“A Matter of Taste” (Tasti D-Lite)
Tasti D-Lite calls itself "New York's #1 frozen dessert." It's supposed to be low in calories, but testing has shown that it still has plenty of calories (but fewer than ice…
“Looking Good, Feeling Good” (Ricky’s)
Ricky's sells cosmetics and a little bit of everything that a student would want to spend a night on the town. It's slogan is "Looking Good, Feeling Good." The store was founded…
“Reveal better” or “bare it better” (New York Sports Clubs)
New York Sports Clubs (or NYSC) was founded in 1989 and now has many New York City locations. "Reveal better" or "bare it better" is a 2006 advertising campaign. MySportsClubs…
Dormitory Row
"Dormitory Row" is Third Avenue, between St. Mark's Place and 14th Street. The entire area seems to be owned mostly by New York University. The website "Jossip" has called…
SUNY-Harlem (Columbia University)
Columbia University is an Ivy League college. It is not a member college of the State University of New York. Columbia University is located near Harlem. "SUNY-Harlem" is a recent,…
Macy’s Flower Show
Macy's Flower Show has been a spring tradition for over thirty years. However, Macy's had given flower shows much earlier than this.…
“No Jacket, No Tie, No Attitude” (The Mark)
"No jacket, no tie, no attitude" is the slogan of The Mark, a hotel at 25 East 77th Street. Most of the hotel guests wear clothes, however.…
“No diet Coke, no skim milk, no decaf coffee—Just good food” (Pepe Rosso)
The Pepe Rosso chain of restaurants (Pepe Giallo is at 253 Tenth Avenue) offers old-fashioned Italian food at reasonable prices. The motto is: "No diet Coke, no skim milk, no decaf coffee --…
“Hot dogs, cold beer—it’s not complicated” (Schnack)
Schnack, at 122 Union Street in Brooklyn, offers a simple menu. Its motto is simple, too: "Hot dogs, cold beer -- it's not complicated."…
Pot Princess
The New York Post quickly dubbed Julie Diaco the "Pot Princess." She's the former NYU student who was convicted of selling drugs out of her dorm room. Her family paid for a very good…
“Simply Good Taste” (Cosi Sandwich Bar)
Cosi Sandwich Bar (or just "Cosi") began in New York City in 1996. It's now a sandwich chain found in several states. "Simply Good Taste" is its not-too-well-known slogan.…
“The Gates of Heaven—Never Closed” (Hamburg Heaven)
Hamburg Heaven (often called Hamburger Heaven) was started in 1938, just a tiny place by one woman who liked to make good hamburgers. Hamburg Heaven expanded, but the chain didn't survive…
“Home of the 7 oz. Burger” (Jackson Hole)
Jackson Hole has eight locations in New York City. Since 1973, its slogan has been "Home of the 7 oz. Burger" -- although the burgers are usually even larger than that! The culinary…
“Burritos brought to life!” (Blockheads)
The Blockheads chain has six Manhattan restaurants. It's famous for its inexpensive Mexican food and its $3 frozen Margaritas. "Burritos brought to life!" is its not-too-popular…
“The Oldest Apothecary in America” (C. O. Bigelow)
Clarence Otis Bigelow took over a pharmacy that had started in 1838, and he operated it for 57 years until his death in 1937. The pharmacy still exists at Sixth Avenue in the West Village, and…
Fletcher Henderson popularization of “the Big Apple” in the 1930s
In 1990, Harlem Assemblywoman Geraldine Daniels published a letter in the New York Times that stated that musician Fletcher Henderson (1879-1952) popularized "the Big Apple" in the 1930s.…
Salugi (or Saloogie)
"Salugi" (or "saluggi" or "saloogie") was a New York children's game of "keep away" that was popular in the 1950s. The origin of the name is unknown.…
Carpet Gun
The "carpet gun" was a homemade toy gun, popular with children in East New York (Brooklyn) in the 1940s and 1950s. tp://www.lampos.com/brooklyn.htmCarpet Gun: A homemade toy gun. Again,…
Baseball cards (Queens)=Tickets (Brooklyn)
Baseball cards are popular all over the country. But why is (or was) the game called "tickets" in Brooklyn? The following citation is the only one I have on this. 8 July 1977, New York…
“If steak were a religion, this would be its cathedral” (Smith & Wollensky)
The Smith & Wollensky steakhouse at Third Avenue and 49th Street began in 1977. There are now other restaurants in Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami Beach,…