The other day, I mentioned Il Pastificio — the great new Italian restaurant — to someone.
“It’s near Capuli, Finalmente, Jeera Thai — you know, across from the old post office,” I described.
She looked at me blankly.
“I mean, Design Within Reach,” I said.
Ah, yes.
The post office has been gone from Post Road East — well, on it — for over a decade.
Hundreds of Westporters have moved in since 2012. They think that dinky little 2,700-square foot Playhouse Square hole in the wall, with poor parking and even less ambience, is what we deserve for a post office. (Fun fact: Before opening in 2012, it was Derma Clinic. Even earlier, it was Friendly’s.)
Once upon a time, we had a real, 7,000-square foot post office. A WPA project, it was dedicated in 1936.
And it looked just like a post office should:
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50 Years Ago This Week:
The Remarkable Book Shop ran a full-page ad promoting, in part, “our new garden courtyard and our version of the Left Bank Stalls of Paris!”
The ad featured a rendering of the new setup by local artist Arthur Cady, whose career included more than a decade as art director at Young & Rubicam. (Hat tip: Fred Cantor)
And what did those stalls look like a few years later?
Here are two views:
(Photo/Fred Cantor)
(Photo/Gail Comden)
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