Being a diner lover myself, I headed up there for a New Year's Day breakfast of challah French toast and bacon.
At first glance, I was disappointed to find the new owners had stripped the spectacular old neon sign and replaced it with something far less than spectacular. Here's what it looked like before:
photo by urbanprose
And here's how it looks today. I'm hoping that little ovoid bit is just a placeholder for something better yet to come:
photo from my flickr
Originally opened in 1962 and closed in 2006, the diner was beloved by Frank Sinatra and west-side gangsters alike. Its closure, wrote the Times, "left some neighbors crying in their egg creams, wondering who will rent the corner lot in Hell’s Kitchen, in a quickly evolving area with an increasing number of high-rise apartment buildings." In March 2008, the Times reported the Market would reopen--nothing less than a miracle in the insane real estate climate.
So I'm not complaining.
The exterior has been beautifully preserved and revitalized, with chocolate-brown eaves and polished chrome along the zigzag roof. The cream-colored stoneface around the foundation has also been kept and the entrance has been re-tiled in orange. The parking has been mostly replaced by an outdoor seating area.
photos from my flickr
The orange and brown color scheme continues inside, with pumpkin-colored booths trimmed in brown piping. Overall, the interior has been stripped and modernized. I've only been able to find a couple images of the Market's former interior:
photo: Sara Krulwich, NY Times
photo: NYC architecture
They've taken out the wavy bits over the counter, the striped tiles, and the attached swivel stools, for a streamlined, simplified look. It's clean and attractive, but not very interesting. Sort of "West Elm'd":
photo from my flickr
As for the French toast and bacon: Yum.
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