Olden Camera, NYC

Olden Camera in Manhattan was founded in 1947 by brothers Kurt and Wigo Olden. This camera store specialized in hard-to-find #film cameras and supplies. We loved visiting this store and were especially fond of ifs oversize #neonsign. In 1970 Olden Camera arranged to sell the very last Stereo Realist cameras f2.8 that used standard 135 film. They continued selling these cameras under their own name for six years making them the last place one could purchase these odd cameras. We can't remember exactly when this shop near Macy's and Herald Square closed but our 35mm photo of the entire #storefront with this amazing #neon was taken in 2004 and appears in our book "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York". We definitely wish we could have somehow saved and displayed this gorgeous neon sign! Please let us know if you remember this store and what you purchased there and if you know what happened to that huge neon #camera!

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#disappearingfaceofnewyork #35mm #jamesandkarla #120film #120mm #neon #neonsigns #neonsignage #cameras #camerastore #analog #filmcamera #filmcommunity #filmisnotdead #filmcamera #filmcommunity #filmphoto

Frankie’s Pizza, Miami

Frankie’s Pizza in Miami has been in business since 1955 and is known for their affordable square grandma slices. This family-owned #pizza spot not only has survived for over 66 years but it still has its original #neon signage on top of a tall pole next to the #storefront which survived the deadly Category 5 Hurricane Andrew’s 175mph winds in 1992.

• Today, we and our rescue dog Hudson visited @frankiespizza and said hello to the 2nd-generation owner Roxanne Pasquarella who took over the #pizzeria after her father Frankie passed away and had one of their large pies (10 pieces) in their backyard dining area. 

To watch our livestream visit to help support this small independently-owned business please subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story. • 

https://youtu.be/Kq8zTTC35Ic

Neptune Liquors, Crown Heights, Brooklyn

Neptune Liquors had such an amazing sign on its #storefront and that #signage is the main reason we took this 35mm film photo in 2006 which appears in our book “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York”. 

We recently spoke with Sally McGrane about our ongoing project to document “The Mom and Pop Store” in New York City for the Goethe Institut and how initially the project was mainly visually driven but evolved to also become an oral history project after speaking with many of the owners of the beloved stores we photographed. 

To listen to us talk about our work on the @goetheinstitut podcast, please visit link below or tap the link in our Instagram story. 

• https://www.goethe.de/prj/tbp/en/eps/map.html

La Taza de Oro Chelsea NYC

La Taza de Oro, the amazing Puerto Rican restaurant in Chelsea, was in business from 1946-2015. We miss visiting this old-school gem for their tostones and rice and beans. We always loved this store's ‪#‎handpainted‬ ‪#‎signage‬ complete with its "golden cup”. Our photo of La Taza de Oro appears in our book STORE FRONT II- A History Preserved along with more text about this amazing #storefront back story.

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#jamesandkarla #dinersdriveinsanddives #disappearingfaceofnewyork #chelsea #chelseanyc #riceandbeans #tostones

To The Moon, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

To The Moon in the Wilton Manors neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale, Florida was founded by Antonio “Ralph” Dumas in 2005 and specializes in Candy from 87 different countries including many hard-to-find candies made famous in America from 1806 to the mid 1990s. 

Yesterday we visited @tothemooncandy and spoke with Antonio who not only told us that he is from Brooklyn but named the shop “To The Moon” because his Mom and Dad were named Ralph & Alice and his sister’s husband worked for the bus depot in Brooklyn aka the Jackie Gleason Bus Depot (“Ralph of the Honeymooners). Antonio couldn’t think of a better name for a nostalgic Candy 🍭 shop that sells the greatest stuff under the moon than “To The Moon”. 

• To watch our visit “To The Moon” where we had the best chocolate peanut butter cups (they sell 75 types of homemade chocolates as well as 100 types of dark chocolate 🍫 bars) please subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story. • 

https://youtu.be/b2R5BPLie9s

Jones Diner, NYC

The snowstorm hitting New York City right now reminded us of a very snowy day in 1999 when we took this 35mm film photo of Jones Diner.

Jones Diner on the corner of Lafeyette and Great Jones in the Noho area of Manhattan was a favorite of ours as it served cheap but excellent food including a $3 breakfast 🍳 special. 

Sadly this greasy-spoon #diner which had been in business since 1938 closed in 2002 as the area which once was zoned for manufacturing became gentrified. 

• • • • • #jamesandkarla #obeygiant #diners #disappearingfaceofnewyork #dinerfood #shepardfairey #dinersdriveinsanddives #storefront #greasyspoon

Manhattan Furrier

As New York City prepares for another snowstorm tomorrow, our thoughts go to the departed Manhattan Furrier, which despite its name was not located in Manhattan but Greenpoint, Brooklyn. 

Manhattan Furrier was founded by the Feller family in 1916 and catered to the large population of Polish immigrants who made the neighborhood the center of New York City’s Polish community. By 1990, 80% of the area’s residents were Polish but in more recent years has become gentrified. 

Irving Feller, the 2nd-generation owner decided to close the #furrier in 2011 after the building it was located in was sold. 

Our 35mm film photo of Manhattan Furrier appears on our book “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York”. 

• • • • • #jamesandkarla #furs #storefront #disappearingfaceofnewyork #greenpoint #furcoat #furcoats #furcollar #brooklyn

Park Central Hotel

We are continuing our highlight of some beautiful Art Deco architecture along Ocean Drive in South Beach in honor of Art Deco Weekend in Miami Beach with the beautiful Park Central Hotel. The Park Central was built in 1937 by master architect Henry Hohauser and became a hangout for Hollywood stars including Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Carol Lombard and Rita Hayworth. It was one of the first #artdeco hotel’s in Miami Beach to be renovated in the 1980s. 

• To see more of the amazing Art Deco architecture along Ocean Drive please watch our livestream and subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story. 

• https://youtu.be/crFj0EiGTGY

Art Deco Weekend in South Beach

It was Art Deco Weekend in South Beach and we were lucky enough to see in person one of the most photographed hotels along Ocean Drive, the gorgeous Colony Hotel. The famed Art Deco Colony Hotel’s plans were completed in 1935 by architect Henry  Hohauser, one of the earliest proponents of streamlined architecture on Miami Beach. The hotel was designed with fifty rooms, each featuring a private bath. The building itself was meant to be “modern in every way,” and incorporated two innovations for the time: steel corner windows and the building’s neon marquee (an inverted “T” bearing the hotel’s name). 

• To see more of the amazing Art Deco architecture along Ocean Drive please watch our livestream and subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story. 

• https://youtu.be/crFj0EiGTGY

Radio-Active Records

Radio-Active Records on North Federal Highway (US1) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida was founded in 1995 and has a huge selection of used and new vinyl records, cassettes, as well as CDs in a variety of genres.  

• Today, we live-streamed our visit to @radioactiverecords where we not only spoke with the managers and buyers Gunther and Natalie but also went “crate digging” ourselves and found some gems to add to our #vinylcollection including a rare U2 album.  

To watch our visit to this hidden gem #recordstore please subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story. 

• https://youtu.be/bwUG-Z7eIOU

54 Vintage Vinyl

54 Vintage Vinyl in the Theater District of New York City is a true hidden gem. We recently discovered this shop  located on West 54th Street and had a chance to speak with the owner and go crate digging through their vast selection of vintage vinyl records in many different genres. 

• To watch our visit to this #vinylrecords shop, please subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story. 

• https://youtu.be/9Z9jmrqZMv8

Waffle House

Waffle House in Florence, South Carolina. 

Every time we take a road trip to the South, we can’t help but stop at a Waffle House 🧇 location somewhere along the way as we not only love this privately-held company’s waffles and 🍳 egg dishes but also love the architecture and stool seating inside which overlooks the short order cook area. The very first Waffle House was opened on Labor Day weekend in 1955 in Avondale Estates, Georgia. 

• To watch our visit to this @wafflehouseofficial location #1810 where we watch as they prepare our order of waffles and eggs and James and our rescue dog Hudson tries grits for the very first time (ala My Cousin Vinny) please subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story. 

• https://youtu.be/85pBGuoibHQ

South of the Border, the roadside attraction in Dillon, South Carolina

The chilly weather in New York City right now may not have anyone thinking about enjoying an ice cream cone 🍦 but we wanted to share the news that South of the Border, the roadside attraction in Dillon, South Carolina located just south of the North Carolina border recently demolished both their Ice Cream Fiesta shop and their Pedro’s Tee Shirt Shop. We are not sure why they demolished these fun shops but the @sobpedro motel has fallen on hard times due to the pandemic as far less people have been making the journey along Interstate-95 to stop at Pedro’s. 

South of the Border is the halfway point in mileage of the road journey from New York City to Florida. We just visited South of the Border and stayed overnight on our own road trip and when we asked the front desk person why they demolished the buildings, she told us that not only are less people traveling and staying at the hotel, but that it has been difficult for the owners to find people in the area who want to work at the motel and its restaurants and gift shops. 

• To watch our livestream visit to South of the Border and to see our motel room and the remaining buildings, please subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story. 

• https://youtu.be/85pBGuoibHQ

South of the Border

South of the Border, the kitschy roadside attraction just off Interstate 95 in South Carolina, got its name because it is just south of the border between North Carolina and South Carolina, and is the half way point to Florida from New York when driving along I-95. The restaurants, shops, amusement area and motel has been serving tourists for nearly 70 years and is themed in a faux-Mexican style. Its mascot is Pedro, a caricature of a Mexican bandido and it also has a 300 foot tall observation tower (swipe left for 2nd photo) which in the past, you were able to climb to the top.  

•  We arrived at South of the Border, after driving in a rental car from our studio in the East Village, and checked into the motel. To watch our drive to @sobpedro and to see how all the attractions look at night, please subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story. • https://youtu.be/OnUDWoJss9g

Kossar’s Bialys & Bagels

Kossar’s Bialys & Bagels on Grand Street near Essex was founded in 1936 and is known for their freshly baked bialys, which are chewy, flat, round rolls with a slightly depressed center. @kossars is the oldest remaining bialy bakery in the United States. 

When we took this first photo of @kossars in the early 2000s, which appears in our book “Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York” it was functioning more of a wholesale bialy bakery and also sold bagels 🥯 but did not offer sandwiches or any dine-in area. 

We recently visited this old-school bakery to have some of their freshly baked bagels, bialys as well as their pletzels and bulka rolls (swipe left for 2nd photo). We also filmed a YouTube video where we not only visit the modernized shop, (which also now sells sandwiches, cream cheese, babka and cookies) but also explain the difference between a #bialy and a #bagel and their huge onion disc aka Pletzel and bulka roll.  

• To watch our visit to Kossar’s please subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story. • https://youtu.be/OeLlAil8F_s

Bright Food Shop in Chelsea

It is cold and rainy in New York City after days of dreary cloud-filled skies and our thoughts went to the Bright Food Shop in Chelsea. This wonderful Mexican-fusion restaurant was in business from 1938-2007. • • • • • #jamesandkarla #brightfoodies #neon #disappearingfaceofnewyork #chelsea #mexicanfusion #neonsignage #neonsigns #signage #handpainted #signagedesign

To warm our souls today with the freezing temperatures in New York City, we are thinking of the departed M&G Soul Food Diner on 125th Street in Harlem.

This #soulfood restaurant closed in 2008 after it “went on vacation” and never reopened. We always loved its amazing #friedchicken and the gorgeous neon signage surrounded by light bulbs which announced “Southern Fried Chicken” in the most jaunty font and the “Old Fashion’ BUT Good” with the letter “I” dotted with a star ⭐️!  

The restauranteur and chef Marcus Samuelson @marcuscooks rescued part of the #neon signage but we are not sure of the whereabouts of the other parts of the #signage. 

Our 35mm film photo of M&G appears in our book”Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York”.

Happy New Year to all of our wonderful friends and followers!

We really appreciate the love and support you have shown us this past year. 

If you are like us, you are still writing 2021 rather than 2022 in your correspondence, and that is why we are highlighting a favorite #storefront we photographed, the Wrong Number Cocktail Lounge 🍸in Brooklyn. 

We absolutely loved the signage this notorious #divebar had and heard some great stories about why this particular Gravesend gangster hangout got its name. 

• • • • • • #jamesandkarla #handpainted #disappearingfaceofnewyork #cocktails #cocktaillounge #cocktail #gravesend #brooklyn #signage #signsandsymbols