Second Avenue and St. Marks Place in 1985

Not too much in this photo has changed, strangely.

There’s 60-year-old B&H Dairy a bit down the block to the left, and Gem Spa at right, holding court as it has for 70 years on the corner, selling newspapers, magazines, and ice cream.

The photo ran in the May 1985 issue of East Village arts newspaper the East Village Eye. What I’d give to see their entire 1985 East Village map!

Tags: B&H Dairy East Village, East Village Eye, East Village in 1985, Gem Spa East Village, New York in the 1980s, St. Marks Place

This entry was posted on January 27, 2011 at 5:37 am and is filed under Bars and restaurants, East Village, Fashion and shopping, Out-of-date guidebooks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

9 Responses to “Second Avenue and St. Marks Place in 1985”

NC students can find teaching materials on iTunes :: Education Job Career Says:
January 27, 2011 at 12:43 pm | Reply
[…] Second Avenue and St. Marks Place in 1985 « Ephemeral New York […]
Upstate Ellen Says:
January 27, 2011 at 8:00 pm | Reply
In 1985 I was writing my senior (college) thesis on gentrification and the Lower East Side. An East Village map sounds like something I would have consulted. I doubt I still have it, though.
Tweets that mention Second Avenue and St. Marks Place in 1985 « Ephemeral New York -- Topsy.com Says:
January 28, 2011 at 1:41 am | Reply
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by John Sampogna, Patricia Fortunato. Patricia Fortunato said: RT @jsamps: Cool image of second avenue and st. marks place in 1985. http://bit.ly/hGjVLv […]
addie Says:
January 28, 2011 at 8:35 am | Reply
Is this the west side of second ave going towards 7th street?

I always loved Gem Spa!
- wildnewyork Says:
  January 28, 2011 at 4:19 pm | Reply
  Yep. Paul’s Da Burger Joint is now to the left of Gem Spa. I always get a kick out of the fact that the sign says “established 1989.”
Alex Baugh Says:
January 28, 2011 at 12:41 pm | Reply
I was living on 7th Street between 1st and 2nd in 1985, so this picture is a real walk down memory lane. Have you looked for a tourist map in the NYPLs map division. I found one for 1928 Berlin there, so you never know.
Alex Baugh Says:
January 28, 2011 at 12:44 pm | Reply
Actually, the NYPL has a microfilm of the East Village Eye including 1985, so it would have the one advertised in the picture.
- wildnewyork Says:
  January 28, 2011 at 4:20 pm | Reply
  I’ll have to check it out. I’d love to compare what’s still around today.
When rock album covers featured New York City « Ephemeral New York Says:
April 30, 2011 at 11:26 pm | Reply
[…] Gem Spa is still on the corner of Second Avenue and St. Marks Place, as it was when the New York Dolls posed there for the back of their eponymous 1973 first LP. […]