Though it's not completely readable from street level, this sign probably pointed hungry New Yorkers to the automat at 1557 Broadway, between 46th and 47th streets. The city's first Horn & Hardart, it opened in 1912 and survived longer than most, giving way to a Burger King in the mid-1970s.
You won't get the same spirit from the tiny, unrelated Bamn! automat on St. Mark's Place — even if you make allowances for different eras of pop music, the pink detailing is a deal-breaker — but my deep-fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich wasn't half-bad.
Surviving signage for Horn & Hardart
West 38th Street (seen from Seventh Ave.)
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