National Underground & White Rabbit Close; Replacements Prep Arrival
This image has been archived or removed.
That’s all she wrote – two longtime East Houston watering holes just bit the dust. National Underground and White Rabbit both closed this week, as expected. Their bar replacements were approved for on-premise licenses by Community Board 3 last month. Here’s what we know so far.
159 East Houston, previously the DeGraw Brothers’ National Underground, will transform into an Irish pub with an “authentic” cultural experience. James Morrissey, who reportedly owns twenty establishments in his homeland, hopes to create the feel of an Irish rural country home in the 1940s. Shebeen Chic will serve traditional foods like Shepard’s Pie, beef stews, and fish and chips, all alongside “creative” events like poetry readings.
This image has been archived or removed.
Jimmy Chu had been at 145 East Houston for eighteen years with a number of different concepts, but White Rabbit was his last. In its place is an outpost of Queens bar Alewife, run with dudes from Idle Hands. Until the takeover, the painted gate will remain as reminder. The logo itself was snipped from the awning.
Recent Stories
‘Peasant’ to Stay on Elizabeth Street Under Chef Marc Forgione
So, it turns out that Peasant will remain on Elizabeth Street, after all. But under new ownership. One month ago, we reported that founding chef-owner Frank DeCarlo reportedly decided against renewal. An apparent change of heart unfolded in the interim… The New York Times this week disclosed that DeCarlo sold the business to Marc Forgione, […]
Longtime Orchard Street Laundromat Felled by Rent Hike
A longtime laundromat on lower Orchard Street is set to close by year end. The Orchard Cleaner and Laundromat is counting the days to December 31, after which its lease reportedly expires. A purported rent hike for the renewal is the cause behind this latest closure. However, details regarding the percentage increase are not immediately […]
Evoking Department Store Past, The Ridley Launches Leasing on Allen Street with $19K Rental
Here’s your chance to live in a nineteenth-century department store, albeit at luxury pricing. In an obvious nod to the pedigree of 66 Allen Street (aka 315 Grand) – the spot was once Ridley & Sons Department Store – the remodeled upper floors are repositioned as “luxury apartment rentals” called The Ridley. Not a “deal” […]
‘Nostalgia Train’ is Back on the Rails this Holiday Season
All aboard! The Nostalgia Train is back. The New York Transit Museum and the MTA has again brought the festive flavor of yesteryear to the underground. The preserved 1930s R1-9 train cars are now in regular rotation every Sunday from now until New Year’s, an annual tradition on the rails since 2007. The weekend train […]
Beastie Boys’ Former Party House for Sale on Chrystie Street
There was a Dispatch in the New York Post last week that touched upon the availability of 55-59 Chrystie Street. Bankrupted and liquidated of its occupants – all commercial – the court-ordered bankruptcy appointee seeks to refill the ranks. The 46,350-square-foot building was reportedly undergoing upscaling to “higher-rent creative tenants” when, after shelling out roughly $1.9 […]
