Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York Hardcover – January 21, 2011

I would recommend this book of photographs to anyone interested in the history of locally owned and operated shops and stores.The images in the book cover the five boroughs of New York; Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Each section is broken down by neighborhood.The authors mention in their introduction that nearly a third of the businesses they photographed have since disappeared. The date on that introduction is 2008, and from my own casual use of Google Map's Street View function to virtually visit many of the addresses in the book - I would say that as of 2013 more than half are gone. Included with the photographs are the approximate addresses of each of the shops and the date the photograph was taken.I bought this book because I wanted some photos of vintage urban storefronts to use as reference for a project that I'm thinking of doing. This book definitely fills that need and more. Along with the photographs the authors also provides a short history of each of the different areas of New York and they took the time to talk with the people who owned & operated man of these shops and stores. Most of these businesses have been (or were) continuously run by the same family over the generations. That is something I imagined on some level in the back of my mind. But it wasn't till I started reading the brief write-ups of those conversations that these store fronts are like the covers of different books - each containing a unique story of it's own. Realizing that actually helped me with the project that I'm going to work on. Another feature that I found helpful, is that there are a number of fold-out pages, which the authors use to display whole sections of shops along one street, so that you get the feel of how shops like these co-exist side-by-side with each other.The book is well put together, it's 8.75" x 7.5" x a bit over 1" thick. I hadn't paid attention to the binding when I ordered it, so I was surprised to find out that it was a hard cover book. The pages are heavy gloss paper stock which makes the photographs really stand out. All-in-all, this is really a quality publication.There is a larger, coffee table edition of this book available - but I decided to get the mini version because it would fit better on my bookshelves. The authors also have another book of night-time photographs of businesses which I plan on buying too.Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York

This is a treasure trove of a book filled with detailed photos of shopfronts in New York City, many of them depicting shops that have been there since the late 1800's and early 1900's and have been preserved up until the time of their photos. The authors have made this a labor of love with great descriptions of each shop or store, some of them with paragraphs written by the current shopkeepers, in many cases descendants of the original owners/proprietors. I love the size and feel of this book which is smaller and easier to handle when reading in bed than most large coffee table books. The pullout gatefolds of whole rows of shops are a joy to behold. The photography is sharp, colorful and unobtrusive, the quality of the clothbound hardback book and paper as well as the printing is superb. Get it before it goes out of print and disappears... just like the disappearing shops and stores that were a way of life but are no more.

I really enjoyed this book. Having grown up in the Metro NYC area, many of these images in the book brought back pleasant memories. It's laid out in a very inviting fashion - focused mostly on images with text as a secondary element. The text covers a little history about some of the stores featured, as well as some interviews with former proprietors, etc. It's organized by borough, and has a fantastic fold out page covering famed Bleecker and MacDougal Streets in the Village. I LOVE the fact that they featured the Strand Bookstore, one of NYC's definitive treasures and the last store left in "Book Row". (The photo of it is recent, but that's OK - not much has changed there in at least 20 years on the outside)All in all, this is a fantastic book for anyone who loves NYC, or enjoys vintage signage, etc. A great coffee table book.

If you truly love the look, feel and vibe of classic New York City neighborhoods, you will love and appreciate "Store Front:The Disapearing Face of New York". Beautiful color photographs that will take you back in time to the community neighborhoods and the specialty merchants who served their customers needs and knew their individual names. The book comes in two sizes, I bought the mini version, same number of excellent photos with brief write ups about the various neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs of NYC.

Loved the detail of the photos and text concerning the independent businesses in NYC.

This is a great look at Store Fronts of NY, great for reference for Set Design, Architecture or just for a look at all of the great details. Just FYI I had seen this in the store and came onto Amazon to order... I saw the "mini" and thought that was related to the book series or something... well the book is 1/2 the size of the normal size book. Still cool but quite a bit smaller. So if you are expecting the full size book, be warned.

This book is loaded with information, photos, historical details and I haven't even finished it yet. It takes time. The photo processing is flawless. The book is a hard-cover masterpiece of New York lore, legend and up-to-date commentary. Buy this!

I would urge everyone to go out and document the non chain grocery, bodega, gas, restaurant, and all other small stores. Wherever you are. These are great photos, with a good narrative. Can I say anymore?

Fascinating book that records a sadly dying face of New York local stores..........never been to New York put I like this book a lot - only thing is would have been nice to read about every store pictured in more detail. but that is a very minor point on a great pictorial history.

This is a superb book for everyone who loves New York and it's wacky and tacky character. For those who have not had the opportunity to get to know the City it will give them the chance to to see a side of the place seldom seen in promotional literature.So wonderful that the Authors have recorded so much wonderful material before it is lost.I also recommend purchasing a copy of New York Nights which is fabulous.

arrived before expected. it was present for a family member and he loves it.

Purchased this for someone who lived in New York for a while - hope it brings back some fun memories!

Excellent.