Urbanite

Large pieces of steel called tridents recovered from the World Trade Center site, and once a structural part of the ground level exterior arches of the twin towers, are preserved in Hangar 17 of Kennedy International Airport. There are about 1,350 pieces of steel, many weighing over 30 tons. (Photo by Lane Johnson)

Two years ago, we had the honor of visiting Hangar 17 at Kennedy Airport, where the Port Authority meticulously cares for relics from the World Trade Center, saving them for the day they either return to Ground Zero or are sent to other museums.

Here's our story from the visit, plus a flash presentation with video and photo gallery. In addition, check out these blog posts for more from our visit.

"Memorial Sites: New York to Nairobi Photographs by Julie Dermansky," an exhibit opening Sept. 10 at the Center for Architecture, will also present images from Hangar 17.

-- Rolando Pujol

Nothing could go right for New York in the early 1980s. If the crime, the street trash and the graffiti wasn't enough, then there was the water shortage. With the upstate reservoirs running low, the Koch administration took to the airwaves with the memorable campaign, "Keep New York Wet, Save Water."

From a New York Times' article of the era: "In December 1980, Mayor Koch named every child in the city a deputy mayor in charge of saving water. Flanked by 44 of his deputy mayors in one television commercial, Mr. Koch offered tips on saving water and concluded, in chorus with the children, "Keep New York wet." In fact, on Dec. 31, 1982, the Times made the slogan one of its "quotations" of the day.

The spot shown above dates from this time, and indeed features city kids with incredibly thick Noo Yawk accents reminding you to conserve. It's priceless stuff from another New York.

-- Rolando Pujol

Video via trainluvr on YouTube

A bungalow in the Rockaways. (Photo via LaurenKrohnRichman on Flickr)

The Historic Districts Council will be exploring the leisure destinations of old New York in its fall lecture series, “Out for the Day in New York: Historical Resorts and Amusements.”

“The Bungalows of the Rockaways,” a documentary, will be screened at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 9. The historical quaint homes that once laced the peninsula have dwindled from nearly 7,000 in 1933 to only 500 today. The film will be followed by a Q&A session with Richard George, of the Beachside Bungalow Preservation Organization, preservationist Caroline C. Pasion, and the filmmakers, Jennifer Callahan and Elizabeth Logan Harris.

In the tour, “From the Shore to the Sideshow,” participants will delve into the history of Brooklyn’s Coney Island, getting a taste of the amusement park’s humble beginnings and its impending future. The tour will visit landmarks such as the Cyclone Coaster and Parachute Jump. The tour starts at 11 a.m. Sept. 14.

“Fun in the Sun: Resorts, Pools, Fairs and More!” will look at the venues of amusement and relaxation in all five boroughs. Various noted speakers will discuss the racetracks, railroads, and resorts of Brooklyn, New York’s WPA-era swimming pools, the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair, and the Bronx’s Freedomland amusement park. This event will be held on Sept. 16.

Lecture tickets are $15, tour tickets are $35, and you can snag a full series package for $60.

Click here for more.

-- Simone Herbin

The Slammin' Salmon in upstate Millbrook has a neon lobster in one of its windows. (Photos by Rolando Pujol)

Has the neon lobster from Armando's in Brooklyn Heights retired to greener pastures in Dutchess County?

We did a double take during a recent visit to the postcard-perfect town of Millbrook, where an Armando's-style lobster holds court in the window of the Slammin' Salmon fish market.


The Slammin' Salmon lobster, left, rotated to reflect the way the Armando's lobster was positioned. The lobster in Millbrook is slightly different.

Apparently, there are more than a few of these lobsters still glowing around the country. One of somewhat different design can be found at the Lobster Pot in Provincetown.

But the one in Millbrook seems pretty similar to its lost cousin in Brooklyn Heights.

-- Rolando Pujol

More signs photos here. And submit yours here.

The overall neighborhood of Kew Gardens is not protected. (Photo by Phil S. Kropoth)

Despite its historic significance, Kew Gardens lacks landmark protection -- an issue that frustrates local residents and preservationists.

"Kew Gardens is definitely one of the planned communities in Queens that is very significant and hasn't gotten its due in terms of preservation," says Frampton Tolbert, deputy director of the Historic Districts Council, which has Kew Gardens on its endangered list. "Only in recent years do people have a better appreciation for these neighborhoods.

By that time it might be too late. Residents have on eye on Richmond Hill, Kew Gardens' sister neighborhood, and fear that the insensitive development there might soon encroach upon their turf. Requests for rulings before the Landmark Preservation Commission have gone unheeded, but civic leaders aren't ready to give up.

"It's the attrition battle--who's going to give in first," says Crawford. "We're not going to give in. This is really an important neighborhood, a real demonstration of smart community development. I think we have to understand rational development.

"In the meantime, you just do your local battle to prevent as much damage as possible."

-- Lana Bortolot

Read more about life in Kew Gardens here.

Murals in the parking lot of the Neptune Inn on City Island include one of the World Trade Center, which is peeling away, and another for the Virgin of Guadalupe, which is intact. (Photos by Rolando Pujol)

If there's one thing that City Islanders enjoy in great numbers, it's seafood places. The Neptune Inn, on the island's southern tip, has been closed for years because of a fire, but still draws the curious because of the murals in its parking lot.

Two murals in particular attract attention. One is in shabby condition, and shows the World Trade Center. A local restaurant worker who noticed us snapping photos of the murals last weekend told us that the paint began to flick away shortly after 9/11, in a coincidence that some felt poignant, if a touch bizarre. But what raises even more eyebrows is the mural right next to it, which shows the Virgin of Guadalupe. That mural is in excellent shape, with no serious signs of damage.

This juxtaposition, this person said, has inevitably led people to impute some greater meaning to the murals, and, he says, even pay their respects at the murals. (A third mural, right next to the one of the WTC, has some paint damage but not as much.)

We later asked around and found no other such reports, but we can say for sure that the murals are striking. Another sight-seer also noticed the murals and was snapping away while we were there. Other Web sites have found the Neptune Inn's murals worthy of mention.

Soon, these conversation pieces may be a memory.

The restaurant -- its windows smashed open and trash and furniture everywhere -- is poised for demolition, we were told. And that means those murals that attract so much attention may well disappear along with the old Neptune Inn.

The murals are 35 City Island Ave., across from the popular Sammy's and Lobster Box restaurants. And keep an eye on Urbanite for more dispatches from our recent visit to City Island.

-- Rolando Pujol

Mimma's in Yorkville was a solid spot for a slice. (Photo by Emily Hulme)

On my way to work this morning, I noticed this sad sight: My favorite neighborhood pizzeria -- Mimma's, on 84th Street and Second Avenue -- is now the future home of another Two Boots.

Now, I know people like Two Boots, and I myself have enjoyed a slice from time to time. But it's a very particular taste, and we already have a gourmet pizza shop in the neighborhood: Pintaile's. Sometimes you're just in the mood for a slice's slice, and that's what Mimma's excelled at. Also, they were open late, making them a perfect post-bar stop on the way home.

Mimma's was nothing fancy, but they had a good sauce and served simple pizza done right. You will be missed. RIP Mimma's ... long live Two Boots.

-- Emily Hulme

Do you know the story of this Bronx building? Urbanite wants to know. (Photos by Jefferson Siegel)

In the Bronx, at 436 Westchester Ave. near Bergen Avenue., just blocks from the area known as The Hub, sits this small two-story building. In faded letters one can read "N Y Post Office Station R"

The ground floor appears to be empty; the second floor is occupied by "John's Gym" where boxing is offered for women. Several women wearing boxing gloves were observed running around an empty lot across the street one day, obviously part of their training.

Does anyone know the history of this building? Or, to be more specific, about its post office days?

-- Jefferson Siegel

Unless something is done soon, a century-old temple in the East Village may turn to dust.

Some neighborhood residents and preservationists are upset that the congregation had a deal with mega New Jersey developers the Kushner Companies to demolish the Mezritch Synagogue on East Sixth Street and turn it into high-end residences with a ground floor place for worship.

But synagogue's few remaining congregants and the temple's rabbi say that the building is in such disrepair that it is a danger to the surrounding area, and selling to the highest bidder remains the only way to ensure having a safe place to worship.

"This is a battle about the heart and soul our neighborhood," said Andrew Berman, president of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, who is battling to save the synagogue "It tells the story not only of how New York City grew but how our country did."

The Mezritch Synagogue is the last operating "tenement synagogue," so named because of the narrow slot it occupies mid-block, still in operation on the Lower East Side. Read on ...

-- David Freedlander

Synagogue photos

Photo: Jefferson Siegel

Mega New Jersey developers the Kushner Companies have pulled out of a controversial plan tear down a century-old synagogue in the East Village and build residences in its place, Urbanite has learned.

The board of Congregation Mezritch Synagogue voted last month to give Kushner Companies the rights to demolish the stately structure on East 6th Street in a controversial move that left many involved with the sale feeling that they were excluded from the process.

The sale was slated to undergo review by the state attorney general.

Preservationists and neighborhood activists are holding a rally and news conference in front of the synagogue this afternoon to urge that the building be preserved.

Many were unsure what to make of today’s news that the Kushners had pulled out.

“It doesn’t mean that the synagogue won’t look to do this again, and then what will the ground rules be,” said Joel Kaplan of the United Jewish Council of the East Side. “If they are going to do things in a nontransparent way you never know what’s going to happen.”

As recent as yesterday, Brian Bursin, an attorney representing the board of the synagogue sung the praises of the Kushner Companies for striking a deal that would allow the congregation to continue to meet in the first two floors of what was supposed to be a six-floor residential rental development.

“There were three years of discussions with developers,” he said. “We are actually the Davids in the battle with the Goliaths.”

Requests for comment on what Anshei Meseritz plans to do now that the Kushner Company is no longer were not returned by Bursin or by the synagogue’s rabbi, Pesach Ackerman.

A demolition permit for the temple has already been filed with the city’s Department of Buildings but has yet to be approved.

“It’s not only a beautiful building, it’s a critically important link to the history of the neighborhood and what was once the most important Jewish community in America,” said Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. “We just want to see it saved.”

-- David Freedlander

This diner at 357 West St. was manufactured by the famed Kullman Diner company, possibly in the late 1940s. (Photo by Tiffany L. Clark). More photos [HERE]

It was once called the Lost Diner, and now, the name truly fits.

The 1940s chrome diner in Greenwich Village sits abandoned, its glass door broken and its interior filled with trash.

But what is lost may have been found again. Preservationist Michael Perlman, who has already rescued the Cheyenne and Moondance diners in Manhattan from sure obliteration, tells Urbanite that he has submitted a proposal to owner Peter Moore Associates to preserve the diner and bring it back to its former glory. In fact, the Moondance is set to reopen next month in Wyoming.

The eatery, at 357 West St., has been known over the years as Terminal Diner and Lunchbox Food, and was most recently Rib, a North Carolina-style barbeque joint.

But that establishment closed in 2006, and the building has since fallen into disrepair. Perlman says he and Peter Moore Associates, which bought the property in 2006, will further discuss his proposal in October. He says that it would be more affordable to renovate the space than to demolish it. The owner could not be reached for comment.

Perlman said a metal tag bearing the name of the famous Kullman Diner manufacturer still hangs above the door. It’s details like that that Perlman wants to preserve as much as possible.

"Diners are becoming an endangered species, especially in the tri-state area,” Perlman said. “They definitely don't manufacture them like they used to. And diners are the ultimate public institution; they were places where people from various classes would mingle side by side."

-- Megan Stride

amNY photo galleries

Great NYC diners, past and present

Remembering the Munson Diner

Images from the collection of Joe Kinney. Check out our photo galleries HERE , HERE, and HERE and check out Lauren Johnston's great video tour of the hotel with Joe Kinney.

The maze of tunnels under New York includes one you probably never heard of. It lies 30 feet below the intersection of West 34th Street and Eighth Avenue and links the New Yorker Hotel to Penn Station.

This tunnel is no utilitarian slouch: It's sheathed in sumptuous Art Deco tile and long-empty glass sign displays that promoted Duke Ellington shows to travelers being whisked through the passage by bellhops. You'd say, "Take me to the New Yorker and you wouldn’t have to go outside,” Joe Kinney, the hotel's engineer and historian, said during a recent tour of the hotel.

Indeed, the New Yorker's historic spirit is filling all of its corridors again, as a room-by-room renovation draws toward completion, powered by the strong Art Deco genes that gave it life almost 80 years ago. But for many of those years, the hotel had lost touch with its history. It closed in 1972 and was purchased by the Unification Church. In 1994, it reopened under its original name, but only now is it truly reclaiming its lost history and pride of place among the city's hotels.

It's easy to see how Kinney, 57, who joined the staff in 1996, became captivated by its history, and how he was able to sell senior management on the idea that the hotel's future lay in its past. The striking pyramidical, set-backed tower was financed and built before the Wall Street crash of 1929, and opened into a sobered-up world on Jan. 2, 1930, with the Great Depression already under way.

The 43-story hotel boasted many extremes when it opened: It was the biggest, the tallest, the one with the largest switchboard, the largest kitchen, the largest private power plant. Today, its massive LED sign is a skyline fixture and is possibly the largest of its kind anywhere.

You hear of the ice follies at the Terrace Room, of visits by actor Mickey Rooney and band leader Benny Goodman, and of Nikola Tesla, the electrical genius whose obsession with numbers and his love for pigeons still draw the curious to the hotel, where he spent his final years.

The New Yorker Hotel's historically minded renovation comes at a time when the future of its former swing-era arch enemy, the Hotel Pennsylvania, has been in question, and during a time when the wrecking ball has been tearing down old New York with abandon.

The hotel’s rebirth is due in no small part to Kinney's curiosity and cheer-leading for the hotel's history.

“I feel very happy that I was able to push the Art Deconess of the hotel and that the architects took that into consideration," Kinney said, speaking of the work of the firm Stonehill & Taylor. "They did a great job.”

Photo of the group Giuda performing in Tompkins Square Park by Jefferson Siegel

Two days of concerts were held over the weekend in Tompkins Square Park, to mark the 20th anniversary of the famed riots between police and homeless squatters/activists.

In the photo above, a group of slam dancers were doing their thing as the group Giuda
performed.

The park's an almost unrecognizable place today, with picnics and baby showers being held where people once feared to tread.

And the battles today are mostly verbal, as we noted last week in Vets of Tompkins Square battle ready to fight again.

--Jefferson Siegel and Jamshid Mousavinezhad

This sign greets you at the museum's front desk. (Photos by Rolando Pujol)

If you've never been to the City Reliquary, then you're missing one of Gotham's gems. It's a Williamsburg storefront museum that's home to all kinds of New Yorkiana. It's the one place in the city where you can find everything from a salvaged sign for the Second Avenue Deli, to World's Fair memorabilia, to peep-show tokens and subway-station paint "specimens" that display generations of color layers. And that's just a sample of what awaits you.


Memorabilia from the 1939-40 World's Fair. Find your own Trylon and Perisphere salt-and-pepper shakers on eBay here.

The reliquary is a compelling reminder that we live in one of the most interesting cities on earth, and it opens your eyes to the history and curiosities -- urban archaeology, as we call it -- that practically every block contains, your own home included.

We're happy to see this sign found a safe and caring home.

It's well worth a visit, and equally worthy of your financial support. Thursday night at 7, you'll have a chance to do both, as the reliquary hosts a Summer Benefit Party. Among the offerings: a chance to win a date with a reliquarian! Click here for more details.

-- Rolando Pujol

A folk-art portrait of Jackie Robinson is surrounding by seltzer bottles and a can of Piels, a good drinking beer if there ever was one.

We happen to own a Redbird subway grab, but we never thought of mounting it on the wall thusly. We love it.

Part of the exterior awning, done in a style common to neighborhood bodegas.

Just a slice of the impressive collection of Statue of Liberty memorabilia.

Photo by Lauren Johnston

A recent trip the West Village revealed a cluster of glorious old or simply cool signage on Sixth Ave. in the vicinity of W. 10th Street.

The above Little Tony & Igor Be Good is just a winner all the way around. We're still busy documenting and collecting these vintage and unique pieces before they vanish and we will want your help. We're on to volume 2 of our photo gallery [CLICK HERE].

You can see our first round up [HERE]

And you can sumbit pix of your favorite city signs [HERE], and we certainly hope you do!

Photo by Jefferson Siegel

Now I'm getting worried. Yesterday I walked by the Cup & Saucer lunch counter on Canal & Eldridge; many of the windows in the building it occupies, as well as the building next door, are being boarded up.

Hope it's not an ominous portent of things to come.

The restaurant was still open.

-- Jefferson Siegel

Classic signs in Greenpoint; click on images for greater detail. (Photos by Rolando Pujol)

First off, thanks to all of you who have submitted signs to our ever growing collection. These signs are disappearing every day from our streets, and we're happy to provide a space for their digital preservation.

Here's a selection of signs we'll be adding to the collection. We snapped these last weekend in Greenpoint, mostly on Manhattan Avenue. If you like mom-and-pop New York, Greenpoint still has plenty of it. And check out fellow blogger David Freedlander's recent tour of the hood.

-- Rolando Pujol

The space-age Market Diner in Hell’s Kitchen, once a hangout for Frank Sinatra, could open in a few weeks, according to folks at sister eatery Cosmic Diner.

The diner, which will feature an outdoor patio and an updated interior was set to open in early June but apparently has seen some setbacks. Owners are still unsure of a solid open date.

The 1962 diner’s exterior, with its zig-zag roof in the Googie architectural style, will be surrounded by outdoor seating for up to a 100 people. Before it closed in 2006, the diner was known as one of the few businesses in Manhattan to have its own customer parking lot.

The indoor changes will create a more natural and modern look, an owner has said. The decor will feature a rock sculpture and wooden furnishings.

The eatery, at West 43rd Street and 11th Avenue, will also feature a bar that will sell frozen drinks. The Market will also add a couple of non-diner items to its classic American fare, such as spring rolls.

The Tsinias family, which leases the diner from Moinian Group, has been in the diner business for almost 35 years and owns the Cosmic Diner, which moved to West 52nd Street and Eighth Avenue after many years in Columbus Circle.

Photo by Lane Johnson/amNY

The long Independence Day weekend is upon us, the perfect time to sample the delights of Coney Island, Nathan's Famous, Totonno's and, of course, Astroland. With the prospect of the amusement park's extinction ever looming, this weekend is as good a time as any to go.

Since this is our weekly Throwback Thursday feature, we'd be derelict if we didn't point park-goers to this memorable, rhyming, disco-beat-driven commercial for Astroland. It must date to the early 1980s, and is full of great shots of Astroland taken well before Thor Equities, the company that wishes to remake the area, even existed.

-- Rolando Pujol

You may not realize it when you stroll by, but Jahn's restaurant on 37th Avenue is something of a landmark, in a loose sense of the word. It's the last of what was once a popular chain of ice-cream shops that could be found around the city, and even down in Florida.

If you're still mourning the unexpected loss of the Jahn's in Richmond Hill, consider a visit to the Jackson Heights locale. Of course, it lacks the old-fashioned ice-cream parlor charms of the vanished Richmond Hill locale, and nothing can replace that, or its rich history, traceable to John Jahn himself, who founded the first Jahn's in the Bronx.

But the Jackson Heights spot still has plenty of old-school vibe, and the diner staples you would expect, as the photos below demonstrate.

Later this summer, Urbanite will post a photo essay on the Richmond Hall branch, from our final visit their on a muggy day in the summer of 2006. Yes, we consumed the Kitchen Sink Sundae!

-- Rolando Pujol

The awning proudly displays the Jahn's logo ...

but beneath lurks gold in the old plastic sign. Our vote? Lose the awning.

The menu is the closest you'll find to the 19th century ice-cream parlor vibe that was beautifully intact at the Richmond Hill location. More interior shots of the Jackson Heights shop are after the jump.

This home is part of Victorian Flatbush, but is most assuredly not one of the fixer-uppers This Old House magazine says you can find for under a million bucks. (Photo by Rolando Pujol)

When you mention Brooklyn real estate, people tend to think of the brownstones of Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, and Carroll Gardens.

They don’t think of huge Victorian houses sitting on tree-lined streets, but This Old House magazine may help change that after it designated Victorian Flatbush the “Best Place for City Slickers to Buy an Old House.”

“Flatbush is a hidden treasure in our midst and the proximity to midtown is key if you work there. You can get there in under an hour and still have the amenities of a nice single family home,” said Deborah Snoonian, senior editor of This Old House magazine.

Its diverse homes, good craftsmanship, and devoted residents helped put Flatbush on top. “Flatbush embodies all these qualities,” Snoonian said.

The neighborhood still offers fixer-upper architectural gems for less than a million dollars, which the magazine thought was a great deal by New York standards.

“We’re excited we got the title. I wouldn’t say surprised. There’s such neighborhood pride,” said Robin Redmond, executive director of the Flatbush Development Corp.

Residents of Flatbush have long known the value of their collection of exemplary homes. The Flatbush Development Corp. has been running house tours of Victorian Flatbush for over 25 years.

The tours are self-guided, as proud home owners open up their homes to give visitors a closer look at the meticulous architecture.

This year, a heat wave hit the same week of the housing tour, but it didn’t keep people away.

“We had shy of 500 people on the tour on a day of 90 degrees. It was a great mix of people. People came from as far as Connecticut and all over the tri-state area,” said Redmond, “You’d be surprise how many people liked it. They appreciate and enjoy the care people put into keeping up their houses from the turn of the century.”

But Victorian Flatbush is more than just big beautiful houses; it has a true sense of community. There are annual meetings, potluck suppers, and parades.

“You move in and you’re embraced by the community. It’s a place where you can lay down roots,” said Redmond.

-- Simone Herbin

More: An Urbanite jaunt through Victorian Flatbush

Eater is reporting the surprising news that Meatpacking District pioneer Florent, set to close Sunday after 23 years, will reopen on Tuesday as the R&L Restaurant. That's the name of the diner that preceded Florent in that space, and Florent never took the sign down, nor did it change much of the original restaurant's basic design.

In a further surprise, R&L will retain the menu and the staff. (Those great wall maps, however, have reportedly been auctioned off.)

So, the question arises, why not just keep Florent Morellet in business?

Says Eater, quoting landlord Joanne Lucas:

When asked why Florent isn't involved in the new evolution she responded, "Florent from what I understand is moving on to a new chapter in his life." Many will see this as a happy ending for the Florent saga. He may be gone, but the space will remain unchanged., which never took the R&L sign down.

Lucas is part of the original family that owned R&L back in the day. Eater theorizes that this move is a mere stopgap measure until another tenant is found for the space. But we doubt this development will cut down on the crowds this weekend as Florent calls it quits.

-- Rolando Pujol

In the strange event that the Joe Buck character from "Midnight Cowboy" needed a place to stay in Times Square again, he'd be delighted to find the Hotel Carter is still catering to the budget-minded.

Now, we don't want to knock the Carter too much. We rather appreciate its throwback qualities. Its marquee carries the razzle dazzle of an old-school Times Square spectacular. The cursive Carter has a graphical quality seemingly inspired by the Castro Convertible or Canadian Club logos. Its massive neon sign lends a spooky glow to the stone facade. A unique mix of humanity shuffles through its lobby.

We could go on, but let's just cut to the chase. What ultimately inspired this post is the hotel's two bizarre slogans.

Here's the first, which you see on the east side of the marquee: A short trip from wherever you are.

Possibly translation: The Carter is in the heart of it all or "Everything in New York is a short trip away."

Or perhaps another meaning is intended. The Hotel Carter is a state of mind, easily summoned no matter where you are. Yes, that's got to be it.

OK, onto our second mystery phrase: You always wanted in Time Square, and less.

Let's see. This kind of reminds us of the old Miller slogan. "Everything you wanted in a beer, and less," and seems to date to the same period.

Clearly, they are telling us that you'll get a sweet deal if you stay the night at the Hotel Carter ... in "Time," not Times Square.

Or something.

-- Rolando Pujol

MORE:

A fantastic New York Times appreciation from 2005.

The hotel's Web site, where the language mangling continues. The hotel is "The Pleasure of Budgeting New York City"

More pictures after the jump