26 July 2019 - LEXINGTON CANDY SHOP IN MANHATTAN

LEXINGTON CANDY 

SHOP IN MANHATTAN

G'day folks,

The oldest family-run luncheonette in New York, last renovated in 1948, still serves food and drinks the old-fashioned way. 

 

For those looking for a taste of old New York, the first port of call should be the Lexington Candy Shop. Located on the corner of Lexington Avenue and 83rd Street, the Candy Shop is the oldest family-owned luncheonette in the city. 

 

 

American cities were once graced with luncheonettes, as common as Starbucks coffee shops are today. Luncheonettes were generally small, informal restaurants serving light lunches at affordable prices.

 

 Walking into the Lexington Candy Shop, which opened its doors in 1925, is to step into a bygone era, an Edward Hopper painting come to life. Last renovated in 1948, the luncheonette still uses its original coffee urns and makes milkshakes and traditional New York egg creams with a 1940 Hamilton Beach mixer. Photos of celebrities and other memorabilia adorn the walls, including a picture of Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway, who filmed a scene for the spy movie Three Days of the Condor here.

 Today, the Candy Shop is run by John Philis, the grandson of the original owner. It’s a true neighborhood spot, both friendly and charming, serving much the same menu as it did when FDR was president: tuna melts, egg creams, malted milkshakes, and sodas using real syrup. While much of New York constantly changes—torn down and rarely preserved—the Lexington Candy Shop remains one of the city’s most tasty treasures. 

 

Clancy's comment: I loved these places when I lived in America. They had a certain charm, and were great places to meet people.

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4 February 2018 - THE LAST STAND-ALONE DINERS IN MANHATTAN

THE LAST STAND-ALONE 

DINERS IN MANHATTAN 

G'day folks,

Welcome to some history about diners in Manhattan.

 

Hidden away in Lower Manhattan, amidst all the skyscrapers and modern glass and steel office buildings, is a small diner. Tucked away on Pearl Street, in the old part of the city, it is one of the last remaining stand-alone diners in Manhattan. 

Dwarfed by towering buildings, the Pearl Diner is an anomaly in New York, where the real estate is measured in millions. This small, stand-alone diner has somehow survived the seemingly never-ending urban growth, and continues to serve wholesome diner food in cosy surroundings (note: by stand-alone diners, we mean one story buildings with at least three separate walls).

 Today, in Manhattan, there are just five stand-alone diners remaining.

The Pearl Diner

212, Pearl Street, Financial District.

Located in the heart of the Financial District, the Pearl is a beautiful old diner that opened in the early 1960s. At night, its neon sign is a warming beacon set against the backdrop of the 24-story skyscraper next door (built in the ’70s).

The diner was built by the Kullman Building Corporation of New Jersey, who made prefabricated, iconic looking diners of stainless steel and formica that tended to evoke railroad cars in style, size, and shape.

 The Square Diner

33, Leonard Street, Tribeca.

This tiny, beautiful railroad car style diner has been serving up delicious comfort food to Tribeca residents since 1922. Old photos show that the original diner was a long, wooden building, which was replaced by the gleaming stainless steel diner in the 1940s.

Hector’s Cafe and Diner

44, Little West 12th Street, Meatpacking District.

One of the last old-fashioned places to eat in a neighbourhood that has lost almost all of it’s working class roots. Tucked away underneath the High Line, Hector’s once catered to the workers of the old meatpacking plants and slaughterhouses of the 1960s. Hector’s has thankfully survived the onslaught of tourists and the fashionable, swanky brunch set.

Star on 18

128, 10th Avenue, Chelsea.

Understated and with a plain, painted exterior, the Star on the corner of 10th Avenue and 18th, is a far cry from the gleaming, stainless steel of the classic diners. But step inside, and you will find a homely, cosy diner, with traditional booths and counter stools.

The Empire Diner

210, 10th Avenue, Chelsea.

The Empire is perhaps Manhattan’s most iconic stand alone diner. Designed and built in the sleek, gleaming Art Moderne style, it was constructed by the Fodero Dining Car Company in 1946. According to The New Yorker, “There’s the Chrysler and the Empire State, but this diner in Chelsea is more quintessentially New York than just about any other building.” 

Manhattan was once home to dozens of similar stand-alone diners. But construction, high rents, and lack of protection has seen all but these five either tragically torn down or moved out of the city. As more of the stand-alone diners disappear, so too does a large part of the city’s charm and neighbourhood character.

Clancy's comment: I've been to a few of these and loved every minute.

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