Tom's Diner in New York City, NY

Tom's Diner is an eatery of humble appearance, located in the upper part of Manhattan, New York, next to Columbia University. A simple sign, pink neon against a blue background, advertises "Tom' Restaurant." Below, diners consume hamburgers, fries, salads, and coffee behind plate glass. Yet, this ordinary-seeming dining establishment has become somewhat iconic due to its constant depiction in America's popular culture. It could be said that Tom's Diner has found a place in the popular consciousness.

The first mention of Tom's Diner that received wide notice across America and the world was in a 1987 folk song by singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega. The song is a first-person lyric narrative, describing a nameless male protagonist stopping at the restaurant in question for a cup of coffee before needing to catch his train. He sees the activity of the passersby outside, and hears the bells of the nearby Cathedral of St. John the Divine. This makes him reflect on past loves. Then, he finishes his coffee and has to run to catch the train and get on with the rest of his life--ambiguous, confusing, and melancholy as it sometimes is.

Then, Tom's Diner made an regular appearance in Seinfeld, an iconic early 90's TV series set in New York. Like the song, the show dealt with the aimless ambiguity of young life in a big city. The restaurant's characteristic blue sign appeared every time the characters in Seinfeld went to eat at a local diner (later called "Monk's" in the show for legal reasons).