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Jay Dee Bakery Endangered

Category: Preservation

Published on Monday, 24 August 2009 13:05

Written by Randy Garbin

Whenever we hear from Michael Perlman, it’s not usually because he has good news.

Preservation Alert: Historic Jay Dee Bakery Endangered… Art Deco Features Available Free

Jay Dee Bakery (98−92 Queens Blvd, Forest Hills) closed its doors after nearly 60 years. It stood as a well-​known NY Art Deco landmark since the early 1950s (with features of an earlier bakery dating back to the early 1940s), and has been dear to locals and preservationists. Citywide, there are very few such surviving Art Deco style commercial buildings. On Aug 10^th, my colleague and I met with the owner, and tried to convince him to preserve and adaptively reuse the property, making him eligible for grants, positive media, & awards. It will be transformed into a Russian restaurant, and the owner decided that he is not interested in preserving its historic Art Deco features.

The news is unfortunate, but the owner said he will give away any salvagable Art Deco features for free, if an individual, organization, or museum is interested. Rego-​Forest Preservation Council is hoping that several features will live on elsewhere and showcased or creatively and adaptively reused, which has been done countrywide. We would be saddened if these unique businesses’ Art Deco attributes are demolished forever.

The distinctive Art Deco and decorative features include the following (some are evidently more salvagable than others. Mosaics are salvagable):

- The classic reverse channel neon sign reading Jay Dee Bakery;

- Ravenna green mosaic columns surrounding the window, which features a classic Art Deco orange and red vertical swirl pattern that resembles jewels;

- Art Deco Lucite door and steel handle with “Pull” etched vertically;

- Window featuring a variety of vintage tiered wedding and birthday cake models;

- Exterior green terrazzo exterior floor (which likely continues inside underneath current floor tile);

- Circular Art Deco recessed ceiling & indented cake displays built into upper walls (silhouettes); and

- Any original counters & the brass cake tie devices hanging from the ceiling.

Photos can be seen here.

Please contact This e-​mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you are interested in an opportunity to own rare Art Deco attributes for free from the last known Jay Dee Bakery, know of someone who may be interested, or would like to offer any suggestions. Please spread the word. Time is of the essence! Thank you!