The classic Cheyenne Diner arrived in the Birmingham area overnight.

The 96-foot diner, which traveled about 1,000 miles from its former Manhattan home, is on standby in the northeastern area of Birmingham, said Patti Miller, the diner's media relations director. She declined to disclose its exact location because of the rich history of the diner and to protect it from possible vandalism.

The diner had to be uprooted from its perch on Ninth Avenue in the Chelsea neighborhood and brought through several states, including Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Tennessee. The process of transporting the two pieces of the diner on flatbed trucks took two weeks.

Birmingham businessman Joel Owens bought the diner and plans to restore it to its 1940s vintage glory. A permanent site hasn't been chosen, but the eastern metro area is preferred, Miller has said.

Plans are to make the permanent location a destination spot that would include the diner, a vintage car display and a movie theater, she said.

Originally published online here: http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/10/manhattans_cheyenne_diner_arri.html