Susie’s Pies, Bronx, NY

Since the holiday season often involves spending time with extended family members, we are highlighting Susie’s Pies in the Bronx. Susie’s specializes in Pizza 🍕 and Calzones and is family-owned and operated. We can’t recall when we took this #analog photo in the early 2000s if they served a Grandma pie (a square or rectangular pizza with a dense crispy crust that has been cooked in an olive oil-coated pan and is tossed in the oven quickly after it’s been stretched onto the pan ) but many old-school pizzerias like this do as these are the type of pies Italian-American grandmothers make. Notice the phone number on the #signage had no area code listed as this #pizzeria opened while the Bronx was still part of the 212 area code which was created in 1947 to serve all five boroughs.

Reynold's Bar, Washington Heights, NYC

Yesterday, we walked around the Washington Heights neighborhood and were shocked to see how many of the places we had photographed in the early 2000s, were now gone, victims of gentrification and modernization. Reynold’s Bar on Broadway is one such victim. This #Irish bar opened in 1932 and the #neonsign was installed in the 1960s. When we photographed this #divebar in 2004 and interviewed the manager, he told us that it “was the last of the Irish ☘️ bars in the whole neighborhood. There were dozens of them at one time.” Photo and full interview appear in our book “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York”.

Randy’s Hide-A-Way, Crown Heights, Brooklyn

We hope everyone is enjoying the holidays but for some they are stressful and we immediately thought of places we could highlight where one can go and get away from things, and that is why we are posting Randy’s Hide-A-Way in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

We love its faded and peeling #handpainted signage and the #script “Randy’s” painted on each window.

#Analog photo from 2006 appears in our book “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York”.

Hudson. Heading over to have some Fancy Duck fun up at Cental Park, NYC, just now...

#mandarinduck

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".

Nom Wah Tea Parlor & the Christmas tradition of Dim Sum

It is said that the tradition of Jewish people eating Chinese food on Christmas Day goes back to the early 1900s when Jews from the Lower East Side would eat at nearby Chinatown restaurants as many other options were closed for the holiday. We are posting one of our favorite historic #Chinatown restaurants, Nom Wah Tea Parlor. @nomwahteaparlor was founded in 1920 as a bakery and tea parlor and soon became popular for its fresh Chinese pastries, steamed buns, 🥟dim sum and teas 🍵. Since 2010 2nd-generation owner Wilson Tang has brought “the family business to the next level...serving dim sum all day long.” Full interview with Wilson and photo from 2010 appears in our book “New York Nights”.

Merry Christmas to all our friends, family and followers!

This evening is The Feast of the Seven Fishes, a traditional Southern Italian 🇮🇹 and Sicilian event which occurs on Christmas Eve 🎄 or Vigilia di Margo.

On Christmas Eve, no meat ❌🥩 is eaten and Catholic families dine with a feast of seven fishes 🐟 prior to midnight mass. The seven is believed to represent the seven sacraments but today some Italian-American families continue the traditional feast but add nine, eleven or even seafood dishes 🦐🐟.

In honor of the Feast of the Seven Fishes, we are highlighting Public Fish Market in Harlem.
We took this #analog photo in 2004 and it appears in our book “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York”.

Hudson. Nutcracker fun, over on 6th Ave, NYC, just now...

Preening. The #mandarinduck over in Central Park, NYC, earlier today...

Since there are only 2 more shopping days until Christmas 🎄 this Tuesday and people are in a rush to buy last-minute gifts 🎁 we are highlighting 99 cent RUSH in Harlem.

We couldn’t miss their oversized #signage with 39 ✅59✅79✅and 99✅DEAL.

Pete’s Tavern lays claim to being NYC’s oldest continuously operating bar and restaurant.

Established in 1864, it’s become famous for the fact that O. Henry is said to have written the classic short Christmas story “The Gift of the Magi” while dining and drinking here. We recently visited Pete’s to photograph its lovely holiday decorations and to chat with restaurateur Gary Egan and manager A.C. about the establishment’s unique history, connection to O. Henry, and time as a speakeasy during Prohibition.

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

Hudson. The Pogue's "Fairytale of New York" fun over at Howl Happening's "Cool Bowery Sounds" Jukebox, East Village, NYC, earlier...

Hudson. Meaty treat fun thanks to butcher Jen & Moe the Butcher - Albanese Meats and Poultry, NoLita, NYC, just now...

Over in The Bronx, NY, not that long ago...

Christmas Tree sellers over on the Upper West Side, NYC, just now...

Christmas Windows & displays NYC 2018

A few of New York City's Christmas Windows and holiday displays that caught our eye this year:

C.O. Bigelow Chemists

Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany & Co.

Macy's

Veniero's Pasticceria & Caffé

Louis Vuitton

Whiskers Holistic Pet Care

Rockefeller Center

CW Pencil Enterprise

Load Laundromat painting by Mika A

Lillie's Victorian Establishment

Macy's

Cartier

Beads of Paradise

Beauty Bar

Bergdorf Goodman

Bergdorf Goodman

Bergdorf Goodman

Bergdorf Goodman

Bergdorf Goodman

Bergdorf Goodman

Bergdorf Goodman

Tree Seller's 14th St. near 1st Avenue

Bergdorf Goodman

Hermés

The countdown to the final days before Christmas 🎄 has begun and to celebrate we have our 11x14 inch signed Storefront prints on Kodak Professional Endura Luster paper for $99 including Cheyenne Diner, Vesuvio Bakery, Katy’s Candy Store, Zig Zag Records and many more.

Please DM or email us at jandkphoto@att.net to order via PayPal or Venmo to Karla-Murray with free shipping to anywhere in the continental U.S. 

Cheyenne Diner was in business from 1940 until April 2008. The stainless steel and glass-brick clad #diner was forced to close when the owner, Spiros Kasimis, lost his lease in order to make way for a nine-story apartment building. We loved this #vintage diner with its amazing #neon #signage using a unique #font. The photo was taken in 2004 and appears in our book "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York". We know that many photographers visited this diner because it was located across the street from B&H Photo @bhphoto on Ninth Avenue in Midtown.

Hudson. Christmas time fun over at #gingerbreadblvd, Madison Square Park​, NYC, just now...

Beginning the last week of September, a six-man team starts the process of adorning Rolf’s German Restaurant with 15,000 Christmas ornaments, 10,000 lights, and thousands of icicles.

By the first of November, the process of turning this historic Murray Hill restaurant into a holiday wonderland is complete, attracting both locals and tourists who are eager to see the one-of-a-kind display of Victorian-style decorations.  We paid a visit to Rolf’s, capturing everything from dolls found in New England antique shops to 19th century German ball ornaments worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. We also shared an interview with owner Bob Maisano where he talks about the building’s past life as a speakeasy during Prohibition, German history in NYC, and what makes Rolf’s a unique holiday destination.

To see more photos and read the interview please visit: https://www.6sqft.com/the-urban-lens-inside-the-christmas-wonderland-that-is-rolfs-german-restaurant/ 

Exterior photo of Rolf's also appears in our book "New York Nights".

Hudson. Picking out stocking stuffers fun over at Sabyloo in the Union Square Park Christmas Market, earlier...

Photo: sabyloo

Hudson. Photoshoot fun modeling dog hoodie at Moncler, NYC, just now...