In 21 st Century New York, vestiges like this remind us that we manufactured things in this city before we built condos. HDC would like to see this sign preserved in perpetuity, as its presence is preferred there, as opposed to losing it. The dismantling and erasure of these signs’ presence in the neighborhood was lamented by neighborhood residents and beyond, signifying anxiety that those companies’ industries are defunct, and change is certainly coming to this Brooklyn enclave.Īs a nod to the departed industry which was once the dominating presence in Long Island City, the Pepsi Cola sign was preserved, long after its host building was demolished. HDC cites the lost Eagle Clothing and Kentile signs as two examples of character-defining, albeit non-traditional, beloved facets of the industrial Gowanus. Public perception of the quotidian sights of our city, like signage, can evolve quickly once something that has always been there, suddenly, is not. Tastes and definitions of landmarks continue to change, as does New York. While not a traditional “landmark” since it is neither of a high style nor affixed to a high-style building, the Pepsi Cola sign does add a special character to the all-but-developed Long Island City. The Pepsi Cola Sign has illuminated the East River waterfront since 1936. Susan Cleary of the Queens Preservation Council supported designation, calling it a “beacon for East River traffic, the Upper East Side, and the United Nations.” She noted that the “P” and the “C” are each 44-feet-tall.ĭesignation of the sign has the support of the Historic Districts Council, which represents over 500 organizations across the city. A proposal to designate it as a landmark went before the LPC back on Apand July 12, 1988. It currently sits there, lit up at night, and owned by Pepsico. It was dismantled, restored, and moved into what is now Gantry Plaza State Park in 2009.
The 120-foot-long neon sign was built in 1936 by the Artkraft Strauss Sign Company and sat above a Pepsi plant along the East River until 2004, when the disused building below it was destroyed. Almost nobody testified against designating it a landmark. Among those items was the Pepsi-Cola sign. On Thursday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission began the process of clearing its 95-item backlog and the day’s session included the items from Queens, the city’s largest borough by area. A New York City icon is back on track to become a permanent fixture.
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