Project Neon!

Cyclone Roller Coaster in Coney Island, Brooklyn at Surf Avenue and West 10th Street

Amidst the ongoing losses of classic New York neon signs, it’s lovely to be celebrating one that continues to shine. This year marks the 90th anniversary of the Cyclone roller coaster in Coney Island, though the sign isn’t that old — does anyone know more about the history of the sign? I wonder if it’s from the 50s or so (the pink makes me think midcentury), but I really don’t know. Regardless, it’s lovely — classic densely-tubed block letters topped by a little button cyclone.

This isn’t a great photo since the middle C is missing, but it’s the only one I have with the little cyclone at the top lit, which I love. It’s also one of the few I have from before they added a bunch of LED lights all over the coaster. I understand the addition, they’re bright and gaudy and light up the night, though sadly they rather drown out the quieter glow of the neon. Of course that’s in the spirit of Coney Island — lively and bright — but for me the neon will always outshine the rest.

Good news, New York neonauts! The excellent Open House New York, which is coming up Saturday and Sunday October 15th and 16th, includes the studio of Lite Brite Neon in Gowanus, Brooklyn, pictured above on Saturday the 15th (photo by Kristina E. Knipe for OHNY). Many events require reservations, but the Lite Brite studio tour does not.

For full information, head over to the Open House New York website, http://www.ohny.org/. The information specifically about Lite Brite is here, but there are tons of other great places to visit (though I don’t think any other neon-related spots unless I missed it!), so take a look around the site. Do keep in mind that the tickets tend to sell out quickly and the most popular things can get crowded, but if you go early or late, or head out to the more far-flung locales things are much more chill. Also it’s always a good idea to check the website just before you head out in case of any last minute changes or cancellations.

Lexington Candy Shop In the Upper East Side on Lexington Ave at East 83rd Street

Hey, guess what you guys? I made an actual factual real live neon visit this past weekend to the Lexington Candy Shop. Which, despite the “luncheonette” (is that not one of the greatest words in the English language?) in the neon sign is open these days until the advanced hour of 7p (6 on Sundays). I thought they were only open until mid afternoon, but maybe that was in the past. 

Anyway, the Lexington Candy Shop is a lovely blast from the past, with milkshakes, patty melts, and other diner fare, along with some choice signage all packed into a tiny corner spot well decked out with stainless steel and vinyl. I can’t speak to the candy selection, but the coffee milkshake I took to go (the place was packed with a hopping brunch crowd or I would have taken a tiny booth) was excellent and the service was very friendly. Apparently they make lemonade to order, squeezing lemons and everything, so that’s definitely on my to do list for next summer, or next late-fall heat wave.

For more on the history of the Lexington Candy Shop, check out this article by Untapped Cities on the shop’s 90th anniversary.

There are a couple of small neon signs in the windows that I should go back and photograph later this winter some time (the photo here is from a previous visit — it was broad daylight when I stopped by this weekend.) As you can see on their site, there used to be a more classic sign hanging over the corner entrance, but I’m not complaining — the Lexington Candy Shop is a gem, and well worth a visit if you’re on the Upper East Side. And it’s not far from Neil’s Coffee Shop if you want to hit up two old school Upper East Side neon eateries in one go. 

Speaking of the Upper East Side some news from Project Neon headquarters: it is no longer my work hood, as I’m no longer gainfully employed. That’s right, I up and quit my job and am now busy gathering my wits and thinking hard about next moves while pinching my pennies as tightly as I can. I may do a little freelance work for a bit, I may return to grad school, or I may jump into a full time job. I’m working on a bit of a career shift into UX/interaction design, so do let me know if you have any advice or contacts in that direction!

Cuba’s Neon Needs You

Project Neon is very pleased to support Havana Lights, a Kickstarter project to back a neon studio run by Cuban artist Kadir Lopez Nieves who aims to relight as many of Havana’s historic neon signs as he can. ¡Que fantástico! I hope I can get to Havana some day soon to see some of the signs and tour the studio. If you’d like to support the project, too, the Kickstarter page is here. In the video it says that only ten of Havana’s neon signs are currently lit. Let’s help Havana glow again!

As you may already have heard by now, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to move two neoned structures forward to be considered for landmark status: the enormous Pepsi sign, on the Queens waterfront in Long Island City and the Harlem YMCA. The final vote has not yet taken place, and, as the New York Neon blog points out, how much protection the landmark designation provides for the neon itself isn’t clear, but it’s certainly a step forward for New York’s neon. (I was sad to see some of the buildings rejected from projection, though, especially the lovely Coney Island pumping station). Here’s hoping both the YMCA and the Pepsi sign receive final landmark designation soon!

RIP Riverside Liquors (neon only, maybe not permanent?) on Broadway between 105th & 106th Streets in the Upper West Side

Pardon any typos or broken links here — I’ve been in bed sick all week, but did want to get this bit of sad news I came across back in November off the deck before the year ended. I’m still hoping for a miracle here, but when I passed by last month, the neon was gone without a trace. Alas, I didn’t have time to stop in and ask about it, but there’s a reference to a petition about the sign inside the shop in the comments on this page of the always wonderful Ephemeral New York site protesting the Building Department forcing them to remove the sign, which makes no sense to me. Does anyone know anything more? Is it too late to rescue the sign? Any leads much appreciated! When I’m feeling better, I do plan to head up there, and will post any updates, but if anyone else has a chance to get up there sooner, please comment below.

I do hope this fantastic, radiant sign will return soon. It’s simple, but classic, and there’s a great write-up of the history over on the New York Neon Blog. Speaking of which, there’s also the sad annual tally of neon New York lost this year over there as well.

RIP Hinsch’s Confectionery on 5th Avenue between 85th & 86th Streets in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

I’ll be adding a few more, but I’m not going to include every single neon sign in NYC, partly because it would make the map unusable and partly because I think a curated list of signs worth seeking out is more useful. You can zoom in and out like a normal Google Map, click on any place marker to see a photo of the sign, and click on the button on the upper right to go directly to the map page itself. You should be able to access the map from your phone as well, and can save the map as a favorite if you have a Google account.

Do let me know if you have any problems with the map or if you spot any errors. I’m trying to only include signs I believe are still lit, so if, alas, any of these seem to have gone dark please let me know that as well.

Georgia Diner in Elmhurst, Queens on Queens Blvd at 55th Avenue

Oh hello there! Is this thing on? *tap tap* 

Project Neon has been very quiet lately, here, have this lovely peach by way of an apology. It’s a peach of a peach, isn’t it? It’s a slightly animated sign (the purple circles switch from one side to the other) with an odd color combo — purple would not have been my first choice to go with a peach — but the details of the peach are lovely. The painted texture and pit, the slices, the concentric lines on the leaves. Just perfect! And the lettering is a little more formal and less modern than what I’d expect for a diner, but I love it, too. It all works.

This photo is from way back in 2012. I haven’t taken many photos, neon or otherwise, lately, and I haven’t been working on any projects much except the day job and Project Health. New diagnosis that I hope will help (POTS, for those keeping score), new specialists, new drugs, etc. have been taking most of my time and energy. I have a few days off from work, though, so I’ll try to get a couple of posts together to help point you in the direction of other good neon goings on and update the Project Neon website.

One thing I did want to let you all know about is that the Project Neon app is no longer available in the app store, because it was going to cost too much to keep updating it for each new operating system release from Apple. That was an expense I didn’t count on, and didn’t realize would be so relentless. So I’m looking into other ways to share a curated map of NYC neon signs. Google Maps are now much more sharable than they were when I started the project, so I may just go with that, but if you’d rather see a different kind of map let me know. A printed map is an option as well, though of course it wouldn’t be as updatable. Anyway, let me know below if you have any thoughts.

Broadway Wines & Liquors in Astoria, Queens on Broadway between Steinway & 38th Streets

OK this isn't a great photo, but when I visited Broadway Wines & Liquors last weekend it was daytime and I didn't have a camera with me.

I did, however, acquire a good bottle of port while I was there — the most important ingredient in my turkey broth after the carcass itself. Actually, the most important ingredient in most of the things I cook in the winter. I'm currently trying to work out how to make port ice cream, though it's a bit complicated since port doesn't freeze well.

I do love this sign, though — the little red dot is a great counterpoint to the larger green letters. The lettering itself is fantastic: the greek E, the straight lines on the sides of the O and R, and the Q is perfection with its demure little tail. The small twist at the bottom of the O where the line of neon switches from outside to inside is another nice touch.

When the weather warms up a bit, I'll aim to head back out to Astoria to take another shot at this photo.

On the way there I walked past Rizzo's Pizza, which also has a great neon sign:

Farewell De Robertis Pastry Shoppe on 1st Avenue between 10th & 11th Streets in the East Village Closing on December 5, 2014

As you may have heard by now, East Village icon De Robertis is closing on Friday December 5th after 110 years. They aren't being forced out or shut down, just decided it was time to wrap up. Still, though, they will be sorely missed. De Robertis was never as flashy as Veneiro's around the corner, but the back room has always been a great place to hang out with friends and talk about everything and nothing over coffee and pignoli nut cookies. 

Sadly when I visited this weekend, the neon sign wasn't in the best condition:

Despite the dim flickering 'PASTRY,' the sign is a classic. I'm not generally a fan of the 'shoppe' school of signage, but if anyone can pull it off, it's 110-year old De Robertis. 

When I first came to NYC, De Robertis was one of my prime hangout spots, and it's been an indelible mark in mental map of the city ever since. I wish it could last forever, but of course family businesses don't usually last indefinitely, and 110 years is a good run.

I fear, though, that the building will be replaced by yet another boring glass condo building with a 7-11 in the ground floor. Wouldn't it be lovely if someone could take up the mantle of De Robertis, or create something new that aspired to last another 110 years? But with the current state of the city, that seems pretty unlikely.

For a great look at the history of De Robertis, read the interview with John De Roberti on Bedford + Bowery.

Farewell, De Robertis. The East Village will be darker without the warm glow of your neon.

...

Farewell to Smith's Bar on 8th Avenue at 44th Street in Times Square

I stopped by Smith's Bar last night to pay my respects. After tonight the corner of 8th Avenue and 44th Street will go dark and Smith's will close. The bar itself has been a loud, TV-filled standard-issue kind of a place for a while now, and I didn't venture inside last night, just circled around trying to get the perfect shot of the sign, which has seen better days. Even partly lit, though, the sign is a gem. 

The last time I was inside was to meet writer Raffi Katchadourian for the start of our whirlwind tour of New York neon, which led to his wonderful "Talk of the Town" piece about Project Neon in the July 2011 New Yorker. I think that's still my proudest Project Neon moment.

The Smith's sign is a sore loss, and I can only hope someone with a love of neon takes over the space and restores the sign. The lettering of Restaurant above is fantastic — look at that great S! — and the curves of Smith's are unique. I love the tip on the capital S, the cursive curves, and how the dot on the I and the apostrophe echo each other (when the sign is fully lit). And you can't go wrong with a classic pink BAR sign hanging over the sidewalk.

San Francisco Neon Book Kickstarter Randall Homan & Al Barna

RIP Harold's Pharmacy neon (on Macdonald Ave @ Avenue U in Gravesend, Brooklyn)

This is one of those days when I seriously consider just finally ending this project. I started the project to celebrate New York's neon, but I feel like now I'm just mourning the losses.

The New York Neon blog has broken the sad news that Harold's neon will glow no more in Gravesend. (The blog also had a great post recently about the history of the sign.) I'm extra sad because this is another great sign I don't have the best pictures of (it's a tricky corner, a long sign, and some letters were out when last I visited.)

Harold's is still in business, and the neon tubes are encased behind the new LED sign, but it's no longer a special corner worth a visit. *sigh* I have nothing against LED lights for some uses and nothing against Helvetica (which despite its overuse is still a well-designed font), but this is a real loss of something special, something unique, and something beautiful that was free and open to anyone passing by to see. I understand that shop owners can't or don't want to spend the money for maintaining neon — I wish we could somehow help subsidize this. Heaven knows my pockets aren't deep, but I'd sure kick in a few bucks to help keep the unique signs of NYC glowing.

Help save the Subway Inn! Get this photo or one of the photos below! indiegogo.com/projects/save-subway-inn

I'm donating photo prints to the Subway Inn's fundraising effort! Contribute to the Subway Inn's Indiegogo campaign at the $50 level and get the 8x10 photo above, or contribute at the $25 and get one of the 4x6 photos below:

Clover Deli in Kips Bay on 2nd Avenue at 34th Street

To console myself for the bad New York neon news lately, I revisited Clover Deli, an early favorite (you can read the old post here). I was overjoyed to see the usually ad-splashed over-lit public phone thingy (what do you call those things that aren't proper phone booths?) completely dark. Finally! An opportunity to get a decent distraction-free photo of one of New York's brightest. 

Of course I also photographed House of Wine & Liquor on the corner (famous to, well, me not only for its great vertical sign (with an excellent arrow), but also its exchange neon in the window), and managed to capture both in the third photo above with a little clever traffic dodging. I should probably take along a spotter for photos like that.

I feel obliged to mention here that one of my biggest pet peeves in urban photography is people who stitch together photos or do extensive cloning to hide things like bus stops or phone booths. You'll see a lot of photos of Clover with nothing in front of it, and if you look closely, you can usually spot multiple vanishing points. So disappointing! 

Farewell Subway Inn Closing about August 15th, 2014 (hopefully relocating) in Midtown on 60th Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenues

It looks like the ax is finally falling on the inimitable Subway Inn bar across from Bloomingdales in Midtown. Their Facebook page says that they will be closing around August 15th, though they hope to relocate. Here's hoping they find a way to take their wonderful neon sign with them.