NOW

In the early 1900s, Peter Leonard arrived in the US. As a young boy he began working in the fish market on the Upper East Side. Initially, his job was to open the doors of the wealthy lady's carriages who would come to do their purchases. By 1910, after learning everything he could about the trade, Peter knew that it was time for him to open his own fish shop. As time went on, Peter's sons - John and Peter - joined their father, and by the early 1950s the two boys were running the business on their own. At this point, when a butcher shop nearby was closing, the brothers decided to purchase it. Adding meat and poultry to their inventory, they soon became known as a seafood and butcher shop. In the late 1990s, two cousins - also John and Peter - who had grown up watching their dads run Leonard's, decided to join forces and take over the business from their fathers.

As time went on they incorporated more prepared foods into their shop. The decision was an easy one when more and more customers were telling John and Peter, "I don't cook… so we started doing it for them." There are soups, a variety of vegetables, and lots of meat and fish dishes. These customers have been with them for years. Some are now in their nineties and remember the men's fathers well, but perhaps even nicer is that their children and grandchildren come by whenever they are in the neighborhood. Many will call and place an order to pick up when they are driving into the city for a visit.

"We are a small store - not a supermarket - so for us to be successful since 1910 we must specialize in customer service and quality. And that includes the freshest fish and the best cuts of meat." Leonards’ also offers free delivery, and if someone would like a type of meat or a particular kind of fish that they do not usually carry, they will get it and prepare it exactly to the customer's specifications. "This is what makes us stand out. In the past, there were fishmongers and butcher shops all over the city, but they have been swallowed up - so we are a rare breed now."

THEN

Designed by architect Theodore Rabe, 1437 Second Avenue is part row of 4 brick rowhouses built in 1868, all of which survive. The 4-story buildings, commissioned by W.J. Messenger, had 1apartment per floor above stores at the street level. At the time they were classified in the Real Estate Record as “second-class dwellings,” meaning they were not single-family structures. Aside from the usual storefront alterations, all four buildings are remarkably intact, with their arched windows and streamlined stone lintels, galvanized cornice, and iron balconies, which were turned into fire escapes. At the beginning of the 20th century, 1437 Second Avenue was home to August Kahn’s pharmacy.