Storefronts of a fading New York
Susannah Breslin is a guestblogger on Boing Boing. She is a freelance journalist who blogs at Reverse Cowgirl and is at work on a novel set in the adult movie industry.
From Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York by James and Karla Murray. Selections from the series will be on view at Clic Bookstore & Gallery, July 15 through August 30, 255 Centre Street, New York City.
the latest
latest episodes
.
Reminds me of "Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer."
Wonder if the Gem Spa is still there? Or Ess-A-Bagel?
I know these are still there: Bruno & The Escaped Chimps.
.
Is Paul's Boutique still around?
It's happening all across America, quirky local stores with their unique storefront marquees are disappearing, and being replaced with chain stores that have cookie-cutter storefronts. Such is life.
@ #1: Ess-A Bagel is still around, and still making some of the best bagels in the city :)
I'm suddenly hit with a massive craving for a Salami and Egg from the Carnegie. One of you cats in Manhattan go have one for me at lunch.
@ #2, sadly, no.
@ everyone, the murray's (and their dog tabasco) are the real deal.
here's their flickrstream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimandkarlamurray/
and website
http://www.jamesandkarlamurray.com/
I've got a little bit of skepticism of the premise of this book. Sure, New York now has a zillion Starbucks and Burger Kings, but there is *so much* street-level retail space in the commercial areas of Manhattan that it feels close to infinite.
I think what's happening, and what the book also captures, is that newer independent retail spaces tend to present a much cleaner, more minimalist appearance to the street. Perhaps a big part of this change is stark looking shoe shops replacing the anarchic cluttered discount type places that the book celebrates?
Curl Up & Dye Salon
2188 Broadway New York, NY
Well, this one seems harmless.
This reminds me of the web site Forgotten NY by Kevin Walsh which coves this topic along with other antiquated aspects of New York, such as painted ads on buildings, closed subway stations and cast iron lamp posts.
Walsh has written a book on the subject as well. He routinely schedules walking tours of the different borrows and out-of-the-way neighborhoods of the city.
@7
Don't be skeptical. This is a pretty real phenomenon. I see it all the time in Brooklyn. The worst is when some old timey family run spot gets taken over by the next generation. They inevitably take an incredible vintage bakery, restaurant, deli, butcher shop, etc. and remove everything cool about it. Then they replace the interior with horrible tacky modern stuff. Ironically, new places open up in the same hoods and spend tons of money to look like they've been their forever.
reminds me of a book i happen to have thanks to my photo professor.
Barbshop
http://www.amazon.com/Barbershops-Tally-Abecassis/dp/1904772145/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1247525705&sr=1-1
My father-in-law had a sign company and last year my mother-in-law showed me a few dozen photos that were taken over the span of a few decades of signs that he and his father had done, mostly in NYC and on Central Ave. in Yonkers. When I get around to getting a scanner I will post them at: Aaron Signs.
@#1 Gem Spa was there as of the first week of June 2009.
Saw this book, really wanted to buy it for the times when I get all nostalgic about when I lived in NYC. Just didnt have the 9,000 Yen to drop at the time. I'll just have to be content with the photos I took on my last trip.