Envoy Enterprises Expanding with 87 Rivington Gallery

Leasing life hasn’t been great for the ground level of 87 Rivington Street these last few years. The building itself was upscaled to luxury living back in 2010, the retail space gussied up for nobody. That’s all changing in a couple weeks.

Lower East Side gallery stalwart Envoy Enterprises, which maintains residence at 131 Chrystie Street, is doubling its neighborhood reach by opening another location here. According to ArtInfo, owner Jimi Dams recently purchased the 3,000 square-foot commercial unit for its operational HQ. The bi-level space will be dedicated to artists represented by the gallery, while the Chrystie spot will become more of a “creative think tank” for creatives not featured in the Envoy roster.

When asked about the comparisons between Chelsea and Lower East Side gallery scenes, Dams noted that “[The Lower East Side] will never be like Chelsea because this is a neighborhood. Even if you put one gallery next to another, you won’t get that art fair feeling. That makes all the difference.”

Yes, this is a fuckin neighborhood, but the scales are seemingly tipping the wrong way…