Jack's Hairstyling For Men in Brooklyn.

This old school #barber 💈offers a variety of #hair cuts ✂️ and styles for both men and women now. We love its #handpainted #signage on the window advertising Tonsorial Parlor. Tonsorial is a "fancy" word that describes the work of those who give shaves and haircuts. It derives from the Latin verb "tondere" meaning to shear, clip or crop. "Tonsor" is also an archaic word for a barber. #storefront

South Carolina Variety Store in #Harlem.

This store opened during what is known as the "Great Migration," the movement of 6 million African-Americans out of the rural Southern United States to the urban Northeast between 1910 and 1970. We particularly love this variety stores's #handpainted #sign and the heart-breaking child's drawing taped to the front window (on the bottom left) that shows the before and after effects of crack on a woman.

Grand Central Terminal exposed...

Hotel Carter Times Square, NYC

Hotel Carter in the Times Square area of Manhattan was built in 1930 at a cost of $2.2 million. Originally called the Dixie Hotel , it is 24 stories tall and at its opening had 1,000 rooms. We love it's amazing #neon #sign featuring beautiful #script lettering. Sadly the #hotel has been ranked the dirtiest hotel in America from 2004-2009 with reports of bedbug infestation and "unsafe" conditions. #TimesSquare

Luna Park in Coney Island.

Luna Park @lunaparknyc was opened in Spring 2010 and is named and modeled after the legendary amusement park of #ConeyIsland 's past. The original Luna Park opened in 1903 with buildings adorned with Moorish spires and minarets, and was lit by tens of thousands of incandescent bulbs. Photo from 2011 and full text about the #amusementpark appear in our book "New York Nights". Limited Edition Prints available! 🎢

In honor of #nationaldogday 🐶 yesterday we are posting the Little River Seed Pet Supplies #vintage #neonsign.

We fell in love with this #neon #sign and its #poodle! We are huge #dog lovers having rescued 3 #pitbulls over the years with our latest boy, Hudson, 🐕 saved from death row 4 years ago!

John's Bicycle Shop 🚴 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn was founded in 1925.

The second-generation owner William Rosa told us that he "learned everything I know about #bicycles from my father. Business has been down the past few years because kids don't really want to ride bicycles anymore, they'd rather play with video games and their cell phone." We love the #vintage #sign with its missing letters. Photo from 2004 and full interview with William appear in our book "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York."

Sunset Red Hook Brooklyn, NYC

#sunset

Colorful Balconies, NYC

#rooftopping

Cheese-D-Lox in Borough Park, Brooklyn

Cheese-D-Lox in Borough Park, Brooklyn is an appetizing store that specializes in #lox, cream cheese, and #bagels but also sells nuts, candies and dried fruit. They are known for catering #kosher affairs. We love their #handpainted #signage with its original #font and the basket holding the herring and dried fruits as well as the wheel of #cheese. Photo from 2004 appears in our book "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York".

Upper West Side Newstand.

We love the curves this #vintage #newstand has and we're happy to see it still in operation as so many have been replaced by the city with glass and steel boxes operated by Cemusa. #NYC mandates that newsstands can only sell items with a maximum value of $10 and prior to 2013, the maximum value of items was capped at $5. Cigarettes, prepaid phone cards, transit passes and magazines are exceptions to the $10 cap rule!

Store Front II — A History Preserved at MOSCOT on The Lower East Side, with Authors James and Karla Murray

Join authors, photographers and East Village locals, James and Karla Murray to celebrate the release of their newest book, Store Front II, at The MOSCOT Gallery & Music Space.

The MOSCOT Gallery & Music Space
108 Orchard Street New York, NY 10002

Wednesday, September 14, 2016
7:00 - 9:00 pm
FREE
For more information, call (212) 477-3796

The evening will feature Store Front II photography, with a focus on the Lower East Side, and a Q&A session, followed by a book signing and reception.

Light bites and dim sum generously provided by Nom Wah Tea Parlor.

About Store Front II:
The Murrays have been capturing impeccable photographs from the streets of New York City since the 1990s. Store Front II chronicles their continued efforts to document a little-known but vitally important cross-section of New York's "Mom and Pop" economy. From MOSCOT to Sammy's Roumanian Steak House, and Economy Candy to Parisi Bakery, the Murrays reveal how New York's long-standing mom and pop businesses stand in sharp contrast to the city's rapidly evolving corporate facade.

About James & Karla Murray:
The professional team of James and Karla Murray have seen their work exhibited in galleries and housed in permanent collections worldwide, but New York City remains their passion and their home. Their landmark 2008 book, Store Front, was lauded by critics, and their last book New York Nights, was the winner of the prestigious New York Society Library's New York City Book Award (2012). Store Front II was named by Publisher's Weekly as one of the 35 "Big Indie Books of Fall" and was the winner of the winner of the Foreword Reviews' 2015 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award. The Guardian praised, “James and Karla Murray’s Store Front photography books capture a disappearing world — New York’s small stores and their unique and precious aesthetics.”

E. Kurowycky & Sons Meat Market in the East Village, NYC

E. Kurowycky & Sons Meat Market in the East Village specialized in #Ukranian sausages and hams, that were prepared and smoked on the premises. It was in business from 1958-2007 and was sadly forced to close after the city's agricultural inspectors ordered the store to remove all of their smoked ham, bacon, salami and pork 🐷 kielbasa, which hung from sharp hooks lining the windows and interior of the store. The inspectors ordered their removal because of potential hazards resulting in E. Coli and salmonella infections. This resulted in a sharp decline in business and the third-generation owner closed the store despite never having any of his customers either get sick or complain about the quality of their meat. Photo from 2001 and full interview with Jerry Kurowycky appear in our book "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York." #storefront #disappearingfaceofnewyork

Pinter's Hebrew Book Store in Borough Park, Brooklyn.

We love how the weight of all of the ‪#‎books‬ piled high on the folding tables outside this ‪#‎bookstore‬ have caused them to sag. We also love the ‪#‎handpainted‬ ‪#‎signage‬ the store has and the scholarly way the three Hasidic men are looking at the books 📚. Photo appears in our book STORE FRONT II: A History Preserved.

In honor of the #olympics2016 we are posting the Olympic Diner in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan.

This #Greek #diner has an amazing array of #neon #signage. We love how it glows at night. Photo from 2010 appears in our book "New York Nights".

Our historic East Village tasting/walking tour this Sunday with Untapped Cities has now sold out!

We are looking forward to showing and sampling some of our favorite food places to everyone!

Suicide Squad, Times Square, NYC earlier...

#suicidesquad #timessquare

The Maryland Crab House is located in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the #Bronx.

We love their #handpainted #signage featuring images of live #crabs.They also specialize in fresh #fish 🐟, shrimp, clams and lobsters. The owner told us that when they first opened they went early every morning to the Fulton Fish Market in Manhattan to get their inventory but in more recent years are able to get fresh #seafood from the Hunts Point market in the Bronx. Photo from 2004 appears in our book "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York". #storefront #signgeeks #tv_retrotype #disappearingfaceofnewyork #fontastic #signcollective #eyesonthebronx #everydaybronx

"STOREFRONT: A HISTORIC EAST VILLAGE FOOD TOUR" with Untapped Cities.

Please join us on Sunday, August 21st at 12pm as we lead a walking and tasting tour of some of our favorite East Village food establishments, "STOREFRONT: A HISTORIC EAST VILLAGE FOOD TOUR with Untapped Cities.

Discover the food, history and diverse culture of the East Village while tasting delicious specialties from at least 6 different tasting stops. Many family-run businesses started out as traditional mom-and-pop stores passed down from generation to generation, and defined their neighborhoods. Not only are these modest small businesses falling away in the face of modernization, gentrification, and conformity, the once unique appearance and character of New York City's colorful streets suffers in the process. On this tour you will learn about the diverse German, Italian, Jewish and Ukranian history of the East Village and try some fresh homemade Italian mozzarella, drink an authentic New York City egg cream or have a freshly roasted cup of coffee, taste a hot Ukranian potato pierogi with toppings from Veselka, sample a freshly baked Jewish sugar cookie, enjoy an authentic New York hot dog and tropical drink and taste a freshly baked Italian cannoli. 

One of the many small businesses we will stop and sample food from is Veselka, located at 2nd Ave at 9th Street. Veselka was established in 1954 by Ukranian immigrant Wlodymar Darmochal. It was originally established as a newsstand/candy store that also sold soup and sandwiches. The word Veselka means rainbow in Ukranian.

In the 1900s there was a huge Ukranian population in the East Village, numbering around 60,000 after World War II. Today, about 20,00 Ukranians live in a small section of the East Village centered around East 7^th Street near Second Avenue, the location of St. George’s Ukranian Catholic Church.

Tom Birchard (seen above), the second-generation owner, told us when we interviewed him from our book, Store Front II- A History Preserved that he first came to visit Veselka, while dating the owner’s daughter, Marta. 

Marta brought me here early on in our courtship to meet her father, I had an image in my mind of what Veselka looked like but when I got here, it was way more decrepit and run-down than I had thought, but was still funky. It was not a restaurant at that time but was more like a typical Lower East Side candy store that sold cigarettes, egg creams, newspapers, Spaldeens, and school supplies. There was a U-shape counter with stools and 4 tables with 4 seats each but food was a very minor part of the business. The offerings were very basic Ukranian but it had a tremendous appeal because many people have an emotional connection to that kind of food. Anyone from Eastern Europe, whether they are Jewish, Polish or Ukrainian, all love this ethnic food. I soon fell in love with this neighborhood and its energy and the ethnic food of my new family.

(Veselka circa 1970 storefront courtesy of Veselka) 

The restaurant now specializes in homemade pierogies, borscht and potato pancakes, or what Tom Birchard likes to refer to as Ukranian “Soul food”! Tom explained that he began working for his father-in-law in the late 1960s and worked alongside him until Mr. Darmochal suddenly passed away after having a heart attack. At that point, he knew he had to change the business into a restaurant.

This neighborhood had a densely populated Ukrainian community but the old folks were either dying off or moving away. At the same time, the neighborhood really started going to hell because of the heroin, speed, and crack epidemic. I became really close to going bankrupt but somehow managed to hold on by borrowing money. I felt pretty strongly that in the long run things would turn around and also figured out that the future of the business was in the food. I transitioned out of the candy store model into turning the business into more of a diner/luncheonette.

(Mural on the 9th Street outdoor cafe area of Veselka painted by Arnie Charnick)

Pierogies and borscht are the backbone of this business. I have one lady that comes in every day just to make borscht, making on average about 100 gallons a week. I have four full-time ladies who do nothing but make pierogies. I followed my heart and served what I loved and it worked.

Veselka now makes 3,000 pierogies every day, 2,500 potato pancakes every week and 5,000 gallons of borscht every year.

(Potato Pierogis with toppings)

Tom Birchard’s son, Jason, joined the business in the late 1980s and was instrumental in opening Veselka 24 hours a day.

 (Veselka 2014 from our book Store Front II- A History Preserved)

To join us on this historic East Village Food Tour please register at:

http://untappedcities.com/storefront-a-historic-east-village-food-tour-with-james-karla-murray/

Gyro Corner Clam Bar on the ‪#‎Boardwalk‬ in Coney Island.

We love the amazing ‪#‎vernacular‬ ‪#‎handpainted‬ ‪#‎signage‬ this ‪#‎storefront‬ has and the great images of all the different food they served including ‪#‎pizza‬ 🍕, corn on the cob🌽, gyros, fried clams and knishes. Unfortunately the City of New York forced this amazing ‪#‎clam‬ bar to close in 2011 when it would not renew its lease. Luckily they were able to reopen off the boardwalk but the location is not nearly as desirable. Photo from 2011 and full interview with the owner talking about the last days on the Boardwalk appear in our book "Store Front II-A History Preserved". 🍔🌽🍤🍢🍺

What 'A' Dish in Flatbush, Brooklyn

What 'A' Dish in Flatbush, Brooklyn specializes in #Jamaican cuisine. We love its #handpainted #signage both across the #storefront entrance and on each side of the front door, advertising #curry goat🐐 , #oxtail 🐂 and cow foot 🐮 among other dishes. Photo from 2009 appears in our book "Store Front II-A History Preserved".

Chinatown Fair Arcade in Manhattan was founded in the 1950s.

Chinatown Fair became most famous for its Tic-Tac-Toe Chickens. The chickens 🐔 were trained in Hot Springs, Arkansas by former students of famed behaviorist B.F. Skinner. The first tic-tac-toe #chicken was installed at the #arcade in 1974 inside a special tic-tac-toe game box with a coop, where the chicken 🐓 received seeds after making a selection. After putting 50 cents in the slot, players would win a large bag of fortune cookies if they could beat the chicken at a game of electronic tic-tac-toe, but nobody could ever win but at best earn a tie. The sign on the game said, “Bird Brain. Can You Beat Him? The word “chickens” disappeared from Chinatown Fair’s #sign sometime in 2000 when the arcade no longer kept any dancing chickens or tic-tac-toe ❌⭕️ chickens.

The Lemon Ice King of Corona @lemonicekingofcorona was founded in 1944 by Peter Benfaremo.

This Queens institution originally sold ‪#‎Italian‬ ice that was hand-cranked in tubs and sold only during the summer. Now the store is open year-round and the ‪#‎ice‬ is made with electric machines but they still use the same basic three ingredients: sugar, water and flavoring. Cases of lemons 🍋 and oranges 🍊 are used to create an authentic taste and all flavors use real fruit and nut pieces. The most popular flavor is lemon 🍋 with peanut butter studded with real peanuts a close second. Our personal favorites are the lemon and the pistachio which has real pistachios in it! We can't think of a better way to stay cool during this heat wave than having a cup of 🇮🇹 Italian ice from here! Photo and full interview with Peter appear in our book "New York Nights". "New York Nights" is the winner of the New York Society Library 2012 New York City Book Award.

Lightning, East Village, NYC just now...

1925 Souvenir Program for the Hippodrome, the largest theater in the world.

We came upon the history of the Hippodrome Theater by chance. We were on a photography job for a client at 1120 Avenue of the Americas and noticed a large-format photo of an old theater in the lobby. We learned from the building's owner, Edison Properties, that remnants of the theater survived. Intrigued, we began to investigate the history of the site. 🐘 To find out what we discovered behind the glass facade of this modern building 🏢 at 1120 in Midtown, please read the article we wrote for Gothamist @gothamist at: http://gothamist.com/2016/08/10/hippodrome_theater_history.php

The History Of The Hippodrome, Once NYC's Greatest Theater By James and Karla Murray for Gothamist

http://gothamist.com/2016/08/10/hippodrome_theater_history.php

"We came upon the history of the Hippodrome Theater by chance. We were on a photography job for a client at 1120 and noticed a large-format photo of an old theater in the lobby. We learned from the building's owner, Edison Properties, that remnants of the theater survived. Intrigued, we began to investigate the history of the site."

"STOREFRONT: A HISTORIC EAST VILLAGE FOOD TOUR" with Untapped Cities.

Please join us on Sunday, August 21st at 12pm as we lead a walking and tasting tour of some of our favorite East Village food establishments, "STOREFRONT: A HISTORIC EAST VILLAGE FOOD TOUR with Untapped Cities.

Discover the food, history and diverse culture of the East Village while tasting delicious specialties from at least 6 different tasting stops. Many family-run businesses started out as traditional mom-and-pop stores passed down from generation to generation, and defined their neighborhoods. Not only are these modest small businesses falling away in the face of modernization, gentrification, and conformity, the once unique appearance and character of New York City's colorful streets suffers in the process. On this tour you will learn about the diverse German, Italian, Jewish and Ukranian history of the East Village and try some fresh homemade Italian mozzarella, drink an authentic New York City egg cream or have a freshly roasted cup of coffee, taste a hot Ukranian potato pierogi with toppings, sample a freshly baked Jewish sugar cookie, enjoy an authentic New York hot dog and tropical drink and taste a freshly baked Italian cannoli.

One of the many small businesses we will stop and sample food from is Veniero Pasticceria and Caffe´, which was established in 1894 by Antonio Veniero. This fourth-generation family-owned bakery specializes in Italian pastries, including their famous cannoli, cheesecake, biscotti (Italian biscuits) and Italian butter cookies. Throughout the years they have added new offerings and now sell over 200 varieties of pastries, cakes and cookies. On our walking and tasting tour everyone will sample a freshly made cannoli while learning interesting facts and history about the oldest Italian pastry business in New York City. 

 Photo from 2010 appears in our book New York Nights

In the photo below is fourth-generation owner Robert Zerilli, who took over the business after his father passed away in 1994. We interviewed Robert for our book New York Nights and he shared with us:

"We bake so many cakes and pastries that we go through about 1,000 pounds of sugar every week. We have retained as much of the original interior as possible, including our hand stamped metal ceilings, terrazzo floors, wood display cases and mirrors."

Robert told us about the history of the bakery:

" I am the fourth generation owner. My father’s uncle was Antonio Veniero who was born in 1870. Antonio founded Veniero’s after he emigrated here from Vico Equense, near Sorrento, Italy. Initially the store was more like a hang out kind of place where he roasted his own espresso and people from the neighborhood would come in and sit and talk just like they did back in Italy. Eventually his customers wanted to have something sweet along with their coffee so Antonio started making homemade candy and officially opened the shop as A. Veniero Confection in 1894. His three sons, Michael, Peter and Alfredo worked alongside him and as the business grew, Antonio decided to bring in some master bakers from Italy to make cakes and pastries. That was a really big step to go from a little confectionery to a more prominent pastry shop and word spread around the neighborhood, which at the time had a huge Italian immigrant population. Many famous Italian people ordered cakes and pastries from us, including Enrico Caruso. Eventually Antonio changed the name of the shop to Antonio Veniero Pasticceria." 

See historic photo below courtesy of Veniero's Pastry:

Robert also told us:

"Our huge overhanging neon sign is not original but was installed in the 1940s. We are refurbishing it constantly just to keep it lit. The guy who works on it tells me that he can make a new one for $12,000 that looks just like it and is more weatherproof and that in the long run will cost me less money. But I don’t want that. That’s not cool. I want the old dirty broken-down looking sign. That is what people love and as long as I am alive, I won’t put up a new sign. The sign to me is like our lighthouse beacon. "

Photo below of circa 1940 storefront courtesy of Veniero's Pastry:

Rents are soaring in the neighborhood due to increasing gentrification and although a neighboring Italian pastry business recently closed, Robert explained:

"My family, the Zerillis, owns the building we are in so we don't have to worry about our rent being raised. My son has now joined the business too. I love working here and want to keep the business going forever."

Photo above taken in 2014 

To join us on this historic East Village Food Tour please register at:

http://untappedcities.com/storefront-a-historic-east-village-food-tour-with-james-karla-murray/

Photo below circa 1960 courtesy of Veniero's Pastry

Nelson Bicycles 🚲 on Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn has a great #handpainted #sign.

We also love the patterns of the brickworks on their #storefront. 🚴

El Coqui Restaurant in El Barrio, East Harlem.

El Coqui restaurant specializes in #cuchifritos, a variety of pork-based dishes that are commonly fried. The word cuchifritos literally translates to "fried pig" 🐷 This colorful #storefront has an equally colorful name "El Coqui" 🐸 which is a very small tree frog and the official mascot of #PuertoRico. We love that they have the little #frog on their #signage and the great #script #font they used!

New York City, earlier...

Guzman Grocery Brooklyn, New York

Guzman Grocery in Brooklyn is a classic New York #bodega. We love its #handpainted #signage and colorful array of products in its window displays. There used to be hundreds of old bodegas in many neighborhoods of Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and the Lower East Side and Harlem but they have been rapidly disappearing in the face of modernization and #gentrification.

Please join us on Sunday, August 21st at 12pm as we lead a Storefront: A Historic East Village Food Tour for Untapped Cities @untappedcities

On this walking and tasting tour of some of our favorite East Village food establishments, you can discover the food, history, and diverse culture of our neighborhood while tasting delicious specialties from at least 6 different tasting stops. On this tour you will learn about the diverse German, Italian, Jewish and Ukranian history of the East Village and try some fresh homemade mozzarella, drink an authentic New York City egg cream or have a freshly roasted cup of #coffee ☕️, taste a hot Ukranian potato pierogi with toppings, sample a freshly baked Jewish sugar cookie, enjoy an authentic New York hot dog and tropical drink 🍹🍍 from Papaya King @papayaking and taste a freshly baked cannoli. Enough food will be sampled so that for most people lunch afterwards is not needed.

Tickets for this tour are $40 (food included) and can be purchased at www.untappedcities.com/storefront-a-historic-east-village-food-tour-with-james-karla-murray 

Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer in SoHo

Black Tap @blacktapnyc has become famous for its mammoth creatively conceived #milkshake which comes in flavors including "Sweet N' Salty" "Cotton Candy" which is topped with a mosaic of colorful candies 🍬🍭and "Oreo Cookies and Cream" which cost between $7 and $15. They also sell gourmet #burgers 🍔 and draft🍺 #beer. When we were there yesterday afternoon there was a long line that stretched around the corner into Sixth Avenue for their #milkshakes!

J&K, NYC, not that long ago...

‪#‎timer‬ ‪#‎10seconds‬

Waverly Liquors 🍷🍸in Greenwich Village had a great ‪#‎vintage‬ ‪#‎neonsign‬ with an interesting ‪#‎font‬.

This photo taken with 35mm film in 2002 is an outtake from our book "Store Front:The Disappearing Face of New York".