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 million on the lobby, common areas, loft and office spaces, the current owner ran out of funds.

However, the article makes no mention of the musical history behind this classic building. This spot once served as the party life headquarters of the Beastie Boys. And it all happened thanks to British Airways, oddly enough.

The transatlantic airline company had copped a snippet of “Beastie Revolution” for use in a television ad campaign in 1983.  It was done without properly licensing the track, which initially appeared on the second EP dubbed Cookie Puss. The copyright infringement case was a success, netting the band $40,000 in damages, which enabled the rental of 59 Chrystie Street.  This Chinatown abode would function as home, recording studio, and party palace during the formative years when their transition from punk to hip-hop was forged.

The Beastie Boys would later give a shout-out to 59 Chrystie in the song “B-Boy Bouillabaisse,” which closed out the seminal 1989 record Paul’s Boutique.