Wrecking Ball Arrives at 185-191 Bowery
This image has been archived or removed.
Credit: MBFC
Last week, Lower East Siders reveled in the news that two historic Bowery structures received protective landmark designation from the Landmarks Preservation Commission – Bowery Mission (227) and the Bowery Bank of New York (124-126).
Despite the glad tidings, however, the influential thoroughfare is still losing its character. And fast. As we’ve been following for, oh, three years now, 185-191 Bowery is slowly being razed before our very eyes. Demolition of the four-parcel lot was quiet for awhile, at least until DOB permits were issued in April. Developments are on the daily now. Most mornings, the plywood shed doors are ajar revealing a stark scene of deconstruction. Workers are removing the contents of these longtime denizens brick by brick, plank by plank.
This image has been archived or removed.
It’s sad. Especially since the replacement is something the neighborhood definitely does not need at this point. Another hotel. Yes, the Amsterdam-based CitizenM hotel chain (“the embodiment of affordable luxury”) is poised to drop a 90,000 square-foot tower here at the corner of Delancey Street. Numerous neighbors and commenters have already asserted in the past that the aging infrastructure in the immediate vicinity might not support such a ginormous development. We’ll need to confirm that with our crack squad of Boogie engineers…
This image has been archived or removed.
185 Bowery lost its head two years ago; 187 was itself decapitated within the last couple days.
This image has been archived or removed.
Recent Stories
‘Forsythia’ Aims to Make it Where Kitty’s Canteen Couldn’t
With Kitty’s Canteen closed and in the history books, another nightlifer is looking to open a restaurant at 9 Stanton Street. One that revives Italian cuisine at this address. The newcomer is a 24-seat Italian restaurant called Forsythia. The liquor license application questionnaire lists Jacob David Siwak as the principal for the business. At the […]
Man Mugged at Knifepoint Outside Clinton Street Pawn Shop
A man was mugged at knifepoint outside a Clinton Street pawn shop last Tuesday, police said. The victim was reportedly attacked by six crooks, described as African American males, while trying to sell his Juul vape pen to his friend. It all happened outside the pawn shop at 101 Clinton Street. The suspects – one […]
The Lower East Side has the Largest Surplus of Unsold Luxury Condos, Thanks to One Manhattan Square
The city currently has a problem unloading the luxury condos flooding the market. The New York Times last week published a piece about the glut of unsold apartments in the luxury stratosphere. That, despite the bonkers pace of construction in the high-end market, supply is outstripping demand. The data, culled from a StreetEasy audit, found […]
Help Support Gem Spa on St. Mark’s Place Tomorrow
A perfect storm of misfortune has plagued the Gem Spa these last few months, causing a precipitous loss in business. From landlord issues to the temporary ban on cigarette sales and the loss of Zoltar, it’s hitting the bottom line. Fear of forever closure is palpable at 131 Second Avenue. The plight of the East […]
With Champ Depot Out, Bowery Corner Gains Another Gallery
For more than a decade, the Champ Depot restaurant supply company occupied 176 Bowery. Now, its former home is completely empty and fetching for a new deep-pocketed tenant. There is a torrent of listings on Craigslist fishing for suitors (“last corner retail in Nolita”), yet one was already found to occupy the second floor. It’s […]
