Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
MTA Wants to Make Fruit Stand "Honest"
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 25, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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 .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 25, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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
A very interesting NY Sun story about the future of the "Honest Boy" fruit stand at the southeast corner of Broadway and Houston. Many people, including Gothamist, love the stand for fresh fruit at all times ($2 for a container of delicious, refreshing watermelon!), and now, Honest Boy's owner Pan Gi Lee and the MTA are meeting with the Landmarks Preservation Commission to propose turning the old stand into a "two-story glass, steel, and aluminum building." The Sun notes that the LPC had to be involved, because it's in a historic district, but this seems to follow the city's plans to glass-and-steel up newsstands and bus shelters. But some people are worried it'll become charmless. The Sun also has a little bit on the history of the corner:
The MTA owns the land — about 1,000 square feet — and leases it to Mr. Lee. The agency has encouraged the proprietor to fix up the place, according to [architect Tobias] Guggenheimer [who designed the proposed new design] and a source at the MTA.
In the last decade, the corner has exploded with foot and vehicular traffic, as well as billboards that now line the brick facades around one of the busiest shopping corners in the city.
In the mid-1980s, before SoHo transformed, community groups saved the previous operators, Louis and Carmen Arenas, from eviction. In 1992, following community protests, the MTA backed away from plans to clear the stand to erect an electrical substation. In 2000, the agency wanted to expand its parking lot and storage facility immediately to the east, threatening to squeeze out the fruit stand.
Just more than a year ago, Mr. Arenas became ill and transferred the lease to Mr. Lee, who operates several stores in Manhattan. Mr. Arenas is said to have paid $200 a month for the site.A source at the MTA would not say how much the current tenant pays, but he said it is "not significant."
While we love the old stand, we did wish that Mr. Lee has air-conditioning during last week's heat wave. And since the MTA could turn the stand into something else, we're glad the agency is still interested in keeping it a fruit stand. Here's hoping for the best.
Photograph from Annette Weintraub, who wrote about the fruit stand here
Tagged
broadway
bus
design
District
gothamist
heat wave
history
houston
landmarks
landmarks preservation commission
love
manhattan
MTA
News: NYC
ny sun
parking
people
Shopping
soho
the city
The MTA
the sun
traffic
Jen Chung
Jen Chung 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 news
Woman found in shallow grave in Queens; her ex-boyfriend is in custody, NYPD says
The city medical examiner ruled Seraphina Pereira’s death a homicide on Monday.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Oct 27, 2026 at 8:29 a.m. ET
ICE used a warehouse in NJ. Locals are ‘frustrated’ by Sherrill’s response.
A councilmember and immigration activists criticized the governor for not doing more after ICE seemingly admitted to violating a court order.
By
Mike Hayes
News
ICE used a warehouse in NJ. Locals are ‘frustrated’ by Sherrill’s response.
A councilmember and immigration activists criticized the governor for not doing more after ICE seemingly admitted to violating a court order.
By
Mike Hayes
NY Gov. Hochul once resisted a data center pause. Now it’s central to her campaign.
By
Jon Campbell
Judge temporarily halts overnight construction at NYC’s Chinatown jail
By
Giulia Heyward
Pressure grows on Mamdani to reform admissions to NYC specialized high schools
By
Elizabeth Kim
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 .