Forgotten New York

THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY

Other than Little Neck, the Queens neighborhood in which I spend the most time is unquestionably Astoria, where I sit on the board of the Greater Astoria Historical Society and, as such, am often summoned to one meeting or the other. To make things interesting I get off at different stops on the Astoria elevated and make my way in meandering fashion toward the Quinn Funeral Home on Broadway, where the meetings take place. Who knows, maybe I’ll be laid out there before too long.

While shuffling up 28th Avenue in the dead dog heat of July I saw this forlorn former cleaners, undoubtedly once a dry cleaners, on the corner of 36th Street. There are certain businesses you can count on for old-fashioned signage. Liquor stores and bars lead the parade, followed by pharmacies and then for some reason, dry cleaners.

While the sign has yet to melt in Daliesque fashion, its plastic letters have held up well after day after day of ninety degrees. But it’s only a matter of …. time.

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