People keep discovering Toronto’s 1960s-era diner and can’t believe how cheap it is
Hector Vasquez
From the Daily Hive: People in Toronto are obsessed with a hidden-gem 1960s-era diner that has unbelievably low prices and a true old-school vibe.
You might feel like you’ve accidentally stumbled upon a film set when you step inside of Gale’s Snack Bar, but don’t be fooled. The Leslieville spot really is an operating diner, and it’s been owned and operated by the same family for the past six decades.
Originally a snack bar founded by the titular Gale, the business was purchased and transformed into a diner in the 1960s by David King Sun Chan, whose daughter, Eda, owns it now — but the signs of the sixties are still, quite literally, written on the walls.
There are gaps in Route 66 history. Missouri researchers want your stories to fill them
Mary Delach Leonard | St. Louis Public Radio
From St. Louis Public Radio: The State Historical Society of Missouri wants your stories, photos and memories of Route 66 to build a collection and public exhibit in 2026.
The iconic Route 66 is approaching its 100th birthday. To celebrate the centennial in 2026, the State Historical Society of Missouri is collecting items and anecdotes about “America’s Main Street.”
While much of the route’s rich history is well preserved, researchers are hoping to “fill in historical gaps” by recording the experiences of women, immigrants and African Americans who traveled or lived near the historic highway, said Sean Rost, assistant director of research at the historical society.
In Denville, another classic NJ diner faces wrecking ball. What’s next for Route 46 site?
The West Side Diner on Route 46 in Denville has closed and will either be demolished or moved to expand parking for its new owners next door at Anchor Ace Hardware. William Westhoven/Daily Record
From the Morristown Daily Record: DENVILLE — Another classic New Jersey diner has shut down forever and could soon face the wrecking ball.
The West Side Diner on Route 46 closed its chrome-accented doors last month, the last in a line of diners that had operated on the spot for decades. The West Side was bought by a neighbor on the highway with an equally long lineage, the family-owned Anchor Ace Hardware.
Anchor purchased its next-door neighbor early this month. Owner Mitch Epstein is mulling his options but has already put up signage pointing customers to expanded parking for his business.
Former diner lifted by crane in Greeneville Wednesday
Matt Grahn/Norwich Bulletin
Family Of Deceased NJ Diner Owner Sues New Owners Over Use Of His Name
A section of 10th Avenue is also named for Graddy, who died in 2021; his family ran Mr. G’s Diner until 2022 and had planned to re-open it elsewhere. Graddy was part of a group that organized for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to speak in Paterson in 1968. (Google Images )
From Patch.com: PATERSON, NJ — On the day that a well-known Paterson diner opened with new managers — but the same name — the former owner’s family filed a federal lawsuit seeking to stop the restaurant from using his likeness.
“Mr. G’s” has been the diner’s name since 2008, when the late civil rights activist Russell “G” Graddy bought the building. Graddy, a longtime Paterson resident who died in 2021, was part of a group that organized for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to speak in the city just days before his assassination.
The diner, which sits at the corner of 10th Avenue and 18th Street, has changed hands multiple times since it was first built in 1940. It was closed for several years after Graddy’s death, then reopened this past weekend.
Future home of Circus Drive-In sign could get everyone ‘pretty excited’: Wall official
The top half of the Circus Drive In sign sits on a trailer Friday, August 27, 2021. The crew from Rex Sign Company dismanthed the iconic sign along Route 35 in Wall Township. Thomas P. Costello
From the Asbury Park, NJ, Press: WALL – Could a new home be coming soon for the old Circus Drive-In sign, a Route 35 landmark that was saved from the scrap heap after it was taken down to make way for a new shopping center?
“I’m hoping in the near future, we’re able to say this is what our game plan is,” Wall Township Administrator Jeff Bertrand said. “We have an end location in mind. I’m not able to report it right now, but I think if that comes to fruition, everybody will be pretty excited about it.”
Nearly three years ago, the sign, which features a smiling clown welcoming people to the Circus Drive-In restaurant, was removed and taken for outdoor storage at the former Camp Evans site. Last week, a report on NJ.com showed the sign still sitting behind a building, partially exposed by an old tarp,
Bertrand said the sign is now covered with a new tarp.