Astoria's Crater Candy Store Stripped of History

A couple years ago, I discovered that hiding under the mundane facade of Crater Candy Store at the corner of 30th Avenue and 31st Street in Astoria were the remnants of a genuinely old shop. Under the dull plastic blue awning was the original lovely signage of the place. It's sad to see such old signs hidden from plain sight. But it's better than having them removed completely.

Two short years later, they have been removed completely. I noticed that Crater was surrounded by scaffolding and feared the worse. Sure enough, the blue awning was gone, and the old signs underneath it with it. Nothing but brick. Another sweet remnant of the past carelessly tossed in the garbage.