A Look Back at our Neighborhood’s Iconic Neon Signs

There was a time when the warm glow of neon signs scattered our neighborhood with abundance. Beckoning to passersby, these cheerful emblems promoted all sorts of businesses, from music venues to pharmacies to bars and restaurants. 

These days, the number of buildings sporting neon has dwindled significantly. Some businesses have shut down, and others have replaced their original signs with more convenient but less vibrant LED signs. 

The White Horse Tavern is one local business that recently made this shift. Our executive director Andrew Berman commented on this loss in a NY Times article: “It is very disturbing. The White Horse is really synonymous with the literary, political, and cultural history of Greenwich Village, and the neon sign is an integral part of the tavern.”

Today, we look back at some of the iconic neon signs that have existed in the East Village, Greenwich Village, and Noho.

The White Horse Tavern

The White Horse Tavern is located on Hudson and West 11th, and among many things is known for its significance within Greenwich Village’s bohemian period of the 50s and 60s. Frequented by Dylan Thomas, James Baldwin, Allen Ginsberg, and Bob Dylan among many others, this iconic bar has been a crown jewel of the neighborhood for decades.

The tavern’s stylized neon sign, sporting its namesake as well as an illustration of a horse, has recently been retired. While the future of this historic sign is unclear, the current owner Eytan Sugerman insists that he intends to restore it to its original glory.

Block Drug

Only two pharmacies in our neighborhood continue to boast their original neon signs; Block Drug on 2nd Avenue and 6th Street, and C.O. Bigelow on 6th Avenue and 9th Street, the second and first oldest pharmacies in NYC respectively.

Block Drug, located in the East Village, features a catchy, bright red neon sign that impressively spans the length of its facade.

The 131-year-old pharmacy continues to thrive – impressively so – even as large, corporate pharmacies take over most of the city’s clientele. How do owners Carmine and Beth Palermo do it? The answer lies in personalized service. The Palermos go above and beyond with their service, adjusting care to each customer and providing free delivery for orders. As not only a vital community institution but also a historic one, Block Drug stewards its legacy by preserving its neon sign.

C.O. Bigelow

The oldest pharmacy in the neighborhood, Village awardee C.O. Bigelow brings to life a little slice of New York history. The shop started in 1838 and has been in its current building since 1902, where the original brass finishes and gas lamps are still pristinely preserved. Throughout its history, the shop has been frequented by the likes of Mark Twain, Thomas Edison, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

C.O. Bigelow’s neon sign takes the shape of a large arrow illuminated in blue, framing the shop’s name in red lettering.

Honorable Mention: Village Gate

While this sign doesn’t sport the same neon tubes as our other entries, the Village Gate sign is a lasting testamanet to the Village’s music scene.

The iconic nightclub The Village Gate stood on Bleecker Street between Thompson and Sullivan Streets from 1958 to 1993. Owned by Art D’Lugoff, the famed club featured such musicians as John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, and Dizzy Gillespie, and enjoyed a thriving Latin music and comedy scene as well.

The space is now Le Poisson Rouge, and the owners, who collaborated with D’Lugoff on the club’s opening, adopted the old sign as well.