Construction netting is up now at 197 Second Avenue, in the space above Shoolbred's.
Per the DOB: "STUCCO ON FRONT FACADE AS SHOWN ON PLANS." Uh-huh.
Which prompted a very distressing email from EV Grieve reader AC. "
They took down the fucking Chow Mein sign!" It took several years,
but the old-school neon Chow Mein sign has apparently finally vanished for good.
Here's a shot before Shoolbred's moved in courtesy of Jeremiah,
who has been keeping an eye on this part of the former Jade Mountain sign the last four years.
[Via
Jeremiah's Vanishing NY]
And you can see that the sign is gone.
Some history.
Jade Mountain's owner, Reggie Chan, died after a truck hit him on his bicycle while making a delivery in September 2006.
As Lost City noted, Jade Mountain, which had been here since 1931, closed in January 2007.
Per the
Times from an article titled
"For Bright Beacons, a Murky Future" — "The restaurant ... spoke to a bygone era, serving steaming plates of egg foo yong and moo goo gai pan until the day it closed."
Many people found the sign as comforting as the food. A welcoming glow on Second Avenue. What the Chow Mein sign looked like in all its glory...
[Via
Jeremiah's Vanishing NY]
What are the chances that workers will put the Chow Mein sign back up after the renovations are completed?
Right. You don't need to answer.
For further reading:
Jade Mountain (
Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)
Curse of the Jade Restaurant (
Lost City)
