Thursday, November 8, 2012

10th St. Glass

In 2007, we first heard that a string of buildings on East 10th Street would be razed for big-box construction. These buildings between Third and Fourth Avenues were once the epicenter of the Abstract Expressionist movement in the 1950s. They were not torn down. 

In 2008, we got word of more destruction--the corner was shuttered and gutted for an eventual teardown to make room for a luxury hotel. That still hasn't happened.

But there is some action on the block. Scaffolding recently came down off 84 E. 10th -- its bricks have been transformed into glass.


Containing an art gallery for many years, part of the 10th Street gallery "scene," this was once the home of the Off-Bowery Theater, where the New York Poets Theatre performed in the early 1960s, featuring Diane Di Prima, LeRoi Jones, and Michael McLure.

before photo via EV Grieve

The realtor's listing begs for a restaurant, or if not a restaurant, then a wine bar, gallery, fitness studio, or salon/spa.


And in the 1950s...

photo: James Burke for LIFE
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8 comments:

  1. AnonymousNovember 8, 2012 at 9:28 AM

    And in the 80s and 90s it housed 99X your one stop ska-kid/skinhead/hardcore clothier. I was sad to see that go.

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  2. AnonymousNovember 8, 2012 at 7:47 PM

    Much prefer the before :(

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  3. 79rigidNovember 8, 2012 at 9:16 PM

    I miss 99x.

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  4. mchNovember 8, 2012 at 11:21 PM

    For New York to give up its lovely brick and brownstone would be like Siena or other Tuscan towns giving up their distinctively colored building materials. Cities survive by changing, but not by undoing themselves altogether.

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  5. AnonymousNovember 9, 2012 at 11:07 AM

    Agree with mch. And aside from having character. the brick and brownstones have withstood decades, some, centuries of nature's vengeance on us. And g-d forbid, and knock on brick and brownstone, that we don't get another superstorm anytime soon, but if we do, these glass high-rises won't be able to withstand the strong winds. These will last as the same time, or less, in building them.

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  6. lauraNovember 10, 2012 at 12:06 AM

    this glass thing, all over the world. i dont get get it. i like organic, lets keep it real

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  7. AnonymousNovember 12, 2012 at 8:28 PM

    10th Street is one of the highlights of the area with its historic architecture and tree lined blocks leading to that lovely church at 2nd Ave. This is a travesty and as mch said, the best cities embrace change without selling out or selling their souls.

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  8. AnonymousNovember 13, 2012 at 10:54 AM

    The glass in this case is particularly ugly. And look at the windows! Is that really the finished product. It's so cheap.

    How sad to erase history like that.

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