One of my favorite site, Aaron Signs, finally posted some new pictures of old New York, for the first time in four months.
Above is the northeast corner of Essex and Delancey in, I'm guessing, the 1950s. Levy's Frankfurters. The corner has long been familiar to today's New Yorkers at Roma Pizza. I wonder if there are any remnants of the Levy's sign under that Roma awning.
His photos of Elpine stand in times square is great. I can still see the plastic cone cup holders that held the wax paper cups filled with pulpy juice. Look for a similar cup in a scene in French Connection down in the subway (yes, there were snack shops down there, imagine that!)
ReplyDeleteFunny I took a photo of the block on Delancey of Essex Street Market just today. Here it is: http://www.flickr.com/photos/17257791@N00/4358063296/
ReplyDeleteThe car at the extreme left of the Levy's Frankfurters photo appears to be a 1959 Chevrolet, so the picture was taken no earlier than the fall of 1958.
ReplyDeletePeter
Good eye, Iron!
ReplyDeleteThe late 1950s photo is just exactly the way I remember that corner and the food stand in the 1960s. We lived only a couple of blocks away, passed the food stand daily, sometimes bought a knish, a slice, or a hot dog. I remember when thick shakes were introduced.
ReplyDeleteIn the early 1960s, there were still gum, soda and ice cream machines in the IND/BMT subway station below.
Levy's pizza was something special, ironic in that a purveyor of a very ordinary pie (Roma)now occupies that location. The Levy pizza was unique in its composition of very thin crust, slightly tangy sauce and relatively light quantity of mozarella. I'd classify it as highly addictive. I lived in the neighborhood but had a friend "hooked on the pizza" who would often travel from midtown to partake of several slices. From my recollection, they served that same recipe from as far back as the '60s into the early '80s at which point they switched over to a more conventional product. Apparently, the Levy slice is something that must remain but a fond memory. FYI, my family name is Levy but no connection to the great pizza makers.
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