First Avenue Pierogi & Deli in the East Village was in business for 30 years before it closed in 2014.
Unlike many other mom-and-pop #storefront closings, this Ukrainian business did not close due to a rent increase but instead because the owner Wieslawa Kurowycky who also owns the building, decided to retire. We miss buying their delicious #pierogi and blintzes and homemade soups including an incredible vegetarian cabbage 🥬 soup.
We wanted to share this special photo with everyone that James took yesterday of Hudson and Karla during our livestream when we visited the Rockefeller Center LEGO store to purchase a custom LEGO mosaic of Hudson’s face. At this 5th Avenue flagship LEGO store, they have many amazing life-size displays created with LEGO bricks 🧱 including this taxi 🚕 cab!
Full video: https://youtu.be/tq-D5Pe54MQ
We took many more photos and will be sharing them as exclusive behind-the- scenes on our Patreon and YouTube Membership pages for our Silver Patreon & Higher membership tiers & for our Extra Extra Good & higher YouTube members. If you would like to further support our channel and gain access to exclusive behind-the -scenes photos and members-only livestreams and other perks, please consider joining: https://www.patreon.com/JamesandKarla
We photographed this original location on the corner of Ninth Avenue and 39th Street in 2003 and loved its hand painted signage as well as their delicious #cupcakes decorated with beautiful floral designs.
We wanted to highlight this family-owned pet shop in Richmond Hill, Queens which specialized in freshwater #aquarium fish and supplies as well as birds and reptiles.
Cameo Pet Shop was founded in 1947 and became famous for its resident pet fish Buttkiss who lived for 44 years before he passed away in 2011.
@caninestylesnyc was established in 1959 by Mark Drendel & Chad Conway on Lexington Avenue near 63rd Street in the Upper East Side. We photographed this #dogstyle shop in 2001 using 35mm film the #storefront has now been expanded to the adjoining space next door.
We love 💗 our rescue dog @hudsonpittienyc so very much (swipe left for 2nd photo) and want to wish everyone who is a pet parent 🐾 themselves a very happy “Dog Day”!
We fell in love with this #storefront because of its beautiful weather-worn #handpainted sign and its great variety of colorful items on display in its window. This photo taken in 2004 with 35mm film appears in our book “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York”
Superiority Burger, the popular but tiny vegetarian spot located on East 9th Street near Avenue A in the East Village, which was founded by Brooks Headley in 2015 is moving to a much larger space around the corner. They will be taking over the #storefront on Avenue A, which Odessa Restaurant occupied since the 1960s. Sadly, Odessa Restaurant closed in July 2020 due to a decrease in business because of the pandemic. Brooks Headly told @grubstreet that he chose Odessa as it “has always kind been my dream space” …”besides being big, it comes completely furnished and ready to go. It’s not old and dusty and needing upgrades. I find it completely beautiful- the soda fountain, the satellite bar, the cash register station. I don’t plan on changing it at all.”
We look forward to this new expansion as it will have the same kind of daily vegetarian specials but also include things like vegan buns which they could never make in-house and focaccia which limited space only allowed them to make once a week and now they can make it daily.
Caffe Roma on the corner of Mulberry and Brooke Street in Little Italy of Manhattan first opened in 1891 and still retains many of original fixtures including marble-topped tables, wooden back bar and tim ceilings. Today we visited @cafferoma.nyc to see if they have the best cannoli in Little Italy 🇮🇹 in a head to head to battle of the cannoli vs. nearby Ferrara’s and Caffe Palermo. We tried all three cannolis and indeed Caffe Roma 🏆 was crowned the winner by us and our dog Hudson.
• To watch our YouTube livestream battle of the best cannoli in Little Italy (we go inside & get cannoli from all three caffe/bakeries) please subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story.
• Full video: https://youtu.be/xjFpTKT-Ik
We watched Kumar, the street food legend who won the @vendyawards for the best #streetfood cart prepare his delicious vegetarian #dosas, South-Indian crepes, made from rice and lentil batter and topped with potatoes, assorted fresh vegetables, and aromatic spicy masala sauce. (Swipe left for 2nd photo of our Pondicherry Dosa served with a cup of lentil soup and the special “not spicy” Dosa, @nydosas prepared specifically for our dog Hudson. (Swipe left for 3rd photo of @hudsonpittienyc and Karla with her Pondicherry #Dosa )
• To watch our livestream visit to The Dosa Man please subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story.
Full video: https://youtu.be/LO1Ja7EphEY
We absolutely loved the old signage with the WO-6 telephone exchange and will always miss this cozy #coffeeshop which roasted its own #coffee and which for many years was known as “Auggie’s” even long after ownership was taken over by Peter Longo, and became another adjunct shop of the iconic Porto Rico @portoricoimportingco of Bleecker Street. To this day, Porto Rico still sells “Auggie’s Blend” comprised of 1/2 French Italian Espresso & 1/2 Special House Blend.
Photo from 2010 appears in our book “Store Front II-A History Preserved”.
We absolutely love vintage #typewriters and have seven different working typewriter in our collection which we use regularly, so when we spotted this @lego Mint Green Typewriter Set in the window at the LEGO store in the Flatiron District, we knew we had to get it. As a first-time LEGO builder (having not built anything with LEGO since childhood), it took three days working between 6 to 7 hours a day to finish the build, which had 2079 pieces and is considered an “Advanced Build”. All in all, it was a very challenging build but fun as the finished typewriter looks amazing and every function works including all the individual keys move when pressed and the carriage moves along when “typing” and you can feed a real sheet of paper into the brick-built platen roller!
This Lego typewriter was inspired by one used by the LEGO Group’s founder Olek Kirk Kristiansen and was designed by Steve Guinness, a lifelong LEGO fan.
• We live-streamed the entire build from start to finish on our YouTube channel ( there are 3 parts to the livestream as it took us three days to complete the build) and you can see the very tricky parts to the build and our “Apollo 13 moment” when we discovered there was a crucial brick missing from the package but we saved the build by using brick pieces leftover from earlier parts of the build (each build step has separate bags of bricks to be used for it).
• To watch our livestream LEGO Typewriter Build, please subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below to the Part 3 of the Build: https://youtu.be/RMhoazFZmiE
Magazine Plus on Bleecker Street, one of the newsstands we frequented/browsed, especially after getting a slice at nearby Joe’s Pizza 🍕, which was then located just two doors down at the corner of Bleecker Street and Carmine. We took this 35mm photo in 2001 and have been thinking a lot about this #newsstand as we have been building for the last 2 days, a very complicated, technical LEGO typewriter (swipe left for 2nd photo of our build process). The Lego typewriter is modeled after a real 1950s #typewriter and has moveable type which with every key that you press, the carriage moves from right to left. The build is taking way longer than we anticipated and we have been livestreaming the entire process (we are currently ready to start bag 8 of the build as the process is divided into “steps” with separate building bags of Lego pieces).
To watch our @lego typewriter build please subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story.
Full video: https://youtu.be/nideMsvL2AA
It is located in the former Le Trapeze sex club limestone townhouse on East 27th by Madison Avenue and operates as a small take-away bakery located inside their commercial kitchens serving both fresh-baked breakfast croissants 🥐 pastries and savories 🥮 including Dominique’s Brown Sugar DKA ( Dominique’s Kouign Amann), his signature pastry which is similar to a caramelized croissant with dark brown sugar.
•Yesterday, we visited the new @dominiqueansel Workshop and tried his absolutely delicious Brown Sugar DKA as well as an Almond Croissant.
To watch our livestream visit to this bakery, please subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story. • https://youtu.be/czwVgjNp2V4
They have retained much of the original restaurant’s interior (swipe left for 2nd & 3rd photos of the interior highlighting the imported Italian terrazzo, hand-laid Belgian tile floors and the gorgeous oil murals of the City-States of Italy on the walls). They not only serve amazing traditional red sauce Italian dishes but also have a full vegan menu mirroring their authentic Italian cuisine.
Last evening we visited @johnsof12thstreet and had an absolutely delicious Italian feast 🍝 in honor of my birthday celebration and live-streamed the whole experience on our YouTube channel. We dined on their famous Polpetto di Vitello (veal meatballs swipe for 4th photo) and Baked Clams Arreganata (5th photo) as appetizers and had their Homemade Ravioli (6th photo with both classic Goat cheese and Spinach Ravioli with Marinara Sauce on left and their Vegan Ravioli w/Fire-roasted Tomatoes, Spinach &Tofu served with Vegan Alfredo Sauce on right) and their chef special Branzino with Sautéed Broccoli Rabe and Vegetables and Croquette (7th photo) and their homemade Cheesecake for dessert (8th photo). •
To watch our livestream visit please subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story. • https://youtu.be/Iq26xytbYAc
To celebrate this day which is considered an unlucky day in Western culture superstition, we are posting the unlucky Candlelight III Bar in Harlem.
The superstition of Friday the 13th seems related to various things including the extreme tragedy of the Trials of the Knights Templar which started their arrest on Friday, October 13, 1307.
Bleecker Street Pizza in Greenwich Village was founded in 2004 by Douglas Greenwood, a retired captain in the NYPD, who was inspired to open his own #pizzeria after suffering respiratory illness & post-traumatic stress disorder after spending 40 days at Ground Zero searching for victims after the September 11th World Trade Center disaster. Sadly Douglas passed away in 2017 but the recipe for his award-winning Nonna Maria #pizza 🍕,given to him by his grandmother from Tuscany, Italy 🇮🇹 lives on.
• Yesterday, we visited and tried @bleeckerstreetpizza delicious Nonna Maria pizza.
To see if we agree with the Food Network, who named it “Best Pizza in New York” three years in a row, please watch and subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG.
•Full video: https://youtu.be/0KlaSzftJUA
We always love visiting other boroughs besides Manhattan (we reside in the East Village), to discover the many #momandpopshop gems 💎 various neighborhoods have.
On one of our very long walks (yes we usually walk whenever possible to outlying neighborhoods rather than take the subway), we found this #delicatessen in Glendale, Queens which originally shared the zip code 11227 with Bushwick, Brooklyn but following the 1977 blackout, residents of Glendale and neighboring Ridgewood voted to disassociate themselves from Bushwick and formed their own community and were officially given the ZIP code 11385 in Queens in 1980.
La Esquina aka Corner Deli is a Mexican tacqueria and restaurant at the end of Kenmare Street in NoLita which was founded by architect Derek Sanders in 2005.
• Today we visited @esquinanyc as part of our search for the best taco 🌮 in the Lower East Side under $5.
To see what we thought of the “Pollo Adobado” aka Adobo-grilled chicken taco with avocado salsa, cilantro and onion we had, please watch our livestream YouTube video (see direct link below & in bio and IG story). • https://youtu.be/WLE0Hc-yMXQ
Tacombi at Fonda NoLita on Elizabeth Street was founded as a taqueria serving out tacos out of a converted 1963 VW Kombi bus on the Yucatán peninsula (the bus is now parked inside the space) before landing in New York City & opening this physical #storefront location in 2010.
• Yesterday we visited @tacombi as part of our search for the best taco 🌮 in the Lower East Side under $5. To see what we thought of the “Pollo Yucateco” aka marinated free-range chicken taco we had, please watch our livestream YouTube video (see direct link below & in bio and IG story).
• Full video: https://youtu.be/WLE0Hc-yMXQ
We have sad news to share that the House of Oldies physical #storefront on Carmine Street in Greenwich Village, which had been closed due to the pandemic since last March has permanently closed.
The owner, Bob Abramsom opened the shop in 1969 and since its beginning it has only sold vinyl records & specialized in rare and out of print #vinylrecords from the 1950s to 1970s. (Swipe left for 2nd photo of Bob inside his shop).
When we interviewed Bob for our book “Store Front II- A History Preserved” in 2010 he told us that that he “got the bulk of his current inventory years ago from record stores that were going out of business. I bought all new records, not used ones and put everything away.”
We will miss stopping by the shop to look for vinyl treasures and talking to Bob but are thankful that you can still find Bob’s vinyl collection on Discogs.
"It’s not dead. It won’t die. We’re not going anywhere, as people that have been here for decades, and we’ll make it work, no matter what. That’s New Yorkers."
Full article: http://www.ourtownny.com/news/mom-pops-and-james-karla-BL1739571
Lexington Candy Shop at the corner of Lexington Avenue and 83rd Street was founded in 1925 and is now owned by the 3rd-gen owner John Philis & his partner Bob Karcher. @lexingtoncandyshop is the oldest continuously operating luncheonette in Manhattan and has a gorgeous #vintage interior, which has not been renovated since 1948. (Swipe left ⬅️ for 2nd photo of the vanilla #eggcream we had and their 1940s mint green Hamilton Beach mixer used to make their world-famous malteds and milk shakes).
• Today, we visited Lexington Candy Shop and had a delicious lunch with our dog Hudson at their outdoor tables to help support this family-owned shop as it struggled to survive during the pandemic when so many local Upper East residents left the neighborhood.
To see the #vintage interior including the counter seating & booths and to watch them make a coffee malted milkshake and egg cream, please subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story.
• Full video: https://youtu.be/Wh6gCrnxNCo
This is a departure from our usual storefront posts but we have been experiencing many thunderstorms this summer and we were lucky enough to capture lightning striking One World Trade Center multiple times in a very fast-moving thunderstorm.
• To see our HD video of lightning hitting @oneworldnyc six different times as well hitting other neighboring buildings in downtown Manhattan, please subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story.
• Full video: https://youtu.be/rj8iYflz_Ow
This family-owned Italian 🇮🇹 bread 🥖 bakery was founded on record in 1903 but when we interviewed 3rd generation owner Frank Parisi for our book “Store Front II-A History Preserved” in 2009, he told us that it actually began operating in the late 1800s after his grandfather emigrated to NYC from Italy, but since there were no written records of retail businesses kept back then, he cannot be sure of the exact founding date. Frank also told us that they have had many famous customers over the years, including Frank Sinatra and Andy Rooney.
We will miss chatting with Frank who always let us purchase a loaf or two fresh out of the oven (even though this location operated as a wholesale only bakery, not a retail shop) when we passed by with our dog Hudson.
We passed by the shop yesterday and the American flag has been removed from the window and some of the centuries-old baking equipment has been moved out.
When we photographed this Nostrand Avenue #barbershop in 2004 for our book “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York”, one of the things that immediately caught our eye was the letter “P” dangling off the signage.
That same detail must have caught Steven Spielberg’s eyes or at least the set designers, when planning to film the remake of the 1961 movie musical “West Side Story” in Paterson, New Jersey as they actually recreated the #signage for scenes in the film outside a real working barbershop 💈. We are not sure if the “recreated” signage still exists today but definitely know that Richard’s Barber Shop does not as it closed just a few years after we took this 35mm film photo.
• • • • • #jamesandkarla #barberlife #barber #disappearingfaceofnewyork #barberworld #barberlifestyle #crownheightsbrooklyn #crownheights
Juliana’s on old Fulton Street underneath the Brooklyn Bridge near Brooklyn Bridge Park was founded by Patsy Grimaldi and specializes in thin-crust #pizza 🍕using the original coal-fired 🔥oven Patsy used when he originally opened his first Grimaldi’s pizzeria in 1990 with his wife Carol. Juliana’s is named in honor of Patsy’s mother, Juliana Lancieri Grimaldi whose older brother Pasquale “Patsy” Lancieri founded the famous Patsy’s Pizzeria in Harlem.
•Last evening, we visited @julianaspizza to try their personal size (11”) Margherita pizza to try what many consider to be one of the best coal-fired pizzas in Brooklyn.
To see if we thought it was worth the long wait, please watch & subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story.
•Full video: https://youtu.be/n-fAYl_n8Aw
