The ubiquitous New York hot dog chain, this one is at 8th Street and 6th Avenue in the Village. Gray’s was started in 1972 by Nicholas Gray. Competitor Papaya King dates back to 1931. Both use the respected Sabrett hot dog and sell a variety of tropical drinks, such as papaya, for the supposed health benefits, and each has their loyal followers. The large hot dog greets you at the door. They celebrate yearly – note the colorful hanging paper fruit. These chains have spawned even more copies with similar themes – Papaya Dog, etc.
Gray’s is open 24/7 and serves at a fast New York pace – you eat standing up and are out in minutes. This is one of those old time fast food joints, throwbacks from before the days of big multinational chains such as McDonalds, that still exist in Manhattan, similar to the many Ray’s Pizzas, who all claim to be the best and the original. You can get a meal for under $2, practically unheard of in Manhattan. Here’s another view from the inside.
Vesuvio Bakery is at 160 Prince Street in SoHo. The green facade is one of the distinctive images and colors of downtown NYC which inhabitants would recognize immediately – the shade of blue-green is so striking that nearly everyone that sees the shop comments on the color. The bread is handmade daily and presented simply by being piled up in helplessly beautiful stacks in the windows. The shop is a fixture of the old Little Italy in NYC which has survived many generations, a tremendous feat in this city of constant change, and is still family-owned.
