In New York (New Jersey) for the next two weeks...
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Nick
Mar 11, 2015, 3:13:09 PM3/11/15
to neoni...@googlegroups.com
I'm in New York (actually, New Jersey) for the next two weeks...
...any surplus stores or good radio places I should visit? I have a car...
...mostly, I'll be "living" in a stonking great data centre (for the full 14 days, including weekends), but the engineers I'm taking over there don't really need me standing over their shoulders, so I may get some free time...
I'm hoping to visit Leeds Radio in their new location in the Bronx... http://leedsradio.com/
...bought off them several times - nice guys...
Nick
David Speck MD
Mar 11, 2015, 7:32:16 PM3/11/15
to neoni...@googlegroups.com
Nick,
For the 8 years I lived in NYC (1975 - 83), the place to go was Canal
Street, west of the #6 train. There used to be about 7 or 8 places with
electronic surplus. Regrettably, I haven't been back since then.
I hear the area has been gentrified to a large extent, but a quick
Google search for "electronic surplus Canal street NYC" shows that there
are at least a couple of places still open -- Argo electronics (a name I
remember from "back when", and "269 Electronics" (new to me). Sylvan -
Wellington was retail with good quality Xcellite tools, and a
comprehensive inventory of Stancor and Triad transformers. If you
needed a part with specific ratings, they would have it, though at a
price. I'd still stop in whenever I went by, just to drool.
There were also places like Pearl Paint (lots of art supplies at bargain
prices), Canal Electric Motors -- (motors and industrial electrical
equipment of all sorts, also very inexpensive) and a couple of plastics
places where you could get all sorts of sheet Plexiglas and various
molded parts retail.
I also remember a radio place on west 42nd (or 47th or 48th St), a third
or fourth floor walkup, crammed floor to ceiling with musty boxes of
WWII radios and components, lit by a single fluorescent tube of dubious
parentage. Only went there once, as the prices were high, and the owner
wouldn't let you browse. With current real estate values in Central
Manhattan, I doubt that they would still be there.
When I was there, it was better to take the train than to drive. There
was nowhere to park, and no one ever stole a subway car. ;o) Don't know
how safe the neighborhood is now.
Let us know what you find. I spent many a happy Saturday afternoon there.
Dave
On 3/11/2015 3:13 PM, Nick wrote:
> I'm in New York (actually, New Jersey) for the next two weeks...
>
> ...any surplus stores or good radio places I should visit? I have a car...
>
> ...mostly, I'll be "living" in a stonking great data centre (for the
> full 14 days, including weekends), but the engineers I'm taking over
> there don't really need me standing over their shoulders, so I may get
> some free time...
>
> I'm hoping to visit Leeds Radio in their new location in the Bronx...
> [url]http://leedsradio.com/[/url]
For the 8 years I lived in NYC (1975 - 83), the place to go was Canal
Street, west of the #6 train. There used to be about 7 or 8 places with
electronic surplus. Regrettably, I haven't been back since then.
I hear the area has been gentrified to a large extent, but a quick
Google search for "electronic surplus Canal street NYC" shows that there
are at least a couple of places still open -- Argo electronics (a name I
remember from "back when", and "269 Electronics" (new to me). Sylvan -
Wellington was retail with good quality Xcellite tools, and a
comprehensive inventory of Stancor and Triad transformers. If you
needed a part with specific ratings, they would have it, though at a
price. I'd still stop in whenever I went by, just to drool.
There were also places like Pearl Paint (lots of art supplies at bargain
prices), Canal Electric Motors -- (motors and industrial electrical
equipment of all sorts, also very inexpensive) and a couple of plastics
places where you could get all sorts of sheet Plexiglas and various
molded parts retail.
I also remember a radio place on west 42nd (or 47th or 48th St), a third
or fourth floor walkup, crammed floor to ceiling with musty boxes of
WWII radios and components, lit by a single fluorescent tube of dubious
parentage. Only went there once, as the prices were high, and the owner
wouldn't let you browse. With current real estate values in Central
Manhattan, I doubt that they would still be there.
When I was there, it was better to take the train than to drive. There
was nowhere to park, and no one ever stole a subway car. ;o) Don't know
how safe the neighborhood is now.
Let us know what you find. I spent many a happy Saturday afternoon there.
Dave
On 3/11/2015 3:13 PM, Nick wrote:
> I'm in New York (actually, New Jersey) for the next two weeks...
>
> ...any surplus stores or good radio places I should visit? I have a car...
>
> ...mostly, I'll be "living" in a stonking great data centre (for the
> full 14 days, including weekends), but the engineers I'm taking over
> there don't really need me standing over their shoulders, so I may get
> some free time...
>
> I'm hoping to visit Leeds Radio in their new location in the Bronx...
H. Carl Ott
Mar 13, 2015, 10:21:30 AM3/13/15
to neoni...@googlegroups.com
Canal Street (and TriBeCa) in NYC used to be surplus nirvana. But that was many years ago. All the really good scrap stores have closed up shop.
My dad used to take me and my brother there all the time when I was a kid. Then I worked at Trans-Am Electronics on Canal St when I was a teenager back in the 70's.
Fun times. Made some great friends that I still talk to.
These days... Not a lot of surplus electronic places left in NYC.
The real estate itself was worth way more than the businesses could ever take in. And then rents went through the roof in the late 80's & 90's. If you did not own the building you got pushed out when your lease expired. And if you did own the building, you sold it for millions and retired.
But I think Argo might still be there.
Not sure it's worth a special trip. But if you want to come into the city and poke around Chinatown, Little Italy, and the downtown area anyway then it's still worth a peek. Just don't buy any Rolex watches or Coach bags if offered while walking along Canal . (unless you happen to be shopping for fakes)
Also second the recommendation to take the PATH / NJ transit / public transport into town. Parking can be a PITA during the day.
But if you're going to go out to Leed's, then having a car might be more convenient, if expensive. The bridge / tunnel tolls (not to mention the traffic) can shock the uninitiated. BTW, I used to frequently eat dinner with Bernie Goldstein. Bernie owned Leed's Radio when it was still in Manhattan on Warren St. below Canal.
Another possible activity.
Don't know where your data center in NJ is, but the Trenton Computer Festival is coming up in a week or so.
The TCF indoor fleamarket is not as large as it used to be, but it is a fun show. Lots of old computer gear on parade. I'll be there selling some junk and surplus electronic components.
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Nick
Mar 14, 2015, 5:23:58 PM3/14/15
to neoni...@googlegroups.com
Way things are going, its tough and may have little free time - the computer fair looked interesting but is probably a bit too far to go in the time I have.
Annoying really. Might make it to Leeds though...
Nick
Nick
Mar 27, 2015, 9:15:47 AM3/27/15
to neoni...@googlegroups.com
Spent the whole time in the data centre - was a troglodyte for 2 weeks (no break for both weekends) - never really left Secaucus - the DC is one of the largest in the world - 320,000 sq. ft. of computers.. - very noisy, cold & dimly lit...
Sorry we didn;t meet up, Terry. I didn't even get to Leeds Radio :(
Nick
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