We did receive a tip from a Hamilton Heights resident that the famous Jimmy's Chicken Shack was actually at 763 St. Nicholas Avenue. Research on hand mentioned that the blocks above 145th Street in our past post and we had thought the old sign bracket still existed on the facade just below 148th:
LINK. The top photo shows the block of barrel front buildings just north of 148th that were photographed for tax records in the 1930's and one can see the Chicken Shack sign hanging up at center. There's not much to the actual storefront except the unique shape of the facade so the sign was the standout for catching the eye of a passerby.
I wondered if this was the place that I'd just read about in Manning Marable's new biography of Malcolm X. Apparently it is. Malcolm worked there from 1942 to 1944 and apparently lived upstairs as well. Working alongside him was "Chicago Red" who would become Redd Foxx (of Sandford & Son fame). Charlie Parker had also worked there in the 1930's when Art Tatum held court on piano. A lot of history here.
ReplyDeleteBelow is a link to the google books page of Marable's book discussing the place:
books.google.com/books?id=RownbjVryWIC&pg=PT60&lpg=PT60&dq="jimmy's+chicken+shack"
Thx, Imar