House of Pizza & Calzone Makes Sign By Hand!

Back in late August, when the owner of Brooklyn's House of Pizza & Calzone was taking down the shop's cheesy, but beloved old awning in preparation of a massive redo, he was cagey about what sort of signage would take the awning's place. One feared the worst (that is, a run-of-the-mill, "dignified," gentrification-special, cloth awning of either bright red or deep green).

What a surprise and relief, then, to pass down Union Street today and see the pizzeria had gone the very appealing, but rarely traveled, hand-painted-sign route. Over a coat of chocolate-brown paint applied directly to the building's old brickface, has been painted, in cream-colored letters, "The Famous House of Pizza & Calzone." The first four words are small and in cursive, with "Pizza" and "Calzone" dominating the eye.

I know a lot of criticisms can be made against this approach: that it trucks in faux nostalgia, is precious and chases after the bourgeois crowd. But just think of the other ways they could have gone with the signage. If it was impossible to keep the old sign, I think this is much the preferable option.