The humble diner has long been an icon of Americana, but like many national staples, New York City has its own special variation. In the city, diners are brusquer, busier and more diverse, bastions of a past in a town constantly besieged with change.<\/p>\n
James and Karla Murray know this well. The husband and wife architectural photographers have built a career capturing the city\u2019s charms, publishing photo books<\/a> on its store fronts, its neon signage and its bar. Now, in \u201cCounter Culture: New York City\u2019s Greatest Diners and Luncheonettes<\/a>\u201d out Tuesday, the couple have turned their cameras to 30 of Manhattan\u2019s diners and luncheonettes, preserving these beloved hubs of good food and good company for posterity and, they hope, present-day appreciation.<\/p>\n The diners, \u201cneed customers more than anything,\u201d said Karla in a phone interview, adding that, \u201cWe wish [the book] could have come out sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n Barney Greengrass, 541 Amsterdam Avenue, Upper West Side<\/p>\n \u00a9 James T. & Karla L. Murray, 2026<\/p>\n Four Manhattan diners they featured in the book \u2013 Cozy Soup & Burger, Star on 18, Hector\u2019s Cafe and Pearl Diner \u2013 closed after decades of service.<\/p>\n \u201cIt breaks our heart,\u201d said Karla. \u201cThe whole purpose of the book is to highlight these places and bring light to them.\u201d<\/p>\n For the couple, it\u2019s not just a matter of loving retro design and counter stools: New York diners hold a special place in their personal memory as frequent haunts of their early romance. They spent their first date in a diner.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the Coffee Shop on Union Square West. It was a notorious late night spot,\u201d Karla said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe shared a grilled cheese and a plate of fries,\u201d James added.<\/p>\n The Coffee Shop closed in 2018. Today, the space it\u2019s a Chase Bank. But as much as that erasure is a New York story, so is the enduring nature of some of the still-open luncheonettes in the book.<\/p>\n EJ\u2019s Luncheonette (exterior), 1271 Third Avenue, Upper East Side<\/p>\n \u00a9 James T. & Karla L. Murray, 2026<\/p>\n The co-owner of one featured institution, the Lexington Candy Shop, told the couple they haven\u2019t changed a thing since 1948.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like stepping back in time,\u201d said Karla. The clientele, however, has changed somewhat.<\/p>\n Today, \u201cyou get old-timers and you get Instagram folks. They all live together in there,\u201d said James. Such is the beauty of the New York diner.<\/p>\n