Earlier this month, Lost City observed the removal of the iconic sign for the Upper West Side's P&G Cafe; despite outcry from the regulars, the 66-year-old watering hole had been denied a lease renewal by the landlord. So fourth-generation owner Steve Chahalis relocated to a bigger space a few blocks away, and took the sign down when he left. But because it was a city landmark, many wondered whether it was even legal to remove the sign. Today a spokeswoman for the Landmarks Preservation Commission tells City Room that "a warning letter was sent to the owner explaining that a permit was required." But Chahalis's lawyer says they never received any letter, and now the sign is no longer functional because the fragile electrical connections and metal underpinning "were rotted out from decades of water on the exterior." Chahalis says he'll try to incorporate some "surviving neon-tubing remnants" into a new sign, but the old one's disappearance makes the city's Landmarks Commission look pretty toothless. more ›