One of the last remaining old Harlem newsstands that was located up at West 148th Street has just recently been demolished. The old mint green, wood construction just west of St. Nicholas Avenue looked like it was around since the Harlem Renaissance and had often been photographed by the visually curious. It hasn't been open for ages and its deteriorating state made it even more mysterious to those strolling by. When passing by this past weekend, it was apparent that the building owner decided to finally do away with the old stand (center photo) and there appears to be some prep work for some other structure since venting pipe was also on the site.
The lower photo shows the only major continuously running newsstand in Harlem which is located on 122nd Street just west of Lenox. Mike's Newsstand and Candy Land has had the same owner for over the past decade but the business itself has been on that corner of the Mount Morris Park Historic District for over a half century. Check out more details on Mike's in our previous post:
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I hope Mike's can stick it out. So many of these newstands and even indoor news paper & magazine shops have gone. I pass Mike's everyday on my way to the Fritz-Pelham Rec Center in Marcus Garvey Park and I sometimes patronize him by making a purchase.
ReplyDeleteBut with being able to get periodicals digitally and via mail subscription this may be a tough road to hoe for these guys.
There is a similar sealed-up remnant attached to the corner deli on W 112th St @ FDB -- I've often wondered why the building owners haven't removed it.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it will remain until such time as they renovate the commercial space for a new tenant...
I think the stand on West 148th & FDB is still there: LINK to Google maps Street View
ReplyDeleteSince we're getting all fancy now, here is a link to the Google maps street view of the structure I was referencing above.
ReplyDeleteThe structure on 148th was demolished in a fire a couple of weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteAnd, while we're at it, here's a link for the newly-removed stand on 148th.
ReplyDeleteIronically, after reviewing all this the structure on 112th now puzzles me even more. Although it's clearly less of an eyesore than the other two shuttered newsstands referenced here (excluding Mike's), it's not exactly in good shape. It seems a bit out of place, particularly alongside the veterinary office in the renovated commercial space adjacent (but still within the same building), and given that it seems all the apartments upstairs have been recently renovated.
It would be wonderful to have a newsstand at that 112th Street location. That particular structure could be fixed up easily and I think that block might support it. I understand The Lore, a few doors away, is almost completely occupied.
ReplyDeleteLynn: Good idea -- I would likely stop there myself if they did so. They could perhaps even get creative and find a way to connect it to the interior of the commercial space, making it more of a walk-up kiosk that could incorporate sales of drinks, etc. out of the corner store.
ReplyDeleteBut I would emphasize that they should do something with it -- either fix it up or tear it down.
This building might have been a Newsstand at one time, but I remember it being a Peanut Stand in the late 50's where you could my Raw,Boiled,Roasted Peanuts by the pound or 5 cent bag. Then maybe I got locations wrong.
ReplyDelete