New L & N Cafe: Difference between revisions
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The '''New L & N Cafe and Sandwich Shop''' was a bar and diner located at 100 [[19th Street North]] in the [[Molton-Henley Retail Block]] | The '''New L & N Cafe and Sandwich Shop''' was a bar and diner located at 100 [[19th Street North]] in the [[Molton-Henley Retail Block]] on the northwest corner of 19th Street and [[1st Avenue North]] (the former [[O'Briens Opera House]] site). | ||
The lunch counter, open since the 1930s, was operated by the Balabanos family. It closed after the death of [[Nick Balabanos]], but was revived around [[1973]] by his nephew, [[Alex Kontos]]. A regular workingman's lunch counter by day, the cafe welcomed a counter-cultural crowd at night. A painted window sign urged passersby to "come in out of the rain, and into the rainbow". Black lights came on at night and bartenders spun folk, blues and rock records and eventually a few live performances were scheduled. [[Ross Kellerman]]'s artist studio was upstairs. | The lunch counter, open since the 1930s, was operated by the Balabanos family. It closed after the death of [[Nick Balabanos]], but was revived around [[1973]] by his nephew, [[Alex Kontos]]. A regular workingman's lunch counter by day, the cafe welcomed a counter-cultural crowd at night. A painted window sign urged passersby to "come in out of the rain, and into the rainbow". Black lights came on at night and bartenders spun folk, blues and rock records and eventually a few live performances were scheduled. [[Ross Kellerman]]'s artist studio was upstairs. | ||
Revision as of 19:32, 4 February 2011
The New L & N Cafe and Sandwich Shop was a bar and diner located at 100 19th Street North in the Molton-Henley Retail Block on the northwest corner of 19th Street and 1st Avenue North (the former O'Briens Opera House site).
The lunch counter, open since the 1930s, was operated by the Balabanos family. It closed after the death of Nick Balabanos, but was revived around 1973 by his nephew, Alex Kontos. A regular workingman's lunch counter by day, the cafe welcomed a counter-cultural crowd at night. A painted window sign urged passersby to "come in out of the rain, and into the rainbow". Black lights came on at night and bartenders spun folk, blues and rock records and eventually a few live performances were scheduled. Ross Kellerman's artist studio was upstairs.
The retail block was shuttered and demolished in the 1990s and is now a parking lot.
References
- White, Marjorie Longenecker (1977) Downtown Birmingham: Architectural and Historical Walking Tour Guide. Birmingham: Birmingham Historical Society.
- Recollections by Craig Legg (February 4, 2011) on Facebook.com