To my chagrin, I only just noticed that the Galaxy Diner in Chelsea has closed. The windows are newspapered with papers dating from June.
In a neighborhood where an affordable meal is hard to find, the Galaxy was a standout. It was a real diner, with cheap lunch specials, including a meatloaf sandwich I looked forward to on a cool, almost-autumn day.
Inside, it was wonderfully and weirdly decorated with scenes of outerspace--rocket ships and planets on the walls, and the tables dusted with moons and stars. It was a place where you could go and quietly read a book among the galactic splendors.
photo by Danmeth
Wondering why it closed, I found the following comment at Destination Chelsea: "As far as I know the owners of restaurant Nisos next door owned the Galaxy Diner. Being that Nisos is now serving the breakfast that the diner used to offer, I can only guess that Nisos will expand."
Nisos also took over the spot once occupied by the beloved Sam Chinita's Cuban-Chinese diner.
photo by TheMachineStops
Above, you can see what was lost. Below, the neon-blue and stoneface replacement. Above Nisos, you can see the planet-painted wall of the Galaxy. Another down-to-earth coffee shop vanished.
10 comments:
Hi--I was just thinking--whatever happened to Pisces Restaurant on East 6th Street and Avenue A??It has been closed for a long time now--no activity whatsoever????
If you promise not to J-Reap it, you can still go to Astro Diner uptown for your inter-galactic dining needs.
You know, I was walking down 8th just a few weeks ago, and wanted breakfast, and noticed that the Galaxy was gone. A shame. There aren't really any affordable places to eat along there any more.
Oh yes, and I also remember when Sam's Chinita was called Mi Chinita.
Niso's is a yuppies piece of shit.
Look at there blue LED sign.
I can't stand these homogenized contemporary bars, diners and restaurants. They have no character, no flavor at all.
Several restaurants have occupied that space since the late lamented Pisces. Currently Via Delle Zoccolette.
I will miss the Galaxy Diner. It was a must for breakfast when I was in Chelsea.
BAHA--is it still open?--everytime I pass by it is shuttered--they did lunch and brunch and they are never open for that.
Galaxy (which has in fact been closed since February) was my regular weekend breakfast spot - friendly staff, good eats, low-key vibe, and very much missed. Good Stuff Diner on 14th Street (just west of 6th Ave) is a decent substitute, but I do miss the heck outta Galaxy and all who sailed with it.
Galaxy was a great, cheap, late night spot too back in the day for us up-and-coming yunnies. Soaked up many good Chelsea gallery crawl drunks with a bacon-cheese-burger deluxe there. And always there was more than a few solitary senior citizens in there reading a book. Where do they go now?
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