That Retro Pepsi-Cola Sign Along the East River Is Finally a City Landmark

Photo by Jason Ippolito

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — After years on the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) wait list, the iconic Pepsi-Cola sign along the East River was finally designated a city landmark Tuesday. Its new status will protect it from all types of alteration, relocation and/or demolition without a permit.

The 50-foot neon sign, located in Queens' Gantry Plaza State Park, just north of Greenpoint, has come dangerously close to ending up in the junk pile in decades past.

Below, a brief history of the waterfront icon, courtesy of the LPC.

The Pepsi-Cola Sign is one of the most iconic features of the New York City waterfront, and has become an irreplaceable piece of the urban landscape, representing commercial advertising and American industry. The sign was constructed in 1940 and erected on the roof of the Pepsi-Cola bottling facility in Long Island City, and is attributed to the General Outdoor Advertising Company, one of the largest advertising companies of its time. At the time of its construction, the Pepsi-Cola sign was the longest electric sign in New York State. Situated on the edge of the East River, the sign was clearly visible from Manhattan’s East Side and the recently completed FDR.

The sign’s design closely reflects the company’s 1939 trademark logo with red neon tubing incorporated around the edges of the letters. The 50-foot painted Pepsi bottle was probably replaced in the 1970s with an updated bottle featuring the company’s contemporary design, and the sign was restored in 1993, due to the sign’s significant deterioration. In 2001, Pepsi sold their facility to the Queens West Development Corporation, the bottling facility was demolished, and the sign was temporally relocated. Today, the sign stands within feet of its original location inside Gantry Plaza State Park.

Changes to the zoning code, in the latter half of the 20th century and early 21st century, have contributed to a reduction in the number of the large, illuminated signs, which once crowned the factories and warehouses of many of Long Island City’s most prominent companies. The Pepsi-Cola sign remains one of the most recognizable features on the New York waterfront.

“During its public hearing there was widespread support for the designation of the Pepsi sign,” said Chair Srinivasan. “Its prominent siting and its frequent appearances in pop culture have made it one of the most endearing and recognizable icons on the Queens waterfront.”

“It’s one of the most notable icons in Queens, and although it enjoys many protections, it is really most appropriate that it also becomes a New York City Landmark,” said Commissioner Diana Chapin. “This will celebrate its presence as an important piece, not only of NYC, but of national, corporate and individual history.”

Also designated as city landmarks Tuesday: Two old buildings in Green-Wood Cemetery and a whole bunch of homes, businesses and churches in Park Slope.