Films, films, films. This week I've seen Biutiful, Public Speaking, & the 70's Pacino/Hoffman film Scarecrow. I can't wait to see the documentary on the photographer Bill Cunningham, playing at Film Forum next month.
If you're passing through the South Slope/Greenwood Heights section of Fourth Avenue any time soon, it's worth stopping for a while at the intersection of Fourth & 17th Street, to look at the buildings on each corner. Lost City has already extolled the many virtues of Park Slope Grocery and Convinient, on the north-east corner, but here's a photograph anyway.
This is such a grand & imposing building, and that densely packed print on the signs is something you don't see much of these days. Read the excellent Lost City post for the full run down.
On the north-west corner is Sun Ban Fashions, which manufactures sunglasses, and various kinds of lenses. This two storey manufacturing building is simple in design, yet pleasing in its proportions. I'm strangely drawn to those three round windows next to the subway entrance. You can see a similar photograph in color in my previous post.
OK, let's proceed to the southwest corner. Here's a real treasure. Supreme Memorials was founded sixty years ago by Rosario and Carmine Cassara, and four generations of Cassaras have maintained this family business. The store signs are a bit worn at this point, but this doesn't diminish their charms. At some point Supreme incorporated with Greenwood and Evergreen memorial companies, and this is indicated outside.
There's a lot going on here, and I like the graffiti style Supreme above the sign proper.
Well, now we've reached the southeast corner, and this one is the real downer. An unexceptional (to put it kindly) condo building, without one feature that is even moderately pleasing. There's an Earth's Basket grocery store in the retail space, which is probably quite handy, but will never be as convinient as the one across the street.
But hey, three out of four isn't bad in these troubled times, and you should catch the delights of this spot while they're still around.
This building, on Seventh Avenue and Second St., has been the topic of much debate over the years ( Brownstoner, NY Times, Here's Park Slope), seen as both a blight on the neighborhood, and (a minority opinion) a worthy remnant of a more freewheeling past. The safety issue (chunks of the building falling on passers by) is clearly a legitimate concern, but I, for one, have a great fondness for its colorful dereliction. What a lone rebel it is on an avenue of mainstream conformity.
I love this '68 home movie, shot around Sixth and Flatbush. You can find out more about the Cathedral Club here.
Today a worker at the former OTB site told me that the next business would be a Mexican restaurant. I'm sceptical, having been told by earlier workers that it would be a supermarket/grocery store. These may just be stock responses to nosey passers by. If a Mexican restaurant sets up there, this will mean competition for Tacos Nuevo Mexico, two doors away. Even though I preferred the earlier incarnation of Tacos Nuevo, when it was a more local joint, it's marketed itself to a wider clientele pretty successfully, and has been a stalwart presence on the block for a number of years. I'd hate to see it threatened.. But this is not a very solid piece of information. Tomorrow I may hear we're destined for a bank, a cupcake store, or 99c. pizza.
Running around all day, doing tedious errands. Went to take a smallish parcel to be mailed by UPS & was quoted $220!!! US Postal Service it had to be. Was heartened by the Eagle sign in the late afternoon, & even though it's been photographed five zillion times, it still looks pretty great. Whilst wallowing in a kind of end of the day melancholy, let's have a song.
The construction of this fine building started in 2008, but work seems desultory at this point. The building's had a bunch of stop orders, but there aren't any listed right now. What gives?
Mea Culpa. After yesterday's rather snarky report about the vintage thrift opening on 13th, I have to report that the store is affiliated with the Chai Lifeline charity. They only take donations, which are arranged through a buyer, & are staffed by volunteers. Good luck to them. That doesn't mean that the Army days (sloping floors, mountains of cheap goods, a lively cross-section of shoppers) weren't sweeter by far.
It's taken four years, but 515 Fifth (the "eco" condo building at 13th Street) has finally got a tenant for its retail space. Life Emporium, a somewhat upscale vintage store (no Beacon's Closet or Monk vibe here) opened yesterday. There are two floors of clothing, and also a smattering of furniture. I tried a joke about it being "just like old times" (remember the Salvation Army thrift store that used to be there?), but it was sniffily received by the staff. Of course it's nothing like old times anyway. The Salvation Army offered a trove of good finds over the years, & the prices couldn't be beat.
Update & apologies. Well I have to say that this place does say not-for-profit (for children with cancer), so perhaps I was unduly harsh. Still, with $450 pieces of broken furniture, it ain't Salvation Army land.
A new Walkers in the City essay from Romy Ashby, posted today. Read it!
The February school break is here, & this means a chance to escape the whole commuting routine. I actually like my train ride, but will be happy to sleep in for a few days. Let's just throw in one more early morning station shot then, to make up for missed opportunities in the week ahead. Obsessive? I think not!
Sun Bo Bo lives again!! After its mysterious closure last week, Bo Bo is up & running again.
Adam Purple and The Garden of Eden plays at the Lower East Side Film Festival this month (last screening on Feb. 25th). Jeremiah's Vanishing New York interviews Harvey Wang, one of the directors, whose photography show about The Garden can currently be seen at Fusion Arts on Stanton St.
Found in Brooklyn bows out, and will be missed. Lisanne, good luck in whatever you're up to next (keep us informed), and keep taking those beautiful photographs. We'll miss your voice.
Got rerouted to the N line today, and had to switch at New Utrecht.
So the MTA is rolling out the text option to figuring out when the damn bus will arrive, and the B63 is a pilot route. I waited for the B63 at Fifth & 41st today, where the text instructions are clearly displayed. Too bad they've taken away the option to actually read a bus timetable, so those of us disinclined (or unable) to find out the bus location by phone are left in the dark. At this stop the only timetable left is for buses going in the other direction. Seems like a way to abandon schedules altogether, under the pretext of passenger convenience. Good move, MTA.
Sun Bo Bo still shuttered. I fear the worst. Something going on at the former Sea World, over on the next block. Poor old Sea World - a whiffy establishment with dull-eyed fish. That catch had been hanging around for a while.
Some sections of Jackson Avenue, in Long Island City, still haven't seen much in the way of snow shovels.
What's up with Sun Bo Bo?