Archive for June 18th, 2009

With its orange and brown booths, friendly waitresses and homemade apple pie, the Howard Johnson’s in New York’s Times’ Square was a classic bit of Americana. For years, it served as a Shelter From the Storm during all kinds of disasters, from the city’s Blackout during the 1970’s to the catastrophe of 9/11. And throught it all, there was one man Who Saw It All. Richard Altman, otherwise known as “Richie Hojo” began working there in 1978 and stayed there until July, 2005, when the iconic restaurant closed its doors for good — the victim of rising rents and changing culinary tastes.

During an interview that summer, just before it all disappeared into History, the Longest Serving Waiter at the restaurant told us what it was like when Marilyn Monroe used to drop by — and when Liz and Dick were performing just around the corner.

 In the Beginning

 We were the only restaurant in the area when I first started working here. The only two restaurants here before us were Tad’s Steaks and Sardi’s. So we had everything to ourselves. Our menu prices were very low at the time , so they got alot of crowds. But people didn’t tip! On the weekends, we got alot of tourists, so we had a stamp that said in five different languages: Tip Not Included! A dish of ice cream is now $4.50. Then it was 95 cents. Fried clams — they had a special — all you could eat. There was nothing over $10 — steak was $9.95. Now, we’ve got steaks over $20.

But I want to tell you about the Changing Landscape. Before this was Howard Johnson’s, it was Child’s Restaurant. I saw a picture of what this land was back in 1850. Flat Farmland. The city ended at like 14th Street. What is Times Square now used to be like down the Bowery. At the Turn of the Century, the Bowery was where all the Opera Houses were.

And then there was the World of Nuts — where they had nuts from all over the world. I think one of the most expensive was the white shelled pistachios nuts. And then Burger King where they had a bomb threat. And right where Roxy is (restaurant on the corner) now was MovieLand Theatre. And in 1982, there were 3 blocks of lines to see ‘E.T.’ But Spielberg didn’t come in.

I think the biggest symbol of this whole area used to be the Camel Billboard where they blew rings out of it. Everybody remembers that.

Disney changed everything. They bought everything up.

 Hollywood in New York

The Most Memorable Customer who used to come in here was Marilyn Monroe. When she was filming across the street, she would come in here for lunch. (But that was before I started working.) And I also heard that Sammy Davis Jr. came in here once but he was so mobbed by people, he couldn’t finish his dinner. Joyce Randolph — she played Trixie in ‘The Honeymooners’ — she used to have an ice cream soda at the bar several times a week. She always sat at the counter. And Conan O’Brien came in here once — boy is he tall! Richie Havens came in here several times. Sarah Jessica Parker — I waited on her. But she wasn’t here with Matthew Broderick — she was with some other guy. I’m sure it was innocent. And Tammy Faye Bakker! She’s really Tammy Faye Bakker — with all that religion. It’s not a put on act — It was real!

When Liz and Dick were next door in ‘Private Lives’ (Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton) they roped off the streets for all the limousines and stuff. And during the intermission. Sen. Patrick Daniel Moynihan came in and had a martini. But Liz and Dick never came in. They would be mobbed. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani came in. There’s a picture of him in the front.

  Memorable Events

There was a bomb scare, so the whole block was evacuated. The police came in and told people to put down there knives and forks and stop eating. The manager tried to collect as many checks as he could from the people who had finished eating. And we were out on the street for about two hours. That’s when I came to work at 4 a.m. and the manager came in at 6. And he found all of his workers on the street. But there was no bomb. It was a hoax. There were two fires. One, before I worked here — it burned to the ground — it was closed for six months. And during the ’80’s, there was another.

And during the Blackout, all the ice cream melted! You couldn’t serve it. You had to take time until it froze up again.

On 9/11 I was watching it on T.V. and Mayor Giuiliani said: Unless you have definite work to do — essential work — don’t go into your job. So I didn’t. But I got hell for it. They were angry. Because this place got filled up — there was no other place for people to go.

 Every Day Was Pay Day

Working here hasn’t kept me young. I got those 17 steps to walk up and down everyday. But still, I love being a waiter. First of all, every day is Pay Day. By that I mean — you got tips — you always have money. Except for your days off — you always had free food. Another thing — I live thirteen blocks away — so unless it’s bad weather, I can walk to work. I don’t walk home from work because I usually go to a bar (Barrymore’s) and then I take a cab home at 4 in the morning. That’s where they called me Richie Hojo.

     Copyright 2009  Annie  Stone

Note: Part of this interview was published in TimeOut New York in July, 2005

As a writer once said: ‘There are Eight Million Stories in This Naked City,” and probably as many characters as well. But the Way We Live Now, plugged into Blackberries or Ipods, we miss the Carnivalesque Dream that can be life in New York City now — full of characters and happenings and fleeting moments of authentic contact between passing strangers.

And whether or not those characters living in New York now rival such Damon Runyonesque creations as Harry the Horse, Dream Street Rose, Izzy Cheesecake — or Nathan Detroit, there are still wonderful characters all around us.

We have only to look. This site is dedicated to noticing the people and world that is around us.

    Copyright 2009 Annie Stone