Autumn. New York Harbor, NYC, earlier...

Lenox Lounge circa 2013.

 The writing on the boarded-up door says it all, "1939-2012, 80 Years For This". We started revisiting and photographing many of the small independent businesses we documented over 10 years earlier for our book "Store Front:The Disappearing Face of New York" and this photo is truly one of the saddest. After Alvin Reed was forced out of the Lenox Lounge #storefront in 2012 after a rent increase of $10,000 to $20,000 a month, he took most of the iconic Art Deco interior and facade including the #neon #signage with its amazing #font. He hoped to reopen the #jazz lounge nearby but money troubles and litigation with his original landlord has delayed those plans. The landlord leased the original space to Richie Notar, of restaurant Nobu fame so that he could reopen the jazz #bar but that deal also fell through and now the original Lenox Lounge has sat abandoned since 2012. #Harlem truly lost a piece of its history! #disappearingfaceofnewyork

Lenox Lounge, Harlem, NYC

Lenox Lounge in Harlem was founded in 1939 by the Greco family. It was named for its location on Lenox Avenue in #Harlem. Billie Holiday, John Coltrane and Miles Davis performed in this iconic #jazz club. Alvin Reed purchased the lounge in 1988 and restored much of its original #ArtDeco interior including the famous "Zebra Room" where live music 🎶 was played nightly. Sadly, #LenoxLounge was forced to close in 2012 after the rent was increased from $10,000 to $20,000 a month. Alvin Reed took the original #neonsign and much of the interior in hopes that he could reopen the club at another location but to this date, Lenox Lounge has not reopened. Photo from 2004 appears in our book "Store Front:The Disappearing Face of New York".

Hudson. Autumn, Tompkins Square Park, East Village, NYC, just now...

In honor of #nationalsandwichday yesterday: Woodside Delicatessen in Queens

We love the interesting #font on its #signage and even the missing letters "E" and "I".

To celebrate the upcoming #presidentialelection while in NYC...

You can visit Delmonico's in the Financial District, which was established in 1837 by brothers John and Peter Delmonico. The 3 1/2 story building it occupies was built by the brothers at a cost of $360,000 with an entrance featuring marble pillars imported from Pompeii. Delmonico's was the first restaurant in the U.S. to offer fine dining and became the birthplace of many signature dishes including the "Delmonico Steak," a boneless rib eye that is considered the best steak cut. The Baked Alaska dessert was created at Delmonico's to celebrate the purchase of Alaska from Russia 🇷🇺 in 1867. Delmonico's has also served a long line of U.S. Presidents including Martin van Buren, Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. From now until Tuesday, November 8th, they are serving a special Presidential Palates Menu of a la carte #presidential hits. Photo from 2010 appears in our book "New York Nights" along with a more detailed history of the restaurant.

Our book "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York" is this month's shop highlight at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum Store.

Purchasing the book helps support the Lower East Side Tenement Museum on the corner of Orchard Street and Delancey, America's first urban living-history museum dedicated to the life of immigrants.

http://shop.tenement.org/books-media/books/store-front-mini-002618.html