Gasoline Alley Coffee Shop Opening Monday at 331 Lafayette

Aside from being an earworm of a hit for Brit-pop band, the Hollies, Gasoline Alley was also the unofficial area designation and precursor to the neighborhood now known as NoHo. Parking lots, repair shops, and gas stations were once the hallmark of this trapezoidal slice of city space. A destination for automotive servicing. Back in 2004, though, while the glass office building at the corner of Broadway was still under construction, The Villager proclaimed the Alley all but dead. It’s not much better these days. Some of the remaining Gasoline Alley holdouts include the BP station at Lafayette Street, the Park Fast at Great Jones, and Downtown Auto & Tire. Each is threatened by an ever-present tsunami of gentrification which has already claimed much of the surroundings.

Into the fray walks a new sipping spot that is obviously capitalizing on this storied neighborhood nickname. Gasoline Alley is a coffee shop that’s been in the works at 331 Lafayette Street for some time now. It occupies the former location of optical retailers Eye Candy (flag still flying), and sits mere steps from quick-stop competitor Bite.

Yesterday morning, workers installing the requisite appliances informed us that Gasoline Alley should open on Monday. Seems like a stretch, so we won’t hold our collective breath.