San Jose Signs Index 

“Y NOT” reuse the1960s-era signage of a country and western bar for your 1970s- era porn shop? Sure enough, San Jose’s tongue-in-cheek Y NOT sign used to advertise a bar, and it was animated too. It was a brilliant piece of advertising— starting with the sign, fully lit — the dominant image, a giant white neon “Y.” Then, the Y would go dark, and a red cocktail glass would appear. Then, the glass would fade into the darkness, only to be replaced with a bright blue neon question mark. Today, the word “cocktail” has been replaced with the word “open,” a personal characteristic perhaps required by the store’s current patrons.
--Heather David