Gem Spa

Gem Spa
Company typePrivate
GenreNewsstand
Candy store
Predecessornone
Founded1921
FounderGoldfeder family
Defunct2020
Fatebankruptcy
SuccessorPoetica Coffee[1]
Headquarters131 Second Ave. at St. Mark's Place
Manhattan,
New York City
Area served
East Village
ProductsEgg cream, Newspapers, Magazines
Servicesnewspapers, magazine, food and mini mart services
OwnerGoldfeder family (1920s-1957)
Ruby Silverstein and Harold Shepard (1957-~1969)
Irving Stein (1971)
Ray Patel (1986-2020)

Gem Spa was a newspaper stand and candy store located on the corner of St. Mark's Place and Second Avenue in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.[2][3] It opened under another name in the 1920s, and was renamed in 1957.[4] It was open 24 hours a day, and was known for being commonly considered to be the birthplace of the authentic New York City–style egg cream, which its awning described as "New York's Best."[5][6][7][8]

Often referred to as a bodega,[9][10] in the 1950s, Gem Spa was a gathering place for beats, and in the 1960s it was a hippie hangout,[11] known for selling a wide selection of underground newspapers.[12][13] New York Magazine named it the best newsstand in the East Village in 2001.[14]

On May 7, 2020, owner Parul Patel announced that the physical store would not re-open due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and rent increases, despite community efforts and a social media campaign to keep it open.[15][16][3]

The building in which Gem Spa was located, 131 Second Avenue, or 36 St. Marks Place, was built in 1898 to 1900 and was designed by Louis F. Heinecke in the Renaissance Revival style. It is located within the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District, which was created in October 2012.[6]

  1. ^ Grieve (3 Oct 2022). "Exclusive: This is the new tenant for the former Gem Spa space". EV Grieve. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  2. ^ Allen, Irving Lewis (1995). "New Ways of Urban Living". The City in Slang: New York Life and Popular Speech. Oxford University Press. p. 101. ISBN 0195357760.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Eater-2020-05-07 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference anatomy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Top 10 rock'n'roll landmarks in the US". The Guardian. 3 August 2007. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
  6. ^ a b Brazee, Christopher D., et al. "East Village/Lower East Side Historic District Designation Report" New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (October 9, 2012)
  7. ^ "Gem Spa's Awning Doesn't Lie, They Really Do Have New York's Best Egg Cream". NYC Food Guy. 2010-05-05. Retrieved 2012-08-25.
  8. ^ Lauckner, Sally (19 October 2010). "A Literary Tour of the East Village". The Local. The Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University, and The New York Times. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
  9. ^ Swanson, David (2020-05-11). "Gem Spa closes: Bye Bye, Miss American Egg Cream". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2022-09-17.
  10. ^ Conti, Allie (2019-08-29). "Can Instagram and Egg Creams Save the Last Punk Rock Bodega?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-17.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference valentine was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Romm, Ethel (14 October 1968). "Blueprint for Revolution". New York Magazine. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference trivia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ "Best of New York: Best Newsstands". New York Magazine. 2001. Archived from the original on 26 April 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
  15. ^ "Gem Spa will not reopen". EV Grieve. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  16. ^ Carlson, Jen (May 7, 2020) "East Village's Iconic Gem Spa Has Permanently Closed" Gothamist