Rolando's Roadside Roundup: Sept. 20
Sizzling good news in the Tenderloin; fires scorch 2 NJ diners; Connecticut icon doused; the beauty of an empty diner; a 1980s lobby imperiled
Glowing news for fans of San Francisco neon
The Tenderloin district of San Francisco is home to a third of the neon signs in the city by the bay. A walk through it streets can feel almost like exploring a neon museum, but with the signs still attached to their original business.
What has been an unofficial selling point of the Tenderloin for so many years is now being codified by law. Reports the San Francisco Standard:
New legislation will allow more of these handmade signs to pop up, or be restored, in the Tenderloin. Passed at the city’s Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, the new rules make it easier to create new neon signs and to restore old signs that may not conform with current sign rules. It’s legislation that may work as a pilot for similar exceptions in other neighborhoods in the future, but advocates say it’s especially important to the Tenderloin.
“The Tenderloin is our neon home,” said Randall Ann Homan, co-creator of SF Neon, who has been working to pass the legislation.
For all things SF neon, follow Randall Ann Homan and Al Barna on Instagram.
Such great news. The next story? Not so much.
Firelite Doused?
A troubling tip arrived in my Instagram inbox a few days back. The Firelite Shopping Center sign in Orange, Connecticut, has vanished. The decrepit shopping center was sold several years ago, and a plan was floated last year to create a mixed-use development with housing.
I visited the Firelite in the fall of 2018. Here is my Instagram post, below. I wrote at the time that “Whatever happens, I hope this glorious sign is never extinguished.”
I’ll keep you informed if the sign gets a reprieve.
Utica on My Mind
A photographer from New Haven, Connecticut, has been exploring downtown Utica, New York, and his adventures got the attention of local media.
"I spent awhile poking around in all those dead end streets to find an angle for that building and sign and I finally did catch it.," David Ottenstein said.
But what brought this photographer to the Central New York and Mohawk Valley region?
"I came to Utica because someone I follow on Instagram posted some photos of the interior of the Utica Public Library," Ottenstein said. "I thought, 'that looks like an interesting place to photograph.'"
I can relate to his finding new places on Instagram. If I were to suggest a few interesting places in and around Utica, may I recommend:
The Modern Man Barbershop in Utica
Sadly, Grimaldi’s is no more, having closed last year, but perhaps the signage is still there. And the sumptuous sign for the Holiday Motel on Highway 5 is also gone, but click to admire it!
A little farther afield in Rome, Midnight Mike’s has your basic Pepsi privilege signage. I always like to get those … even though they are still fairly common, that won’t be the case forever!
The real star in Rome is Eddie’s Paramount Diner!
Confession: I have gotten awfully close, but have never been to Utica. These tips are based on research, and places whose fate I have been tracking from afar. Which reminds me, I think Ottenstein is onto something. I need to get up to Utica soon.
‘The melancholy of an empty American diner’
Congrats to my friend Leah Frances, the gifted photographer behind the American Squares Instagram account!
Her second book, “Lunch Poems,” showcasing her beautiful photos of diner interiors, will soon be released.
What’s more, the world’s foremost expert on the American diner, Richard J.S. Gutman, has written the forward.
Can’t wait to have this one in my hands! Her work will certainly give you inspo in how you approach your own photography,
2 New Jersey diners catch fire
One of my favorite diners in New Jersey, the Key City in Lopatcong Township, has been gutted in a blaze. The owner wants to reopen, but it’s going to take some work.
The same day, the Catch 22 Diner nearby also caught fire, with the owner vowing his dream will not be dashed.
The blazes are not connected.
Below is my photo of the Key City Diner’s distinctive sign, which I photographed in 2016.
Here’s wishing both diners a quick return to business!
Quest to save a Manhattan lobby that’s a ‘ridiculous’ 1980s fantasy
The lobby at 60 Wall Street has to be seen to be believed. Think post modern meets Egyptian Revival. The 1989 creation by Kevin Roche is imperiled because a new owner seems determined to make it bland, like so much else in public design these days. Curbed makes the argument for saving it as is. When you see the pictures at the link, perhaps you’ll agree.
What do you think?
From the Retrologist archive ...
I launched my Tumblr, where I first used the Retrologist name, in 2012! I’ve been digging around that archive of 10 years and been finding some gems, which I will share here on Substack from time to time.
Here’s a “hot” post, which was one of my first!
That’s all for today! Drop me note and follow me on Instagram if you’re not already!