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Dundas Castle
The Dundas Castle, sometimes called the Craig-E Clair Castle, is an abandoned, medieval stone castle-style mansion located in Roscoe, New York. Originally home to a summer lodge built by Bradford Lee Gilbert in the early 1880s, the land was sold in 1911 after Gilbert passed away. In 1915, Ralph Wurts-Dundas acquired the property and began to construct his castle, but he died in 1921 before it was completed. In 1922, Dundas’s wife was committed to a sanatarium and following a series of misfortunes the couple’s only daughter, Muriel Harmer Wurts-Dundas, was committed as well. No Dundas ever got the chance to live in their eponymous castle.
The property cycled through a variety of uses, including serving as host for a children’s summer camp, before it was purchased by a group of Masons to use as a retreat. Although the Masons still own the castle, it currently sits empty, with open windows and peeling paint, vulnerable to the destructive nature of the elements and local vandals.
The Dundas Castle was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. There is a main access road to the castle but there is a private house near the entrance and its inhabitants are not amenable to visitors. The property is also accessible by parking on a side road and hiking up a steep hill, but I’d caution against actually trying to get inside of the house (I’ve never tried so hard to get inside a structure with so little payoff).
The draw of a grand, fairytale-like castle rotting away in the woods is obvious, and despite the abundant ‘no trespassing’ signs this is definitely the most popular of all the abandoned buildings I’ve visited. There were several other couples and groups of people exploring in and out of the house while we were there, silently acknowledging each other as we explored various points of entry. Despite—or perhaps because of—its popularity, the castle appeared to be newly secured, complete with security cameras, several satellite dishes and what appeared to be a working internet router in one of the empty rooms.
Because I was sure that we were being monitored, we didn’t spend too much time inside of the castle. The bones of the house have some interesting architectural details (I love those arched doorways), but because it was never properly inhabited the interior isn’t as interesting as I had hoped. Picking through the stuff left behind is my favorite part of exploring abandoned spaces, but there isn’t much here besides fixtures such as radiators, bathtubs and a cast iron stove.
Muffler Men: Crystal Lake
Although Muffler Men are much more plentiful than their female counterparts, the UniRoyal Gals, or other fiberglass giants such as Big Johns, they’re still pretty scattered around the country. I doubt I’ll ever see them all—not for lack of trying—but I feel as if I’ve hit the roadside jackpot when I can cross more than one off my list at once.
Crystal Lake, Illinois, a suburb about an hour northwest of Chicago, used to be home to three Muffler Men—two Bunyans and a Native American (only my second time seeing this variant). One of the Bunyans is not currently on display, but getting to meet two new Muffler Men at once was a treat. It was also my friend Francesca’s first time seeing a roadside giant in person, and it’s always a thrill to be able to see things from a fresh perspective.
You can’t be my friend and not at least acquire a cursory understanding of roadside attractions, but she was still surprised at how detailed they were—which proves that there really is no substitute for visiting places and seeing things in real life. Both Muffler Men are mysteriously missing their feet (and wearing the same mustard-colored pants), but they’re otherwise well-cared for. The Amish-style beard is a bit of a head-scratcher, but I love painted details like the hint of plaid, the crossed suspenders and the knuckle wrinkles.
Both of the big statues that currently reside at The Greenhouse of Crystal Lake originally stood at the Ozzi Waterpark in Palatine, Illinois. The waterpark closed in the early 2000s and the property was sold to build a new retail strip mall. I’m not sure how the giants came to reside at the Greenhouse, 30 minutes northwest of their original home, but I’m glad their philosophy appears to be, if one Muffler Man is good for business, two is even better.
The Greenhouse of Crystal Lake
4317 S IL Route 31
Crystal Lake, Illinois
Even if the greenhouse itself is closed, you can still see these guys by pulling into the parking lot.
Happy Friday!
Illustrations by Lindsey Frances
Things that have happened recently:
My friend Trent was interviewed by thekitchn.com about his quest to cook every Ina Garten recipe. You can follow along with his journey (he’s halfway through nearly 1,200 recipes!) on Instagram—come for the mouthwatering food photos, stay for the hilarious photoshopped photos.
Lin-Manuel Miranda and his friends have purchased the Drama Book shop to save it from shuttering. I wish I could purchase all the classic businesses that need saving, and New York needs more Lin-Manuel Mirandas.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has proposed a higher tax on high earners to fund the Green New Deal, which means that "Once you get to the tippie-tops, on your $10 millionth dollar, sometimes you see tax rates as high as 60% or 70%. That doesn't mean all $10 million dollars are taxed at an extremely high rate. But it means that as you climb up this ladder, you should be contributing more," Ocasio-Cortez said. Here’s why that would totally work (and despite what our current garbage administration would like you to believe, climate change is an actual threat to all of us).
Things to do in New York this week:
Today is the first day of Jerry Seinfeld’s residency at the Beacon Theater, which I would love to see—if tickets weren’t INSANELY expensive.
Celebrate Alexander Hamilton’s birthday (he was born today, 262 years ago) by taking a tour of his house, located in (appropriately) Hamilton Heights.
On the Basis of Sex, the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic gets a wide release today. Go see it and send some good, healing vibes to RBG—she needs them and god knows we need her (I’m seeing it tomorrow!).
Things I have discovered recently:
I can’t stop thinking about this incredible article about the “burnout” phenomenon. She focuses on its effect on millennials, but I would argue that anyone living and working in today’s “hustle” culture is equally affected.
The wonderful world of Mouseland, what if dinosaurs had hair and an eloquent defense of a childless life.
I just started watching Good Girls—starring my fantasy wife, Mae Whitman and my new fantasy best friend, Retta—and it’s so good! Season One is currently streaming on Netflix.
It’s supposed to be pretty cold here this weekend, so I’ve been making mostly indoor plans including diner breakfast (of course), a movie and maybe a trip to the Transit Museum—I just became a member and it’s been a while since my last visit. It probably wasn’t wise to begin my cemetery project in the middle of winter, but maybe I’ll find the energy to visit a few new ones this weekend. Otherwise, I’m in full hibernation mode, mentally. Ever since I bought myself a new vacuum on cyber Monday because I’m actually 80 years old, I’ve been happy to spend my weekends cleaning my tiny apartment and snuggling with Mozart (on her terms, of course). Have a great weekend and stay warm if you’re in the northeast!
Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut, who ruled from about 1493 to 1479 BCE, was the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. She was the second confirmed female pharaoh to rule Egypt and she was the daughter, sister, and wife of a king. Thutmose I was her father and Thutmose II (her half-brother, ew) was her husband. Originally, she ruled jointly with her step-son, Thutmose III—who ascended to the throne when he was just two years old—but she later assumed the full powers of a pharaoh herself.
She directed artists to depict her as a male—sometimes with a beard and large muscles—in many of her images and sculptures. This, coupled with the fact that Thutmose III had almost all of the evidence of his step-mother’s rule eradicated (like a typical man), meant that she remained largely unknown to scholars until the 19th century.
Hatshepsut extended Egyptian trade and lead ambitious building projects, the most notable of which is her Mortuary Temple at Deir el-Bahri, located on the west bank on the Nile, near Luxor. The necropolis includes several mortuary temples and tombs, but the centerpiece is the tiered colonnaded structure, designed and built by Hatshepsut’s royal steward, architect and possible-lover, Senenmut. The 97-foot-tall structure comprises three terraces, connected by long ramps and is built into a steep cliff.
Like Abu Simbel, the temple is striking not only in scale but in its placement, both things that photos can’t possibly convey. What I’ll remember most about our visit to Deir el-Bahri is how blazingly hot it was—temperatures exceeding 100 F in the midday sun are not the ideal conditions in which to focus, but we did our best. There is a café located near the temple and they had reasonably priced cans of Pringles and blessedly cold drinks, which was a godsend for me at this point in our trip (never underestimate the restorative powers of a cold soda and a salty snack).
The Mortuary Temple had been largely destroyed over time, and The Polish Academy of Sciences has done extensive restoration work on the site. Most of the statue and ornamentation has been stolen or destroyed, but so much statuary was produced during her reign that almost every major museum has a piece of Hatshepsut in their collection—the Metropolitan Museum of Art has an entire room dedicated to her.
There are two temples on each end of the second terrace, one dedicated to Anubis and one to the goddess Hathor. Hathor is an ancient Egyptian goddess usually shown as a woman with the head of a cow, ears of a cow, or as a literal cow (check out that necklace on the cow relief above). She is one of the only gods depicted as front facing, instead of in profile, and she was especially important to Hatshepsut, a woman in power.
Hatshepsut died when she was in her mid-40s or early 50s and she was buried behind Deir el-Bahri in the Valley of the Kings. In 1903, Howard Carter discovered Hatshepsut’s sarcophagus but it was empty. In 2007, a mummy, that had been discovered in the tomb of Hatshepsut's royal nurse, was removed from the Valley by Dr. Zahi Hawass. It was missing a tooth, Hatshepsut's existing molar fit and DNA evidence confirmed the match. Her mummy currently resides in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
In November of 1997, 62 people—mostly foreign tourists—were killed at Deir el-Bahari. Members of an Egyptian Islamist organization, armed with automatic weapons and knives, killed two armed guards and then trapped the tourists inside the temple, where they were eventually killed. Bad people and evil acts exist everywhere, but it’s awful to think that such a horrific act could occur at such an impressive and sacred place. Men had once tried to erase Hatshepsut from the history books and men have since tried to scare tourists away from visiting the wonders of Egypt, but luckily, neither have succeeded.
Abandoned Trailer Park: 2018
I first visited this abandoned trailer park in 2017. Kaylah of The Dainty Squid generously offered to show me and a friend around some abandoned spots in Ohio, but this trailer park was by far the highlight of our day. When I realized that my friend Shannon and I would be driving right by it on my recent trip back home, I couldn’t not stop.
The trailer park is in a pretty remote location, and honestly, I have no clue how you’d ever find it without being told exactly where to look (thanks again Kaylah!). Despite its seclusion, the cabins and trailers had much less stuff inside of them than they did a year ago, and everything was significantly more damaged.
The only thing of note still remaining is that perfectly spooky stack of books (minus, intriguingly, The Nixon Recession Caper). I took a nearly identical, if not better, photo of it back in 2017. My favorite is still Hearse Class Male, which I know for a fact is available on Amazon, because I just sent a copy to my friend JMP as a joke (but also, consider me intrigued—honorable mention goes to Uneasy Lies the Dead).
I still can’t find much information about this park, or why it appears as if everyone picked up and left at the same time without taking their possessions. Isn’t that the point of owning a trailer, that you can take it with you when you go? Most abandoned places have a post-apocalyptic feel to them, but this place even more so. To make matters even more mysterious, there is an active trailer park located very close by, and I’d imagine that this waterfront property was, at least at some point, considered desirable.
The contrast between what was obviously a once-vibrant vacation community and the twisted, rusty metal hulks that remain is staggering. Several of the cabins appear to have been set on fire, most have collapsed roofs, doors hang open and glass is shattered. I always wonder how places like this decay exactly—is it simply nature wreaking havoc, or do people seize the rare opportunity to destroy without consequences, taking out their frustrations by toppling refrigerators and smashing TVs?
It’s thrilling to explore off-the-grid places like this park, of course, but there’s sadness as well. Human touches like the stack of books or personalized trailers like the Serenity or The Escape Hutch allude to the lives once lived here but leave us only with questions—were the people who lived here happy, were they part-time residents, where did they all go, and most importantly, why did they leave in the first place?
Having the opportunity to revisit abandoned locations is not something to be taken for granted. The very nature of abandoned spots demands immediacy and there are no guarantees of what you’ll find (if anything) when you return. Documenting the way a spot evolves and changes is just as interesting to me as exploring a place for the first time and I can only hope that I have a chance to see this park again in the future.
Muffler Man: Frankenstein
The first of four Muffler Man that I met on my recent Chicago/Iowa/Wisconsin road trip was this Frankenstein, located in Burbank, Illinois at the Haunted Trails Family Entertainment Center. Haunted Trails is about eight miles east of Historic Route 66, and about 30 minutes southwest of Chicago.
In hindsight, December is probably the worst month to take a road trip because most seasonal businesses are closed and there is very limited daylight. Although Haunted Trails is open year-round, the outdoor part of the park—where the Muffler Man is located—was closed when I arrived. Luckily, a very nice manager opened the gate for me and allowed me all the time I needed to take photos (unluckily, the sun was in the absolutely worst position for photos, but these are the risks you’re traveling with limited time).
This Frankenmufflerman’s origins are a bit of a mystery, but he allegedly came to the Haunted Trails sometime in the 1970s. International Fiberglass—makers of the traditional Muffler Men—went out of business in the early ‘70s, so American Giants theorizes that Creative Display, a fiberglass manufacturer located in Sparta, Wisconsin, used either a Muffler Man mold or parts of an actual Muffler Man to create this variant.
Although at first glance he appears similar to the standard Muffler Men, upon closer inspection you’ll notice some differences. The pants and hand positions are the most Muffler Man-like features, while the head, shoulders and axe all appear to be custom pieces. He has a wonderful, gruesome paint job and the iron bar stuck though his neck is a nice detail.
Haunted Trails is kind of like a creepy Chuck E. Cheese, and although I only took a brief survey of their offerings, I think it’s definitely the kind of place where I would have loved to have my birthday party when I was a kid—or, even now. I also loved the several screaming ghost trashcans that were scattered around and they prove my life philosophy that just because something is utilitarian, doesn’t mean it can’t also be whimsical.
Haunted Trails Family Entertainment Center
7759 S. Harlem Avenue,
Burbank, IL
Open year-round, but you’ll need special permissions to get up-close and personal with the Muffler Man in the off-season.
Happy Friday!
Illustration by Lindsey Frances / Download a free printable calendar here
Things that happened recently:
Egg roll squirrel is my 2019 aesthetic.
Jada Yuan traveled to 52 places in 2018 for the New York Times and she recently wrote this insightful recap of her extraordinary year. Speaking of travel, here’s how not to be an asshole when you travel, and here are some places you should probably take off of your travel list.
President Elizabeth Warren? Despite the face that literally anyone would be better than the current sentient meat sack, I’m in.
Things to do in New York this week:
Sunday is the last day for the NYC Winter Lantern Festival at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Garden in Staten Island. Here are some photos from Snug Harbor—in the summer and in the winter—and the hidden cemetery nearby.
Sunday is also the 22nd Annual Brooklyn Three Kings Parade, which kicks off at 2:00 pm at the intersection of Meeker Avenue and Graham Avenue in Williamsburg.
Monday is your last chance to see this year’s Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center (here’s a guide to other holiday delights in New York, if you’re not ready to let the holiday spirit go yet).
Things I’ve discovered recently:
What if the placebo effect isn’t a trick?
I’ve been slowly picking up my reading pace after taking a few weeks off at the end of the year (much-deserved, I think!) and I’m loving this memoir by folksinger Dave Van Ronk. He says that everyone who moves to New York feels as if they arrived ten years too late, and that really resonated with me especially since I’m deep in mourning from the (inevitable and seemingly constant) loss of New York staples like the Pearl Street Diner.
It’s killing me that I’ll never be able to go back in time and see these in real life.
After a few weeks of road trips and what felt like constant plane travel (four flights around the holidays is four too many!), I’m happy to be back in New York for the foreseeable future. I’m looking forward to diner breakfasts, city adventures and catching up on movies (I just signed up for the AMC Stubs A-List program, so I can see three movies a week for just $19.99 a month, which seems almost too good to be true!). Speaking of movies, I watched Bird Box (like everyone else in the world) and liked it, Life Itself and hated it (despite the obvious joy of watching Oscar Isaac do literally anything) and I’ve been told I’d like Roma so I’ll probably watch that this weekend. I just put a bunch of books on my hold list at the library—I’m most excited to start this one next week—and I’m ready to start crushing my 2019 reading challenge. Have a great weekend, and I hope your new year is off to an excellent start!
Barkaloo Cemetery
When I started my new Instagram account to track my progress as I attempt to visit every cemetery in the five boroughs (follow along here!), I received a tip from a fellow explorer, pointing me toward the Barkaloo Cemetery. The tiny family cemetery, located in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn is smaller than Manhattan’s smallest graveyard and contains just two tombstones and two commemorative markers. Not everyone interred here still has a marker—21 people were buried at the corner of Narrows Avenue and Mackay Place from the 1720s until the last burial, an unnamed infant, in 1848.
The current cemetery is what remains of the Barkaloos’ private family burial plot, once a part of their larger property. In 1984, the Bay Ridge Historical Society erected a granite marker which lists the names of the cemetery’s permanent residents along with their birth and death dates. There are Barkaloos, of course—I’ve seen it spelled several different ways—and others with notable New York names like Cortelyou, Cropsey and Van Wyck.
The boundaries of the cemetery have been redrawn many times and ownership of the cemetery has transferred hands many times throughout the years. Although it has lost most of its markers in the process—the two still standing were erected by the D. A. R. in the 1920s for Revolutionary War veterans Harms Barkulo and Simon Cortelyou—it’s still remarkable that the tiny Barkaloo Cemetery has survived at all when many similar family plots have been lost in the name of progress or property disputes.
Barkaloo Cemetery
34 MacKay Place
Brooklyn, NY
Bono's Historic Orange
Today is my friend Jim’s birthday (go say happy birthday to him!) and I’m missing him more than usual, so I’m coping by reliving a tiny portion of our Route 66 road trip from last year. When Jim moved to California, I was obviously bummed to be losing one of my best friends to the worst coast, but I was also excited to have a reason to visit (and a place to stay in) California. Arguably the mecca of quirky roadside attractions and novelty architecture, I’ve only been to CA twice, but my list of must-sees grows daily.
Bono's Historic Orange is one of six surviving orange-shaped buildings in California. It’s located in Fontana along a stretch of Historic Route 66, 45-minutes from The Donut Hole, and about 20-minutes fromt the Wigwam Motel. Bono's Italian Restaurant opened nearby in 1936 to supplement the revenue from the Bono family farm. The seven-foot-tall orange sits in front of the restaurant on the side of the road and thirsty travelers could buy a glass of orange juice for 10 cents.
The restaurant was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. In 2013, owner Joe Bono (he’s a cousin of Sonny Bono) received permission to move the building 20 feet from the street and said he had plans to reopen the restaurant and the orange stand, but both remained closed when we visited last year. I’m sad that I didn’t get to purchase something orange from the orange-shaped stand (probably my favorite thing to do, ever), but I’m happy that it survives at all.
Bono’s Historic Orange
15395 E Foothill Blvd
Fontana, CA
Best of 2018: Books
I’ve already mentioned it several times—and I don’t wish to keep bragging—but I read 61 books in 2018. Last year, after reading 52 books, I set my Goodreads Reading Challenge a bit higher. I was apprehensive that I’d get burnt out on reading or feel too much pressure to read quickly, but luckily I never felt anything but joyful about reading so much. This was an arbitrary goal I set for myself, and I would have had no qualms about abandoning it if I ever felt negatively towards the challenge. I read the books I wanted to read without regard for length and while sometimes I would finish several in one week, other books demanded a more leisurely pace.
I know that I am happier when I’m reading, so I make time for it. I know 60 books seems like a lot, but I don’t want anyone to feel bad about their own reading pace (unless you’re Donald Trump, in which case fuck you, read a book). Trust me, there are tons of things I “should” be doing—exercising, eating healthier, saving more for retirement, working on my design portfolio—that I feel woefully inadequate about on a daily basis. So please keep in mind that just because I happen to make time for reading (taking public transit is the number one reason why I can read so much), that doesn’t mean I have it all together.
According to Goodreads, I read 19,367 pages in 2018 (3,052 pages more than 2017). The shortest book I read was In Conclusion, Don’t Worry About It, by Lauren Graham and the longest was Broadway: A History of New York in Thirteen Miles, by Fran Leadon. The most popular book was Jurassic Park, by Micheal Crichton, the least popular was Hollywood Obscura, by Brian Clune and the highest rated was The World Only Spins Forward: The Ascent of Angels in America, by Isaac Butler.
🏆 BEST OVERALL 🏆
As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto, edited by Joan Reardon
This collection of letters isn’t even included in the 60 books of my reading challenge—it’s the 61st book I read this year, and also happens to be the best. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end 2018 than blanketed in the warm and fascinating correspondence between two extraordinary women.
Full review to come.
📗 BEST FICTION 📗
Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel
Although I tend to gravitate towards non-fiction, nothing sticks with you like a really great novel. Honoring a recommendation, I started Station Eleven reluctantly, not expecting the post-apocalyptic storyline to really grab me. I was completely wrong, and eight months later I’m still thinking about this haunting story.
📓 BEST NON-FICTION 📓
Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America, by Beth Macy
This was the category for me with the most competition this year, and Zeitoun, The World Only Spins Forward and I’ll Be Gone in the Dark are all contenders. But I think that Dopesick was the most eye-opening and maddening book I read this year, and it should be required reading for any American struggling to understand the opioid epidemic.
🔬 BEST SCIENCE 🔬
Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer, by Barbara Ehrenreich
I didn’t read as many death-related books this year as I have in the past—maybe because the world is depressing enough. But this book was a fascinating look at the health and wellness industry from someone who knows it well. Ehrenreich holds a PhD in cellular immunology and now that she's in her 70s, has decided that she is "old enough to die," meaning that she has chosen to forgo any unnecessary medical treatment and preventative screenings—a concept that is revolutionary and potentially life-changing no matter how old you are.
👨🏻 BEST MEMOIR 👨🏻
I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend, by Martin Short
Short’s memoir is just as funny as you’d expect it to be—he is the creator of one of the best characters of all time, Jiminy Glick, after all—but it’s also surprisingly heartfelt and inspirational. Short has suffered more than his fair share of real tragedies throughout his life, but he remains infectiously optimistic.
😂 BEST HUMOR 😂
Meaty: Essays, by Samantha Irby
Last year I picked Irby’s second essay collection, We Are Never Meeting in Life, for this category. This year I finally tracked down her first book, Meaty (which has since been re-released) and it’s just as good as everything I’ve ever read by Irby—including her Instagram and Twitter feeds, which are worth a scroll through—which is to say it’s laugh-out-loud hilarious. Irby also somehow manages to be extremely insightful about some really heavy topics in between the laughs and although she’s already made it quite clear that it’s not happening, I still dream of one day becoming her friend in real life.
Happy Friday!
Illustration by Lindsey Frances
Things that happened recently:
The government is currently shut down because our President is a petulant child.
I’m skeptical of A.I. assistants, but how can you not love this commercial for Google Home?
2018, in photos.
Things to do in New York this week:
Tours of New York City’s largest prop house, Eclectic/Encore Props, aren’t usually offered on the weekends but there is one this Saturday via the NY Adventure Club. You can see photos from when I took the tour here.
The only NYE party I’d ever consider paying for is the one at the Olive Garden in Times Square.
It seems like pretty much everyone I know has gone to, and loved, the Hilma af Klint exhibit at the Guggenheim, on display now until February 3rd.
Things I’ve discovered recently:
If I could just sleep until 9am every day I think my life would vastly improve, and I’m not alone—80 percent of people have work schedules that clash with their internal clocks.
I’ve decided that the first thing I’m going to treat myself to in 2019 is my very own squatty potty.
You can catch up on all four seasons of the best show of 2018, Schitt’s Creek, on the PopTV app (including the bonus holiday special), and Vogue recently published this interview with Dan Levy about the show’s incredible fashion. Ew, David.
I recently spent a few days in Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois visiting roadside attractions, eating my weight in cinnamon rolls and enjoying that famous MidWestern hospitality. I came back to New York to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my mom, and then I headed back west to Ohio, where I’ll be until the 31st. I’m not looking forward to starting the New Year in a cubicle (RIP my own office), but I do love the beginning of a new year and the feeling that anything can happen. I don’t make resolutions, but I hope my 2019 is filled with more road trips, diner breakfasts, good books and all the whimsy I can find. The world can feel dark and hopeless, but there are bright spots too—I hope you can find and spread some joy in 2019, whatever that means to you!
Pearl Street Diner
In 2014, I decided to visit all five of the last standalone diners in Manhattan. I later found out there was a sixth—Hector’s under the Highline—but the Market Diner has since been demolished, bringing the total back down to five. A standalone diner is one that isn’t in a traditional storefront, but is a one-story structure that could, presumably, stand on its own. These are rare in the city for obvious reasons and the ones that remain are seriously endangered.
The Pearl Street Diner, located in the Financial District, is the latest diner to be living on borrowed time. Permits were recently filed to build a 21-story hotel at 212 Pearl Street, which presumably means the end of yet another classic diner. No closing date has been set—so I’m hoping for a miracle—but after seeing the Market Diner reduced to rubble for similar reasons, I’m having a hard time believing that the Pearl will live on.
The Pearl Street Diner is an anomaly for several reasons—it’s positively dwarfed by the high rise buildings towering around it, and it’s one of the only reliable places to get a reasonably-priced breakfast on the weekend in an area that still mostly serves office workers on the weekdays. The Pearl has been serving classic diner food since 1962 and it was flooded during Superstorm Sandy but managed to reopen.
The Pearl Street Diner has all the hallmarks of a classic diner: large menus, cheap prices, overworked waitresses, vinyl booths and one of the best neon signs I’ve ever seen. In what I can only see now as a bad omen, the letters in the sign have slowly been going dim since I first visited in 2014, and one side is now completely burnt out. The Pearl also has the distinction of having the tiniest bathroom I’ve ever seen—how cute is that miniature pink sink?
I try to eat at a diner at least once a week, but I’ve been the Pearl more times than I can count. It was the place my mom and I would eat before catching the ferry to IKEA; Francesca and I had breakfast there before we explored an abandoned Staten Island hospital; it’s where I invited my mom to accompany me to the abandoned Farm Colony; Jim and I ate there before our muddy Staten Island adventure, and I ate breakfast at the Pearl before I climbing into the crown of the Statue of Liberty.
There’s a reason that most TV shows and movies feature at least one scene of characters having a heart-to-heart in a classic diner booth. Diners are living spaces, where the coffee invites conversation and the counter stools breed camaraderie. They are comforting but unique, democratizing spaces open to everyone from Jennifer Lawrence (who I recently saw at the Square Diner in TriBeCa) to someone who can barely scrape enough change together for a cup of coffee. When you demolish a diner, you’re demolishing 50 years of stories told through the coffee stains and worn booths—and no luxury condo or boutique hotel is worth that loss.
Pearl Street Diner
212 Pearl Street
New York, NY
American Treasure Tour
Back in August, on the first day of our road trip, I parked in a large, mostly empty parking lot next to a former tire factory. My mom, who prefers not to know most of our road trip stops ahead of time, was confused. Even I was wondering if I had the right location, but just a few minutes later we found ourselves in the middle of one of the most eclectic, enormous collections I’ve ever seen. The American Treasure Tour, located in a 100,000 square foot facility in Oaks, Pennsylvania, is the work of one, anonymous collector.
The facility is open for tours Thursdays through Sunday, but we were the only ones there on a Friday afternoon. Visitors are allowed to wander through portions of the collection on their own, but the guided tram tour is where you see the majority of the mind-boggling amount of stuff.
It’s probably easier to say what isn’t in the collection (if there’s anything actually missing)—but on the tour you’ll see mannequins, wax figures, stuffed animals, miniatures, doll houses, pianos, classic cars, holiday decorations, dolls, radios, signs, wheelchairs, bicycles, movie posters, circus wagons, pipe organs and pretty much anything else you can possibly imagine.
The collection also includes an enormous shoe, the World’s Largest Slinky and the World’s Largest Popsicle Stick Castle, made from nearly 400,000 popsicle sticks. Perhaps the most whimsical thing about the tour is that so many things move or make sound—animated window display figures do flips and Wurlitzer organs play in harmony as you slowly make your way around the complex.
The American Treasure Tour is impressive not just for its scale, but for its organization and cleanliness—when the entire collection has been dusted, the process immediately starts over again at the beginning. I’m dying to know more about the owner, who has been collecting for more than 50 years with no end in sight—our tour guide said that new pieces appear frequently.
They say one man’s trash is another’s treasure and that’s true here to the extreme. I appreciate the equalizing nature of the collection, with no one thing appearing to hold more significance than another—priceless cars are parked right next to old Chuck E. Cheese figurines and cheap, creepy dolls are perched on one-of-a-kind antiques, proving that under the right circumstances, everything—even a lowly popsicle stick—can have value.
American Treasure Tour
One American Treasure Way
Oaks, PA
Don’t miss the Happy Halfwit Muffler Man around the corner at Arnold’s Family Fun Center
Gift Guide: Book Lovers
I have always been an unabashed book nerd. I used to salivate over the Scholastic Book flyers and I earned more personal pan pizzas at Pizza Hut through the Book It program (which is still going on??) than any kid should ever eat in one lifetime. I have very vivid memories of spending a significant portion of my childhood in the library, and I was once a member of the Wishbone fan club. There were some years as an adult that I barely read, and looking back I know now that I’m my happiest when I’m reading voraciously. This year I’ve read 61 books and I’m looking forward to keeping up the pace next year. So grab your library card and a book light and browse this gift guide for the book lover in your life.
1 / Most days, I use one of my many Strand totes as my main bag and I just can’t stop buying more. They’re constantly debuting new designs and it’s impossible to just pick one.
2 / Christmas cards for the book obsessed.
3 / Wear your favorite quote literary quote.
4 / Hang this mini version of a famous NYPL lion on your tree—will you get Patience or Fortitude?
5 / I don’t know why I love gnomes so much, but everyone is cuter when they’re reading.
6 / A pack of bookmarks for the person who is always marking her place with an old receipt.
1 / A tiny, wearable bookmobile.
2 / Mozart is always laying on my stuff so this pin is a good depiction of my life.
3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 8 / 10 / Some of my favorite books that anyone should love: Nothing to Envy, We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, The Westing Game, The Road to Jonestown, As Always, Julia and A Gentleman in Moscow.
7 / I’m old enough to remember the physical cards in library books, so I love these socks.
1 / Keep a reminder of the beloved Strand dollar racks with you at all times.
2 / Very true.
3 / The titles of notorious banned books are revealed when you fill this mug with warm liquid.
4 / I’m also old enough to remember physical card catalogs, so I love this notecard set.
5 / I was gifted this NYPL tote this year and it’s so well-made and beautiful in person.
6 / Not sure if this Old Books candle actually smells good, but I do love the smell of actual old books.
Books just might be the very perfect holiday gift—they’re cheap, easy-to-wrap and the very best ones are life-altering. Also, if you’re a last-minute shopper, most books can be purchased on Amazon with two-day shipping or—even better—head down to your local bookstore. Physical bookstores don’t only have books, but usually sell a large selection of totes, cards and other cute little tchotckes that make great gifts.
Some of the best books I read this year: Dopesick / Let the Great World Spin / The Museum of Extraordinary Things / I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend / The Hate U Give
Luxor Temple
Luxor Temple is located on the east bank of the Nile, in the Upper Egyptian city Luxor. There are several temples in Luxor, including Karnak, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Ramesseum. Construction on Luxor was begun by Amenhotep III (1390-52 BCE), completed by Tutankhamun and Horemheb and then added to by Rameses II. Like Abu Simbel, the entrance to Luxor is flanked by six massive statues of Rameses, two seated and four standing (all that remains of one is the pedestal).
Our tour group received special permission to visit Luxor at night, and thus had the entire complex to ourselves. This was easily one of the best perks that our tour offered, and being able to explore a popular tourist site with just a handful of other people was just as wonderful as it sounds.
Originally, there were two pink granite obelisks standing on either side of the entrance—obelisks usually came in pairs, but most of them have been moved out of Egypt over the years. The second Luxor obelisk currently stands in the the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The remaining 82-foot-tall obelisk sits on a base adorned with four sacred baboons.
Present-day Luxor was once called Thebes, and from medieval times people were living in and around the temple. Accumulated garbage and sand once covered three-quarters of the temple. When Luxor was excavated in the 1960s, a mosque built inside of the temple was preserved and remains active today. In ancient times, a 1.5 mile-long avenue lined with 1,350 human-headed sphinx statues connected Karnak and Luxor temples and is currently undergoing restoration.
The complex includes a colonnade of open-flower papyrus columns and a hypostyle hall, with some of the columns still retaining traces of their once-bright colors. There are several statues inside of the temple, including two representing Tutankhamun, but on each his name has been replaced by that of Rameses II (was he basically the Ancient Egyptian Donald Trump?).
Route 66: Albuquerque to Santa Rosa
This may actually be the last post about my AZ/NM Route 66 road trip—a trip I took back in the beginning of June. I’ve tried to space out the posts to prevent neon sign overload (is there even such a thing?), but we squeezed so much into just a few days that it’s truly taken me six months to process the entire trip. I’m about to leave tomorrow on another five-day trip—which will include a few stops at the very beginning of Route 66—so I’m currently operating at the height of my pre-road trip excitement.
Before I decided to add Tucumcari to my itinerary at the last minute, Albuquerque was as far east as we were going to go in New Mexico. My friend Tag is from New Mexico and he was very generous with his tips on what to see while we were in town. Albuquerque is the most populous city in New Mexico and it’s divided into quadrants by Central Avenue. Central Avenue was part of old Route 66 from 1937 until the highway was officially decommissioned in 1985, but the area began to decline economically when Interstate 40 was built in the ‘60s.
We only spent a day and a half in ABQ, but we drove the length of Central Avenue, visited a few Breaking Bad filming locations, explored a cemetery, ate at the Dog House and met a few local giants.
We stayed for one night at the Monterey Non-Smokers Motel located in the Old Town neighborhood. The location was excellent—right on Central Avenue and adjacent to several other historic motels and restaurants—the room was clean and the staff was friendly. I can’t think of one time that I’ve been let down by choosing a motel or restaurant based solely on its signage and the Monterey Motel neon sign looks just as good in the daylight as it does lit up at night.
A lot of the motels on Central Avenue have fallen into disrepair or have a bad reputation, but it’s not all doom and gloom in ABQ. The El Vado Motel, located right next to the Monterey, has recently undergone an $18 million renovation. Opened in 1937, the El Vado sat vacant for several years after it closed in 2005. The previous owner had wanted to tear down the motel and build luxury townhouses, but the city fought to seize the property (something we could use more of here in New York).
In the morning, we had breakfast at the El Camino Dining Room, located on a section of the pre-1937 alignment of the Mother Road, and right across from arguably the best sign in ABQ, the El Camino Motor Hotel. The El Camino was built in 1950 and is now owned by a local mother and daughter—the green chile huevos rancheros was excellent, and the classic diner decor is perfect.
On my way from ABQ to Tucumcari, I couldn’t resist stopping at Clines Corners, a rest stop serving Route 66 travelers since 1934. After the build up—like South of the Border, billboards herald its arrival for miles—it was a bit of a let down, but it’s a good place to use the restroom or shop for New Mexico souvenirs.
Located about halfway between ABQ and Tucumcari is the tiny town of Santa Rosa. Despite its desert-like climate, Santa Rosa has several natural lakes and was once a booming Route 66 town. I passed several diners with excellent signs but unfortunately didn’t have the time to stop for more than a few quick photos. In 1940, Santa Rosa was featured in John Ford’s adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath, but like most other Route 66 towns it feels as if time really stopped in the 1960s.
Holiday Windows 2018: Bergdorf Goodman
Bergdorf Goodman remains the undefeated champion of the New York Holiday Window scene for the sixth year in a row, according to me (and my mom). Although not as good as some previous years’ windows, BG’s displays are always leaps and bounds above their competitors’.
This year’s theme is “Bergdorf Goodies,” and I always appreciate a good name pun. Their Fifth Avenue windows all feature sweet holiday treats: neon cakes, chocolates, macarons, licorice, and gingerbread. Because Bergdorf is still a store trying to sell its designer fashions, each window features a mannequin wearing a coordinating fashion confection. As always, the craftsmanship and attention to detail is out of this world and I wish you could walk around inside of, and view the windows from all angles to take in every little piece.
I made the mistake of only viewing these windows once, during the day on a weekend. Although the sidewalk in front of BG is unusually wide, it still gets clogged with tourists all jockeying to get a photo of the windows. In past years I’ve tried to see the windows at night as well, but the best time to go is before Thanksgiving—the windows are usually unveiled a week before Black Friday, but aren’t as popular on the weeknights prior.
Last year I actually went inside of Bergdorf Goodman for the first time and it was definitely an experience. It’s a large store but somehow feels claustrophobic and their prices are insanely high—I’m obviously not the target customer, but it was fun to pretend I could have been while I scrambled to find the half-priced Christmas ornaments.
Bergdorf Goodman
Fifth Avenue btwn 57th and 59th Streets
New York, NY
Gift Guide: I ♥ New York
It’s no secret that I love New York. I first visited the city when I was 14, and I sent my sister a postcard proclaiming that I was going “move here as soon as possible!” ASAP turned out to be 13 years later, but with more than five years under my belt as a New Yorker, I don’t plan on leaving any time soon. Sure the city is crowded and smelly and loud. But it’s also exciting and diverse and sometimes downright magical. So grab a street pretzel and a dirty water dog and browse this gift guide for the New Yorker (physically or mentally) in your life.
1 / I spend far too much on paper goods from Rifle Paper Co. every year, but I just can’t resist their cards, calendars and prints.
2 / Hang Zoltar on your tree and then go visit him at Coney Island— he’s located right next to Grandmother’s Predictions, underneath the Wonder Wheel.
3 / Hang this subway car ornament on your tree twenty minutes after the rest of your ornaments for a true MTA experience.
4 / Toast to the New Year with this Brooklyn Brewery glass, featuring the classic Milton Glaser logo (and take a free tour of their Williamsburg factory).
5 / The Strand is famous for their totes (and mouth-watering dollar book section) but these little zippered pouches are just as cute and versatile.
6 / I have pretty much every single item ever made featuring the classic “We Are Happy To Serve You” Greek coffee cup, but this plush cup is the most ridiculous (and cute).
7 / My love of Mister Softee runs deep enough to want this pillow for my couch.
8 / Proclaim your allegiance for a certain subway line with these glass ball ornaments (the D is my favorite train, but the A/C ornaments would also be appropriate for me).
1 / I love these city storefront watercolor prints from Lindsey. There are four different ones available in my shop, but the Cafe Reggio one is my favorite. She’s also available for commissions if there’s a specific scene/store/city you’d like her to paint.
2 / There’s a vintage key tag for every neighborhood, show and interest you can think of, but You’ve Got Mail is the perfect movie and “thank your” will always me laugh.
3 / Before I ever moved to New York, I took a subway token to a jeweler to have a custom necklace made, but now you can buy them directly from the Transit Museum.
4 / Broadway: A History of New York City in Thirteen Miles will make you want to walk the entire length of Broadway (and also, wish you could go back in time).
5 / Keep some of New York City’s famous “champagne of tap waters” with you at all times with this portable water bottle.
6 / Read all about Roosevelt Island’s sordid history, and then go see what it’s like today.
7 / Massimo Vignelli’s 1972 subway map was more beautiful than it was functional, so maybe it’s more useful as a pair of socks than as an actual directional aide.
8 / I’ve yet to see The Nutcracker ballet, preformed every year at Lincoln Center, but I do have one of these ornaments.
9 / Dr. Couney exhibited infants in incubators at Coney Island and in the process saved thousands of lives. This is the fascinating account of a true story that is truly stranger than fiction.
1 / I told you I can’t resist coffee cup-themed items, and this print is still one of my favorites. Get free domestic shipping with the code HOLIDAYFREESHIP or save 20% off of your entire order with the code TREATYOSELF20 at checkout.
2 / I know Sex & the City put Magnolia Bakery on the map—and the resulting hordes of tourists made visiting its West Village location insufferable—but I still think they have the best cupcakes in the city. It’s a bit pricey to ship their treats directly, but I would pay anything for a tub of their divine banana pudding.
3 / This Sputnik Chandelier Ornament is modeled after the Met Opera’s famous chandeliers, but even if you’re not an opera fan it still looks festive.
4 / Display this sanitary grade magnet in your kitchen to put your dinner guests at ease.
5 / Mother Pigeon is my favorite New York City installation artist, and you can “adopt” one of her cute creations.
6 / I’m not sure why, but I’m fascinated by New York City’s trash and I’ve always loved the sanitation department’s medical-inspired logo.
7 / It’s hard to choose any one thing from Fishs Eddy when I literally want everything they sell, but this dish towel from their Boardwalk Collection would look great in any kitchen.
1 / I’m obsessed with the designs on New York City manhole covers and I wish I had space in my apartment for this mat (although, I do always manage to be able to find the space, should anyone be interested in buying this for me 😉).
2 / Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America's Most Storied Hospital is one of the best books I’ve ever read and it’s a must-read if you’re at all interested in medical or city history.
3 / Greenwich Letterpress has the best selection of cards, and “Season’s Eatings” highlights all of the great foods that you can find in New York.
4 / The Collage City Collection is another great pattern from Fishs Eddy (I told you I couldn’t pick just one).
5 / When I first visited New York, I was obsessed with the iconic “brown bags” from Bloomingdale’s so I love this ornament version.
6 / Show your love for the classic Brooklyn accent with this tray from Fishs Eddy’s Brooklynese Collection.
7 / These mini pillows would be great gift for a baby or an adult with a bookshelf (I have several—thanks Katherine!).
8 / Try as I might, I just don’t like eating black-and-white cookies, but I still appreciate their position as a classic New York treat and wouldn’t hesitate to wear this pin.
New York might have a reputation for being pricey, but some of the best things in the city are absolutely free. The Met Museum is still free (or rather, “suggested donation”) to New York residents, The America Museum of Natural History is always pay-what-you-wish (in-person, at the ticket counter) and of course all books are always free at the library (I want, but don’t need, this black card).
Just walking around is the best way to experience New York, or for just $2.75 you could ride the subway all the way from the northern tip of Manhattan to the Rockaways in Queens. I’ve met so many wonderful people in this city, but I’ve lost just as many—to LA (ugh), Portland and even Florida—so all this New Yorker really wants for Christmas is more New York friends willing to explore far-flung corners of the city with her.
My favorite New York places: City Island / Roosevelt Island / Manhattan Cemeteries / Conservatory Garden / Snug Harbor / Flushing Meadows / Coney Island / Dead Horse Bay
The most fantastic thing about the New York Botanical Garden’s annual Orchid Show is the orchids themselves