Vanishing New York Backup

Jen Fisher runs a well-loved book table on the sidewalk at St. Mark's and Avenue A. Tomorrow, the table will become a memorial exhibit called "Before we got Starfucked: A Memorial for the Lower East Side before it became the East Village." Jen and the resident artist Ana Marton describe it as: "A personal archive of a LES resident from the late 80s to early 90s of photographs, newspaper cuts, flyers and B&W Xerox books will be displayed on Tuesday, August 1st, 2017 from 530-8PM outside, on the corner of Ave A and St. Mark's Place, where the bookstall usually is. The archive is based on 80s and 90s events such as The Tent City in Tompkins Square Park, the annual Stations of the Cross, Father George Kuhn, and the fight against gentrification as it was recorded and put together by a resident of the Lower East Side. Seen in the light of today's ongoing destruction of our neighborhood, we believe that this archive has acquired historical relevance as

When the 112-year-old Lanza's suddenly shuttered last year, many of us were heartbroken to lose the gorgeous red-sauce joint, especially after the loss of so many others . When E.V. Grieve reported that Joe & Pat's, a 57-year-old pizzeria on Staten Island, would be moving into the space , many of us felt hopeful. Lanza's would not become a Starbucks or an artisanal bone brotherie. It would, at least, remain Italian--and New York. But I worried about the antique murals. Now the renovation of Lanza's has begun. I recently walked past this troubling sight--scaffolding, wheelbarrows full of concrete. They're putting in a new floor, which is alright--the old floor of Lanza's wasn't anything special. What about the murals? When I peeked inside I saw plastic sheets taped to the walls--and I am going on the assumption that they are there to protect the murals. If you click the photo below twice, you can see, above the shoulder of the young man

The Village Voice , historically the alternative voice of New York City, is struggling to save its soul. Two years ago the paper was purchased by Peter Barbey , a member of one of America's 50 richest families, according to Forbes . It looked good at first. The staff was hopeful. "The atmosphere at the Voice , though, quickly soured," Hamilton Nolan explains in his thorough piece on the story, " The Village Voice's Liberal Savior Owner Is Trying to Crush its Union ." An editor was hired and fired. The paper got a cosmetic overhaul. And Barbey "is no longer perceived as the hero who will save the day." Union negotiations have been especially tough. In his article, Nolan lays out the details of what could be lost, including Affirmative Action, child care leave, sick days, severance, and much more. In response, earlier this week, a host of respected authors and journalists signed an Open Letter to Peter Barbey . "We stand in solidarity

VANISHED On 23rd Street in Chelsea since 1979, Francisco's Centro Vasco has now closed. Bedford & Bowery reports: "Yesterday, a sign on the door announced that it had 'closed permanently' and thanked customers for 'over 35 years' of patronage." Last September, they suffered after the terrorist bomb explosion , but they managed to reopen. The reason for the permanent closure is not known. Francisco's was one of the last of a dwindling number of Spanish restaurants in the city, along with El Quijote in the nearby Chelsea Hotel and Spain , on 13th Street. UPDATE: The owner had a change of heart-- they're not closing .  RE-UPDATE: They closed again .

VANISHING "I stay here," says Krystyna Godawa. "I'm not moving." For the past ten years, Krystyna has run the Park Delicatessen at the edge of McGolrick Park on Nassau Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The deli has been here since the 1930s. But the landlord recently doubled the rent and Krystyna can't afford it. She's looking for another spot nearby and plans to stay put until she finds it. Customers come in and out of the shop, ordering meals to go from the refrigerated case of home-cooked pierogi, potato salad, chicken cutlets, cole slaw, and beets. They stop to ask Krystyna, in Polish and in English, "Any news? When's the last day?" They promise, "I'll keep my fingers crossed." And then they touch Krystyna--they all touch the woman they call Babcia Krysia , "Grandma Krystyna"--on the shoulder, the arm, the back of the neck. Their touches are tender and familial. They are family. Krystyna holds their h

VANISHING Today is the last day for French Roast in Greenwich Village . Located on 11th Street and 6th Avenue since I don't know when, the bistro will close its doors tonight. (H/T New York Foodscape .) Employees were unable to say why the place is closing, but we can guess. The uptown location will remain open. *Update: Many people in the comments are remembering a Blimpie here--yes, there was. Here's that story.

Today is the official publication day for Vanishing New York: How a Great City Lost Its Soul . You can now buy it wherever books are sold. (Like your local independent bookstore.) At Spoonbill & Sugartown You can also get a copy at the launch party this Thursday night at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe , or next Thursday night at the Brooklyn launch party at powerHouse Arena . For a full list of book events, click here . In the meantime, check out two exclusive excerpts: the East Village chapter at Longreads and the tourism chapter at Vice . At the Strand Reviews: “Essential reading for fans of Jane Jacobs, Joseph Mitchell, Patti Smith, Luc Sante, and cheap pierogi.” –David Kamp, Vanity Fair “This is a very good, angrily passionate, and ultimately saddening book…. a brilliantly written and well-informed account.” –Booklist, starred review “Vanishing New York is an urban-activist polemic in the tradition of Jane Jacobs’s Death and Life of Great American Cities: Every

In the Flower District, along West 28th Street between 6th and 7th, the fragrant green jungle of the sidewalks continues to vanish. Another hotel is coming. It's a big one: 45 stories, 146,000 square feet, 522 rooms . Said architect Gene Kaufman, “The demand for hotel rooms in Chelsea continues to grow, with ever larger and ever-taller hotels being constructed to accommodate the number of tourists wishing to stay in this vibrant neighborhood." This glass behemoth joins several more new tourist hotels here. In fact, the block is becoming nothing but hotels. I can't think of a worse death for what was a wonderful and unique little district. Ten years ago , I talked to some of the plant sellers. One told me, “10 to 15 years ago, it was all flowers. Now it’s dead. They’re putting up 22 new hotels in a 5-block radius . Only those of us with a good lease will stay.” Another echoed the sentiment, “Some will leave, some will stay. All the city wants is big business . The

The Cup & Saucer luncheonette on Canal and Eldridge closed this past week due to the landlord nearly doubling the rent. After the shutters came down one last time, neighbors and friends hung posterboard and pens to gather goodbye and thank you notes. click to enlarge and read Among the heartfelt goodbyes and good-lucks, they ask to "Save Chinatown" and "Support the SBJSA," the Small Business Jobs Survival Act, the bill that could have stopped the closure of the Cup & Saucer, as well as many, many others. It wasn't lack of love that killed the Cup & Saucer. As I went to leave, a man in construction vest and hardhat walked up and stared at the notes. It's a familiar scene, the devoted regular who hasn't heard that his or her favorite place has shuttered, the New Yorker who shows up to find it gone. They always have the same look of confusion and loss. "Did you eat breakfast here?" I asked the man. "I used to eat

This week marks the ten-year anniversary of this blog, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate than with the news that I have found myself on the cover of the venerable Village Voice . A decade ago, I never imagined "Vanishing New York" would end up here. Many thanks to everyone for reading and supporting the blog over the years. I would not have this voice without you. Pick up the issue on the streets today or read it online here . Come celebrate at a launch party for Vanishing New York the book: JULY 27 Housing Works Bookstore Cafe 126 Crosby St., New York, NY 7:00 - 8:30PM For more info, visit the Facebook invite We're expecting a capacity crowd, so please get there early--and if you miss it, there's a second one in Brooklyn the following week: AUGUST 3 powerHouse Arena 28 Adams St., Brooklyn (DUMBO) 7:00 - 9:00PM For more info, visit the Facebook invite or RSVP at powerHouse

Today is the last day of the Cup & Saucer. Last week, the Lo-Down announced the closure. Today the classic diner got its goodbye feature in the Times . They describe a neighborhood in the midst of being wiped out: "The family jewelry and wholesale shops that once dominated the area are long gone, and more expensive restaurants and bars have moved in. This time, Mr. Vasilopoulos and Mr. Tragaras said, the rent increase was too steep for Cup & Saucer. Mr. Vasilopoulos and Mr. Tragaras have owned the restaurant since 1988, but Cup & Saucer has occupied the space since the early 1940s, Mr. Vasilopoulos said. In March, they learned their $8,200 a month lease would increase by $7,600 per month. Attempts to negotiate with the landlord, 99 Canal Realty, failed , they said." If the City Council had passed the Small Business Jobs Survival Act , the Cup & Saucer might not be closing today. It could have been saved. If you're sick and tired of watching

Sometime in the early morning hours, an artist known as #stickntwisted installed a "pop-up gallery" on an old fence on West 28th Street just off 12th Avenue. On Instagram, they write, "Come see The City Of Dafuture. Not sure how long it will last. Depends on the kindness of strangers." In the rising luxury shadows of Hudson Yards, under a coil of razor wire, the miniature foam city known as Dafuture shows pipe-cleaner stick figures living their urban zombie lives, leashed to smartphones. Colorful signs narrate the goings on, where "Technology is turning humanity into self-absorbed machines." The mom and pop shops have been shuttered and the city has become big-boxed and homogenized. A mega-store called Messy's has taken over and left behind high-rent blight. On this piece, the artist writes : "What was once the town's fashion epicenter, Ma & Pa's Fashion Hut was wiped away back in the 90's when Federated started b

Check back for updates or follow on Facebook . Some details may be subject to change. PAST EVENTS: JULY 27 Book Launch Party Housing Works Bookstore Cafe 126 Crosby St., New York, NY 7:00 - 8:30PM For more info, visit the Facebook invite Brian Lehrer Show 11:00 AM, WNYC AUGUST 3 Brooklyn Book Launch Party powerHouse Arena 28 Adams St., Brooklyn (DUMBO) 7:00 - 9:00PM For more info, RSVP at powerHouse Leonard Lopate Show 12:00 PM, WNYC AUGUST 17   Book discussion with the Atlantic Magazine's CityLab "Happy Hour Lab" T he Bedford (110 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn) 7:30 PM The event is free, but please register for tickets at Eventbrite . AUGUST 18 Book Discussion in Kingston, NY The Golden Notebook presents a conversation between Jeremiah Moss and Sari Botton, editor of Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving & Leaving NY Kingston City Hall 420 Broadway, Kingston, NY 6:00 - 8:00PM SEPTEMBER 6 Reading/discussion at East End Bo

VANISHING? Yesterday, New York State Assemblymember Deborah Glick tweeted: "I try not to curse but the Damn Landlord of the Cornelia Street Cafe sent an eviction notice to treasured 40yr old gem @BilldeBlasio HELP!!" We've been hearing rumblings about the possible demise of Cornelia for awhile now. Just this month, the beloved cafe celebrated its 40th anniversary, "with some concerns," as the Times put it. They wrote: "Mr. Hirsch [the owner] and his team are sweating now... Their rent for the restaurant and basement space, at $33,000 a month, is 77 times what it was when the club opened (that’s not adjusting for inflation — but, in the name of consistency, they’re not charging $77 for a croissant)." Back in March, DNAInfo reported that the cafe was struggling--especially with landlord Mark Scharfman, "a frequent fixture on various 'Worst Landlord' lists." "If I'm 10 minutes late with my rent, he threatens me w

After four years of leaving the former St. Mark's Bookshop space vacant, Cooper Union has finally filled the spot. The Bean coffee shop is coming soon, according to new signage in the windows. A local mini-chain, it's certainly better than a Starbucks. (And with much better coffee.) But it's not that great bookshop, which should still be here, enriching the lives of East Villagers as it did for decades. I still miss it. Every day.

VANISHING For the past few years, now and then, I'd hear a rumor that the Lower East Side's Cup & Saucer luncheonette was closing. I'd run down there to discover that it wasn't. And yet it always was. It's been a place to often worry about -- an entry in my What to Worry About list , rapidly dwindling. Now, The Lo-Down gets word that the Cup & Saucer's days have come to an end. They write: "The reason for the closure is a steep rent increase, to $15,000 per month including real estate taxes. The last day in business will be next Monday, July 17." Once again, it wasn't lack of business. It wasn't "people don't go to diners anymore." It wasn't "trends are changing." It was the rent. Once again, the Small Business Jobs Survival Act could've saved this one. Once again, here comes more high-rent blight. Once again, another waste. Another little piece of New York's heart ripped out. I thoug