Tag: neon

Goodbye to the O – Original Hot Dog Shop- Oakland Pittsburgh

My friend Roberta sent me a Post-Gazette article this evening, An elegy to the ‘O’: A beloved hot dog shop closes after 60 years written by Mick Stinelli and Dan Gigler. It told about the sad and sudden closing of The Original Hot Dog Shop. A long time late night favorite in the heart of Oakland adjacent to University of Pittsburgh. Upon closing they donated “7 tons of potatoes to charity”. (They were famous for their fries)

We’d get a couple of hot dogs and share the huge order of fries, sometimes before a Poetry Reading at Hemingway’s. Or after. No matter what time you ate there, it was a familiar and reliable taste and experience.

Here’s a photo I took of the landmark from a 2010 blog post.

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Who You Gonna Call When Your Neon’s Ailing? The Neon Doctor

Neon.  An inert gas.  2/3 the density of air. When put into electric signs it glows, catches your eye. You can read about Neon Signs here.

Not sure how much neon signage you have in your neighborhood but there’s a lot around the city.

I was filling up my car’s gas tank and looked across the street.

After I screwed on the  gas cap, I got my camera out of my school bag. I had the long lens.

Another day I’ll go and visit the interior and ask if the Neon Doctor is in.

Good to know there’s a place that can restore and repair the neon signs.

Neon Doctor

From across the street. Shot with a Canon 70-200 lens L series.

Cropped shot.   I will get energized and go and actually visit the place after school one day.  Neon Signs int

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Night Neon & the Double-Wide Grill

Friday night music was great at the Club Cafe on the South Side. I loved the contrast of the neon’s warm colors of Jack’s and cool blue neon of Club Cafe.  I know the “e” is missing but I liked the image of Jack’s going around the corner so I chose this one.   I took this shot from across the street as we left to go home.

But wait, we didn’t go right home-

Even though we were exhausted, R invited us to go to the Double-Wide Grill where the onion rings satisfy that deep urge to eat something not really good for you but doesn’t it taste great. (seem to be doing a lot of that type of eating lately)  You know I have a thing for old service stations and auto mechanics, right?  The old fashioned kind. I did not photograph the food.  Hmmmm.  But you get a feel for the place.

And when we left I took a shot from the outside and the old gas tank had the amount 37 cents on it.  Remember that price per gallon?

Jack's Bar at the corner of Carson and South 12th Street, Southside

Order a basket of onion rings and enjoy!

Vintage gas pump with the 37 cent price- remember when???

A close-up in case your eyes (like mine) couldn't see the 37!

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Hat Cleaning

When was the last time you took a hat to be cleaned?  Another shot from downtown Roanoke.

My son Mark spotted this signage across the street from the Weiner Stand.  Unfortunately there were cars parked in front of the establishment so couldn’t get the whole storefront.  Just made me wonder when the neon sign for Hat Cleaning was installed.  Thanks Mark for pointing this one out for the blog post.  I guess I could have included it in yesterday’s Downtown Roanoke slideshow but I think it can stand alone.

My father wore a hat.  Mark has one of his grandfather’s hats his home office.

I think men in hats look distinguished.  My cousin Jim likes hats.  He liked the post of Meyer the Hatter in NOLA.

Maybe the sign is for women’s hats to be cleaned as well.  I shouldn’t assume it’s for men’s hats.

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When Your Neon’s Ailing or You Need a Sign

“Who ya gonna call?”  The Neon Doctor.  They repair and buy old signs, too, or create a custom sign for you!

Stopped at a red light on a gloomy afternoon, I saw this place and shot it before the light turned green

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