246 Years of New York History: Gone

Who said Memorial Day was the unofficial beginning of summer? There's nothing summery about the destruction that's taken place in this city since last weekend. First the 83-year-old Arnold Hatters. Then the 74-year-old Manny's. Now Joseph Patelson Music House.

The revered independent music store has been on its last legs since announcing it dire straits last April. A call today, however, said the 89-year-old business could close "any day now." Said a clerk, "I thought we would close Monday. I thought we would close last Friday." There's not much left to sell. Stuff for horns and woodwinds, mainly. The violin music is long gone, as are more of the vocal stuff.

Comment of the day, from Dennis: "Just last week I bought hundreds of dollars worth of sheet music for pennies at the closing of Patelson's behind Carnegie Hall. If NYC didn't have its tall buildings and crowded streets it would be as boring and generic as anywhere else in the country where bank branches and chain stores rule."

246 years of New York history wiped out in one week. Pretty impressive. Pretty depressing.