Nathan and Ida Handwerker Way (Brooklyn)
Present name:None
Location:At the southwest corner of Surf Avenue and Stillwell Avenue
Honoree: Nathan Handwerker (1892-1974) came to New York from Poland in 1912. He worked at Feltman’s German Gardens restaurant in Coney Island for 4 years before opening what became Nathan’s Famous in 1916. Ida Handwerker (1897-1976) came to the U.S. as a teenager and began working at a food stand in Coney Island. She was hired by Nathan and it was her unique spice blend that set the hot dogs at Nathan’s Famous apart from the competition. The two eventually married and worked in their Coney Island restaurant for over 50 years until they retired in 1971. The original location of Nathan’s Famous remains iconic, even as the restaurant expanded into a chain in the 1960’s. The hot dog that Nathan and Ida created and the green and yellow sign are recognizable symbols of Americana throughout the world. (Treyger)
LL:2016/92