Jackson Heights Life
Get Connected => Jackson Heights of Yesteryear => Topic started by: Avela on February 14, 2008, 04:26:53 PM
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If you look at the various businesses that have survived the past 30+ years you will see two things...they have provided good service plus had a good lease...the days of a good lease are gone
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Can anyone name 5 businesses that have survived for more than 30 years in Jackson Heights? Armondos is one.
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Italian Farms
80-01 37th Ave
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good point, Avela.
Thinking of the stores that have been around for 30+ years: 37th Avenue btwn 80th and 74th: North side.
Dry Cleaner
Wok's
Deli on the corner
Newman's Jewelers
Fruit Store on corner of 78th.
Peking Kitchen
Gustosa Pizza
Dry Cleaner, Unit
Numbers
Maram
Pizza store
Fruit store
Trade Fair
and Armando's
I'm sure I've left a few out and I can only remember the north side.
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Just posted a list over on the 'new store on 78th st' :-X
[I've relocated it here. --Todd]
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I think the Cavalier Restaurant has been here since Edward MacDougal conceived the idea of a garden community in Queens! ;D All kidding aside, apart from the now gone Luigi's, Cavalier is probably the longest standing restaurant in the neighborhood.
Both supermarkets, although operating under different names in the past, have been around as long as I can remember. Met was Shop Wise, and Trade Fair was called Big Deal.
Pizza Boy on 74th is also a survivor.
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Sam & Raj, the business that the rest of Little India grew up around, moved to Jackson Heights in 1976 (or 1973, depending on the source).
So if 30 years is the dividing line between businesses that are old-timers and newcomers, then it's time to begin recognizing Little India as an integral, long-standing part of our community.
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Little India - The restaurant that is Arunee now was Maharajah in the mid 70's. Lovely, with a waterfall. I was introduced to Indian food in Manhattan, but to have a local eatery was/is heaven.
Thirty or so seems to be the year.
Also, the optomotrist (sp) btwn 81 & 80 has been there for 50 years. Used to be called Dr. Steinberg's.
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Jackson House diner has been around since the 70's. One of the waitresses has been there almost the entire time.
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Charles Hair Salon on 86th and 37th has been open for way more than 30 years . ( The storefront looks straight out of the 1950's) :)
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Charles Hair Salon on 86th and 37th has been open for way more than 30 years . ( The storefront looks straight out of the 1950's) :)
I love this place. The owner died a few years ago and his two sisters, both retired, still do shampoos. See Spanish Marie (she's from Spain). She's great.
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I love this place. The owner died a few years ago and his two sisters, both retired, still do shampoos. See Spanish Marie (she's from Spain). She's great.
Rosie is the awesome, what a great person i love to see here around in her old 50' s Pontiac
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No one mentioned Jahn's???
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What about Coral Aquarium on and Roosevelt Ave(btwn 75th and 76st) They have been there well over 30 yrs.
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Jahn's is fine for simple meals. I think Coral Aquarium is kinda dingy. Amazing it's been around longer than 5 years never mind 30.
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Dingy yes, but useful as the only viable non chain pet store on that side of the hood. Though I do question 30 years of its presence. I'm sure it has been around for at least 20.
The chase bank might have a 30 year history here. Though it Was Manufacturers Hanover Trust before it was bought by Chase.
The Earle / Eagle theatre in its various incarnations. The candy store right at the entrance to the Roosevelt Ave. station on 37th Road.
The candy / newspaper store on 75th and 37th, though it's changed hands has always been there.
What used to be Wise Stationery is still a stationery store on 37th Ave bet 81 & 82.
The Jackson Triplex
7-11 on Northern comes close to 30 years I think. Maybe it's more like 25, it's been a while since I was in JHS and I don't feel like doing the math right now.
There's that party / card store next to Numbers that may also come close to 30.
There's the candy / newspaper store on 37th ave bet. 76 & 77.
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How does the thirty year rule apply if the stores change owners? Change hands? Or change names with same owners?
Like Gustosa Pizza (a hang out of my son now) has been a hang out to my friends and I since junior high, when it was Romeo's. But the same guy owns it. (Before that it was Alex's, probably not same owner.) Close to thirty years ... if you can count having two names.
Meanwhile, Italian Farms changed hands recently but kept its name. That counts too yeah?
After all, the strong survive but they also adapt ...
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I think it's more so the type of business than the business its self.
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Tom's Shoe Repair, 37 Ave bet 84 & 85, has been in business with the same owner for 52 years.
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Dingy yes, but useful as the only viable non chain pet store on that side of the hood. Though I do question 30 years of its presence. I'm sure it has been around for at least 20.]
Sorry, I screwed this up. Aronan's quote should have ended here.
Actually, the pet store has been there--on Roosevelt between 75th and 76th--for around 40 years. It later expanded and took over the store to its west, but the original establishment has been in business for decades.
The candy store (now candy store/internet cafe) on the north side of 37th, just off of 75th Street, used to be called "Molly's and Ollie's" after the two women who owned it. I think La Portena has been there almost 30 years, although it too expanded.
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Gotta disagree ... Coral may seem dingy, but every kid from my generation has done the loop on a lazy day (looping through the aquarium).
I used to dread the walk in the cold there to get live shrimp for my frogs, newts, and salamanders. (Yes, I was a strange kid when it came to pets ...) I had one Coral-bought frog live from 3rd grade until college ... many evenings, walking to buy brien shrimp in soup containers, brrrr.
But I vaguely recall a pet store on Northern as well, because I bought a white mouse there in high school. Anyone recall ... ?
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Also the Burger Kng on 69th Street has been there for 30 years I'm sure ... I recall going there after St Joan of Arc baseball games in Lexington School field, and that was 1978 and 1979 for me ... sheesh when did I get old?
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What about Frank's Pharmacy? They even moved to a larger location at a time when most family pharmacies were going out of business. They've changed with the times, and have staff who speak Spanish and various South Asian languages, and have maintained that family pharmacy feel.
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What about Frank's Pharmacy? They even moved to a larger location at a time when most family pharmacies were going out of business. They've changed with the times, and have staff who speak Spanish and various South Asian languages, and have maintained that family pharmacy feel.
I love Frank's ... he used to donate $200 worth of toys to my school kids every holiday season, I have gome there in both locations since day one. BUT, and I may be wrong, I think its not quite 30 years since he left Maram ...
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But I vaguely recall a pet store on Northern as well, because I bought a white mouse there in high school. Anyone recall ... ?
I remember that store well. Very small on Northern betw 80 & 81st.
When I was about 12 I bought my brothers a pair of hamsters from that shop...They were supposed to be the same sex...40 or so hamsters later we were selling them back to the pet shop. Made the same mistake a few years later buying a gerbil pair there. I gave up counting at 70. We sold/gave away most of them to the same store. Great genetic line...