Happy Pi Day! In honor of the great occasion, let's go to the Under Crust House, a root beer and pie stand that was a hot spot on New York's Fifth Avenue, circa 1870. The name Under Crust House was probably a nickname, since the sign merely reads "Refreshments." I assume that it was written on the back of the stereograph.There is a larger version of this photograph in Mary Black's Old New York In Early Photographs (from the collection of the New-York Historical Society). Black says that this pie stand was located at 59th and Fifth, just at the entrance to Central Park. In the larger photo you can see the menu listings painted on the front: Soda Water, Root Beer, and Sarsparilla to drink; Cakes, Pies and Candy to eat; and Segars and Tobacco for after your snack.
I don't know why they didn't call it the Upper Crust House, but perhaps the clientele were not as fancy as they would have been below 59th St., which in 1870 was very close to the then-shantytowns of upper Manhattan. We'll go visit there another day, but today we'll stop here and eat pie; we can walk it off in Central Park later.
The wonderful stereograph (or double photo) above, is from the NYPL Digital Gallery.
Also see Mary Black, New York In Early Photographs, 1853-1901 (New-York Historical Society, 1976), p. 190.
11 comments:
Pi Day? And me without my good hat...
Heather - Not even a little pork pie hat? ;)
Can I haz some PI 2 ?
So long as I can have a steak and onion pie with my Sarsparilla, it's all good ;)
Hehe... pork-pi hat.
RE - You bet! :)
Jayne - You can have any kind of pie you like!
Heather - LOL, that's perfect! :)
Well, I think "Under Crust" is very clever. Not as clever as "Pi-House" but still clever for 1870 Upper Manhattan. Probably.
Why is this holiday not on my calendar? (Or even my colander?) Can you compute a reason for that? Oh, it never ends...
Max - It was absolutely stellar for uptown NYC in 1870 (dare I say for 1970, too? I do, I do dare! I was there).
I have no idea why this is not on your calendar, but come to think of it it is no on ours either. I just happened to remember it in the way that I often have trivial things pop into my head. I announced it to all and sundry around here. But admittedly did not make any pie (too busy writing!). Oh, the irony.
That would be "not on ours" not "no on ours", BTW.
from the picture you can tell the world of new york before, it seems living in a third world countries or developing countries in a remote town. the same place here when i was six years old then. but new york is new york after all.
deejay - Yes, it is amazing how much NYC has changed. Fifth and 59th is a huge, busy area now. This stand would be about where the Plaza Hotel is now, I reckon.
Post a Comment