Forgotten New York

CHARNO WAY, Greenpoint

At the capital of Greenpoint, at Manhattan and Greenpoint Avenues, the former is identified as Charno Way on a lightpole. Investigating this anomaly I discovered that Manhattan was co-named Charno Way on this corner in honor of the Charno brothers, Joseph, Edmund and Larry, who founded Joe’s Department Store and the Harrico Pharmacy, which was located on the SW corner of this intersection for decades.

Harrico was converted into a Duane Reade several seasons ago, but the Charno Brothers have had a last laugh of sorts. The Manhattan Avenue sign has disappeared, and so only the Charno name appears, presiding over this intersection as their pharmacy once did.

4/16/15

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