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It has happened: The Howard Johnson at Broadway and 46th Street has been sold. The Rubinstein family who owned the HoJo at 1551 Broadway for ages sold the property, plus another building on West 34th, for $100 million. The Post speculates that the new retailer will be something a little more high-end, as rumors say the buyer, Wharton Acquisitions, will level the building to create a "retail box" like the Times Square Toys R Us to make a "world-class branding opportunity" for some major brand. Hmm, maybe a Campbell's Soup Test Kitchen? A Procter & Gamble Health and Beauty Aids Emporium? What do you think will go there?
Two years ago, former NY Times food critic William Grimes made a trip to dine at Howard Johnson's - after a Post story that HoJo's would close and he wouldn't get to try another clam strip. No closing date has been set this time around, but Gothamist guesses time is running out so get your HoJo food on soon.
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i went for a drink at this hojo location last summer. while they've done a good job at preserving (ie, not changing) any of the fixtures, seating, wall paneling, etc...over the past 30 years, it wasn't all that great. the drinks weren't cheap (i thought it would be a bargain) and were small. however, the character in that place is something that needs to be experienced--think, who coming from out of town would rationally consider going to a hojos? Answer: the same set that would go to red lobster/olive garden, etc...
so my drink stop there made me feel like i was in the midwest. a little urban respite, solace. i wonder how much they will be selling the neon sign for? perhaps it should go to the neon sign museum??
The presidents of Thor Equities (coney island dev) and Wharton Acquisitions are neighbors, if anyone cares.
Sigh...I'll always remember that HoJo as the place where the perverted porn producer recruited a naive Irene Cara in "Fame" with the classic Broadway pickup line, "Didn't I see you in 'A Chorus Line?"
Sad day for Times Square. At this rate the mallification of Times Square is pretty much complete.
RIP HoJo
And RIP the old Nathan's that used to be at the corner of 43rd where NASDAQ is right now. That damned placed had puppet shows! And that's not a euphemism!
I'm really bummed about that. I went there once - I found out a college roommate was in town so for some strange reason we decided to meet there. We stayed there pretty late, drinking coffee and making up stories about what lurks downstairs where the bathrooms were.
I went there about 2 weeks ago as a joke and to search for good photo ops. It is truly horrible. The bathroom downstairs has to be seen to be believed. The Men's room door was wide open and covered in graffiti. Same for the Ladies room right next to it. The food is horrendous--even the coffee is bad and doesn't taste like anything resembling coffee. The waiters seem to be homeless people pulled off the streets. It's a sad and depressing place. For those who long for the "Good old days" of Times Square, this is what you are missing. It's as good an example of what the area used to be like. Should be experienced once before it closes.
The howard johnsons should be landmarked. I've dragged a number of friends against their wills to this place. It's like walking into a time warp there with the old school waitresses and 1960's style cocktail bar. the neon sign of the chef offering a tray of cocktails to a young boy is a classic work of times square neon. stop the wrecking ball.
I remember the old Nathan's. It was HUGE! Or so it seemed to a kid. I also miss the old Chock Full o' Nuts that used to be a block or two from Federal Plaza down on Broadway.
Hopefully somebody will buy the neon sign and save it for posterity. Hello, Smithsonian?
my first experience in pure lust happened in a howard johnson's. it was the 1970's. I was maybe 10 years old. My older sister and I went to HJs to see her friend Sharon who was waitressing. It was the middle of the summer and Sharon was nicely tanned and wearing a brown mini-skirt/orange top HJ uniform. I received fawning attention, extra large helpings of whipped cream and kisses on the cheek. Sharon even performed tricks with crushed up paper straw wrappers. She sprinkled water on them and we watched them expand and wriggle like snakes. Best waitress service I ever had.
Excuse me! Exactly who are you people?
The real story here is that That Gaiety Theater closed a couple of weeks ago because it was above the Howard Johnson.
You ignore The Gaiety Theater closing and get all bent out of shape over the Howard Johnson closing. Again,
Who Are You People!!
Peter Everhard
The BitchLess Blog (tm) (and Drama NYC)
http://www.tempcity.com/blog
I remember the good old days...
When Howard Johnson's was the classiest place in Times Square...(and not the only Johnson if ya know what I mean...)