Read the history of Gem Spa here
"I used to get these here all the time," one guy tells the cashier. "Me and my buddies from Sanitation love 'em. You gotta keep making 'em, they're so good."
Outside, the two stand on the sidewalk, talking about the egg creams as they drink. The first one tells me he's been getting Gem Spa egg creams since the 1990s and they've never changed. "It's all in the seltzer," he says, biting into the pretzel rod. "This guy gets his seltzer in canisters from the guys out in Canarsie. That's the real thing."
"I'm not a big egg cream guy," says the other, "but this is unbelievable. I'd never know they had 'em here. They need to put up some signs, all over, that say egg cream, egg cream, egg cream."
"I grew up around a lot of luncheonettes," says the first guy, "so I know my way around an egg cream or two. This one's the best."
They didn't like it when I told them that the new 7-Eleven is cutting into Gem Spa's profits. "That's no good," said the first guy. "They've been here forever. We need 'em to stick around for a long time more."
12 comments:
Real New Yorkers get it.
In front of Gem Spa, the Dolls then:
http://www.maximitaly.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/new-york-dolls-296x492.jpg
And now:
http://a2.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/33/0e8b2af5ace7842aca50ebe67e7ed71e/l.jpg
Wow you scared me with this.I hope they're not going anywhere.
PS Cab King:more like then and then.
Gem Spa should be landmarked or something. Not that that can actually happen but...
For now it looks like they're in no danger of disappearing, but the the fact that their business is being cut into by that 'other entity' really pisses me off.
If somebody wants to organize a cash mob at Gem Spa to show support and maybe even make people more aware of the place, I'm in.
Just remember folks, you can't egg creams at 'that other place' that shall remain nameless. The only seltzer they have is in cans.
Great slice of life...
And did they have Zoltar tell them their fortune afterwards?
Yes the egg cream there is good, but those shopkeepers, not so much and not friendly. Has the soup Nazi customer like service--no egg cream for you. Totally price gouges other items in the store esp. if one is a tourist or b&t, or not a regular or assume you're from out of town. They tried to charge a 99 cents Arizona Iced Tea for $1.09 claiming Manhattan prices are more expensive, and tried to have a $1 'surcharge' for using a debit/credit card. Having a good egg cream and a history-filled store do not grant you to be dishonest.
Nice story, great history via the link. Thank you.
My timing must have been off. They made mine from an already opened plastic bottle of off-the-shelf seltzer... tasted like a watered down chocolate milk. I think this is a thing that requires nostalgia to "get", like knishes, bialys, and italian ice.
"J", when did gems spa open? i went there all the time when i lived @ 88 2nd ave. i liked the magazines, found my first copy of "after dark". i may have also bought cigarettes there. isnt a miracal they are still open??
I disagree with "anonymous" who probably works for 7-Eleven. The shopowners are so nice. I love the way the guy's face lights up when you ask for an egg cream. They are so nice. As Chipotle, McDonald's, yogurt chains and those "other stores" try to eat up what made St. Mark's Place cool to begin with, we have to continue to patronize these awesome institutions. Also those egg creams were amazing.
Again, who is Anonymous? They have a fountain behind the corner! Why would they ever make them from a bottle? And if you'd ever had a good knish, bialy, or Italian ice, you'd get it. This stuff is food prepared with love rather than the generic one size meets all food products you find in those other places.
The city can landmark buildings, but not is specific commercial use. And rightfully so, no business have some inherent right to exist in perpetuity.
While I agree on some (not all) concerns about commercial rents being raised at the last moment, I refute the idea that business should be entitled to some clientele and not to face competition, even if it is from a 7/11. Isn't the consumer's wallet in play after all?
who owns this building? gem spa? anyone know?
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