I have passed The Corner Deli in Woodside, 69th Street at Laurel Hill Boulevard facing the Brooklyn-Queens expressway and opposite the James Novello Winfield War Memorial, quite a bit over the years either on foot or on the Q18 bus to Maspeth. It is one of the few buildings on the south side of the BQE that have survived over the decades. In the front is what’s called a “privilege sign”; originally, Coca-Cola or some other sponsor would foot the bill for the sign provided ads for the product were located on the sign. This is a particularly handsome example in red and white. Other such signs are most commonly in green and gold. This one is very well preserved and in unusual colors. One of these days, I’ll meander in for a pack of gum.
Laurel Hill Boulevard, which is mostly the BQE service road, has a rich history and is among Queens’ oldest roads. Of course, I covered it in 2020.
The Corner Deli was there in 1940, as shown in this tax photo, but had no name; it must have been called “the corner deli” over the years. In the window, we see some brands still in existence today like Schaefer Beer, 7 Up and Coca Cola, as well as some that survived into my youth in the 1960s but don’t seem to have wide distribution in NYC anymore, like Hoffman Beverages (I enjoyed the orange and grape sodas) and Salada Tea, founded in 1892 and very well-marketed in NYC for decades. I can’t find the derivation of the term “salada” and as a kid, I always thought it was contracted from “that’s a lotta tea.” For all I know, I might be right.
Our house was a Tetley house. The old man was a two fisted tea drinker, two teabags per cup, augmenting with evaporated milk and later, Golden Blossom Honey. I’d say he had 4 or five cups daily when he was at home. (Like me, he never drank coffee.) He did not use sugar. In summers, my grandmother brewed pitchers full of the best iced tea you ever had and used the Arnold Palmer method before the golf hall of famer did, with the liberal use of lemon juice.
Check out the ForgottenBook, take a look at the gift shop. As always, “comment…as you see fit.” I earn a small payment when you click on any ad on the site.
3/14/25