Joe & John Pizzeria & Restaurant on Myrtle Avenue in Ridgewood, Queens was founded in 1968.

We really loved its unique retro facade adorned with yellow and mint green-colored panels giving it a sort of big-top circus 🎪 look.  Although the #pizza place is still in business, the original Joe and John have long retired and new owners and management took over the #pizzeria and modernized the exterior and replaced the #vintage #signage. We photographed the #storefront at night for our book “New York Nights” but also took a daytime photo which appears in our book “Store Front II-A History Preserved".  

• Today, we visited @joeandjohns_ to have a classic slice of pizza 🍕 with our pizza-loving dog Hudson. To see what we both thought of the pizza we tried, please watch   & subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story. 

• Full video: https://youtu.be/3klL_gd96B8

CW Pencil Enterprise, an amazing Lower East Side pencil shop has sadly closed its doors due to the lack of foot traffic due to the pandemic.

Caroline Weaver founded this unique shop on Forsyth Street in 2014 (original location seen in our first photo) and moved to its larger lower Orchard Street #storefront (seen in top photo) in 2017. 

Today, we passed by to see the @cwpencilenterprise Orchard Street shop mostly empty except for some furniture for sale and boxes outside with free giveaways. It saddens us to see this quirky shop close its doors as we remember when we first discovered it.  

• • • • • #disappearingfaceofnewyork #jamesandkarla #pencil #pencilart #pencilsketch #pencildrawing #pencildrawings #pencilartist #writingcommunity #writing #writinginspiration #lowereastsidenyc

We love when we encounter an old ghost sign from a storefront from yesteryear and this gem is no exception.

If you look carefully on the lintel above this doorway in TriBeCa, you can see the faded lettering for “John Campbell & Co.”,  a dyestuff manufacturer which was in business from 1900 to 1958. While this address no longer houses a #storefront we love how the new residents decorated the sidewalk with planters filled with a colorful array of flowers 🌺 🌸. 

Thank you El País for todays article! "Los retratistas de una Nueva York que dice adiós" MATEO SANCHO CARDIEL - 07 NOV 2021

Full article: https://elpais.com/eps/2021-11-08/los-retratistas-de-una-nueva-york-que-dice-adios.html?prm=copy_link

John’s of Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village was founded in 1929 by John Sasso.

John's is regarded by many #pizzalovers as one of the best pizzerias in New York City and serves only whole pies, no slices  🍕 which are cooked in the original coal-fired 🔥 oven . Today, we visited @johnsofbleeckerstreet to help support this iconic historic #pizzeria as it suffered during the pandemic with the lack of street traffic and tourists which normally flock to eat there. We went inside and filmed the historic interior with all of the benches, booths and tables carved with the signatures of customers and watched as their famous brick coal-fired🔥 oven pizzas 🍕 were being prepared (they are prepared and cook in under 5 minutes)•  

•To see the interior of John’s and its #vintage brick coal-fired oven and the delicious pizza 🍕we had while dining outside with our rescue dog @hudsonpittienyc (swipe left for 2nd and 3rd photos) please watch & subscribe to our channel (direct link in bio). 

•Full video:  https://youtu.be/pzy9RFx0zjM

Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn has been in business since the 1950s.

It has been owned by Cristos and Donna Siafakas since 1993 and still has its original interior including an S-shaped counter. In addition to a wide variety of delicious fresh doughnut flavors, Peter Pan also serves breakfast sandwiches and milkshakes.  

• Yesterday, we visited Peter Pan to help support this family-owned business which we believe has the absolutely best donuts in the world and purchased toasted coconut #donuts 🍩 and strawberry-filled and blueberry-filled jelly (each #donut regardless of flavor is only $1.50) and a cup of piping hot coffee ☕️ & hot chocolate.  

To watch our livestream visit to this #donutshop and to see what our dog Hudson thought of the donuts and to see its amazing original interior, please watch and subscribe to our JamesandKarla YouTube channel, see direct link below & in bio and IG story. 

•Full video: https://youtu.be/rWHsdHu5udM

Today, November 1st is the first day of Dia de Los Muertos

Today, November 1st is the first day of Dia de Los Muertos, a 2-day festival celebration of life and death which originated in Mexico 🇲🇽 but is also celebrated throughout Latin America and places with a significant #Mexican and Latino population. Assured that the dead would be insulted by a day of mourning or sadness, #diadelosmuertos celebrates the lives of the deceased with food, drink, parties, and activities the dead enjoyed in life. 

Whereas Halloween is considered to be a holiday of dark nights, terror and mischief, Day of the Dead festivities are an explosion of color, life and joy. On Día de los Muertos, the dead are also a part of the festival as they are awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations with their loved ones. Colorful #ofrendas or altars with incense and candles are created by families to honor their deceased loved ones and include symbols of Calacas and Calaveras (skeletons and skulls) portrayed as enjoying life.