Moondance Diner

The Moondance Diner in May 2007. Only the edge of the revolving crescent moon is shown.

The Moondance Diner was a diner in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, located at 80 Sixth Avenue, between Grand Street and Canal Street. It was known for its revolving moon sign, an addition made to the original structure in the mid-1980s, and designed by architect Alan Buchsbaum and designer Jim Rogers.^[1]

History

The diner opened in the 1930s, when it was named the Holland Tunnel Diner.^[2] It could seat about 34 people, with six tables and ten counter stools. Like most diners of its vintage, it was built elsewhere and transported to its site. The entire structure was roughly thirty-six by sixteen feet.^[3] Circa 1997, it was purchased by Sunis Sharma.^[4]

In 2007, it was announced that due to rising rent, the diner would be closing, and a demolition date of August 1 was set.^[3] Preservationists and the neighborhood's residents organized benefits for the diner.^[4]

In mid-2007, the diner was donated by Extell Development Company to the American Diner Museum in Providence, Rhode Island, which put it up for sale on its website before the structure was moved.^[5][6] In August the diner was purchased from the museum for $7500 by Vince and Cheryl Pierce and transported 2400 miles on the back of a semi-trailer truck to La Barge, Wyoming.^[7][8] However, shortly after the move, there were reports that the diner was unused and falling into dilapidation in its new site.^[9] During its first Wyoming winter, in January 2008, the diner's walls buckled and the entire roof caved in under the weight of ice and snow. The rotating moon sign, kept safe in storage, was undamaged.^[10] By March 2008, the diner was mostly repaired and restored,^[11] and is open for business six days a week.^[12] It was voted one of the top 51 burgers in the country by USA Today Travel'.^[13][when?]

While condominiums were announced to be built on the diner's former site in New York, The James Hotel went in instead.^[14]

In popular culture

• In the television sitcom Friends, the character Monica Geller (Courteney Cox) worked at the Moondance Diner, which was depicted as a 1950s theme restaurant. However, the show was filmed in Los Angeles, and only the exterior shots depicted the real diner.
• In the 2005 rock-mockumentary film The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie, six-year-old Alex faints on the counter of Moondance Diner after drinking and spilling cans of soda all over himself.
• The cable television series Sex and the City featured scenes shot at the Moondance Diner.^[14]
• In the 2002 film Spider-Man the Moondance Diner appears as the diner at which Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) is employed.^[15]
• In a-ha's music video for its 1988 single "You Are the One", the band enters the diner.

Staff

• American composer and playwright Jonathan Larson was a waiter for ten years at the Moondance Diner.^[2]
• Actor Jesse L. Martin met fellow waiter Larson at the Moondance Diner and later starred as Tom Collins in Larson's play and film versions of the musical Rent.^[16]

References

1. ^ "Nothing Could Be Finer: NYC's Classic Diners", at Forgotten NY. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
2. ^ ^{a b} Mindlin, Alex (2007-04-29). "The Ultimate Moveable Feast". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/29/nyregion/thecity/29moon.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin. Retrieved 2008-06-24. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Gearino, Jeff (2007-07-31). "Manhattan diner finds Wyo home". Casper Star-Tribune. http://www.casperstartribune.com/articles/2007/07/31/news/top_story/7b7fbf4c9b78d7a88725732900014cce.txt. Retrieved 2008-06-24. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Clark, Roger (2007-04-25). "Patrons Organize To Save Venerable SoHo Diner". NY1. http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?&aid=69098&search_result=1&stid=8. Retrieved 2008-06-24. 
5. ^ Chung, Jen (2007-08-11). "Moondance Diner, A Piece of New York, Moves West". Gothamist. http://gothamist.com/2007/08/11/moondance_diner.php. Retrieved 2008-06-24. 
6. ^ Associated Press (2007-08-11). "Greasy Spoon Finally Taking Fork in Road". New York Post. http://www.nypost.com/seven/08112007/news/regionalnews/greasy_spoon_finally_taking_fork_in_the_road_regionalnews_.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-24. ^{[dead link]}
7. ^ Shapiro, Gary (2007-08-01). "To Find This New York Diner, Head to Wyoming". The New York Sun. http://www.nysun.com/new-york/to-find-this-new-york-diner-head-to-wyoming/59553/. Retrieved 2008-06-24. 
8. ^ Pinedale Online (2007-07-31). "Moondance Diner moving to LaBarge, Wyoming". Pinedale Online. http://www.pinedaleonline.com/news/2007/07/MoondanceDinermoving.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-24. 
9. ^ Ozersky, Josh; Daniel Maurer (2007-09-12). "The Moondance Diner, Neglected in Wyoming, Now a Shell of Itself". New York. http://nymag.com/daily/food/2007/09/the_moondance_diner_neglected.html. Retrieved 2008-06-24. 
10. ^ Lee, Jennifer 8. (2008-01-07). "Wyoming Winter Weighs Down Moondance Diner". New York Times. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/07/wyoming-winter-weighs-down-moondance-diner/. Retrieved 2008-06-24. 
11. ^ Ozersky, Josh; Daniel Maurer (2008-03-06). "The Moondance Diner Gets a Happy Ending After All". New York. http://nymag.com/daily/food/2008/03/the_moondance_diner_gets_a_hap.html. Retrieved 2008-06-24. 
12. ^ Associated Press (2008-03-05). "Owner: Moondance Diner on track to open in Wyoming". AM New York. http://www.amny.com/entertainment/dining/am-moondance030,0,6251535.story. Retrieved 2008-06-24. 
13. ^ USA Today Travel top 51 Burgers
14. ^ ^{a b} Shapiro, Gary (2007-02-13). "Goodbye, Moondance". The New York Sun. http://www.nysun.com/new-york/goodnight-moondance/48536/. Retrieved 2008-06-24. 
15. ^ Sanderson, Peter (2007). The Marvel Comics Guide to New York City. New York City: Pocket Books. pp. 29. ISBN 1-14653-141-6. 
16. ^ Michael Buckley (03 Aug 2003). "Stage to Screens: A Chat with Jesse L. Martin". Playbill.com. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/80990-STAGE-TO-SCREENS-A-Chat-with-Jesse-L-Martin/pg1. Retrieved 30 April 2011.