We visit this historic shop to see its original interior and get what we (and many others consider) to be the BEST Knishes in New York City. • To watch and subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story.
• Full video: https://youtu.be/4aX8mfFC0nw
We are highlighting the family-owned Gottlieb’s Restaurant today in honor of the Jewish holiday of Passover which began with yesterday evening’s Seder. Gottlieb’s is one of the few Glatt Kosher delis still in existence in New York City & continues to serve its special cold cuts including corned beef & pastrami as well as beef brisket and knishes.
Our film photo from 2006 appears in our book “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York”.
• Happy #passover2021 to all of friends who celebrate!
Ferrara Bakery & Café in Little Italy of Manhattan 🇮🇹 was established in 1892 by Italian immigrants, Antonio Ferrara and Enrico Scoppa and is considered to be America’s first #espresso bar. The Café later added Italian specialties including #cannoli, sflogliattella & gelato 🍨 to its menu.
Our photo of Ferrara’s appears in our book “New York Nights” along with text including more fascinating history about this bakery.
• In our LIVE NYC Little Italy & Chinatown: Exploring the State of Restaurants & Small Mom-and-Pop Shops, we walk with our dog Hudson to see and visit the many unique small businesses including many restaurants which have been struggling to survive in the past year including @ferrarabakery
• To watch and subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story.
•Full video: https://youtu.be/ejo_X1lN9kM
Nathan’s was opened in 1916 by Nathan Handwerker, a Jewish immigrant from Poland. When it first opened, it sold all-beef #hotdogs for a nickel, half of what its competitor was charging. It’s large vertical #neonsign was installed in the 1930s and the others along the #storefront were added in the 1960s. Our photo of @originalnathans appears in our book “New York Nights” along with more text about its interesting history.
The Lower East Side Coffee Shop on East 14th Street near Avenue A has sadly permanently closed and a City of New York Marshal’s Legal Possession letter has been posted on its front door.
We had been worried about this particular #coffeeshop for some time, as even before the pandemic, business had declined due to the construction 🚧 barriers for a new entrance to the L subway train at the corner of Avenue A and 14th St., which blocked access to the #diner for years.
When the barriers were finally removed, the pandemic was in full swing and it seems like it was just too much for this small unassuming spot to take.
We will miss seeing their #neon sign glow brightly at night!
Full article: https://commonedge.org/the-precarious-state-of-the-mom.../
"For some time the Murrays stored their photos “in shoeboxes after shoeboxes,” not showing them to anyone or thinking about how they might be put to use. “We were just doing it for ourselves,” Karla says. Ultimately what resulted was a hefty pair of large-format books: Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York (2009) and Store Front II: A History Preserved (2015), both published by Gingko Press. A selection of their richly detailed photos was exhibited recently at the Municipal Art Society of New York. In a gallery talk, the couple expressed concern about the dulling of streetscapes and the weakening of neighborhood ties as small, family- or individually operated enterprises go out of business."
Mott Street in Chinatown in Manhattan looks so beautiful lit up at night with hundreds of colorful paper lanterns strung across the street, which are aimed at bringing good fortune and shedding light on this neighborhood, which has so many small independently owned shops and restaurants, many of which are struggling to survive during the pandemic.
• In our LIVE NYC Little Italy & Chinatown: Exploring the State of Restaurants & Small Mom-and-Pop Shops video, we walk with our dog Hudson to see and help support these small #chinatownnyc businesses.
• To watch and subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story. • https://youtu.be/ejo_X1lN9kM
#chinatown #supportsmallbusiness #supportlocal #supportchinatown #supportlocalbusiness #shopsmall #shoplocal #supportsmallbusinesses #chinesefood #chinesecuisine #allinnyc #toosmalltofail #nycphotography
The Original Char-Grill
Full video: https://youtu.be/WnIYkTpDCK8
In our LIVE Char-Grill Best Burger & Exploring Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina on St Patrick’s Day 2021, we visit and eat at with our dog Hudson, Char-Grill, a classic mom-and-pop #burger 🍔 spot which has been in business since 1959 and then explore Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. We visit many independently-owned businesses and restaurants and see the historic Warehouse district, Capital district and Moore Square.
In our LIVE Longleaf Hotel & Lounge Raleigh, North Carolina we visit with our dog Hudson this lovingly modernized hotel in Raleigh, which was originally a Travelodge in the 1960s but has been transformed while utilizing many of the hotel’s mid-century details including the star shine breeze blocks which had been hidden behind stucco for years. @thelongleafhotel
Full video: https://youtu.be/kkPSiTZObew
In our LIVE Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida we visit with our dog Hudson, the dog-friendly hotel & casino known as the Guitar Hotel as it resembles back to back guitars and rises 450 feet into the sky. We tour the casino and shops and watch the nightly Guitar Hotel Light Show.
Full LIVE video: https://youtu.be/VUycA0bYTxg
#casino #hardrockcasino #hollywood
In our latest YouTube video we visit some of the lesser known neighborhoods (non-touristy) of Miami including Brownsville with our dog Hudson.
Full video: https://youtu.be/Y8i5MxwEjPY
We explore historical places including two of the oldest African-American cemeteries and get a taste of the local culture. This family-owned #bbqribs joint also specializes in #souse (a clear both made with the scrap meat of a pig, cow or chicken).
When we took this 35mm photo in 2004, not only did local residents still purchase #newspapers on a daily basis but the neighborhood still retained much of its small town flavor although real estate prices had already begun to rise and historic brownstones were selling for millions. Sadly this #newspaperstand is long gone and the nearby Brooklyn Bridge Park which was built along the shoreline of the neighborhood starting in 2008 is near complete.
Support OUR CHANNEL on PATREON and GET BONUS PERKS : https://www.patreon.com/JamesandKarla
A very special EXTRA GOOD THANKS to our PATREON SUPPORTERS at the GOLD & PLATINUM TIERS: Christine W., Alan Lauer, Sinden Lee, Joshua-Robert Stevenson, Nick Trainor, Jon Knecht, and Rephael Rechitzky.
Your donation to help support our channel means so much to us and we can’t thank you enough for your generosity!
Also Special Thanks to our CHANNEL SUPPORTERS for your generous one-time donation!
Latest over on Patreon: Hudson wearing his new tactical harness in Sunrise, Florida in the “Gator Garden” courtyard at the Sawgrass Mills Mall yesterday during our livestream where we walked the entire 3 miles of the length of the mall and checked out the bargains that can be found in the largest single-story outlet mall in the USA! Here is a link to watch our YouTube livestream in replay in case you missed it: https://youtu.be/0sHbT88GUi
Schmidt’s Candy in Woodhaven, Queens has been in business for almost a century and the owner Margie still makes all of the delicious chocolates the shop specializes in, by hand using no preservatives.
• We visited @schmidtscandy exactly one year ago just as the pandemic was beginning to hit NYC and watched as Margie was making Easter chocolates 🐇using cast iron molds from the 1920s (right) and also making #homemade #chocolate candies. Since Easter 🐣 is fast approaching, we encourage everyone to visit Schmidt’s Candy either in person or on the website to order some of their absolutely amazing #chocolateeastereggs or bunnies.
• • To watch our YouTube video of Margie making treats to fill customers #easterbasket and hear how the pandemic affected her small shop, please subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story.
• https://youtu.be/wYOHUQD2LPE
Watch as we open the box, reveal to Hudson what is inside and watch him run around with excitement with his new ball. Thank you so much Ron Hamill for this most thoughtful gift to Hudson who LOVES his new ball!
Support OUR CHANNEL on PATREON and GET BONUS PERKS including this exclusive video: https://www.patreon.com/JamesandKarla
ONE-TIME DONATION via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/KarlaMurray
A very special EXTRA GOOD THANKS to our PATREON SUPPORTERS at the GOLD & PLATINUM TIERS: Christine W., Alan Lauer, Sinden Lee, Joshua-Robert Stevenson, Nick Trainor, Jon Knecht, and Rephael Rechitzky.
Your donation to help support our channel means so much to us and we can’t thank you enough for your generosity!
Also Special Thanks to our CHANNEL SUPPORTERS for your generous one-time donation!
Full Video: https://youtu.be/Y8i5MxwEjPY
The Opa-locka neighborhood of Miami, Florida is listed as one of the most dangerous cities in the United States with a very high rate of violent crime, but has a very interesting history and the largest collection of Moorish Revival architecture in the Western Hemisphere.
The Opa-locka City Hall building was the most elaborate of the more than 80 buildings designed for aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss, the founder of Opa-locka in 1925. The onion-domed historic City Hall building was in use until 2009 until the City relocated their offices to a new modern building and since that time it has deteriorated and remains abandoned.
• Watch and subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel!
Martin lives in Scotland and owned a dog named Dylan, a boxer who had "so many similar characteristics as Hudson, being friendly to everyone and always on the lookout for food and attention from passers by." We can't thank Martin enough for the gorgeous gift. We will wear these scarves when we are in NYC! Hudson may also borrow a scarf to wear on colder days!
PLEASE HELP SUPPORT this channel so we can continue highlighting small unique shops & interesting places in NYC, by sending us:
Support OUR CHANNEL on PATREON and GET BONUS PERKS: https://www.patreon.com/JamesandKarla
ONE-TIME DONATION via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/KarlaMurray
A very special EXTRA GOOD THANKS to our PATREON SUPPORTERS at the GOLD & PLATINUM TIERS: Christine W., Alan Lauer, Sinden Lee, Joshua-Robert Stevenson, Nick Trainor, Jon Knecht, and Rephael Rechitzky. Your donation to help support our channel means so much to us and we can’t thank you enough for your generosity! Also Special Thanks to our CHANNEL SUPPORTERS for your generous one-time donation!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WATCHING! We would love for you to SUBSCRIBE to our channel and hit the thumbs up and notification bell and please SHARE if you enjoy our video. We will be posting new videos EVERY WEEK highlighting unique small businesses and places in New York City.
SUBSCRIBE TO NEVER MISS AN EPISODE: https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesandKarla
This family-owned restaurant serves amazing seafood paella 🥘 and sangria and earned the prestigious James Beard America’s Classics award in 2015. We were worried when we passed by Sevilla numerous times during the pandemic in 2020 and found it closed, even when outdoor dining was instituted in New York City. However we have great news to share that @sevilla_restaurant has reopened with limited capacity indoor dining and outdoor dining. We couldn’t be happier and look forward to visiting soon to help support this lovely mom-and-pop (well in this case owned by two brothers) restaurant.
In our Fort Lauderdale, Florida LIVE Exploring Hugh Taylor Birch State Park & Intracoastal Waterway we walk with our dog Hudson on an adventure to see an oasis of the last Tropical Maritime Hammock in South Florida.
Full video: https://youtu.be/k3E14QIgVW4
In their "Irish Pub Awards" article, they raise a glass to America's most impressive Irish Bars and honor Mc Sorley's, which is the oldest Irish bar in New York City having opened in 1854.
Full video: https://youtu.be/R3-F5pANDvo
This renovated “boutique hotel” was designed by Norman Giller in 1953 as a motel and fell into disrepair in the 1970s when the area declined & prostitution and drug trafficking became rampant and the once family-friendly motel began renting rooms by the hour. In 2009, the @thenewyorkermiami was lovingly renovated by husband and wife owners Walter & Shirley Figueroa, who did most of the work themselves. We were lucky enough to meet Walter yesterday, when we visited the hotel and toured the property including its pool, backyard patio and lounge areas and even saw inside one of its renovated rooms during our livestream video.
• To watch and subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below (The New Yorker Hotel visit starts at 52:17) & in bio and IG story.
Carlos Shoe Repair in East Flatbush was founded in 1973 by Carlos Benoverebes, who not only repaired worn shoes 👞 but also hand-stitched custom shoes for clients.
The #storefront had been a shoe repair shop for over 100 years (owned by an Italian immigrant before Carlos took over) but sadly, it is no longer in business.
Carlos explained to us when we interviewed him for our “Store Front II - A History Preserved” book that “people in the neighborhood no longer seem to appreciate the quality and the amount of work that goes into custom shoes or high quality leather shoes & instead purchase inexpensive shoes made of plastic that they just throw away after they fall apart”. This got us thinking about how the pandemic has affected many shoe repair shops as business has greatly decreased due to the fact that businessmen and women are no longer wearing leather shoes to the office(which would be in need of repair) and also because people in general are staying home more often and not wearing fancy shoes to the theater or social gatherings.
Please let us know if your local shoe repair shop is suffering as we would love to help by highlighting it!
El Brillante Restaurant on Graham Avenue in Williamsburg specialized in reasonably priced and delicious Spanish-American food and had a great handpainted sign, but closed in 2010 when the neighborhood started to gentrify. The #storefront remained empty for a number of years before @winsonbrooklyn took over the space in 2017 and adaptively reused some of El Brillante’s #signage changing the lettering to state “Taiwanese American Food”.
