Late last week, workers removed the sidewalk bridge from outside 108 Avenue B, the 5-story building on the SW corner of Seventh Street that houses longstanding tenant Vazac's/the Horseshoe Bar/7B.
As we noted in early June, workers took down the scaffolding and construction netting ... revealing a restored exterior — and some notably absent previous features...
The faded ad for the Peter Jarema Funeral Home on the next block of Seventh Street with the allure of "Air Conditioned Chapels" and a smaller sign for "Vazac Hall Catering" (and "Fine Food") a nod to the business before the current iteration of the bar...
According to work permits on file with the Department of Buildings, the landlord had approved plans to remove the "deteriorated metal cornice" and "build up and maintain existing brick parapet."
Since the June reveal, we've heard from many readers and residents who were sad to see the ghost signage go. (And as we said, the bar's interior retains its timeless charm.)
Read our previous post here for more background on the building and its history.
Workers today removed that great New Double Dragon signage from the now-closed restaurant at 37 First Ave. between Second Street and Third Street.
And there's some ghost signage beneath... difficult to see, but it looks like the letters Bet _ _ _ _ & Grill.
Via the NYC Municipal Archives, we found this street view from the early 1940s... you can see the neighboring business, a wine store and an A&P (33 and 35 First Ave.). No. 37 looks to be a restaurant...
And you can see a snippet of the El train ... plus the cars are facing south on what is now a northbound thoroughfare.
The photo from the 1980s is too blurry to help, unfortunately.
As noted, the three-building parcel here — 33 to 37 First Ave. — is slated for demolition for some unspecified new development.
Back in February, workers removed the rolldown gate on a vacant storefront on Avenue A between Fourth Street and Fifth Street (the former lottery place). In the process, the workers uncovered ghost signage for a long-ago shop that sold carriages, strollers and toys.
There was some hope/speculation/wishful thinking among some readers/residents that the signs would remain on the scene, worked into the renovated storefront façade like at 2A down the block.
Well, as of now, someone has removed the signs ... the workers on the scene said they did not know what happened to them...
A private equity firm bought this block-long residential building last fall for a reported $64 million.
The neighborhood's most prominent ghost ad has vanished.
In recent days, workers removed the scaffolding and construction netting at 108 Avenue B, the 5-story building on the SW corner of Seventh Street. (Thanks to Dave on 7th for the initial tip!)
According to work permits on file with the Department of Buildings, the landlord had approved plans to remove the "deteriorated metal cornice" and "build up and maintain existing brick parapet."
Here is the result of that work...
Now gone: the faded ad for the Peter Jarema Funeral Home on the next block of Seventh Street with the allure of "Air Conditioned Chapels" and a smaller sign for "Vazac Hall Catering" (and "Fine Food") a nod to the business before the current and longstanding tenant Vazac's/the Horseshoe Bar/7B... (photo below by Stacie Joy from 2019)...
So how old was this signage? As we understand it, the corner bar dates to the mid-1930s. The funeral home was established in 1906, per its website.
As best as we can tell, the ad is for Treadway Shoes (at 67 Avenue B?). A 1980s photo from the Municipal Archives shows the funeral home ad in place, though it's obviously older than that given the presence of the OR 4-2568 telephone exchange.
A crew today removed the signage and added a new rolldown gate on the western storefront at 120 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, where the barber shop the Cut had been... in the process, the workers uncovered some ghost signage for piljo, which I'm sure some people on the block will recall. (Please tell!)
The barber shop has been here since around 2012, and it had been Medusa Tattoo before...
Yesterday, workers removed the rolldown gate on a vacant storefront on Avenue A between Fourth Street and Fifth Street (the former lottery place next to Discount Fine Wine & Champagne's, aka Nizga Liquors).
In the process, the workers uncovered ghost signage for a long-ago shop that sold carriages, strollers and toys...
... from the days when Avenue A had several like-minded shops along this corridor (like here) ...
The sidewalk-bridge removal at 115 E. Ninth St. (and around Third Avenue up to 10th Street) today revealed some ghost signage... as EVG reader Sarah points out...
OK, for starters: the above photo IS NOT an early 1960s look at the SW corner of 14th Street and Avenue A.
It is an early morning Aug. 20 look at the SW corner of 14th Street and Avenue A.
As a follow-up, EVG regular Edmund John Dunn, who grew up nearby with his family, shared the following photo... of his brother (photoshopped to protect his privacy!) from the early 1960s... the photographer is looking to the east, with the corner of Avenue A visible in the background... as well as the ConEd plant in the distance ...
Here's a blown-up look without getting too grainy...
On the corner is a Horn and Hardart retail store (not an automat) ... then a greeting cards store... then Mindy's luncheonette... then the deli/shop with the appetizing sign.
The previous post on the ghost signage has a little more history about the place.
Meanwhile, back to that top photo, workers dispensed with the ghost signage in combining the storefronts — New Herbal World and Lower East Side Coffee Shop for the next tenant: Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.
Workers today uncovered ghost signage at 442 E. 14th St. at Avenue A... a sign for "Appetizers" on what was most recently New Herbal World. (Thanks to Bayou for sharing this photo!)
Some time/day we'll dig into the NYPL Digital Collections to see what this business may have been.
And the workers are — per some EVG reader reports — combining this space with the former Lower East Side Coffee Shop for a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.
In recent days, a crew has been working on 188 Second Ave. at 12th Street ... where they have uncovered some ghost signage — LEANERS.
This was likely one of the many shops in the area specializing in horseshoes. Leaning, of course, is the throw of a horseshoe so as to lean against — but not encircle — the stake, a game popular in early saloons. In a different era, it became a place for Leaners, who have attitudes and behaviors that are very similar to those of partisans.
EVG reader Shiv shares this signage reveal from 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... where the Cable Doctor (1996-2013?) was uncovered... this space was most recently Aum Shanti.
Next to the MCA mural (which we hear is staying put) are pieces of an old wooden sign...
As Paul points out, it's upside down, but it reads:
H. WOLLIN
Surgeon Dentist
Crown
This was, of course, from the era in which "surgeons" pedaling jacket crowns were as prevalent as today's bubble-tea shops. As I reported at the time, these crowns were effective, but didn’t last long because of microcracking that occurred during the cooling phase of fabrication and caused issues to the crown and underlying tooth or gum. The later introduction of dicor crowns, which were cemented with zinc phosphate, were more effective.
Anyway, another reader suggested that this plywood may be remnants of some period piece that filmed in the neighborhood. ("Mrs Maisel"?)
A not-too-old (15 years?) ghost signage reveal at the former Foot Gear Plus on First Avenue at St. Mark's Place... the shop closed in July 2018 after 40-plus years on this corner.
The empty storefront is currently being divided up into several retail spaces.
Someone has removed the Raul Candy Store sign from 205 Avenue B between 12th Street and 13th Street.
And as this photo by Gojira shows, there's ghost signage now on the storefront for Gift Shop and Cosmetics. Raul opened here in 1981, so it's presumably from the previous tenant.
As for Raul Candy Store, Raul Santiago, 75, and his wife Petra Olivieri, 70, decided to retire, closing up on Feb. 28.
Back in January, Derek Berg spotted this ghost signage that workers uncovered while renovating the storefronts at 317 E. Fifth St.
Derek shared these photos from yesterday from here between First Avenue and Second Avenue ... you can now make out the sign a little better — Cort Wines and Lager Beer.
This five-story with basement tenement was built in 1867, together with No. 319 East 5th Street. The two buildings share the same facade design.
The present facade features a molded bracketed cornice, arched window lintels with dentils, bracketed sills, and a segmentally-arched door hood above the entrance that remains at the top of the stoop. The basement level storefronts feature galvanized iron cornices that were added in 1893.
Some EVG Facebook friends believe that Cort Wines and Lager Beer might have been the building's very first retail tenant.
Meanwhile, the under-renovation space is nearly ready for another tenant...
Workers renovating 317 E. Fifth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue uncovered this ghost signage today ... Derek Berg spotted this earlier today... Wines & Lager Beer (early BEER STORE?)... I can't quite make out the first name (Cosrt?)...
Updated 1/27
I looked at the city tax photos for this address ... a business is in the space, though it doesn't have this wine/lager signage...
Workers removed the plywood from around the northwest corner space on Avenue A and Ninth Street back on Friday. (Thanks to EVG regular Daniel for the photos.)
As previously noted, a gelato shop is opening here... the place is called Gelarto ... (it appears to be the first U.S. outpost of this Italian brand)...
Gelarto opened on Sunday afternoon ... an EVG reader said they have a variety of gelato flavors as well as milkshakes and cappuccinos.
[Photo by Steven]
A help-wanted ad for the place describes it like this: "We are a Gelato Café in the east village of Manhattan. Think sophisticated flavors, italian cafe and the Italian lifestyle our product hails from. We handcraft all of our gelato from scratch in Italy. We also prepare gelato creations."
Previously here ... Cafe Pick Me Up moved out in May 2015 after 20 years in business. They were housed at 145 and 147 Avenue A, and had two different landlords — Icon on the left, Steve Croman on the right. Café manager Rossella Palazzo told DNAinfo in March 2015 that a rent hike from No. 145 landlord Icon Realty was the reason for the closure.
Does anyone recall this business? 
Meanwhile, a deli-market is in the works for the space...
Several iterations of Houston Village Farm were here until last fall, when the business closed without notice to patrons.
