First Avenue in the teens is lined with non-franchise, mom-and-pop stores that look like they’ve been there for decades. That makes it a good stretch to scout out vintage signage.
There’s a nice one underneath this awning between 15th and 16th Streets, advertising an organic dry cleaner. That’s the kind of business the neighborhood supports today.
But at some point in the past, a delicatessen-restaurant occupied this spot, probably a casualty of changing tastes and an influx of new residents.
But I bet the place did a nice business for years thanks to the residents of Stuyvesant Town across the street.
Tags: Delicatessens East Village, First Avenue New York City, Hidden signs in New York, New York street signs, Old deli signs New York City, Stuyvesant Town changes, vintage New York signs
Ephemeral New York 
April 1, 2013 at 11:15 am |
It was called Zion and as I recall sold only kosher hot dogs. I loved it. Was gone by around ’85 or ’86.
April 1, 2013 at 2:54 pm |
Ah, thanks for a little back story. I guess we missed it by 30 or so years.
January 21, 2024 at 5:32 pm
Schwatzbergs was the actual store name; Zion was the type of kosher meat they used.
We went there for hot dogs after getting out at 3pm from Stuyvesant High School which was around the corner on 15th.
April 2, 2013 at 10:15 pm |
Not called Zion. Zion was the brand of frankfurters and other meats. Name was Schwartzberg’s. I grew up in Stuyvesant Town, lived there from ’49 to ’74 and went to Stuyvesant High.
April 1, 2013 at 12:41 pm |
[…] an old sign for a delicatessen on First Avenue. [Ephemeral NY] Also spotted: a mounted police officer on Second Avenue. [East Village East East […]
April 1, 2013 at 6:26 pm |
I remember it as a delicatessen going back to my days at Stuyvesant High School (1971-1975), when the “old Stuy” was in session around the corner on 15th Street. It was a deli of long standing, even then.
April 2, 2013 at 12:18 am |
Force Tube Avenue beat me to making almost the same comment. It was a regular lunch hangout for us in senior year, ordering from the counter and eating at tables in the back along with old folks from the neighborhood. I’ve often walked past in recent years and yet never realized the sign was still there behind the awning!
April 2, 2013 at 12:46 pm |
Actually, it was called Schwartzberg’s and they sold all sorts of kosher food, but the Zion food company paid for the sign. Zion was a competitor of Hebrew National and later was bought by ConAgra (not so kosher!).
April 2, 2013 at 4:25 pm |
[…] Ghost signage on First Avenue (Ephemeral New York) […]
April 2, 2013 at 5:20 pm |
Yes…Schwartzberg’s. Zion was a brand of meats, especially the frankfurters. Great sandwiches and terrific homemade coleslaw and potato salad — the kind that’s hard to find at Jewish delis these days. Grew up in Stuyvesant Town and also went to Stuyvesant HS and loved to frequent the place..
January 21, 2024 at 5:39 pm |
High Dan and other deli fans – agree completely.
I was at Stuyvesant’66-‘70
April 2, 2013 at 9:51 pm |
Yes, fine place. Having a high school right around the corner was certainly a boon.
April 2, 2013 at 10:12 pm |
Don’t recall seeing Daniel, Pat or Debbie there. Did see a number of one legged dutchmen though…
April 26, 2019 at 7:20 pm |
I used to live right up the street from Zion Delicatessen during the 1970’s and 1980’s. Many neighborhood folks as well as those from Beth Israel Hospital frequented the establishment.
Their meat knishes were literally to die for. Enormous and overly filling.
April 27, 2019 at 2:52 pm |
On the same block, now gone, the Gaslight Pub, New Star Market, possibly best known for two local characters: The Mayor of First Avenue and Eddie New Star. Zeichner’s liquor store has been there since at least the 1950’s and is still there.
May 25, 2021 at 5:16 pm |
That was the Zion Deli. I used to eat there occasionally when I went to high school (around the corner on 15th street). I loved it!
May 25, 2021 at 5:38 pm |
Wow! Learning that it was not “Zion Deli,” I feel like a part of my life has been a fraud…
February 1, 2022 at 2:03 pm |
Schwartzberg’s
April 5, 2022 at 5:55 pm |
Best Pastrami club in NY at Schwartzbergs. Family owned. Docs at BIH would eat there and bring their sandwiches to to the OR after cases.
Waiter was the same all the time – rude as can be.
Mother and sons ran the business. I miss it so
April 5, 2022 at 5:59 pm |
I knew the mother and both sons. I went to Stuyvesant 1952-56. Trained at BIH from 1964-1969. Hot dog with sauerkraut was sensational – great pickles. Mother made great pastrami and eggs omelet.