronavirus pandemic.We also visit many other unique small shops and see some cheery Christmas 🎄displays!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Watch our epic 2 hour 40 minute live stream walk on Christmas Eve last night NYC LIVE CHRISTMAS EVE WALKING GREENWICH VILLAGE, SOHO, LITTLE ITALY & CHINATOWN OF MANHATTAN to see some small independently owned businesses which are struggling to survive during COVID as well as some cheery Christmas and holiday displays.    

Merry Christmas Eve from NYC!

In our NYC LIVE: CHRISTMAS SNOW WALK AROUND NEW YORK CITY TO SEE DECORATED STORES & CHRISTMAS TREES & MORE we walk with our dog Hudson in snow-covered Manhattan to see some beautifully Holiday decorated small independently-owned bars, restaurants and clubs and also check out many gorgeous Christmas tree displays along the way... 

Full video: https://youtu.be/G0Ox-Kw5oME

Paddy Maguire’s Ale House on Third Avenue in the Gramercy neighborhood of Manhattan is owned by a former jockey from Limerick, Ireland.

In our latest YouTube livestream video, we stop in at @paddy_maguires to see the cheery interior.

 Full video: https://youtu.be/G0Ox-Kw5oME 
This Irish ☘️ bar opened in 1995 and the interior is decorated with an equine theme including race horses 🏇 on the ceiling. Every Christmas 🎄 Paddy transforms the bar into a winter wonderland decked out in lights, ornaments and a Christmas display in the back room.

Photography and video from our visit to Casey's Rubber Stamps for 6sqft...

Full video: https://www.6sqft.com/nyc-east-village-casey-rubber-stamps-john-casey/

Inside Casey Rubber Stamps: How this tiny rubber stamp shop has survived for 41 years in NYC

"Tucked away on East 11th Street between First and Second Avenues is a small rubber stamp shop, which, according to the small sign in its window, is “closed when not open” and “open when not closed.”"

Kossar’s Bagels & Bialys has been in business on the Lower East Side since 1936.

This old-school bakery on Grand Street is known for their freshly baked bialys, which are chewy, flat, round rolls with a slightly depressed center. @kossars is the oldest remaining bialy bakery in the United States. In our latest YouTube video, we visit Kossar’s and go inside to buy both their bialy and a bagel to compare the two. 

Full video: https://youtu.be/ByO7l5lVh_I

Our latest Video is Live! BEST NYC JEWISH FOOD TOUR: WALKING LOWER EAST SIDE

Our latest Video is Live! In our BEST NYC JEWISH FOOD TOUR: WALKING LOWER EAST SIDE with @Here Be Barr, we visit a number of amazing independently-owned #Jewishfood spots in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, many of which are struggling to survive during the Coronavirus pandemic in #NYC. 

We purchase and eat delicious rye bread, apricot hamantashen, bialys, bagels and smoked Nova salmon.  Places we visit and food we eat at include: 

 0:00 Introduction  

1:29 Moishe’s Kosher Bakery: 504 Grand Street New York, NY - Loaf of Fresh Rye Bread and Apricot Hamantashen 

18:45 Kossar’s Bagels & Bialys: 367 Grand Street New York, NY - freshly baked Original Onion Bialy & Plain Bagel 

29:39 The Pickle Guys: 357 Grand Street New York, NY - Full Sour Pickles 

38:03 Russ & Daughters Appetizers: 179 East Houston Street New York, NY - Nova Smoked Salmon, Scallion Cream Cheese on Everything Bagel

The original location of Subway Inn, Upper East Side, Manhattan, NYC

During Christmas-time our thoughts always go to the original location of Subway Inn as we often would stop into this historic dive bar after looking at the holiday & Christmas 🎄 windows at Bloomingdales. Subway Inn, which opened in 1937 on East 60th Street opposite Bloomingdales, sadly closed in 2014 after the building owner declined to renew their lease as they wanted to build high-end luxury condos on the site. (Those are now built). 

Thankfully, Marcello Salinas who started out mopping floors at the bar when he immigrated to the U.S. before taking ownership of the bar was able to relocate the @subwayinn in 2015 to 2nd Ave at East 60th Street and even brought over the bar’s iconic #neon #signage. We love when a tragic loss ends up as a happy story! 😊 We hope to be able to share more happy stories like this one! • 

To watch our Livestream video highlighting the Christmas windows at Bloomingdalescheck out the full video: https://youtu.be/GAOz33VdcEY

Minetta Tavern in this week's Snowstorm!

In our latest YouTube video NYC LIVE: SNOW WALK EAST VILLAGE & GREENWICH VILLAGE, we walk from the East Village with our dog Hudson to Washington Square Park and MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village during the first major snowstorm of the 2020 winter season. 

Full video: https://youtu.be/vICnR2btz1g  

We stop and peek in the windows at the historic @minettatavernny which looked so warm and cozy on a snowy winter evening but of course it was closed to indoor dining. 

• Watch and subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel!

We posted our latest live stream! NYC LIVE: SNOW WALK EAST VILLAGE & GREENWICH VILLAGE, MANHATTAN

Full video: https://youtu.be/vICnR2btz1g 

In our NYC LIVE: SNOW WALK EAST VILLAGE & GREENWICH VILLAGE, MANHATTAN, we walk from Stuyvesant Street in the East Village with our dog Hudson to Washington Square Park and MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village during the first major snowstorm of the 2020 winter season on December 16, 2020. 

We stop in at the Donut Pub located at 740 Broadway near 8th Street in #NYC to get some fresh donuts and a hot peppermint tea to warm up on this #snow filled cold evening. #snowstorm2020 #snowstorm

Our Mom-and-Pop Storefront photos appear in this week’s New York Magazine issue “Reasons to Love New York”

Our Mom-and-Pop Storefront photos appear in this week’s New York Magazine issue “Reasons to Love New York” commemorating the many places which closed in 2020 (due to the Coronavirus pandemic). Although we personally like to remain positive and celebrate and help promote the many small businesses which are still open in NYC and struggling to survive, we also appreciate remembering the many small businesses which sadly have disappeared from the cityscape. 

To see full article send-off as well as personal farewells to individual storefronts, please visit @nymag.

Watch our livestream to see the #RockefellerCenterChristmasTree

In our livestream to see the #RockefellerCenterChristmasTree, we walk with our dog Hudson along 5th Avenue in Midtown and stop at the main branch of the New York Public Library, Bryant Park, Radio City Music Hall and Saks Fifth Avenue along the way and see all the #Christmas and holiday displays on both 5th and 6th Avenues. 

Full video: https://youtu.be/K-oWG96Z_uA

Our latest video is live! NYC EPIC SUNSET OVER MANHATTAN FROM SUNSET TO NIGHT

Re-live last nights epic sunset over the Lower East Side, NYC in full!

In our NYC EPIC SUNSET OVER MANHATTAN FROM SUNSET TO NIGHT we film the amazingly gorgeous sunset over New York City, which took place on the evening of December 15, 2020. 

This is unnarrated so that you can hear ambient street noise #ASMR as well as the beautiful #NYC #SUNSET.

The 21 Club, Midtown Manhattan’s historic speakeasy just announced that it will permanently close next year after over 90 years in business.

Located on 52nd Street near 5th Avenue, this iconic restaurant which was originally founded in 1922 in Greenwich Village was known for its amazing art collection, jockey figurines and its long list of A-list clientele including many Presidents of the USA and movie stars. It has been closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic since March but we took this night photo in 2010 when the restaurant was glowing brightly for our book “New York Nights”.

We hope you can join us this Monday December 14th at 12PM for our FREE gallery talk about our show "Open for Business: The Art of the Storefront" currently on display at The Municipal Art Society of New York

Please register for free at:  https://www.mas.org/events/gallery-talk-with-james-and-karla-murray/

Join MAS and artists James and Karla Murray on Monday, December 14 for a special, guided conversation about Open for Business: The Art of the Storefront, which recently opened on MAS’s Doris C. and Alan J. Freedman Gallery. They will select a number of photos from the online exhibition to discuss their “Storefront” photography as a means for artistic intervention to help draw attention to and preserve the wonderful “Mom-and-Pop” stores that define each neighborhood of New York City.

Our latest video is live! NYC BIGGEST BOOKSTORE: STRAND BOOKS

In our NYC BIGGEST BOOKSTORE: STRAND BOOKS we visit the Strand Book Store in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan with our dog Hudson. We browse their vast selection of over 2.5 Million used, new and rate books and also check out their vinyl record selection.

Happy Hanukkah 🕎 to everyone who celebrates!

A great place to get some latkes and homemade Challah for this Jewish holiday is B&H Dairy Kosher Restaurant in the East Village, which was founded in 1938 by Jewish immigrants as a “dairy” #luncheonette because in Jewish dietary laws, a #kosher restaurant serves either milk 🥛 or meat, not both. 

Full video: https://youtu.be/94_fRSlTuiE 

In our latest YouTube Video we highlight B&H Dairy as we walk with our dog Hudson around our own neighborhood of the East Village to show our friend many of the small unique businesses lining the side streets and main avenues which have been hit hard due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our Mom-and-Pop Storefront photos appear in this week’s New York Magazine issue “Reasons to Love New York” commemorating the many places which closed in 2020 (due to the Coronavirus pandemic)

Although we personally like to remain positive and celebrate and help promote the many small businesses which are still open in NYC and struggling to survive, we also appreciate remembering the many small businesses which sadly have disappeared from the cityscape. 

To see full article send-off as well as personal farewells to individual storefronts, please visit @nymag. 

#disappearingfaceofnewyork #storefront #supportsmallbusinesses #supportlocal #supportlocalbusiness #supportsmallbusiness #shoplocal #shopsmall #toosmalltofail #nymag #allinnyc #igs_nyc #instagram_newyork

Co-owner Jane Williams, Katinka, East Village, NYC

The wonderful Indian garment-filled shop Katinka on East 9th Street in the East Village is featured in our latest YouTube video with YouTube star Actionkid highlighting many small businesses which are struggling to survive during the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Full video: https://youtu.be/94_fRSlTuiE 

In our video, we speak with the co-owner Jane Williams  about how she curated the selection at this amazingly colorful shop and how she are struggling to keep their 40+ year-old business afloat. 

• If you want to HELP SUPPORT our channel so we can continue highlighting small unique shops & interesting places in NYC, please watch and SUBSCRIBE (it’s free to subscribe) to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel. 

STOREFRONT XL prints AVAILABLE. (in photo 36 x 52 inch)

This is the last week in which to place an order to ensure delivery before Christmas. 

Prints start at $99 for 11 x 14 inch 

See link for storefront portfolio:  http://jamesandkarlamurray.com/JamesandKarlaMurrayPortfolioStorefronts0715.html

T-Shirt by The Beauty Bar NYC

Yesterday we filmed a first snow of the season livestream over on our @jamesandkarla YouTube.

Full video: https://youtu.be/PGrEU5ri3iw 

In this livestream we walk through the East Village of Manhattan to show everyone the first snowfall of the winter 2020 season. We point out interesting places & restaurants along our walk and visit Tompkins Square Park and its iconic dog run! We also visit Ray’s Candy Store on Avenue A across the street from the park and stop in to help support this small business as it is struggling to survive during the Coronavirus pandemic.

We hope you can join us this Monday December 14th for our gallery talk about our show "Open for Business: The Art of the Storefront" currently on display at The Municipal Art Society of New York

Please register for free at:  https://www.mas.org/events/gallery-talk-with-james-and-karla-murray/

Join MAS and artists James and Karla Murray on Monday, December 14 at 12PM for a special, guided conversation about Open for Business: The Art of the Storefront, which recently opened on MAS’s Doris C. and Alan J. Freedman Gallery. 

They will select a number of photos from the online exhibition to discuss their “Storefront” photography as a means for artistic intervention to help draw attention to and preserve the wonderful “Mom-and-Pop” stores that define each neighborhood of New York City.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

James and Karla Murray are husband-and-wife architectural and interior photographers and multi-media artists based in New York City. For the past twenty-five years they have focused their lens on the streetscape through portraits of storefronts and shop owners and have strived to capture moments of city life that often go undocumented but capture the spirit, energy and cultural diversity of individual neighborhoods. They made it their mission to thoroughly document unique ‘mom-and-pop’ stores when they began to notice the alarming rate at which the shops were disappearing. Their critically acclaimed books include Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York, New York Nights, Store Front II- A History Preserved, and Broken Windows-Graffiti NYC. James and Karla live in the East Village of Manhattan with their rescue dog Hudson.

Our latest video is live! EAST VILLAGE NYC GEMS: WALKING WITH @ActionKid SHOWING MANY SMALL BUSINESSES STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE

In our EAST VILLAGE NYC GEMS: WALKING WITH  @ActionKid  SHOWING MANY SMALL BUSINESSES STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE we walk with our dog Hudson around our own neighborhood of the East Village of Manhattan to show ActionKid many of the small unique businesses lining the side streets and main avenues which have been hit hard die to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Action Kid YouTube channel: https://ww.youtube.com/actionkid 

Places we visit include: 

0:00 Introduction clips 

1:07 Action Kid joins us 

1:51 Katinka : 303 East 9th Street New York, NY 

6:14 John's of 12th Street: 302 East 12th Street NY 

12:43 Village East Cinema 181-189 2nd Ave NY 

13:46 Treeriders: 2nd Ave at E 11th Street NY 15:24 2nd Avenue Deli (original location) NY 

16:52 Veselka :: Beceлкa 144 2nd Avenue New York 

18:22 Dinosaur Hill 306 East 9th Street New York 

20:58 East Village Pizza 145 1st Avenue New York 

32:56 Gem Spa (former location) 2nd Ave NY 

34:14 Paul's Da Burger Joint 131 2nd Ave NY 35:54 B&H Dairy Kosher Restaurant: 127 2nd Ave NY

Thank you Greg Mocker and PIX 11 for the great coverage of our 2020 "CAPTURING THE FACES & VOICES OF MOM-AND-POP STOREFRONTS" public workshop!

Thanks for everyone who joined our FREE online curator talk last night! Fun times!

Full video: https://www.pix11.com/news/local-news/sketches-and-photographs-celebrate-local-businesses-at-library-art-exhibition-and-online?fbclid=IwAR3vL0lX-cbd4l8qrtPchycsaGJVSVONjgieykCjTxuSoxo52UzOe_zGdq4

TONIGHT! We hope you can join us for our FREE online curator talk tonight at 6pm EST with the NYPL Tompkins Square Library

Register FREE: https://www.nypl.org/events/programs/2020/12/07/online-curator-talk-karla-and-james-murray

TONIGHT! We hope you can join us for our FREE online curator talk tonight at 6pm EST with the NYPL Tompkins Square Library where we will be discussing  and showing the work created by the participants of our 2020 "CAPTURING THE FACES & VOICES OF MOM-AND-POP STOREFRONTS" public workshop. In partnership with the East Village Community Coalition, we taught participants how to use photography and oral history to raise public awareness, build community, and encourage advocacy.

Last night's festive and very very windy live stream is live on our channel!

NYC LIVE: WALKING THE VESSEL NYC AT HUDSON YARDS WITH CHRISTMAS LIGHTS 

Full video: https://youtu.be/5BUwGsPRc2Q

Our latest video is live! BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN WALKING NYC: VINTAGE, GRAFFITI & VINYL RECORDS

In our BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN WALKING NYC: VINTAGE, GRAFFITI & VINYL RECORDS video, we walk with our dog Hudson around this vibrant neighborhood and visit vintage and vinyl record stores and see lots of great graffiti and street art murals along the way. We also check out many outdoor dining spots in Bushwick, Brooklyn which have been set up due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Baohaus, East Village, NYC

Baohaus, the popular Taiwanese restaurant specializing in baos with pork belly and fried chicken, on East 14th Street in the East Village sadly has permanently closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Owner/chef @mreddiehuang made the announcement of @baohausnyc closure on his IG page and said he kept his restaurant open as long as he could because , “I opened this restaurant to tell my family’s story through food at a time when no one was giving Asian-Americans a chance in tv, film, books, or media generally.”

Good Stuff Diner, Chelsea, NYC

Good Stuff Diner on West 14th Street at Sixth Avenue in Chelsea sadly is yet another diner to close due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The owner posted in September that the lack of indoor dining coupled with the fact that their landlord hadn’t given them any rent breaks forced them to close this retro-style diner. We are extremely worried about the future of so many mom-and-pop diners as they generally have huge menus and operate on very small profit margins. Please try and support your local diner to help ensure that they remain in business!

Our latest video is live! OPEN WINDOW NEW YORK CITY VIEWS & SOUNDS AT NIGHT: SOUNDSCAPE EAST VILLAGE, NYC

In our OPEN WINDOW NEW YORK CITY VIEWS & SOUNDS AT NIGHT: SOUNDSCAPE EAST VILLAGE, NYC we film from our studio in the East Village on a chilly winter evening as the sun sets over downtown Manhattan. Smoke rises from the rooftop chimneys and relaxing ambient city noise can be heard from the street below. A moment of tranquility during a busy December to take time and chill out and relax.

The Best Tea Shop, Chinatown, NYC

The Best Tea Shop is one of the many small businesses we point out in our latest YouTube video as we walk along the three Broadways of the Lower East Side, Chinatown & SoHo. 

Full video: https://youtu.be/fpMBDy3OR24

Most tourists have heard of the famous Broadway in Manhattan but may not know that there are 2 other Broadways in lower Manhattan! 

• To help support our work documenting small independently owned businesses, please watch and subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel.

Sam Wai Liquor Store, Chinatown, NYC

Sam Wai Liquor Store with its unique vernacular signage is one of the many small businesses we point out in our latest YouTube video as we walk along the three Broadways of the Lower East Side, Chinatown & SoHo. 

Full video: https://youtu.be/fpMBDy3OR24 

Most tourists have heard of the famous Broadway in Manhattan but may not know that there are 2 other Broadways in lower Manhattan!