The last time I was in New York, the Stage Delicatessen and the Carnegie Deli were both open and thriving — two nearby competitors who both had partisans who'd tell you their favorite was the best in the world. I thought they were both great.
The Stage went out of business at the end of 2012 and the Carnegie has been shuttered since last April. The Carnegie's closure wasn't supposed to be permanent but it's starting to look that way. This article doubts it will open its doors again. How sad would that be?