[316 E. 59th Street, Manhattan, c. 1939–1941. From the NYC Municipal Archives Collections. Click either image for a much larger view.]
I’ll let this New York Times article (1990) tell the story of Gnome Bakers. The Times mentions a papier-mâché gnome that once sat atop the roof, leaning against the chimney (“Unusual Breads & Rolls”). The word “Energy” is spelled out vertically above the small window between the dancing gnomes. Now there’s a sentence I could never have imagined writing.
Here, from 2015, when 316 E. 59th was for rent ($14,000 a month), are photographs of the building’s exterior and interior, with a nice glimpse of the rooftop gnome as seen from the entrance ramp to the Queensboro Bridge. Slow down, you move too fast. You got to see the gnome at last.
Nowadays 316 houses a chiropractor’s office.
Thanks, Brian.
November 13, 2025: A reader reports that the building is for sale. Price: $10M.
Related posts
More photographs from the NYC Municipal Archives
Sunday, May 15, 2022
Gnome Bakers
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great article
ReplyDeleteThanks!
ReplyDeletea few more pictures, here
ReplyDeletehttps://www.urbanarchive.org/search?q=316%20east%2059th
Thanks, Anon.
ReplyDeletethis might be a later location, sign looks similar to a later business card
ReplyDeletehttps://nycma.lunaimaging.com/luna/servlet/detail/NYCMA~5~5~248437~1164317?sort=borough%2Cblock%2Clot%2Czip_code&qvq=q:block%3D1439%20and%20lot%3D42;sort:borough%2Cblock%2Clot%2Czip_code;lc:NYCMA~5~5&mi=1&trs=2
it took me a while to spot the sign.
ReplyDeleteAn article behind a paywall says that Fink Baking closed in 2002.
While deleting spam comments (hydroxychloroquine, anyone?), I accidentally deleted a comment with more photos of the Gnome address: https://www.urbanarchive.org/search?q=316%20east%2059th.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anon.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/13/real-estate/nycs-house-of-gnomes-has-listed-for-10m/
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anon. I'll add this news to the post.
ReplyDelete