Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

Arts & Entertainment

Then & Now: Photos Show NYC's Changing Storefronts


By

Jen Carlson

Published Mar 28, 2014

Modified Mar 28, 2014


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

The 2nd Ave Deli was at 2nd Avenue at East 10th Street from 1954 to 2006.

 

Photos courtesy of James & Karla Murray

View all 7


By

Jen Carlson

Published Mar 28, 2014

Modified Mar 28, 2014


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

If you needed further proof that everything is now a Chase bank, condo, or Subway sandwich shop, just click through.

Recently we looked at the shocking transformation at the corner of 2nd Avenue and East 1st Street—where Mars Bar once stood, a sterile condo anchored by a bank has now gone up. And now James and Karla Murray are delivering some additional soul-crushing side by sides.

The photographers behind Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York are revisiting their shots from a decade ago and taking new ones of the locations. Vanishing NY has an interview with them, where they note the most startling changes—including 2nd Avenue Deli into a Chase bank, and of course CBGB into a John Varvatos boutique. Here's a preview of their new heartbreaking project!

Tagged

James and Karla Murray

storefronts

then and now


Jen Carlson

Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE arts-entertainment

Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.

Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.

By

Sonia Rao

Published Oct 16, 2026


Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?

We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.

By

Elizabeth Shwe

and

James Ramsay

Arts & Entertainment

Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?

We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.

By

Elizabeth Shwe

and

James Ramsay


How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years

By

Hannah Frishberg

A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson

By

Sonia Rao

The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?

By

Lindsay Lee Wallace


Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .