Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

Arts & Entertainment

'Counter Culture' offers photographic ode to New York City’s enduring diners

Hannah Frishberg

Published Sep 14, 2026

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 .

A red booth in a diner

Hannah Frishberg

Published Sep 14, 2026

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

The humble diner has long been an icon of Americana, but like many national staples, New York City has its own special variation. In the city, diners are brusquer, busier and more diverse, bastions of a past in a town constantly besieged with change.

James and Karla Murray know this well. The husband and wife architectural photographers have built a career capturing the city’s charms, publishing photo books on its store fronts, its neon signage and its bar. Now, in “Counter Culture: New York City’s Greatest Diners and Luncheonettes” out Tuesday, the couple have turned their cameras to 30 of Manhattan’s diners and luncheonettes, preserving these beloved hubs of good food and good company for posterity and, they hope, present-day appreciation.

The diners, “need customers more than anything,” said Karla in a phone interview, adding that, “We wish [the book] could have come out sooner.”

Barney Greengrass, 541 Amsterdam Avenue, Upper West Side

Four Manhattan diners they featured in the book – Cozy Soup & Burger, Star on 18, Hector’s Cafe and Pearl Diner – closed after decades of service.

“It breaks our heart,” said Karla. “The whole purpose of the book is to highlight these places and bring light to them.”

For the couple, it’s not just a matter of loving retro design and counter stools: New York diners hold a special place in their personal memory as frequent haunts of their early romance. They spent their first date in a diner.

“It was the Coffee Shop on Union Square West. It was a notorious late night spot,” Karla said.

“We shared a grilled cheese and a plate of fries,” James added.

The Coffee Shop closed in 2018. Today, the space it’s a Chase Bank. But as much as that erasure is a New York story, so is the enduring nature of some of the still-open luncheonettes in the book.

EJ’s Luncheonette (exterior), 1271 Third Avenue, Upper East Side

The co-owner of one featured institution, the Lexington Candy Shop, told the couple they haven’t changed a thing since 1948.

“It’s like stepping back in time,” said Karla. The clientele, however, has changed somewhat.

Today, “you get old-timers and you get Instagram folks. They all live together in there,” said James. Such is the beauty of the New York diner.

Below are a selection of images from the Murray’s book “Counter Culture: New York City’s Greatest Diners and Luncheonettes” out on Tuesday, Sept. 15. by Prestel Publishing.

Joe Junior Restaurant (interior), 167 Third Avenue, Gramercy

Joe Junior Restaurant (exterior), 167 Third Avenue, Gramercy

Remedy Diner, 245 East Houston Street, Lower East Side

Revelie Luncheonette (interior), 179 Prince Street, Soho

S&P Lunch, 174 Fifth Avenue, Flatiron District

Veselka, 144 Second Avenue, East Village

Tom’s Restaurant (exterior), 2880 Broadway, Morningside Heights

Tagged

food

manhattan

Hannah Frishberg

Hannah Frishberg covers New York City arts and culture. Got a tip? Email Hannah at [email protected].

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

MORE arts-entertainment

'You Can See Everything' … as long as you go to Staten Island

Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary has been selling out across Manhattan and Brooklyn. Tickets to see the film, however, are very much available in other boroughs.

Sonia Rao

Published Oct 27, 2026

Inside the hidden chamber that controls Lincoln Center's magnificent fountain

Gothamist went behind the scenes to learn how the NYC landmark keeps its majestic waters flowing.

Sonia Rao

Arts & Entertainment

Inside the hidden chamber that controls Lincoln Center's magnificent fountain

Gothamist went behind the scenes to learn how the NYC landmark keeps its majestic waters flowing.

Sonia Rao

In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff

James Ramsay

A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings

Hannah Frishberg

A new film invites you to eavesdrop on one of the greatest conversations in NYC history

Sonia Rao

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 .