New-York April 29, 2007 - Manhattan's railroad-style diners becoming extinct. The Moondance is a chromed, railcar-style place. After more than 70 years, the owners of the lot at 80 Sixth Ave. have decided not to renew the diner's lease. They received permission from the city to build a residential building.
The word "diner" comes from "dining car," as they were once based on a railroad design. They started as mobile lunch wagons 150 years ago, and evolved into the prefabricated, easy-to-move structures we know today. The true stand-alone railroad-car diner is down to just a few in Manhattan.