Rizzoli Bookstore
31 West 57th St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
Thursday, September 20, free with RSVP, 5:30
www.rizzoliusa.com
www.newyorkoriginalsonline.com
It’s rather ironic that the first place profiled in Jamie McDonald’s New York Originals: A Guide to the City’s Classic Shops and Mom-and-Pops (Universe, September 2012, $24.95) is Domenick DeNigris Monuments in the Bronx, which has been selling headstones and mausoleums for more than a hundred years, since one of the things the book celebrates is longevity in addition to originality. “Decades ago, most small towns sold out their town squares in favor of cheaper and more convenient megastores on the outskirts of the city,” writes the man behind the Emmy-winning television series the book is named after. “People began to forget that the corner coffee shop or local shoe store provided not only goods and services, but also a small part of their community’s uniqueness and character. New York City is ironically one of the last vestiges of small-town America.” In words and pictures, McDonald, who was born in Indiana but now lives in Midtown Manhattan, visits seventy-five shops in all five boroughs, from Neir’s Tavern & Steakhouse, established in Woodhaven in 1829, to Brooklyn Copper Cookware, which opened its doors in Dumbo just two years ago. In the book, arranged alphabetically by borough, McDonald talks with the current managers and owners, many of whom are third and fourth generation, providing the history behind the shop as well as its current status. He makes stops at such honored eateries as Brennan and Carr, De Robertis Pasticceria and Caffe, Ear Inn, Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop, Keens Steakhouse, Nom Wah Tea Parlor, Russ & Daughters, and the Lemon Ice King of Corona as well as the Umbee Sunshade Company, which has been making umbrellas in Williamsburg since 1933; the Jane Hotel, which has been taking in travelers in the West Village since 1908; Brownies Pro and Sport Hobbies, a hobby shop in Port Richmond that opened in 1971; the Cameo Pet Shop, which has been selling tropical fish, birds, and other animals in Richmond Hill since, 1947; and JJ Burck Marine Supplies, which has been specializing in boating equipment on City Island since 1928. To celebrate the release of the book, McDonald will be signing copies at the Rizzoli Bookstore on Thursday, September 20, from 5:30 to 7:00, with refreshments supplied by some of the shops included in the book. Each book purchased that night will come with engraved New York City Taxi Correspondence Cards inside a hand-lined envelope, courtesy of Dempsey & Carroll, which has been making engraved stationery since 1878 on the Upper East Side.