NEON FEST: Historic Idaho Motel sign to shine again at inaugural downtown event in July
A photograph showing the Idaho Motel sign in its original location between the 1100 blocks of South Fifth and South Fourth avenues across from Idaho State University. Photo courtesy of Historic Downtown Pocatello Inc.
From the Idaho State Journal: POCATELLO — Historic Downtown Pocatello will soon celebrate the glowing success of a local committee’s work to restore the Gate City’s neon signs with a two-day festival set to begin the second Friday in July.
The local community and beyond won’t want to miss the first annual Neon Fest, slated for July 11-12. The work that Relight the Night, a committee associated with Historic Downtown Pocatello Inc., has done to restore and preserve nearly two dozen neon signs will be on full display through a variety of neon-themed events and activities, including an unveiling of the committee’s most recent project.
Roadside Dinosaurs: An American Love Story
Prehistoric creatures roam the grounds of the Dinosaur House in Henderson, Nevada. DARK NEBULA DELUXE / ATLAS OBSCURA USER
From Atlas Obscura: For 30 years, Steve Springer taught English at a middle school around the corner from his house. And when he retired, he was faced with a question that a lot of new retirees grapple with: What now? Steve had known that he wanted to be a teacher since the second grade, and he missed working with kids.
Then, a year into his retirement, there was construction on his street, and a portion of his front yard got torn up. Steve saw it as an opportunity. He decided to transform his front yard into a park of sorts. He spent three months collecting and placing figurines, a unicorn here, a yeti there, gradually building up his collection.
But then, he made a pivotal choice. He added a dinosaur. He was a Brontosaurus, he was bright blue, and his name was Boris. And Steve’s yard would never be the same again.
The last 24-hour diner: As 24/7 dining slips away, a Worcester staple stands alone
James George operated his own diner before taking over ownership of the Boulevard Diner from his father, bringing back 24-hour service. PHOTO: EDD COTE
From the Worcester Business Journal: What was once the gathering ground for studying college students, bleary-eyed third shifters, and tipsy club-goers alike has been quietly slipping away, as the 24-hour diner has been gradually replaced with round-the-clock fast food options and delivery drivers available at the touch of a button.
But in Worcester, a little red-and-beige diner on the city’s bustling Shrewsbury Street has stood the test of time.
The Boulevard Diner now stands as Central Massachusetts’ sole independently-owned diner operating with any kind of 24-hour model. Opened in 1936, the diner is currently open overnight Thursdays through Sundays. As the city’s oldest diner, the Boulevard has kept the lights on 24/7 for most of its nearly 90-year run, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed that; and the Boulevard isn’t alone.
600 loft apartments planned for historic Wanamaker Building in Philadelphia
From CBS Philadelphia: New York developer TF Cornerstone plans to build 600 loft-style apartments above the shuttered Macy’s store in the historic Wanamaker Building in Philadelphia after acquiring complete control in a foreclosure auction Tuesday.
The Wanamaker Organ will continue to be in use, and the Grand Court will be restored and remain open as a public space, according to the New York City-based real estate development firm. The Crystal Tea Room will also continue to serve as a venue for events.
After 41 years in Tribeca, NYC’s iconic neon studio is relocating to Sunset Park
Jimmy Vu heats a glass tube in order to shape it. Ryan Kailath / Gothamist
From Gothamist: Let There Be Neon, the decades-old custom neon studio that helped light up Studio 54, the Chelsea Hotel, Russ & Daughters and generations of New York City storefronts, is preparing to leave its Tribeca home this summer.
After more than half a century downtown, the studio will relocate to Sunset Park, trading a now-pricey retail frontage for more space and fewer walk-ins.
The move, which was first reported by Tribeca Citizen, marks the end of a chapter for one of New York’s most distinctive creative institutions and for a neighborhood whose industrial soul has long since faded.
La Concha, Huntridge Theater among Nevada’s most endangered historic places
The Neon Museum’s lobby, made from the former lobby of the La Concha Motel, is pictured. (KSNV)
From KSNV: LAS VEGAS — The La Concha Motel building and the Huntridge Theater are among Nevada’s most endangered historic places, according to an advocacy group.
The historic preservation group Preserve Nevada released its list of significant buildings, sites and landscapes that could be lost to time.
Huntridge Theater has appeared on Preserve Nevada’s list for several years now. The historic theater is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but the organization says that does little to protect it.
Dapper Companies has been in the process of renovating the concert venue since buying it in 2021.
Historic Mee Heng Low Noodle House vying for $50K national grant
KSBY NEWS
From KSBY: For almost 100 years, the Mee Heng Low Noodle House has been at the corner of Chorro Street and Palm Street in downtown San Luis Obispo, having passed through three different sets of family ownership.
“There’s definitely a point of pride, and it’s kind of hard carrying the torch and being the last one,” said manager and chef Russell Kwong. “I think a lot of people, like, rely on us to keep going.”
Kwong’s family has owned the restaurant since 2009. He took over operations in 2020.
Kwong says he’s seen the city’s historic Chinatown District evolve while his restaurant has continued to stand tall.