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Olde Good Things

Architectural and Altered Antiques

5 Most Interesting Items at OGT Union Square

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History of Union Square Park

On July 19, 1839, New York City’s Union Square Park opened to the public. Here’s a fun fact about this upcoming national holiday: on September 5, 1882, Union Square Park played a central role in the first Labor Day celebration, when a crowd of 10,000 labor workers paraded up Broadway and then past reviewing stands at Union Square. As the procession passed the stand, Robert Price of Lonaconing, Maryland said to Richard Griffiths, the General Worthy Foreman of the Knights of Labor, “This is Labor Day in earnest, Uncle Dick.” On June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed the legislation which made Labor Day a national holiday. In 1997 the U.S. Department of Interior designated Union Square Park as a National Historic Landmark because of its significance in American labor history. So if you’re looking for somewhere to go on September 2, you could always visit right where it all started.

Union Park New York (East side) (NYPL b13476046-EM11347)

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons – Union Park New York (East side) (NYPL b13476046-EM11347).jpg

 

In 1928-29, Union Square was nearly demolished to build the underground course for the subway. Since then, the Square has gone through many renovations. Since 1976, the Union Square Greenmarket has served fresh food and plants to the local community on the north side of the park.

Olde Good Things – Union Square

Around the corner from the Square on 16th St. in May of 2009, Olde Good Things – Union Square opened its doors. It features a main ground floor, mezzanine and a basement full of antique & architectural finds. When you walk in, you will notice its original mosaic tile floor at your feet and a ceiling covered with chandeliers above your head.

 

Throughout its 10 years in business, this location has housed Olde Good Thing’s most valuable, interesting finds. This location is now known for its abundance of antique hardware and very high end lighting. Our current store manager Jim D. has handpicked the Top 5 Most Interesting items that are currently in the store. These items can be viewed online, or if you’re in New York City, stop by for a look in person. Be sure to check out the gallery of newest items NOT online yet at the very bottom. If you have any questions regarding those items, call the store directly at 212-989-8814.

Top 5 Most Interesting Items

 

1. Theater Auditorium Seats from the Great Hall Cooper Union

The Great Hall of The Cooper Union has stood for more than a century as a bastion of free speech and a witness to the flow of American history and ideas. When the hall opened in 1858, more than a year in advance of the completion of the institution, it quickly became a mecca for all interested in serious discussions and debates of the vital issues of the day. View Online

 

2. Handmade Walnut & Black Steel Modern Shelf

Handmade shelving unit by the artisans at Olde Good Things. We built these shelves using sustainable wood materials and angle iron. View Online

 

3. Pair of Antique Iron Elevator Doors

View Online

 

4. Palace Hotel Lobby Crystal & Bronze Empire Style Chandelier

Originally from the Palace Hotel in NYC, this wonderful large gilt bronze and crystal beaded chandelier has been completely restored. View Online

 

5. 1870s Victorian Gilt Wood Figural Mirror with Matching Marble Top Table

View Online

 

New Inventory Not Online

References:

  1. NYC Parks: https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/union-square-park/history
  2. Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Square,_Manhattan

Olde Good Things, New York Stores

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Brick & Mortar Stores

Olde Good Things had its mere beginnings in NYC during the heyday of the Chelsea Antique Market in the early 90’s and then opened its first retail store on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn in 1995. Today, 24 years later, you can visit our four brick and mortar retail locations, including one “pop-up” store at 71 Eighth Avenue between West 13th and 14th Street. Visit each one location and see if we don’t live up to our “humble boast” of being “the most interesting stores in New York City!” Our largest New York Store located conveniently near Union Square. This store features the largest assortment of original hardware. Our Upper West Side, Broadway location has the best assortment of marble mantels and large chandeliers and our Lower East Side, Bowery location has a wide assortment of smaller practical original lighting.  Our pop-up store, 8th Ave has an interesting variety of decorative items and furniture. Come see us at each location to get the full Olde Good Things experience!

Salvaged Treasures

Each store has a personality of its own, with a variety of original lighting, architectural elements including mantels, doors, glass, hardware as well as our unique line of altered antique furnishings including mirrors, tables and shelving. You will also find vintage, industrial and mid-century original furniture and decorative furnishings. Presently featured in each store is a wide assortment of items reclaimed from the famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel, which is now undergoing a major renovation. You will find from this New York City landmark, original marble and wooden mantels from for instance, the “Cole Porter Suite.” You will also find doors from the “Marilyn Monroe Suite” and lighting from almost every suite and hallway as well as conference and ballroom lighting including chandeliers from the Starlight Room. Kitchen and service items available including flatware, silver plated serving bowls and platters, many with the Waldorf signature. Special feature is the bar reclaimed from the famous Bull & Bear restaurant, if interested ask here. Too many interesting things to list!

Reclaimed Vintage Wired Glass

Olde Good Things also specializes in vintage wire glass reclaimed from windows and skylights of industrial buildings and skyscrapers. You will find samples of this glass at each of the stores. Special feature at this time is huge sheets (4 ft x 7 ft) of clear chicken wire glass from Rockefeller Center. Ask about our special service of frosting this glass as well. Visit www.oldegoodglass.com for more information.

More Ways to Shop

Olde Good Things has been reclaiming architectural items for a quarter of a century. If you need doors, plumbing, stained glass, a special doorknob or plate, you could very well find exactly what you are looking for in one of these stores. But if not, don’t be dismayed, we have two vast warehouses in Scranton, Pennsylvania chock full of every architectural item imaginable as well as an extensive website with over 16,000 items at www.oldegoodthings.com. Your salesperson at the retail store, can help you find what you are looking for and possibly even arrange to bring it in on our truck that goes back and forth at least once a week.

NYC Show Truck

Have you ever seen the most interesting truck in New York? Follow the lion to one of our stores today.

Hope to see you soon!

Top 3 Must See Places in SoHo New York

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If you’re planning a weekend in SoHo, New York, there’s almost a million things within the 26 blocks to do. The name itself, SoHo, refers to “South of Houston Street”. This area is home to many museums, cafés, and boutiques. The ideal way to enjoy the atmosphere is to grab a cup of coffee, visit a gallery or two, and window shop. Using Instagram to find frequented and popular locales, here are a few of the most popular places as dictated by the public.  They will make you feel more at ease while exploring within SoHo.

1. Housing Works Bookstore Café

First, stop at Housing Works Bookstore Café, 126 Crosby Street, grab a nice, hot coffee or tea to accompany you as you traverse the concrete jungle. You may not think about helping locals while exploring a new city, but this is a fantastic way to give back to the community as Housing Works is a NYC non-profit, and all profits go to fighting AIDS and homelessness.

 

2. The New York Fire Museum

The New York Fire Museum features many firefighting artifacts, memorabilia and equipment, some of it dating back to the early 1650s! Here, you can learn about the history of firefighting practices in NYC dating back to colonial times. Located at 278 Spring Street, it features many permanent and rotating exhibitions. Among other exhibits, the museum features a somber 9/11 Memorial featuring pictures of the brave firefighters lost in the attack.

3. Olde Good Things SoHo

Update: This location is now closed.
Just a ten-minute walk from the museum, make your way to 424 West Broadway, where you’ll find many stores worth entering. One of the many that stand out is a pop up antique shop, Olde Good Things. The building, located directly across from the Alex And Ani store, may be small, but inside you’ll find some of the best reclaimed antiques, many of them local to New York City. With a range from farm tables, altered antiques, and tin mirrors, there’s something that’ll certainly catch your eye. Browse through our selection of tin panels, which make amazing wall décor. Or perhaps pick up salvaged items from the historical Waldorf Astoria Hotel, some pieces date back to the 1930s when the hotel was first built on Park Avenue.

 

OGT’s Newest Location at 2424 Broadway NYC

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Olde Good Things is proud to announce our newest store location, 2424 Broadway, in Manhattan’s Upper West Side neighborhood. This neighborhood is the perfect location for us, with many unique and inspiring architectural buildings in the area and with a reputation for being one of New York City’s cultural and intellectual hubs with Columbia University, Barnard College and Lincoln Center housed within its borders.  Over the years, we’ve had many customers from this area who appreciate antique and architectural antiques and love our line of altered antique furnishings.

We’re just in the process now of stocking the store, which a great variety of antique and industrial lighting, unique home furnishings and of course, our famous hand made tables from reclaimed wood and metal.  Since our lease expired at 82nd and Columbus several years back we’ve had a loyal following of UWS customers who have found us at our other locations in the city and we hope will be glad to hear that we’re back in the neighborhood.  We’re announcing a “soft opening” now, as we stock the ceiling, floor and shelves with our unique line of “stuff”.  We hope to see you soon and will keep you posted on our official grand opening.

Just a little more about the neighborhood

The Upper West Side resides between Central Park on the East side, the Hudson River on the west and West 59th Street and West 110th Street on the south and north sides, respectively. An affluent and primarily residential neighborhood, the Upper West Side is also home to such sights as Columbus Circle, Grant’s Tomb, and the Dakota apartment building where John Lennon lived and was tragically killed outside of.

Throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries, the area that would become the Upper West Side contained some of colonial New York’s most ambitious houses and properties, which would eventually be filled in with smaller suburbs. Many properties such as the Apthorp farm and other small villages were stretched along Bloomingdale Road, which today we know of as Broadway (also the street our new store is located on). These farms and villages would eventually be divided into building lots and absorbed into the city by 1868. During the creation and construction of Central Park from the 1850’s to the 1870’s, the Upper West Side became a rough and ragtag collection of squatters, boarding houses and rowdy taverns, eventually seeing a major turnaround in the 1890’s with the construction of the Ninth Avenue elevated train line and the relocation of Columbia University into the area.

The Upper West Side plays home to many unique apartment buildings and structures, especially along the Central Park West area. Buildings such as the English Victorian styled Dakota, the Art Deco Century Apartments and The Majestic, and the Moderne style Normandie all sit on the famous Central Park West. Many other buildings, in a multitude of pre-war styles ranging from Art Nouveau to Beaux-Arts and Belle Époque, sit within the Upper West Side. With the abundance of fascinating architecture in this area, it’s no wonder that many movies and television shows, such as Home Alone 2, Mad Men, 30 Rock and American Psycho have all used the Upper West Side as a backdrop to their stories.

Sneak Peek Gallery

The Olde Good Things Broadway store will feature many of our architectural and antique artifacts, items from our Altered Antiques line, and the unique and one-of-a-kind items that we are known for. If you’re ever in the Upper West Side, stop by and say hello to us in our newest New York City location. We’re sure you’ll be able to find something uniquely New York there.

Get Directions

Video: The Most Interesting Antique Stores in New York City

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Three amazing NYC locations:

5 E. 16th St. between 5th Ave & USW. (212) 989-8814
149 Madison Ave. at the corner of 32nd St. (212) 321-0770
302 Bowery between Bleeker and Houston. (212) 498-9922

Always new inventory.  Do the Olde Good Things Walk and visit all three!
See a sampling of inventory from each store, scroll down and filter by location here.

Hidden Treasures in New York City

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Outside of our Madison Avenue storeWhen looking for beautiful antiques to fill your home or office, you could look for the perfect piece in small antique shops in even smaller towns. But when you live in New York City, you can find unique beauty in altered antiques® at Olde Good Things. There are four different Manhattan locations offering amazing pieces reclaimed from older buildings such as the historic iconic Flatiron building and the Toy building located at 200 Fifth Avenue. The fixtures and windows retrieved were then cleaned and made into beautiful pieces that’ll upgrade your home or work space into an earth friendly, trendy work of art. These pieces range from gorgeous mirrors repurposed from reclaimed copper clad windows, and elegant light fixtures.

Inside of our Union Square storeAt our location on 5 East 16th Street in Union Square, you can find a handmade farm or industrial table that would make a great conversation piece while enjoying food, family, and friends. You may also find some amazing tin tiles that would be just right to enhance your apartment, home or office walls. You can also find a great selection of incomparable light fixtures that can add a touch of class to any area. The Union Square location has two levels as well as a mezzanine of brilliantly recycled antiques that can add that little extra something to any room you are looking to furnish.

A peek inside our Chelsea store

The location in Chelsea, 124 West 24th Street, is the first Olde Good Things we opened in Manhattan.  Our largest store, it has a relaxed, eclectic flea market feel when you walk in the door. Come in and take your time browsing the wide range of restored and repurposed items such as antique furniture from the 1930s, as well as metal furniture like metal desks and filing cabinets. This location offers the largest selection of original hardware, as well as doors and mantels.  Each piece is saved from a landfill fate and offered to the general public for use in any home or office environment. Also, don’t let the “For Lease” sign mislead you, we are open for business and are not planning on going anywhere anytime soon.

Inside of the Bowery store

At the Olde Good Things 302 Bowery location, there are two levels of reclaimed and altered antiques®. Here you’ll discover an assortment of chandeliers, a wide range of practical as well as interesting accent pieces including handmade and industrial furnishings.  You’ll find architectural pieces including beautiful stained glass that will enhance the appeal of any room. We have an eclectic array of seating, tables and lighting all aimed at Restaurant entrepreneurs who may be refashioning their eating places, since this location is right in the heart of the restaurant supply district.  You’ll find hook racks, round accent tables, and amazing reclaimed building stones and artefacts from New York skyscrapers.

The Madison Avenue store located at 149 Madison Avenue has an astounding 5600 sq. ft. of open floor filled with a breathtaking treasure hoard of opulent lighting, antique mirrors, decorative art, pottery, and industrial and European finds. There is even a smaller upper level that offers a selection of marble mantels and eclectic artwork you can add to any living space to make it unique.

Madison Avenue

Imagine what treasures you can find at any of the Olde Good Things locations. With four stores within near walking distance in New York City, you don’t have to spend all day finding the right piece for you. Walk in, take a look around, and uncover beautiful and historical pieces that will transform your home or office into a conversation starter.

If you don’t find what you’re looking for at one location, take the Olde Good Things Walk and visit each of the four locations. You may even put together a package finding different pieces at multiple locations!  What a great way to shop, come join in the excitement and fun of shopping at Olde Good Things, Manhattan, the “most interesting stores in NYC…”

 

Do the "Olde Good Things Walk" in NYC

Do the “Olde Good Things Walk” in NYC

Olde Good Things