Victor Victoratos hears the question before some customers order. They have come to Boulevard Drinks for a hot dog, but they need to know how much time is left. “When is your last day?” He says everybody asks. The question has become part of the transaction, alongside the food and the change. There is affection in it, and a little dread. People want the answer even when they already know it. Victor says April 1 would have brought 70 years at this Journal Square address. The business itself goes back to 1937. A customer can do that arithmetic while waiting at the counter, though it will not make the coming move easier to understand.

Continue reading → The Hot Dog Will Survive. The Room Might Not.