Looking forward... Happy New Year 2017!

#happynewyear #happynewyear2017 #happynewyearseve #understanding

Carnegie Deli is closing tonight at midnight after serving its famous gargantuan #pastrami sandwiches for over 79 years.

Carnegie Deli is closing tonight at midnight after serving its famous gargantuan #pastrami sandwiches for over 79 years. Lines have been reported to be very long to get inside but it is your last chance to dine at this iconic 7th Avenue location which opened in 1937. We are not sure what will happen to its #vintage #neonsign with its mix of #script and fanciful #font but we hope that it will be saved as the entire building is up for sale. As far as getting its famous sandwiches and cheesecake, people will still be able to visit their franchised locations in Madison Square Garden, Las Vegas and Bethlehem, PA.

Photo from 2010 appears in our book "New York Nights". #storefront #typography

Over at Sal's New York Style Restaurant, earlier...

 #sign #vintage

THE ODEON has been in business since October 1980.

Two brothers, Keith and Brian McNally, and Lynn Wagenknecht founded the restaurant. Keith and Lynn, who were dating at the time and worked together at a successful restaurant on Fifth Avenue, were inspired to open The Odeon after they returned from a trip to Paris and felt that New York City lacked a worthwhile brasserie. They chose to open The Odeon in #TriBeCa, a neighborhood, which was still very commercial and desolate at night, but was becoming home to many young artists, who were attracted to cheap loft spaces in the area. The location on West Broadway was the site of the old Towers Cafeteria, which had been in business since the 1930’s. Brian McNally came up with the name The Odeon for the restaurant, taking it from the London-based Odeon cinema chain. Keith McNally and Wagenknecht kept some of the cafeteria’s original interior including the hanging globe lanterns, and terrazzo floor and refinished original wood paneling, which was hidden behind Formica panels. They added a Bakelite frieze of New York’s skyline on the wall and a curved, mirrored 1930’s #ArtDeco bar and also added a new red #neonsign for “The Odeon” on the front façade using the same #lettering style as the old “Cafeteria” #neon sign, which they left, on the side of the restaurant. After hiring a rising-star chef, Patrick Clark, The Odeon quickly became a success, frequented by many artists and creative types, including Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Richard Serra, John Belushi, Tom Wolfe, Jay McInerney as well as art dealers who frequented the nearby SoHo galleries.

Our photo of Odeon taken in 2010 appears in our book "New York Nights".

Backyard. Red Shouldered Hawk, just now...

Sorry Charlie's, Savannah, Georgia

Sorry Charlie's in Savannah, Georgia has a beautiful, large overhanging neon sign that was originally created for Mathews' Fish Market but over the years was changed as different businesses occupied the historic commercial building. In 2015 the sign was restored and reinstalled for the oyster bar restaurant which specializes in fresh, local seafood with an emphasis on southern regional flavors.

Happy Chanukah to everyone!

A great place to get some delicacies for Chanukah is Russ & Daughters Appetizers on East Houston Street in the Lower East Side, which has been in business since 1914. It is now being run by fourth-generation owners Joshua Russ Tupper and Niki Russ Federman. The appetizing #store is known for their smoked #salmon and their vast #caviar selection. The business was founded by Joel Russ out of a pushcart before he opened a #storefront. There were more than four hundred appetizing stores in the city in 1936. This is the last one remaining on the Lower East Side. We particularly love their #vintage #neonsign flanked by the two #neon fish 🐟 as well as their #lox!

Hudson. Merry Christmas!

Instagram: @hudsonpittienyc

Merry Christmas 2016!

#Christmas #Christmas2016 #ChristmasTree

FAST CO.EXIST’S 2016 IN REVIEW See The Most Compelling Photos From 2016 ADELE PETERS 12.23.16

LINK: https://www.fastcoexist.com/3066426/see-the-most-compelling-photos-from-2016

8. These Photos Show New York's Disappearing Mom-And-Pop Stores] Take one last glimpse of the city before everything is a CVS or a bank.

Storefront Christmas Windows of the Village 2016, NYC.

Here are some of our favorite Christmas window displays around Greenwich Village and the East Village, NYC this year. These are all from small independent businesses!  #shopsmall  We wish everyone a very happy holiday and a joyous New Year!

1. Florence Prime Meat Market: Old-timey in all the right ways, including wavy brick-paper...

2. Aedes Perfumery @aedesperfumery Pretty window. Pretty reflection....

3. The Beauty Bar @thebeautybarnyc Curved glass vintage showcase gives this one an unfair advantage...

4. Whitney Chemists: A festive mix in a pharmacy that has been around over 50 years...

5. The Baroness Latex @latexbaroness Latex & Christmas mashup somehow works beautifully...

6. Hector's Shoe Repair: Busy Santa cobbler...

7. La Sirena Mexican Folk Art  @lasirenamexicanfolkart Every color you can imagine ...

8. Metropolis Vintage @metropolisnyc Across "the pond" they call them "jumpers"... here they are "Ugly Christmas Sweaters" and are big business...

9. Lilac Chocolate +lilacchocolate We remember making those ring garlands and using up all the red & green sheets of construction paper in the pack. Chanukah chocolate and a mason jar full of gelt...

10. Forbidden Planet @fpnyc The terminator is out there...in a Santa hat... he doesn't feel pity or remorse or fear...

11. Varsano's Chocolate @varsanoschocolate An animated mailbox with a door opening and closing and a box of chocolates sliding in and out, as well as the Peanuts gang...

12. Lamore Lingere & Apparel:  Bows. Balls. Wreathes. And, ...tires? Mr. Christmas 2016 on Christopher Street...

13. Mother of Pearl @motherofpearlnyc Shark-head Christmas tree ornaments and plastic flowers on a silver Christmas tree all works beautifully for this Polynesian inspired restaurant...

14. Trash & Vaudeville @trashandvaudeville First Christmas over at their new Seventh Street shop....

15. Golden Rule Wine & Liquor Store @goldenrulewineliquorstore Gold rules the window...

16. Uncle Sam's Army & Navy @wearsomehistory Be your own Christmas tree with a woodland camouflage suit...

17. Pink Olive @pinkolive Sending holiday greetings via snail-mail...

18. Pink Pussy Cat @thepinkpussycatboutique Keeping the Village the Village with a sexy holiday. That golden cat's eyes tell us he is not the least bit comfortable with all this...

19. Whisker's Holistic Pets @whiskersholisticpetcare Our rescue dog Hudson's favorite. We had a Flexible-flyer as kids and have no idea where it is now unfortunately...

20. Veniero's Pasticceria in the East Village @venieropastry Forget your own baking. Forget your diet. The best cookies, cheesecake and cannolis ever since 1894...

Marvin. Christmas-time over at Sandfly BBQ at the Streamliner, Savannah, GA.

Sandfly BBQ is located in an original 1938 Worcester (#751) dining car. This diner was originally located in Hanover, NH and later purchased, restored, and moved to Savannah, GA by the Savannah College of Art & Design before being reinvented as a low-country barbecue establishment. It has the original mauve marble countertops, stained glass windows, tile floors and mahogany booths.

Our annual visit to Pete's Tavern via 6sqft! 10.21.16

LINK and full slideshow: https://www.6sqft.com/the-urban-lens-visiting-gramercys-petes-tavern-where-o-henry-penned-the-gift-of-the-magi/

"... award-winning photographersJames and Karla Murray return with a look inside Pete’s Tavern, a Gramercy favorite with beautiful holiday decorations and an interesting historical connection to Christmas."

Williams Seafood in Savannah, Georgia

Williams Seafood in Savannah, Georgia has an amazing #vintage #neonsign with, coincidently wonderful Christmas colors. This seafood restaurant had its beginnings as a roadside concession in 1936 and later expanded into a full sit-down restaurant. Although no longer in business this oversize #neon remains.

Pardon My French, East Village, NYC

Pardon My French on Avenue B in the East Village is a bistro-style restaurant serving Mediterranean influenced tapas and modern French classics. We love how they decorated the space for the holidays and the creative use of the old wood bar that was covered with white subway tiles and turned into a communal table.

Bob, owner. Christmas time over at House of Oldies Greenwich Village, NYC "Largest Selection of Xmas Records in New York"!

HOUSE OF OLDIES has been in business in Greenwich Village since 1969. "Since the day I opened, I have only sold records. I have never handled cassettes, 8-tracks or CDs."

Exterior photo and full interview with Bob appear in our book "STORE FRONT II: A History Preserved".

Crossing the park, Saturday morning, NYC, earlier...

Hudson. Over at Overthrow Boxing Club, NYC earlier...

Peter McManus Cafe is a family-owned Irish 🍀 bar in Chelsea which was established in 1936.

Sadly, this #bar has been in the news lately as the building it is located in was recently sold and the business is operating on a month-to-month lease. There is NO immediate danger of @mcmanusnyc closing but it does need everyone's support! So please visit it and have a 🍺 and a bite to eat 🍔. Photo from 2009 and full interview with third-generation owner James McManus Jr. appears in our book, "Store Front II-A History Preserved". #storefront #shopsmall

Abandoned #luncheonette in #NYC with a 1940s Coca-Cola privilege #sign.

We always love finding old Coca-Cola #signage as it takes us right back to the time when the company gave these signs away for free to businesses that sold their product. All the small businesses had to do was add their own copy, usually in the form of enamel #lettering that was also supplied by #cocacola.  #storefront #disappearingfaceofnewyork #vintage

RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL, Rockefeller Center, NYC

RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL located within Rockefeller Center @rockcenternyc is the largest, indoor theater in the world. It had its opening debut on December 27, 1932.  Architect, Edward Durell Stone and interior designer, Donald Deskey designed Radio City Music Hall in the elegant #artdeco style with an opulent interior using the finest of both precious and industrial materials.

The theater's great stage was designed and built by Peter Clark in 1932. It is framed by a massive proscenium arch measuring 60 feet high and 100 feet wide, and has a ceiling, which gives the illusion of a giant sunset. The stage is comprised of three sections mounted on hydraulic-powered elevators and is considered by technical experts to be the most perfectly equipped in the world. The large elevators contain turntables, which make it possible to execute fast and extensive scene changes as well as special stage effects such as choruses rising up through the floor. Mechanisms, still in use today, make it possible to send up fountains of water and bring down torrents of rain onto the stage. Fog and clouds are even created by a sophisticated mechanical system, which draws steam directly from a nearby Con Edison generating plant. A fourth elevator also raises and lowers the entire orchestra from the pit. The gold stage curtain, extending from the ceiling to the floor, is the largest in the world.

The #theater contains 5,874 seats and has more than 25,000 lights including four-color stage lighting, ornate chandeliers and mirrors in the Grand Foyer, lobby and eight lounges and smoking rooms. @radiocitymusichall 's marquee, featuring multi-colored #neon, is a full city-block long. Photo from 2010 and full text appear in our book "New York Nights". Signed limited edition Prints of Radio City Music Hall are Available ranging in size from 24x24 inches to 48x48 inches in height. DM or email us at jandkphoto@att.net for more info

Metro Diner is a family-owned diner located on the ground floor of a historic three-story wooden clapboard building built in 1871.

The building was one of the tallest structures on the Upper West Side when Henry Grimm, who operated a grocery on the ground floor and lived with his family above the saloon, had it built. The #diner has been in business since 1993. Photo from 2010 and full text appear in our book "New York Nights" #storefront

Luigi's Pizza in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Luigi's Pizza in Park Slope, Brooklyn has been in business since 1973. We absolutely love @luigispizzaparkslope 's #signage with the #script #lettering and are huge fans of their fresh mozzarella #pizza🍕 which is sprinkled with their home-grown fresh herbs. The 2nd-generation owner Giovanni Lanzo told us, "my father Luigi emigrated here from Calabria where he was a farmer. He opened this #Pizzeria using his family's recipes for the sauce and pizza. He still grows many of the fresh ingredients we use including tomatoes 🍅 and herbs 🌿 at his farm in Staten Island". Photo from 2006 and full interview with Giovanni appear in our book, "Store Front:The Disappearing Face of New York". #storefront

Jessie, Christmas Tree Vendor, Greenwich Village, NYC.

Jessie told us that she and her partner built their tree fort stand and "created waxed cardboard shingles to cover and insulate it from the elements. It protected us from the heavy downpours we had the other week. And even though we don't need any more shingles, I still find myself looking for produce boxes made of waxed cardboard outside all of the grocery stores in the neighborhood. To pass time when tree selling business is slow, we also create these handmade wood toys and Christmas ornaments, including a custom Star Wars set with an X-Wing Fighter, Death Star and an Imperial Walker. "

Abominable 14th Street, East Village, NYC

GVSHP 2016 Book List & Holiday Gift Ideas BY MATTHEW MOROWITZ – DECEMBER 9, 2016 STORE FRONT II: A History Preserved

"Each author related their insights, perspectives, and tales of Village history and beyond, showing the multifaceted depth that you can only find on our streets and in our buildings. What better way to celebrate these wonderful literary works than by giving them as gifts for the holidays! We have compiled a list of the books from the programs and their descriptions to help you determine which one to pick up for friends, family, or anyone else who is fascinated by the Village."

LINK: http://gvshp.org/blog/2016/12/09/gvshp-2016-book-list-holiday-gift-ideas/

Harlem Deli Supermarket, 2004, Film

We love its #handpainted #signage and the classic NYC #bodega chasing lights around the #sign. You definitely can tell that this is an older #storefront photo when you see the prices advertised for cigarettes! Full photo appears in our book "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York".

Sunset. Madison Square Park, NYC.

Early sunset, tonight, NYC, earlier...

Mike D'Auria, the second-generation owner of D. D'Auria and Sons Pork 🐖Store in the "Little Italy of the Bronx"

Mike D'Auria, the second-generation owner of D. D'Auria and Sons Pork 🐖Store in the "Little Italy of the Bronx" 🇮🇹 (Belmont) neighborhood taken in 2004 on 35mm film. Photo and full interview with Mike appears in our book "Store Front:The Disappearing Face of New York". We want to thank @whalebonemagazine for featuring our work documenting the #disappearingfaceofnewyork. To see and read the full interview about our project and our emotional ties with the facades, please go to www.whalebonemag.com/meet-married-couple-photographing-disappearing-face-new-york/