#fontastic

There aren’t a lot of orange trees in Covina, California anymore, but this city in Los Angeles County has embraced the citrus fruit that put this area on the map. Indeed, the orange as an icon is everywhere here in Covina — on street signs, a car wash, the condos that replaced the groves  —  but it’s perhaps most beautifully preserved in the sign for Citrus Valley Florist! Peter and Joy Evaro got hitched in Las Vegas and opened Citrus Valley Florist in Covina back in 1964, and owned the shop until the early 2000s, when the lure of travel after a successful career in the flower business made it a good time to stop and smell the roses, this time figuratively. The shop has changed hands twice since the Evaros hit the road, but the sign hasn’t gone anywhere thank goodness. This #fontastic beauty is a throwback not only to the days of orange groves but to an exciting time of whimsical store signage and eye-catching lettering. It’s easily one of my favorites in the country. The sign has survived updating in part because it lies in a historic district, which is good news for those of us who appreciate roadside Americana. The shop is getting busy these days, with Christmas and the cavalcade of holidays that will follow culminating with Mother’s Day in May. But inside the shop is a reminder of simpler times. Owners Don and Albert, who bought @citrusvalleyflorist in 2003, keep a picture of downtown Covina when it was teeming with orange groves.  But its stunning storefront may well be the best tribute to the area’s argricultural heritage. #retrologist (at Citrus Valley Florist) https://www.instagram.com/p/CW7KvcxLRYU/?utm_medium=tumblr

Cause I’ve got friends in low places. Ehler’s Furniture. Hallettsville TX #roadsidepeek #roadside #royalsnappingartists #ehlers #furniture #storefront #hallettsville #texas #fontastic #mainstreet #smalltown #americanlandscape #roadsideamerica #wanderlust #americana #instatravel #usaroadtrip #ipulledoverforthis #picoftheday https://www.instagram.com/p/CRob9wxBTqF/?utm_medium=tumblr

Drawn to the neon shadow at high noon on a winter day, owner says that the T is in need of repair but city regulations will require full LED replacement of the lighting if any repair is made to the sign. There’s a backstory to every sign from its conception, installation, streetscape lifetime, and conservation efforts. These neons are becoming far and fewer as are cities evolve. • • • #Signgeeks #cactusmotel #signsunited #vintage #neon #fontastic #route66photographer #natgeo #bnw_lover #aov #socality #passionpassport #shootermag #ampt #makemoments #visualiflife #huffpostgram #igerscalifornia #barstow (at Barstow, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfr8IVenNJW/?igshid=im4xigg3pa2d

typical aquarium selfies, because it was necessary 🐠🐙🐚

Fontastic Refs !

For me, the Memory Motel in Montauk, New York is indeed a fond memory from a weekend trip to Long Island’s East End back in October 2017. It’s easy on the eyes out there, and it’s an easy place to make good memories. While wandering around downtown, the motel’s #fontastic sign caught my eye, and recently, I’ve been meaning to share it as a #motelmonday post. Today, I happily remembered.   Over 40 years earlier, the story goes, this same motel inspired the Rolling Stones’ song “Memory Motel,” released in 1976 on the group’s “Black and Blue” album. The ballad, a collaboration between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, came to life during an extended visit the band made to Andy Warhol’s nearby estate. From the lyrics:  “Hannah honey was a peachy kind of girl Her eyes were hazel And her nose was slightly curved We spent a lonely night at the Memory Motel It’s on the ocean, I guess you know it well.” We still know it well, though the motel has seen its ups and downs over the years. Back in 1993, Newsday extolled the “down-home feel, good views and good prices” of Montauk — not sure about the good prices anymore, but such is life. The motel was then abandoned, and the writer remarked that the motel’s state was a reminder that “trendiness marches on.” Well, trendiness has since marched back to Montauk, and the Memory Motel is alive and well. I’ll close with some more lines from the long ballad:  “Been a lonely night at the Memory Motel You’re just a memory girl, just a memory And it used to mean so much to me You’re just a memory girl, you’re just a memory And it used to mean so much to me.”  I think everyone can relate to that, even if you’ve never stayed at the Memory Motel with a hazel-eyed girl with a slightly curved nose. #retrologist (at Montauk End Of The World) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXcQUs_rHfQ/?utm_medium=tumblr

And now we’re onto the dessert portion of our evening, and my contribution to the family spread came from Rudy’s Bakery and Cafe in Ridgewood, Queens. This morning, I decided to bike here — a hilly journey of just over an hour round trip — anticipating that I’d be consuming these sweet treats and a good deal more in just a few hours.
I was also looking for a historic place to visit near me. I’ll take multistate day trips to photograph a single store, yet here was a treasure nearby that I long knew I should visit, but somehow never had. I’m glad I’ve corrected that. 
Rudy’s began in 1934 as a konditorei, or pastry shop, serving the once heavily German neighborhood.
In 1980, it was purchased by an Italian family that had run a bakery store in Astoria, Queens, and they weren’t going to change anything. Indeed, 41 years later, Antonetta “Toni” Binanti and crew still haven’t. Yes, you can still find the konditorei essentials made on the premises from Rudy’s old recipes. 
Not changing does not mean not adding, however. The venue has gradually expanded its offerings to appeal to different ethnic groups as well as young professionals who have been flooding into this Brooklyn-adjacent neighborhood for many years now. The New York Times calls what Rudy’s is doing “venturing beyond the strudel,” with the innovative head chef Cristina Nastasi working her magic. 
This store has one of the most #fontastic signs you could ever hope to see (that Y!), and it has many other touches, too, from the neon in the curved window to the Rudy’s name set in terrazzo at the front door.
It’s the rare place that’s both a time capsule but is not frozen in time. It’s steeped in history but it’s forward looking. In other words, it’s a gem worth seeking out. 
Come for the beautiful storefront, leave with the black forest cake and a whole lot more. #retrologist (at Rudy Pastry Shop) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWuEZQ6La05/?utm_medium=tumblr