When you first come to Eighth Avenue between 43rd & 44th, it appears to be nothing more than a strip of touristy gift shops.
Swing around the corner on 44th Street, and you’ll just find a row of restaurants.
But look at this intersection from above, and you’ll see something unusual hidden from view…
Nestled behind the outer wall of buildings, an inner structure topped with an eight-sided dome:
What is it? As it happens, you can go check it out in person simply by passing through the doors of one of the few good restaurants in Times Square, John’s Pizzeria.
Head through the entrance hall…
…pass through the arches…
…and step into the main room of the restaurant…
…and it shouldn’t take long before the dimensions start reminding you not of a pizzeria…
…but instead, a church, complete with its former balcony-level seating and stained glass windows.
Oh, and be sure to look up…
…to see one of the most beautiful stained-glass ceilings in New York:
Seriously, how gorgeous is that?
A closer look…
And a little closer…
Nearly 100 years before it was serving the best pizza in Times Square, this was home to the Gospel Tabernacle church, founded by the evangelical Protestant preacher A. B. Simpson. The church was always inset from the street – the attached buildings on Eighth Avenue and 44th Street housed a missionary training college offering three year courses for men and women (separated, of course), as well as a bookstore. Below, the entrance on 692 Eighth Avenue in 1931…
…and today.
The church flourished in the early half of the century (below, a picture of the church in its heyday), but by the mid-90s, it was abandoned and in a state of decay (special thanks to reader Matthew for locating a picture!).
In 1995, the property was purchased by Madeline Castelotti and renovated into a John’s Pizza location.
It’s interesting to search for the remnants of the former church. Clearly, the altar would have been located behind this mural (would love to know if it’s still hidden back there!).
Still lining the walls are stained-glass windows in triplets…
…some still allowing in light…
…while others have since been blocked by exterior walls.
I’d say it’s a safe assumption these are the original chandeliers from the church:
Finally, I love that the balcony area was kept, which really retains the character of the church:
To get a sense of the strange geography of the place, head to the bar…
…where a skylight gives you a sense of exactly where you are amongst the jumble of surrounding buildings:
Unfortunately, I was unable to find any historical pictures of what the interior of the church used to look like (if anyone can find any, please send them my way). I did manage to dig up a picture of the 8th Avenue entrance…
…which today leads into the kitchen.
According to the John’s website, this is the largest pizzeria in the country. While I have no clue if this is accurate or not, I do know that this place serves a damn good pizza, and is one of the few reasons I look forward to making the requisite Times Square tourist visit when relatives come to town.
And lest anyone have a problem with a church being turned into a pizzeria, really stare at the ceiling overhead. Pretty sure it was what God intended from the beginning.
-SCOUT
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