Vanishing New York Backup

The surviving peep shows at the margins around Times Square keep vanishing. Yesterday I reported on the demise of old Show World . There's a smaller, less storied spot a few blocks south on 8th Avenue at 39th Street--and it's vanishing, too. Vihan's Video, with the ever-photogenic neon sign on the front, has a giant FOR LEASE banner on it. "3-Floor Flagship," it says. "Restaurant/Bar." Sadly, this whole corner is being destroyed--and it was a good corner, too, an old slice of the old city hanging on at the edge of the Garment District. Last year, the marvelous Mayfair Barber Shop was replaced by the boring, useless Corvo Coffee . More recently, NYC Fried Chicken shuttered. It was always a good spot to watch the people seated at the windows. The Shoe Repairs place next door is still open, but for how long? And there's a liquor store with two antique neon signs--for some reason, it is shown in the realtor's listing . Barber shop, c

VANISHED Last year, Richard Basciano, "New York’s former prince of porn," died, leaving behind the Show World building at 42nd St. and Eighth Ave. While the big Show World closed in 2004 , the next door Show World Center remained, a glittering warren of peep booths, sex toys, and crossword puzzle books . I wrote, "Now is probably the time to go and say goodbye. The last gasp of smutty old Times Square may not be here tomorrow." Well, Show World Center is now gone. The lights are off and the shutter is down. The inside is empty. A peek around back shows the hallway with its mirrored diamond decorations, along with stacks of boxes waiting to be moved out. A number of other businesses in this building have also shuttered, making me wonder if the place has been sold and will be demolished for another glass hotel tower. I talked to the Nuts 4 Nuts guy who works outside and he told me that Show World Center closed last month. He said the building will no

VANISHED David Sigal on Twitter lets us know the sad news that the Village Den has closed. photos via David Sigal I was dreading this inevitability. Because nothing decent can stay. The Village Den was one of the last places in this part of town where you could get a regular, affordable meal, not surrounded by horrible people. And another New York diner is gone. (The owner says to go try his sister's place, the Bus Stop Cafe on Hudson Street.)

In the Times today, an article celebrating the gentrification of Canal Street is getting strong reactions. This type of article is a long-time staple for the paper. For years, they've sent writers into "up and coming" neighborhoods to highlight the new shops and eateries. As a record of the changing city, these articles are invaluable--I relied on them when I wrote my book, Vanishing New York . But they also help to hype the changes. And in all of them, someone makes a statement about how the old neighborhood was dead and the new one is alive, how "no one" was there before and now it's full of "people." In today's piece, the owner of an upscale new jewelry shop says, “I think people were afraid of Canal Street for so long, and now they’re recognizing there are just so many advantages to the area. I think we’re just beginning to see the neighborhood come alive ." In the hyper-gentrifying city, where City Hall works with develope

(From an old post I never posted.) C&L Sunrise Grocery was a little newsstand on Hester Street at Bowery. Its facade is remarkable thanks to the old, hand-painted sign that hangs above its awning, announcing: "Chung's Candy & Soda Stand," with 7-Up and Coca-Cola logos, also painted by hand. The place sold candy and newspapers, lottery tickets and umbrellas. The usual stuff. Awhile ago, I went by to find a "Space for Lease" sign on its rolled-down shutter. (Maybe by now it's reopened as a new newsstand?) Meanwhile, at another corner of Chinatown, where Lower East Side-style gentrification is seeping in, another newsstand vanished. before At Rutgers and East Broadway, against community objections last year , Jajaja Plantas Mexicana moved in to what had been the Golden Carriage Bakery and a little newsstand with a metal awning. The popular restaurant serves vegan Mexican food. They left the newsstand signage, but it looks kind of sad, han

When Posman Books was evicted from Grand Central in 2014 , New Yorkers were heartbroken . At the time of the closure, it was understood that Posman's spot would be left vacant for "short-term storage area during the construction of the new eateries planned for Vanderbilt Hall." The neighboring Rite-Aid was allowed to stay in business. But then (two years ago now), a new tenant moved in. Warby Parker, the eyeglass chain, moved into Posman's space. So what's that about? Why did we have to lose another bookstore? today: Rite-Aid and Warby Parker From these before and after shots, it looks like only a small portion of the space is being used by Grand Central. before: Rite-Aid and Posman's

Back in 2015, Benny's Burritos shuttered on Avenue A after 27 years in business. The space is still empty, creating more high-rent blight , a plague that is swallowing hyper-gentrified neighborhoods across the city. Someone has a suggestion. A vacancy tax has been on my wish list for a few years now. Recently, Mayor de Blasio mentioned it on WNYC. He said: “I am very interested in fighting for a vacancy fee or a vacancy tax that would penalize landlords who leave their storefronts vacant for long periods of time in neighborhoods because they are looking for some top-dollar rent but they blight neighborhoods by doing it." Now the street is speaking.

The great Eisenberg's has been sold. We've been hearing whispers about this for the past two years . Today the sale was announced on Eisenberg's Facebook page. They say they've "passed the torch" and hope "things will continue as they were." When I called for information and asked for long-time owner Josh Konecky, I was told by Jodie the manager that he is "no longer connected with Eisenberg's." The employees just got the news on Monday night. "It's so fresh for us," Jodie said, "I know nothing except they told me that Eisenberg's will be running just as is." The new owner is named Warren, but that's all the information available right now. Let's keep our fingers crossed and pray that Warren is a true fan of Eisenberg's and will in fact keep the tradition going, just as it is, like Josh did when he first bought the place, saving it from certain destruction and running it for the past