Our new book “Counter Culture” features Brooklyn Diner among 30 of Manhattan’s most beloved diners and luncheonettes with full color photos & insightful text.

To celebrate, we hope you can join us for our book signing event at Brooklyn Diner 212 West 57th Street near 7th Ave on Tuesday October 6th from 4-6 PM.

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Slow morning, Paris.

Le Bonaparte, Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés, across from the landmark Saint-Germain-des-Prés Church.

Walk with us through Manhattans Lower East Side!

 

"New York City diners and lunchenonettes are an art form worth preserving. Check out this book by @JamesandKarla and Emma Orlow. Get your copy today." Andrew Zimmerman

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/826863/counter-culture-by-photographs-by-james-t-and-karla-l-murray-text-by-emma-orlow/

https://x.com/andrewzimmern/status/2104970914899148946/video/1

"How James and Karla Murray Photographed Counter Culture" by Amon Focus September 28, 2026 for New York Said

Thanks Amon for the fantastic review not only on our book but also insight on work! 

https://www.newyorksaid.com/how-james-and-karla-murray-photographed-counter-culture/

"..what they do is more than putting pretty pictures in well-designed books. They are historians, if you will. You know, documentarians who happen to carry tripods."

It’s National Coffee Day and we are celebrating at Viand Coffee Shop which has been in business on the Upper East Side since 1976.

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Walk with us in New York City Nor'easter Heavy Rain shot in 4K at NYC Street Festival: Feast of San Gennaro Manhattan.

We hope you can join us this Thursday, October 1st from 4-6 PM at EJ’s Luncheonette 1271 Third Ave at 73rd Street for our Counter Culture book signing event and pick up a signed copy and have their new delicious Blue TV Dinner Tray Special!

 

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"A Love Letter To The Luncheonette" - SOCIETY for COMMERCIAL ARCHEOLOGY

A LOVE LETTER TO THE LUNCHEONETTE
https://sca-roadside.org/sca-weekly-news-review-sept-27-2026/

Walk with us LIVE in New York City During a Rainy Manhattan Nor’Easter 2026 Saturday Sept 26, 2026!

 

An appreciation of Counter Culture by Raise The Fork 09.27.26

Someone finally wrote my book about luncheonettes!
An appreciation of Counter Culture by Raise The Fork 09.27.26
"Whether you have deep memories of these places or just want to experience them through the consistently gorgeous photographs and very readable essays on each spot, I can’t recommend this book enough."
Read the review on Scott Filkins' Substack:
https://scottfilkins.substack.com/p/someone-finally-wrote-my-book-about

We hope you can join us for our Counter Culture: New York City’s Greatest Diners and Luncheonettes book signing celebration event at Brooklyn Diner 57th Street (212 West 57th St near 7th Ave) on Tuesday October 6th from 4-6 PM

 

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Stunning Sunset Over New York City Before Nor’Easter Storm... just now.

 

New York City’s EJ’s Luncheonette on the Upper East Side has gone full retro with a new TV Dinner menu item featuring Salisbury Steak, green beans, mashed potatoes, homemade gravy, cherry pie and an egg cream! This special will be available next Thursday, October 1st at 4 PM to coincide with our “Counter Culture” book signing event from 4-6 PM.

 

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We hope you can join us TOMORROW for our Counter Culture: New York City’s Greatest Diners and Luncheonettes book signing event at Lexington Candy Shop!

We hope you can join us TOMORROW for our Counter Culture: New York City’s Greatest Diners and Luncheonettes book signing event at Lexington Candy Shop on Lexington Avenue at 83rd Street on Thursday, September 24th from 1-3 PM

Meet John Philis, the 3rd-gen co-owner who has kept this time capsule luncheonette a favorite spot for egg creams and Coca-Cola served the old-fashioned way for generations.

We will be signing books available for purchase and celebrating at the front table.

"James and Karla Murray's pictures reveal the beauty and durability of the New York diner." Thank you Tim Hayward for Financial Times

Read full article: https://www.ft.com/content/ea34d615-0751-4058-8295-7a7c582f5ca7?fbclid=IwY2xjawUgvDtwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR7CuwY56iiibrFvoIMZtadCIfU-jbn6GZMXWbitM33IOonNeaQk3Jg4ruGZ-Q_aem_58cM9mkVrlqqWBAlnyKfYw&syn-25a6b1a6=1

NYC Largest Street Festival: Feast of San Gennaro Walking Tour Opening Weekend 100th Annual 2026 in 4K!

We hope you enjoy watching our latest recorded video tour in 4K from the Feast of San Gennaro on opening weekend 2026 as we walk the entire length of the Feast and showcase the huge crowds, delicious food stalls, games and music performances and the Grand Procession with marching bands performing and celebrity guests carrying the statue of San Gennaro on opening weekend on Saturday, September 19, 2026. 

It looks amazing to watch on the TV in 4K!

Barney Greengrass is one of the many fabulous spots we feature in our new book “Counter Culture: New York City’s Greatest Diners & Luncheonettes” which is available at your local bookseller or online worldwide.

 

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"What does a city lose when its ‘ordinary’ places disappear? The photography couple's “race against time” to document New York’s mom-and-pop diners" By Alan Palazon Digital Camera World

https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/photography/books/what-does-a-city-lose-when-its-ordinary-places-disappear-the-photography-couples-race-against-time-to-document-new-yorks-mom-and-pop-diners

"I’ve Never Been to a NYC Diner. This Photobook Fixed That" by EMMA VALBRET Sept 21, 2026 Feature: Them Frames

"It has to be said that the photographs themselves are extremely aesthetically pleasing as standalone images. James and Karla’s experience as architectural and interior photographers really shines through in this series." 

https://themframes.com/features/ive-never-been-to-a-nyc-diner-this-photobook-fixed-that/

These lipsmackingly gorgeous photos of New York City’s famous diners and luncheonettes have got me seriously hungry right now! Craig Blackley September 2026

https://amateurphotographer.com/latest/photo-news/these-lipsmackingly-gorgeous-photos-of-new-york-citys-famous-diners-and-luncheonettes-have-got-me-seriously-hungry-right-now/
"The images that you will find in the book are everything you would want and more. Prepare to marvel at the gorgeous and inviting interiors and exteriors of a selection of Manhattan’s favourite diners and luncheonettes. The inside of Lexington Candy Shop’s ageless décor, which features traditional metallic and leather seated bar stools accompanying the countertop, could quite easily trick you into believing you have just stepped onto the set of a famous American tv show or film."

Walk the entire 100th Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy, Manhattan with us!

Lexington Candy Shop is also one of the many fabulous diners and luncheonettes we feature in our new book “Counter Culture: New York City’s Greatest Diners & Luncheonettes”.

 

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A love letter to the luncheonette Photographers James and Karla Murray pay tribute to the remarkable survival of an American institution in ‘Counter Culture’: Tim Hayward for Financial Times

https://www.ft.com/content/ea34d615-0751-4058-8295-7a7c582f5ca7?syn-25a6b1a6=1

Thank you to all our friends and followers who joined us at Veselka for our "Counter Culture" book launch celebration and signing event on Thursday.

It was so great to meet everyone and share stories from the counter along with Jason Birchard, the third-generation owner of Veselka. The co-founder of the New York Sign Museum, David Barnett was also in attendance and we had a great meal including a delicious bowl of borscht, potato and cheese pierogi and amazing burgers and sweet potato fries.

Today is National Cheeseburger Day and we are highlighting Joe Junior Restaurant

 

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We will be having a meet & greet book signing event at Wild Sorrel Cookbooks TOMORROW!

We will be having a meet & greet book signing event at Wild Sorrel Cookbooks TOMORROW Saturday, September 19th from 1-2 PM to celebrate the release of our new book “ Counter Culture: New York City’s Greatest Diners and Luncheonettes”. @wildsorrelcookbooks is located at 332 East 13th between 1st and 2nd Aves).
We look forward to seeing you and gathering at this lovely shop!

We hope to see you at Veselka :: Beceлкa 144 2nd Ave at E 9th St today 4-6 PM

Meet us at the counter and pick up a signed copy!

"KARLA AND JAMES MURRAY HAVE PHOTOGRAPHED NEW YORK FOR 30 YEARS. THEIR NEW BOOK REVEALS WHY ITS DINERS STILL MATTER" : About Photography

https://aboutphotography.blog/blog/counter-culture

Counter Culture: Flaming Pablum

"in “Counter Culture,” the Murrays apply their reverently meticulous eye to the New York City diner scene, showcasing a diverse line-up up eateries from the celebrated (Veselka, Tom’s Restaurant, Barney Greengrass) to the not quite as well known but equally deserving (La Bonbonniere, B&H Dairy Kosher), each augmented with historical context and backstory by writer Emma Orlow."
https://flamingpablum.com/2026/09/can-i-get-fries-with-that-dining-out-with-the-murrays/

Our new book Counter Culture: New York City’s Greatest Diners and Luncheonettes is out today and features B&H Dairy Kosher Restaurant!

 

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5 of NYC's Greatest Diners from "Counter Culture" by James and Karla Murray Get a sneak peek inside a new photo book about NYC's beloved diners and luncheonettes!

https://www.untappedcities.com/nyc-counter-culture-james-karla-murray/

"In “Counter Culture: New York City’s Greatest Diners and Luncheonettes” out Tuesday, the couple have turned their cameras to 30 of Manhattan’s diners and luncheonettes, preserving these beloved hubs of good food and good company for posterity and, they hope, present-day appreciation." by Hannah Frishberg for Gothamist

https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/counter-culture-offers-photographic-ode-to-new-york-citys-enduring-diners

Our new book Counter Culture will be released tomorrow September 15th by Prestel and celebrates New York City’s Greatest Diners and Luncheonettes!

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In honor of Rosh Hashanah today, we are highlighting Gottlieb’s Restaurant, one of the best non-tourist spots in New York City where you can get an excellent and affordable pastrami sandwich.

 

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