2 West Side Diners

The New York Times reports that the Market Diner will reopen--not as a high-rise condo and not as a French bistro, but as a diner. This is wonderful news for our ever-depleting stock of once-copious West Side diners. It's been bought by the Greek owners of the Cosmic Diner on Eighth Avenue and 52nd Street, who say they will make it more upscale, but how upscale can it be? Hopefully it won't go the way of the Empire.

According to Agilitynut and Diner City, the Market was built in the 1960s by DeRaffele, one of the last remaining manufacturers of prefab diners. A hangout for Frank Sinatra and Hell's Kitchen gang the Westies, it's been closed since 2006.


1972 photo by Thorney Lieberman

At its spot on 11th and 43rd, the Market is scheduled to open in a couple of months. In the meantime, you can continue to enjoy the Cheyenne Diner at 9th Ave and 33rd St, a Paramount dating to about 1940.


more photos @ my flickr

The Cheyenne features Greek food and bison burgers--and booths upholstered in sparkly metallic red and silver vinyl.



It also has a whole Native American motif to enjoy.

• New York Diners at ForgottenNY
• The Market Diner in the Times