Vintage roadside

[Fading Fast]

If youd be so kind as to post the list, it would be much appreciated. We are planning a late April trip up there, so it would be nice for me to show her the non touristy parts of the city.

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Super girlfriend and I will work on it and post here later in the week.

 

[1mach1]

Super girlfriend and I will work on it and post here later in the week.

Ya'll are the best!

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[3fingers]

Ya'll are the best!

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Agreed! Much appreciated.

 

[1mach1]

West Point, VA

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[Fading Fast]

Super girlfriend and I will work on it and post here later in the week.

Working on it - coming soon.

 

[Fading Fast]

If youd be so kind as to post the list, it would be much appreciated. We are planning a late April trip up there, so it would be nice for me to show her the non touristy parts of the city.

Agreed! Much appreciated.

Below is just a random list of some fun off-or-less-on-the-radar things to do in NYC.

That said, a lot of the "touristy" things are great to see - things like the Chrysler Building, Ellis Island and Central Park are popular for very good reasons and well worth checking out.

It's the same on the food front, Peter Luger's, for example, deserves its reputation as one of NYC best steak houses, but the prices and crowds reflect that - however, if you are a steak fan (and have a large dining budget), I'd still say go.

My small point, many "touristy" things are worth doing*, but below we try to highlight some lower-profile places enjoyed mainly just by New Yorkers.


Fedora Lounge Architecture

• While Park Avenue, Central Park West and Fifth Avenue are all worth seeing for the incredible pre-war apartment house architecture, Riverside Drive has many equal (and, IMHO, a little more adventurous) pre-war buildings to check out - and it makes for a nice walk. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_Drive_(Manhattan) (If you keep walking north from there, you'll hit Columbia University, which has incredibly gorgeous classic Ivy League architecture (says this humble State University graduate)

• Tudor City is an often over-looked group of beautiful pre-war buildings right in mid-town https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tudor_City They were built as middle-class housing before the war, but you'd never think "middle class" from the exterior architecture

• The Cherokee Apartments, built in 1912 as a Sanitarium, are now apartments with incredible architecture http://forgotten-ny.com/2011/10/cherokee-apartments/ They are a little gem tucked on the Upper East Side of the city that are worth seeing if time permits

• In any other city, the Fred F. French building would be a marque building, but its awesome pre-war Art Deco architect sometimes gets missed amongst the "big" name NYC buildings (if you do go - peak in at the incredible lobby). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_F._French_Building

• The Daily News Building - Art Deco fabulousness (make sure you check out the globe in the lobby) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daily_News_Building

• This list could go on and on - but those are some of the cooler, lower-profile architectural marvels to catch

Fedora Lounge Food Places

• John's Pizzaria: This is my favorite NYC pizzeria and, overall, still not touristy. In additional to ridiculously good pizza, the place is authentic time travel. http://www.johnsbrickovenpizza.com

• Lexington Avenue Candy Shop: Can't get more time-travel than to this (shockingly) still-not-touristy / still-a-neighborhood diner than this one. The food is only okay, but the lemonade and Egg Creams are outstanding. https://untappedcities.com/2015/02/...ngton-candy-shop-celebrates-90th-anniversary/ (For really good diner food, check out Madison Diner http://www.madison1.com)

• Uva - just an off-the-radar really good Italian restaurant whose food leans to modern interpretations but respectful to tradition. Much better and less expensive (ain't cheap but isn't tourist prices either) than many of the high-profile tourist Italians (and it is a genuine neighborhood place). http://www.uvanyc.com

Some cool off-the-radar things to see / do

• The Roosvelt Island Tramway https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roosevelt_Island_Tramway which is worth it for the ride alone (great city views), but there are a few neat things on the island - the Roosevelt Island Four Freedoms Park is strikingly attractive modern architecture (and this from a guy who is no FDR / Four Freedoms fan)

• Another neat "transportation" thing is to grab one of the commuter ferries over to Brooklyn (+/- 20 minutes). You can get the "East River" water experience - and great views of Manhattan - without tying up half a day on one of the tourist boats like the Circle Line. And this one https://www.ferry.nyc/routes-and-schedules/ drops you a few blocks from Williamsburg - the heart of Brooklyns Hipster revival (fun to see as it's like visiting another world where beards are required).

• Westside River Walk - https://shorewalkers.org/shorewalkers-hiking-events?task=view_event&event_id=1072 a recently built (for some ridiculous amount of money) "esplanade" on the Westside of Manhattan that runs along the Hudson (a beautiful body of water) with stunning views of NJ and (owing to a great location) Manhattan as well. In good weather, it's a fun walk that feels a little less "city" but is still in the city. (If it's open - late spring to early fall - Pier I is a good place to stop for a snack / burger / frozen margarita right along the walk peir i nyc)

That's just a short list. This city is ridiculously big and has pretty much everything if you know where to look. Hence, if someone's coming and has a particular interest - food, museum, shopping, etc. for something specific - let me know and if we know any off-the-radar places that align, I'll post back.


* One very touristy - okay, cheesy - place is Patsys https://www.patsys.com but it still has a lot of FL value as the restaurant (the small bar area in particular) feels right out of a late '50s / early '60s movie set in NYC. The food's fine - very old-school Italian - but I'd recommend one drink at the bar - soak up the atmosphere - and, then, move on.
--

 

[1mach1]

Below is just a random list of some fun off-or-less-on-the-radar things to do in NYC.

That said, a lot of the "touristy" things are great to see - things like the Chrysler Building, Ellis Island and Central Park are popular for very good reasons and well worth checking out.

It's the same on the food front, Peter Luger's, for example, deserves its reputation as one of NYC best steak houses, but the prices and crowds reflect that - however, if you are a steak fan (and have a large dining budget), I'd still say go.

My small point, many "touristy" things are worth doing*, but below we try to highlight some lower-profile places enjoyed mainly just by New Yorkers.


Fedora Lounge Architecture

• While Park Avenue, Central Park West and Fifth Avenue are all worth seeing for the incredible pre-war apartment house architecture, Riverside Drive has many equal (and, IMHO, a little more adventurous) pre-war buildings to check out - and it makes for a nice walk. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_Drive_(Manhattan) (If you keep walking north from there, you'll hit Columbia University, which has incredibly gorgeous classic Ivy League architecture (says this humble State University graduate)

• Tudor City is an often over-looked group of beautiful pre-war buildings right in mid-town https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tudor_City They were built as middle-class housing before the war, but you'd never think "middle class" from the exterior architecture

• The Cherokee Apartments, built in 1912 as a Sanitarium, are now apartments with incredible architecture http://forgotten-ny.com/2011/10/cherokee-apartments/ They are a little gem tucked on the Upper East Side of the city that are worth seeing if time permits

• In any other city, the Fred F. French building would be a marque building, but its awesome pre-war Art Deco architect sometimes gets missed amongst the "big" name NYC buildings (if you do go - peak in at the incredible lobby). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_F._French_Building

• The Daily News Building - Art Deco fabulousness (make sure you check out the globe in the lobby) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daily_News_Building

• This list could go on and on - but those are some of the cooler, lower-profile architectural marvels to catch

Fedora Lounge Food Places

• John's Pizzaria: This is my favorite NYC pizzeria and, overall, still not touristy. In additional to ridiculously good pizza, the place is authentic time travel. http://www.johnsbrickovenpizza.com

• Lexington Avenue Candy Shop: Can't get more time-travel than to this (shockingly) still-not-touristy / still-a-neighborhood diner than this one. The food is only okay, but the lemonade and Egg Creams are outstanding. https://untappedcities.com/2015/02/...ngton-candy-shop-celebrates-90th-anniversary/ (For really good diner food, check out Madison Diner http://www.madison1.com)

• Uva - just an off-the-radar really good Italian restaurant whose food leans to modern interpretations but respectful to tradition. Much better and less expensive (ain't cheap but isn't tourist prices either) than many of the high-profile tourist Italians (and it is a genuine neighborhood place). http://www.uvanyc.com

Some cool off-the-radar things to see / do

• The Roosvelt Island Tramway https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roosevelt_Island_Tramway which is worth it for the ride alone (great city views), but there are a few neat things on the island - the Roosevelt Island Four Freedoms Park is strikingly attractive modern architecture (and this from a guy who is no FDR / Four Freedoms fan)

• Another neat "transportation" thing is to grab one of the commuter ferries over to Brooklyn (+/- 20 minutes). You can get the "East River" water experience - and great views of Manhattan - without tying up half a day on one of the tourist boats like the Circle Line. And this one https://www.ferry.nyc/routes-and-schedules/ drops you a few blocks from Williamsburg - the heart of Brooklyns Hipster revival (fun to see as it's like visiting another world where beards are required).

• Westside River Walk - https://shorewalkers.org/shorewalkers-hiking-events?task=view_event&event_id=1072 a recently built (for some ridiculous amount of money) "esplanade" on the Westside of Manhattan that runs along the Hudson (a beautiful body of water) with stunning views of NJ and (owing to a great location) Manhattan as well. In good weather, it's a fun walk that feels a little less "city" but is still in the city. (If it's open - late spring to early fall - Pier I is a good place to stop for a snack / burger / frozen margarita right along the walk peir i nyc)

That's just a short list. This city is ridiculously big and has pretty much everything if you know where to look. Hence, if someone's coming and has a particular interest - food, museum, shopping, etc. for something specific - let me know and if we know any off-the-radar places that align, I'll post back.


* One very touristy - okay, cheesy - place is Patsys https://www.patsys.com but it still has a lot of FL value as the restaurant (the small bar area in particular) feels right out of a late '50s / early '60s movie set in NYC. The food's fine - very old-school Italian - but I'd recommend one drink at the bar - soak up the atmosphere - and, then, move on.
--

Thank you for taking the time to compile the list, and for the great advice. Much appreciated!

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[V.C. Brunswick]

August 18, 2015
Can't get anymore vintage roadside than this!

 

[1mach1]

Richmond VA

That is a solid bronze entrance. Super cool.

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[3fingers]

Richmond VA

That is a solid bronze entrance. Super cool.

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Looks like it's available. A little rehab and you can move in.

 

[1mach1]

Looks like it's available. A little rehab and you can move in.

I'll send you my paypal address so you can forward me some money [emoji14]

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[LizzieMaine]

One of the most famous roadside photos of the 1930s, this is Margaret Bourke-White's study of a breadline in Louisville, in the wake of the horrific river flood that struck that city in early 1937.

There've been a lot of essays and articles over the years pointing out that this breadline was not a "Depression" breadline per se -- it was a disaster-relief line, having little to do with economic conditions, and therefore some have concluded that the image has been misinterpreted over the years. But these commentators miss the main question raised by the photo: why, exactly, is there a gigantic propaganda billboard by the side of the road? It's part of an anti-New Deal campaign by the National Association of Manufacturers, which erected thousands of these signs across the US in the months following FDR's landslide win in the 1936 election. The campaign flopped because it seemed to be arguing that conditions in the US were better than ever, while at the same time the NAM party line was that FDR was lengthening the Depression with his policies and that conditions were worse than ever. You can't have it both ways, Boys.

The "World's Shortest Working Hours" claim isn't quite so. Both the Soviet Union and France were enforcing a 40 hour work week in 1937, in line with the proposed US 40 hour standard -- which wouldn't actually have the force of law until 1940. In 1937 the average American manufacturing worker worked 42 hours a week.

 

[1mach1]

One of the most famous roadside photos of the 1930s, this is Margaret Bourke-White's study of a breadline in Louisville, in the wake of the horrific river flood that struck that city in early 1937.

There've been a lot of essays and articles over the years pointing out that this breadline was not a "Depression" breadline per se -- it was a disaster-relief line, having little to do with economic conditions, and therefore some have concluded that the image has been misinterpreted over the years. But these commentators miss the main question raised by the photo: why, exactly, is there a gigantic propaganda billboard by the side of the road? It's part of an anti-New Deal campaign by the National Association of Manufacturers, which erected thousands of these signs across the US in the months following FDR's landslide win in the 1936 election. The campaign flopped because it seemed to be arguing that conditions in the US were better than ever, while at the same time the NAM party line was that FDR was lengthening the Depression with his policies and that conditions were worse than ever. You can't have it both ways, Boys.

The "World's Shortest Working Hours" claim isn't quite so. Both the Soviet Union and France were enforcing a 40 hour work week in 1937, in line with the proposed US 40 hour standard -- which wouldn't actually have the force of law until 1940. In 1937 the average American manufacturing worker worked 42 hours a week.

A reproduction mural has been done in the 5500 block of Connecticut Ave NW in Washington DC on the building just past a vintage inspired diner, the American City Diner. You cant miss it.

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[LizzieMaine]

One thing that I always thought was funny about the "World's Highest Standard Of Living" billboard image was that they're clearly driving around in a cheap low-end car: if it was really The World's Highest Standard Of Living, you'd think they could at least afford the Deluxe model with two windshield wipers. Come on, Boys, dream big.

 

[BlueTrain]

I always thought that the "Deluxe" model was the basic model, given the tendency of marketing types to talk "up" names.

 

[1mach1]

One thing that I always thought was funny about the "World's Highest Standard Of Living" billboard image was that they're clearly driving around in a cheap low-end car: if it was really The World's Highest Standard Of Living, you'd think they could at least afford the Deluxe model with two windshield wipers. Come on, Boys, dream big.

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[Fading Fast]

One thing that I always thought was funny about the "World's Highest Standard Of Living" billboard image was that they're clearly driving around in a cheap low-end car: if it was really The World's Highest Standard Of Living, you'd think they could at least afford the Deluxe model with two windshield wipers. Come on, Boys, dream big.

Back then, how did American car-per-family numbers stack up versus other countries? No hidden agenda on my part, I'm just wondering if the point was - at that time - that simply having a car, even "just" a low-end one, was a big deal and they didn't want to overdo it with a "deluxe" model. Maybe they were trying to make it feel more real or obtainable versus having the family in a twelve cylinder Packard.

 

[1mach1]

Back then, how did American car-per-family numbers stack up versus other countries? No hidden agenda on my part, I'm just wondering if the point was - at that time - that simply having a car, even "just" a low-end one, was a big deal and they didn't want to overdo it with a "deluxe" model. Maybe they were trying to make it feel more real or obtainable versus having the family in a twelve cylinder Packard.

Thats an interesting question. I think that, especially post war, most Americans (except for those who lived in large metropolitan areas) needed to have a car in day to day life. At least, it sure made things easier. America was designed for the automobile, thank God

Plus, over at GM, Harley Earl was about to start designing and selling "art on wheels". How could anyone resist? [emoji14]

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[LizzieMaine]

The nearest specific figure to 1937 that I can find is 177 registered motor vehicles per 1000 people for the US as of 1935, which puts the US first, followed by 115 in Australia, 34 in France, 29 in Great Britain, 12 in Germany, and 7 in Italy. Note that Austrialia, like the US, was a country with a widely scattered population, as opposed to the concentrated populations of Europe.

The question of how to compare "standards of living" was highly debated in the 1930s. In 1937 a food economist named M. K. Bennett proposed a standard based largely on consumption of various products and services, including cars, telephones, sugar, tobacco, coffee, tea, cocoa, citrus fruits, and pieces of mail handled. By this account, the US had the highest standard of living among industrialized nations, and Portugal the lowest. You can see why such a methodology might appeal to the NAM -- despite, or more likely because of, the questions it leaves unasked.

I wonder if the Portugal Association of Manufacturers put up propaganda billboards saying "WE TRY HARDER."

 

[BlueTrain]

Chances are, we have the highest per-capita number of storage units in the world. It's ironic, though, that Germany was the first to build super highways, at least by the standards of the day.