Bowery Boogie | A Lower East Side Chronicle

It’s been more than five weeks since a fire on Grand Street killed one tenant, left scores of families homeless, and gutted the century-old tenement buildings at 283, 287, and 289 Grand.  Many of us who work nearby have been watching the fire’s aftermath play out on a daily basis, constantly reminded of our neighbors’ [...]

And that’s all she wrote.  283-287 Grand Street is no more.  Its suffering has finally come to an end.  Yesterday evening, the heavy-duty backhoes had their claws full of brick, wood, and twisted metal.  All that remains now is a gaping void and the musty smell of lost memories.

In response to our last update on the demolition of 283 Grand Street, one former resident of the building left a comment worth sharing.  The fire victim lived there for more than two decades, as did many others.

Last night marked two weeks since the debilitating seven-alarm fire tore through 283 Grand Street.  The whole area remains under lockdown, seriously affecting business for the adjacent stores and markets.  Indeed, metal police barricades still block the flow of pedestrian (and automotive) traffic between Allen and Forsyth Streets. The demolition continues, but the smell is [...]

And the demolition continues on Grand Street.  As of yesterday evening, a sizable chunk of number 283 is gone.  The facade is now just a skeleton.  In the meantime, families displaced by the fire are upset by the recent relocation from Skyline Hotel on 49th Street.

In recent days, a number of “lost cat” flyers have been posted to street furniture around ground zero of the Grand Street fire.  Lucy’s owner is frantically searching for the feline, last seen during the debilitating fire this past Sunday.