Bowery Boogie | A Lower East Side Chronicle

The storied lighting district of the lower Bowery will soon lose two big-time players.  Firstly, Bowery Interiors/Lite Elite at 148 Bowery is closing up shop for good.  Yellow-and-red signs hanging ominously in the windows advertise a fire sale of store inventory.

In the short week since the netting went up, the century-old 185 Bowery has virtually disappeared from the block.  This is its last gasp before finally succumbing to the inevitable. Another hotel.  While walking past the once-proud townhouse yesterday afternoon, we caught a glimpse of the ground floor interior.  Or what remains of it.

[Photo via Several Seconds]

Walking south down the Bowery these days, you may notice a not-so-subtle change in the skyline.  Indeed, at the corner of Hester Street, the Wyndham Garden Hotel is slowly rearing its concrete head above the low-rise surroundings.  Out of character. Out of context. Out of control.

The casualties on upper Orchard Street are steadily mounting.  As trendy business and out-of-context development maintain a stranglehold on the block, the mom-and-pops continue to suffer.  A few weeks ago, S.K. Gift Shop at 190 Orchard announced its imminent closure.  Now, Fashion & Fashion Ladies Apparel, located in the southern storefront of 160 Orchard, is [...]

The genie in the LES-lamp might be granting Brack Capital its wish sooner than expected – it appears 185-191 Bowery will be leveled imminently. Within the last week or so, a new scaffolding was erected below the century-old townhouse at 185 Bowery. You may recall that this was once the home of longtime resident and [...]