23 April 2007

The Second Avenue Bank



This is so depressing.

Chase finally unveiled its latest location, the corner of Second Avenue and 10th Street that used to belong to the late, lamented Second Avenue Deli. Chase is my bank, but even I'm sick of their relentless convenience.

What I wanna know is, dude, where'd the plaques to the Yiddish Theatre Walk of Fame go? I can't tell exactly from this picture, but it looks like they've vanished from the sidewalk.

UPDATE (4 PM April 23): Readers inform me that the plaques are still there, putting Chase in the odd position of appearing to be a nostalgic booster of the Yiddish Rialto! Perhaps they will build on this bit of happenstance by seizing some naming opportunties. The Deli had a Molly Picon room. So why not the Molly Picon ATM Vestibule? The Jacob Adler Information Desk? The Boris Thomashefsky Cubicle?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

nope. i just walked by and the stars are still there.

Anonymous said...

plaques are still there! at least, they were on sunday.

Anonymous said...

I almost cried when I saw this. As I passed, I saw a plane in the distance flying a Geico banner-ad. Hmm, there it is again -- the familiar urge to leave New York before it's too late ...

Anonymous said...

it's actually 2nd & 10th. i live across the street.

Anonymous said...

I have lived away from NYC for years now...and each time I go back I recognize less and less....this is so sad. I loved that deli. I am reduced to watching Old Woody films, Crossing Delancy, Desperatly Seeking Susan and Slaves of NY, etc... to see what was now. I still miss Pagent books and prints...sigh. How many banks and cell phone stores do we need?

Martin B said...

Thanks, again, to the ruthless selling off of the Lower East Side to Antonio Pagan and Rudolf Giuliani. Deregulatorygentrification at its finest!

Anonymous said...

I just found this blog, and have spent the last two hours poring through old posts. I have been taking these kinds of pictures for a few years now - many of the same things you have pitures of here! What kind of nut takes pitures of the Squire's Restaurant sign besides me? (I worked in one on 48th st in the late 70's, and my grandmother worked in one on 34th, BTW. Please keep it up!

Brooks of Sheffield said...

Anonymous #6: I think there are more "nuts" like us than you suspect. Glad to meet a fellow spirit and glad you found the blog. Keep up the shutterbugging and let me know if you stumble upon some bit of lost or endangered New York that I've missed.