Now and then, the lost artifacts of vanished New York will resurface. I heard from a painter who recently moved his studio into a former woodshop's space in the East Village. In the backyard, under piles of junk, he unearthed the double-sided neon sign of the old Second Avenue Deli. Opened in 1954, the deli (and the sign) stood on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and East 10th Street until 2006, when it closed due to a rent dispute with the building's new owner. Reported the Times , "Jack Lebewohl said he faced an increase in monthly rent to $33,000 from $24,000. The space also needed substantial renovations he was unwilling to invest in without a reasonable long-term lease. His landlord told The Times that Lebewohl owed $107,000 and that eviction proceedings had started. They settled for $75,000." Comic Jackie Mason told the paper, "It's almost like wiping out Carnegie Hall. A sandwich to a Jew is just as important as a country to a Gentile....
You know, in a way I kind of like this. A no frills joint that fixes computers. Basic signage too. It could have been way worse. It's no Sucelt but at least it isnt another "new" NYC cupcake joint or something.
ReplyDeleteHmmm...four...counting the umbrella, which is a portable device, in a sense...? The guy standing at the door looks to have two things in his hands...phone and PDA? (Or are those cigarettes?) Plus the umbrella under his arm. And the fellow walking by has headphones, which must lead to an iPod, portable radio or something.
ReplyDeleteyou're right, nothing would have made me happy. i am relieved it's not a fancy cupcake joint though.
ReplyDeleteTwo words: money laundering.
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