Toppled from Red Square, Lenin Rises Again on the Lower East Side
Lenin rises again.
Indeed, it somehow seems fitting, given the current political climate, that a statue of the Russian communist revolutionary would return to a Lower East Side rooftop. And so it goes.
Early Friday afternoon, workers were spotted hoisting the eighteen-foot, Soviet-era sculpture into place at 178 Norfolk Street. The copper tribute had been leaning on its side here since last September.
Michael Rosen and Michael Shaoul, co-owners/developers of the original Red Square, where the statue held court from 1994, reportedly own this walk-up tenement beside the Angel Orensanz Center.
Lenin was “toppled” from his longtime perch shortly after Dermot Co. purchased the 130-unit development for roughly $100 million. Red Square is no longer referred to as such, instead going by its address – 250 East Houston.
This 18-foot Lenin statue carries quite the history. It was originally commissioned by the USSR, but the implosion of that country in 1989 – the year Red Square was built at 250 East Houston – prevented its display. The developers of the property, Michael Shaoul and Michael Rosen, reportedly found it trashed in a backyard just outside Moscow and installed it five years later.
Recent Stories
Report: Tenant Files Lawsuit Over Alleged Roach Infestation at 261 Broome Street
A new tenant at 261 Broome Street filed a lawsuit against the landlord, claiming that an alleged roach infestation forced her to leave after only four days on-premise back in June. The complaint, filed this week in Manhattan Supreme Court by Julia Perry, alleges that the infestation was so severe that the critters even found […]
‘Douzo’ Sushi Opens on Delancey Street
Two years after the closure of Berkli Parc, the southwest corner of Allen and Delancey Streets is finally active again. The plywood shed was recently removed to reveal terra-cotta marquee and identity of the next tenant – Douzo. For the new venture, Sushisamba veteran Koji Kagawa teamed up with Chatchai Huadwattana of the Chace Restaurant […]
‘The Modern Chemist’ Chain Opens LES Outpost at East Houston and Orchard
Trendy local chain, The Modern Chemist, now has a presence on the Lower East Side. The company just debuted this new outpost in the other half of what was once American Apparel at East Houston and Orchard Streets. A sandwich board out front advertises the new opening. The Modern Chemist, which counts three other locations […]
Thirsty Customer Robs 7-Eleven on Delancey Street
A customer of the Delancey Street 7-Eleven robbed the store after not having enough cash for beer, police said. Early yesterday morning, a thirsty crook came up to the counter to pay for a few beers, then stole them anyway. He only had $5 and refused to pay for the other groceries. The suspect then […]
Two Buildings at Rivington and Suffolk Hit the Market for $12M
A pair of Lower East Side tenements in the orbit of Essex Crossing is now in the proverbial crosshairs. Both are on the market for a collective $12 million. The two properties are located around the corner from each other at Rivington and Suffolk Streets, and combine for 17,684 square-feet of floor area. The four-story […]
