The Neon of Old New York
by Adrian Brune and Micah BereePage 5 of 6
NATHAN'S FAMOUS
When Polish immigrant Nathan Handwerker started hawking his special recipe frankfurters on the boardwalk of Coney Island 90 years ago, local lore has it that he paid bums in hot dogs to hang around his stand and attract customers. Ten years later, Handwerker settled on a different approach to advertising, installing the giant upright yellow-and-green flagship sign, the first of several large-scale neon beacons around the building. Today, the original Nathan’s stand on Surf Avenue is awash in vintage neon — some of the finest the city has to offer, according to aficionados. “New Yorkers already know the signs by heart, but when we have tourists come, they stand right under them to have their pictures taken,” said Bruce Miller, Nathan’s director of operations, adding that the company pays $25,000 a year to keep Nathan’s glowing. While redevelopment rumors at one point alluded to the replacement of Nathan’s and the signs — including the 1940s-era animated hot dog on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues – Miller says Nathan’s will remain “at the forefront” of Coney Island. “You just can’t get this kind of look anymore.”
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