Being a diner lover myself, I headed up there for a New Year's Day breakfast of challah French toast and bacon.
At first glance, I was disappointed to find the new owners had stripped the spectacular old neon sign and replaced it with something far less than spectacular. Here's what it looked like before:
photo by urbanprose
And here's how it looks today. I'm hoping that little ovoid bit is just a placeholder for something better yet to come:
photo from my flickr
Originally opened in 1962 and closed in 2006, the diner was beloved by Frank Sinatra and west-side gangsters alike. Its closure, wrote the Times, "left some neighbors crying in their egg creams, wondering who will rent the corner lot in Hell’s Kitchen, in a quickly evolving area with an increasing number of high-rise apartment buildings." In March 2008, the Times reported the Market would reopen--nothing less than a miracle in the insane real estate climate.
So I'm not complaining.
The exterior has been beautifully preserved and revitalized, with chocolate-brown eaves and polished chrome along the zigzag roof. The cream-colored stoneface around the foundation has also been kept and the entrance has been re-tiled in orange. The parking has been mostly replaced by an outdoor seating area.
photos from my flickr
The orange and brown color scheme continues inside, with pumpkin-colored booths trimmed in brown piping. Overall, the interior has been stripped and modernized. I've only been able to find a couple images of the Market's former interior:
photo: Sara Krulwich, NY Times
photo: NYC architecture
They've taken out the wavy bits over the counter, the striped tiles, and the attached swivel stools, for a streamlined, simplified look. It's clean and attractive, but not very interesting. Sort of "West Elm'd":
photo from my flickr
As for the French toast and bacon: Yum.
great pics!
ReplyDeletelooks like they tried to modernize the place with good intentions--sometimes that does not always work out for the best
ReplyDeleteI salute the new Market Diner. The exterior is wonderfully restored, though it's weird, why did they butcher the sign. I took pics, went in. Very friendly, very shiny. And the blueberry pie? Hands down, the best I have ever had in any diner in New York. This is not the usual gummy crust crap most sell, it was excellent! Good job and welcome back! (Jimmy Coonan sends best wishes...)
ReplyDeleteMacElroy?? Used to date Michael
DeleteWell said. It's not a bad renovation at all, in fact, it's pretty well done. Nice materials, clearly some thought. It's just a little...conservative. You wish they'd pushed the funky vibe a little more in one direction or another, rather than playing it safe. Still, it's a nice neighborhood diner- the food was right on and the service was friendly.
ReplyDeleteFun fact: The basement of the diner actualy served as a nightclub for a clutch of years in the early 90s called "Big City Diner". I shit you not. I was dragged there once by a girl I was tenuously dating at the time. The musical fare was house music of the Technotronic/C+C Music Factory ilk. Bleeecchhh!
ReplyDeleteThe approval of the person who managed this redesign should be required for every single development and renovation in New York.
ReplyDeletehey ken, are you posting your pics?
ReplyDeleteits not a restoration in any way, shape or form. but i'm glad it's still there.
ReplyDeletein the mid-70's, a friend who lived on West 38th Street off of
10th Avenue (the stories I could tell!) used to get high and come here for fried fish platters. I have no recollection as why, but it sure was fun!
Looks, schmooks, doesn't anyone care about the food? No one so far has mentioned. So how is it, by the way?
ReplyDeleteIt looks nice inside, but it doesn't look much like a diner. Isn't the whole point of diners that they are supposed to be a bit tacky looking?
ReplyDeleteSorry Ken, I missed your comment on the blueberry pie. I'm headed uptown soon.
ReplyDeleteMichael
Jeremiah, yes, I will be posting pics soon. Just wish they would trash those planters...
ReplyDeleteYes, great pics. This blog is fantastic--it's like reading NYC's personal diary.
ReplyDeleteAs a person who was born and raised in Hell's Kitchen I remember coming to this dinner on special occasions like after my high school graduation in 1979!! What stories this place could tell!!!!! Lol!!
ReplyDelete