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Scrabble Street Sign Coming Back To Queens
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Jul 21, 2011
Modified Jul 21, 2011
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By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Jul 21, 2011
Modified Jul 21, 2011
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Jackson Heights, the birthplace of Scrabble, is finally getting the recognition it deserves—for the second time—with the triumphant return of a beloved Scrabble-themed street sign.
The original sign, at the intersection of 35th Ave and 81st St, outside of a church where architect Alfred Mosher Butts invented the game in 1938, was put up in 1995. In 2008, it mysteriously disappeared, much to the chargrin of local residents. But a new sign will be re-erected this fall, a move dictionary-lovers and history buffs are heralding as "wonderful" and "long overdue."
"The city is a really seminal place in terms of Scrabble history," National Scrabble Association president John D. Williams told us. "Us New Yorkers like to think of ourselves as the center of everything, and Scrabble is no exception." Williams said he's "extremely happy" to hear of the new sign, which will be designed by Massimo Vignelli—though he did have one suggestion: "I wouldn't mind seeing it in tiles."
Tagged
cute
jackson heights
queens
scrabble
street sign
Jamie Feldmar
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