Sutton Clock Shop, on Lexington and 61st Street, has been around for more than 60 years. Why install a more modern sign that features the numerical phone number when this old-school sign is so charming?
PL stood for Plaza, perhaps the Plaza Hotel on 59th and Fifth.
This hand-painted Michael Rizzo & Son sign points to a basement office on a brownstone on West 12th Street in the West Village. Wonder how they ended up with an OR exchange—for Orchard Street?
Tags: Michael Rizzo & Son, old phone exchanges, Orchard Street, Plaza Hotel, Random signage, Sutton Clock Shop
Ephemeral New York 
July 20, 2009 at 12:10 pm |
I found a payphone in Brooklyn that said 212 on it.
http://whatyourdonotknowbecauseyouarenotme.blogspot.com/2009/07/i-took-my-camera-for-run-back-in-time.html
July 20, 2009 at 12:45 pm |
The exchange OR stood for Oregon. The was also an IL for Illinois.
July 20, 2009 at 2:17 pm |
Neat find–the pay phone. And Zelda the turkey! I’ve seen her around Battery Park too but I think she’s been spotted as far up as Riverside Park.
July 24, 2009 at 4:35 pm |
Plaza probably stood for the Grand Army Plaza, from which the Hotel took its name, across the street on 59th and CPS.
July 24, 2009 at 4:40 pm |
That makes sense. I forgot that’s the name of the street corner!
July 29, 2009 at 1:15 am |
I still remember the old exchanges (I’m 50) TE for Templeton, PL for Plaza (as you said), MU for Murray Hill. I also remember an FI but I don’t remember what it stand for, do you?
August 1, 2009 at 8:02 pm |
FI in Manhattan would have been FIllmore. There was also a FIeldstone, but that was in Queens.
July 29, 2009 at 1:19 am |
FL, could it be Flatiron, for the Flatiron Building?
August 22, 2009 at 1:02 pm |
Our first phone number was BU 8-9094 BU for Butterfield. The next was FL (for Flushing 9-5117. But I can’t remember what I had for lunch yesterday…