East Side neon signs that give New York its glow

All the warm, glowing neon that lights up the evening sky makes the city feel magical and inspiring, especially when it’s dreary and dark outside.

I’ve never been to the Subway Inn, but it’s a legendary dilapidated dive bar on 60th Street off Lexington Avenue, opened in 1934, with an equally legendary sign.

Papaya King is on 86th Street and Third Avenue. They’ve been shilling supercheap hot dogs and papaya drinks for 80 years!

The hand-painted store signs of the Bowery

Neon signs bursting with color are New York icons. But there’s another type of signage that deserves recognition: the hand-painted kind.

Some of the best examples can be found along the Bowery. But they may not be there for long, considering the rapid boutique-ization of Manhattan’s oldest street.

Globe Slicers has been selling kitchen gear since President Truman was in office, and the sign seems to have served them well, and the mismatched lettering gives it a real DIY feel.

Max Maged & Sons, another restaurant supplier, is just south of Grand Street. I love the mix of print and cursive.

National Cash Registers, at 159 Bowery, has neon signage in its window. But this swinging sign with the stenciled-in letters has old-school appeal.