It has been a rainy ☔️ holiday weekend so far but we did not let that deter us from supporting small businesses!

It has been a rainy ☔️ holiday weekend so far but we did not let that deter us from supporting small businesses which have been struggling to survive due to rising rents and lack of business due to the pandemic. This evening, we headed in the rain to Tea & Sympathy on Greenwich Avenue in the West Village to warm up with some proper English tea ☕️ and to its sister restaurant, A Salt & Battery, a fish & chips shop. Both restaurants and its British grocery provision shop, Carry On Tea & Sympathy which is located sandwiched between the 2 restaurants are all owned by Nicky Perry, a British expat. 

We dined with our dog, Hudson @hudsonpittienyc in the outdoor dining structure and had a large pot of Earl Grey tea for two from @teaandsympathynyc and an order of both cod and haddock battered & fried fish 🐟which were absolutely delicious and an order of perfectly fried chips🍟from @asaltandbatterynyc 

• To see our livestream walk and meal at Tea & Sympathy & A Salt & Battery: Full video: https://youtu.be/MxsKeNaexlU

Yesterday we visited The Vessel at Hudson Yards on its reopening day, after being closed since January 2021.

After new safety protocols have been instituted, you can only visit in groups of two or more with timed ticket entry. 

• To see our livestream video of @thevesselnyc reopening day as we walk through every single level from the ground floor to the top, please watch & subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel. 

Direct link below and in bio: • https://youtu.be/vKnk9DvS6zE

In our NYC LIVE Thunderstorm & Rainbow with Sunset over New York City, we have a window chat while looking at the thunderstorm with lightning strikes which hit NYC in the evening of May 26, 2021.

We also see a gorgeous double rainbow 🌈 over New York City before the sunset! 

Full video: https://youtu.be/mOuZeL6eSGw

The Brooklyn Bridge opened on May 24, 1883!

In honor of this New York City icon’s birthday, we are highlighting the Fish Market bar & restaurant on South Street near the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge and South Street Seaport in Manhattan. 

We really love it’s timeworn facade and signage. 

#storefront #disappearingfaceofnewyork #jamesandkarla #brooklynbridge #seaportdistrictnyc #supportsmall #supportlocalbusiness #tavern #supportlocalbusiness

Yesterday was the birthday of the Brooklyn Bridge as it first opened 138 years ago!

In honor of this New York City icon’s birthday, we are highlighting the Bridge Cafe on Water Street at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan. This historic restaurant and bar was originally opened in 1794 as a grocery and wine and porter bottler. 

Sadly the building which houses the Bridge Cafe was severely damaged during Hurricane Sandy and remains closed today. 

Our night photo of Bridge Café appears in our book “New York Nights”.

The Jones restaurant formerly known as the Great Jones Cafe on Great Jones Street near the Bowery in the Village sadly has closed.

The original Great Jones Cafe serving Cajun/Creole food closed in 2018 after 35 years in business. Even though the red-orange exterior with blue trim and bust of Elvis remained, the revived Jones, which opened in 2019 served seafood and the interior was completed modernized so it really never had the same bohemian feel. R.I.P. Great Jones Cafe. 

#storefront #disappearingfaceofnewyork #jamesandkarla #greatjonescafe #igs_nyc #instagram_nyc #nyc_instagram #nyc_ig

We visited @manerospizza yesterday & purchased both a classic cheese slice and a Margherita slice as part of our NYC LIVE Pizza Battle Lower East Side Of Manhattan Head to Head Taste Test.

To see which pizza 🍕 won our taste test battle, please watch our live video: 

https://youtu.be/REV0-IDWGjs 

Manero’s Pizza 🍕on Mulberry Street in the Lower East Side was founded in 2019 and is named for the main character in “Saturday Night Fever”, Tony Manero, (played by John Travolta) who goes to the Bensonhurst pizzeria, Lenny’s Pizza and gets a double-decker slice.

Little Island, New York City’s new offshore public park along the Hudson River at west 13th St. opened yesterday!

To watch our livestream video this morning of the park: https://youtu.be/XjeEMNjeNk0 

@littleislandnyc is designed to resemble a leaf, floating on water with an undulating area of tulip-shaped concrete pots holding the soil, overlooks and trees, which sit on concrete columns pile-driven down into the water. We absolutely love this gorgeous park with its breathtaking views and plantings and also love that there are lots of areas to sit and relax.

Little Island, New York City’s new offshore public park along the Hudson River at west 13th St. opened today!

To watch our livestream video this morning of the park: https://youtu.be/XjeEMNjeNk0 

@littleislandnyc is designed to resemble a leaf, floating on water with an undulating area of tulip-shaped concrete pots holding the soil, overlooks and trees, which sit on concrete columns pile-driven down into the water. 

We absolutely love this gorgeous park with its breathtaking views and plantings and also love that there are lots of areas to sit and relax.

The Strand Bookstore kiosk near Central Park along 5th Ave by East 60th Street

Yesterday we walked along Fifth Avenue’s Museum Mile from 105th Street to 59th Street and noticed that The Strand Bookstore kiosk near Central Park along 5th Ave by East 60th Street was currently closed. We always liked seeing which books were chosen for the @strandbookstore kiosk as it had a section dedicated to books on New York and we have published a few books documenting mom-and-pop storefronts including “Store Front” & “Store Front II”.

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To see our walk along Museum Mile and through Central Park: https://youtu.be/uj0A1F2GiaA

Three of our photos featured! Financial Times 05.19.21

 Full article: https://www.ft.com/content/684252ce-7b37-4a2a-a0f7-15fe19e071d9

With the temperature in NYC getting warmer and expected highs tomorrow reaching 87 degrees Fahrenheit, our thoughts immediately go to having some cool ice cream 🍨.

One of the best places in NYC for #homemade ice cream is Eddie’s Sweet Shop in Queens. Previously called Witts Ice Cream Parlor, this Forest Hills classic was sold to the Citrano family in 1968. When we photographed this #storefront with its vintage Coca-Cola #privilegesign for our book "New York Nights" we also interviewed the fourth owner, Vito Citrano. Vito told us that “The entire interior of @eddiessweetshop including the marble counters, stained glass windows, tin ceiling and inlaid wood cabinetry is original. We still use some of the original owner’s recipes for our homemade ice cream 🍨 but we’ve added many of our own touches over the years .” 

#icecream #icecreamlover #foresthills #icecreamparlour #foresthillsny #queens #toosmalltofail #supportsmallbusiness #supportlocalbusiness #supportlocal #supportsmallbusinesses #supportsmall #icecreamfloat #icecreamflavors #jamesandkarla

Fourth-generation co-owners, Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper of Russ & Daughters Appetizers on the Lower East Side.

We had the opportunity to visit and speak with Niki and Josh earlier this week about their iconic small family-owned business and the difficulties they have recently faced. We also enjoyed @russanddaughters best-selling classic bagel and lox sandwich. Russ & Daughters 

Full video: https://youtu.be/9jx_lmC4Pmk

In our latest livestream YouTube video, we visit @caffe_reggio and have their delicious #cappuccino and affogato.

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

Caffe Reggio was founded in 1927 by Domenico Parisi, who is credited as the first person to introduce cappuccino, the Italian coffee ☕️ drink, to the United States. This historic business retains much of its original interior  including its 1902 chrome and bronze espresso machine, which Mr. Parisi imported from Italy at a cost of $1,000.

In honor of #nationalapplepieday pie 🥧 yesterday we are highlighting the 4th Avenue Bakery in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

Not only did we love this family-owned bakery’s pies but we also loved its #signage with its unique #font. Check out that “A” and “R”! 

#bakery #bakersofinstagram #bakers #storefront #jamesandkarla #type #disappearingfaceofnewyork #bakerylife #bakerylove #bakerylovers #typevstime #typographydesign #signagedesign

In our latest YouTube livestream video we visit Moishe’s specifically to purchase their black & white cookies as part of a special “Best Black & White Cookie Battle of the Lower East Side.

To see which black & white cookie was the winner (we purchased cookies from 3 different shops) 

please watch: https://youtu.be/NUwhaJKoNxQ

Farmer in the Deli Grocery, Queens, NY

We have been photographing the stereotypical corner #bodega in New York City for over 25 years and one of our favorites is Farmer in the Deli Grocery in Queens. We love that almost every inch of its #storefront is covered with #signage There are fewer authentic-looking bodegas like this one in New York City anymore as so many have either refronted with more modern signs or awnings advertising newer offerings including e-cigarettes or have closed in the face of gentrification. 

#disappearingfaceofnewyork #bodegas #handpainted #handpaintedsigns #handpaintedsign #everything_signage #typevstime #typographydesign

We are highlighting the departed Charlie Mom in Greenwich Village which was sadly forced to close in 2015 after 32 years in business due to a sizable rent increase.

We always loved their #Chinesefood especially their Spicy Chinese cabbage with bean curd soup!  #storefront #chinese #westvillage #disappearingfaceofnewyork #chinesetakeaway #cantonesefood #cantonesecuisine #jamesandkarla #westvillagenyc

Rin Tin Tin on Spring Street in NoLita is a great spot which has both indoor and outdoor tables where you can have Mediterranean food.

We are happy to share that NYC is fully reopening soon and outdoor dining curfews of 12am will end on May 17th and indoor dining curfews will end on May 31st and you can also now sit at the bar inside a restaurant. Let us know if you have a favorite spot you have not been able to visit since the pandemic but are now looking forward to visiting! 

#storefront #mediterraneanfood #mediterranean #nolita #supportlocal #supportsmallbusiness #allinnyc #supportlocalbusiness #bistro #supportsmallbusinesses #cocktailbar

NYC LIVE Macy’s Flower Show 2021

In our NYC LIVE Macy’s Flower Show 2021 Herald Square Manhattan, we visit the annual Macy’s Flower Show at the Herald Square flagship store to see all the exotic flowers and plants from around the world which are on display in a breathtaking floral extravaganza. 

Full video: https://youtu.be/H0LvPkjgdOw

It is with with heavy hearts that we are sharing the news that Jimmy Prince, the owner of (the former) Major Markets Prime Meats in Coney Island has passed away.

Major Markets Prime Meats was on Mermaid Avenue and Jimmy began working at the shop when he was only 18 years old in 1949. He learned everything about the #butcher trade and eventually became the owner, selling only the finest cuts of meat 🥩. Jimmy who was known as “Mr. Major” or the “Prince of Mermaid Avenue” retired at 77 years of age in 2009 and with no one to take over, the shop closed its doors. 

Our photo of Major Markets appears in our book “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York”. 

 #storefront #butchershop #butchersofinstagram #coneyisland #disappearingfaceofnewyork #jamesandkarla #momandpopshop #vernacularphotography #handpaintedsigns

Happy #cincodemayo everyone!

Even though it’s rainy in NYC today, we are thinking of this graphic #taco spot on Avenue A in the East Village which serves both corn 🌽 or flour #tacos 🌮 including “El Gringo con Bone Marrow” 🍖 featuring rib eye, bone marrow, smoked cheddar , sour cream & lettuce and “Chicken El Pastor” with adobo chicken thighs, bacon bits, onion and cilantro. 

We especially love the #handpainted signage created by our friends @noblesigns!

This Sunday, May 2nd is Orthodox Easter 🐣 where many Orthodox churches including Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox celebrate Easter Sunday in the Julian calendar.

This upcoming holiday reminded us of the Swedish candy store, Sockerbit on Christopher Street in the West Village of Manhattan. Sadly @sockerbitnyc closed after 10 years in business last November 2020 due to the pandemic and we will miss getting their delicious candies sold by the pound.

• #orthodoxeaster #swedishcandy #candy #storefront #disappearingfaceofnewyork #jamesandkarla #westvillage #westvillagenyc #candystore #candyshop #candygram