New York Originals: Showcasing one-of-a-kind small businesses in NYC

The Grand Prospect Hall

It is one of the last Victorian-era ballrooms left in America and it almost didn’t make it into the 21st century. But now, thanks to some loving caretakers, The Grand Prospect Hall is ready for its close-up. Located in Park Slope, Brooklyn, The Grand Prospect Hall is like a Fabergé egg, for its tasteful but plain exterior gives little hint of the opulent decor inside.

The Lemon Ice King of Corona

During the summer, Italian ice is sold on just about every street corner in New York City, but some people go all the way to Corona, Queens, for it. The reason? Queens is where to find the king—the Lemon Ice King of Corona, that is. The Lemon Ice King is one of those mom-and-pop institutions all true New Yorkers know about. It is famous for one thing and one thing only: Italian ices.

Eddie's Sweet Shop

One thing woefully missing from small-town America these days is the old-fashioned ice cream parlor. Sure, there are plenty of chains - Dairy Queen, Carvel, and Baskin-Robins - but none exude the classic feel, not to mention taste, of a one-of-a-kind ice cream parlor. Forest Hills, Queens, is lucky for Eddie's Sweet Shop has been providing the neighborhood with such place for a century.

P. J. Clarke's

It is one of the oldest restaurants in America and quite possibly one of the friendliest, for its doors have welcomed everyone from yesterday’s longshoremen to today’s hipsters. Just looking at P. J. Clarke’s on the Manhattan landscape, you’ll know you are onto something special, for its modest 19th-century building pokes through a cavernous valley of skyscrapers.

Sammy's Roumanian Steak House

There is a place on the Lower East Side where everybody can—at least for the evening—feel a little bit Jewish. Just walking into the place is like crashing a bar mitzvah. It is Sammy’s Roumanian Steak House, a place where old meets new and traditional meets eclectic.

Patsy's Pizzeria

It was one of the very first pizzerias in America, hallowed ground for anyone who loves a slice. Incredibly, Patsy’s Pizzeria has been at the same location way up in East Harlem for more than 75 years, proving that when you do some- thing right, people will come find you.

Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop

There is something to be said about a sandwich shop that has been able to survive in Manhattan for more than 80 years. It is an especially grand feat in the ultratrendy Flatiron District, where everything can be oh-so-last week. Across the street from the historic Flatiron Builiding, Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop has stood the test of time by offering people two things: good food and good company.

Russ & Daughters

Few people have ever heard of an appetizing store, which is a bit surprising considering at one time they were almost as common in New York City as the corner deli. Now only a few survive. Luckily, Russ and Daughters is one of them—a wonderful example of an old-world business working surprisingly well in the modern world.

Orwasher's Bakery

Yorkville on the Upper East Side was once one of the largest German and Hungarian neighborhoods in America, but looking around today one would never know it. Brownstones once jammed with immigrant families are now filled with young professionals trying to make it in the corporate world. Some of the old-world is still around, though, including Orwasher’s Bakery on East 78th Street, which has been perfecting the fine art of bread making since 1916.

Brennan and Car

Soggy and drippy may not sound like good words to describe a top-notch meal, but when you are talking about roast beef sandwiches, it is a ringing endorsement. Brennan and Carr in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, has been serving these beefy beauties since the 1930s, and they are some of the most tender and flavorful roast beef sandwiches in the city.