Where Bowery Is Considered a Street

Posted on: July 20th, 2009 at 8:01 am by

This image has been archived or removed.

This image has been archived or removed.

On Saturday afternoon, we ventured out to Coney Island for the ninth annual Siren Festival. We arrived rather late, and only caught a few of the bands on the bill – Raveonettes were by far the most enjoyable. Yet while the event itself was great fun, none of the music was as exhilarating (or terrifying) as the Cyclone. Always the highlight, it never disappoints.

This image has been archived or removed.

This image has been archived or removed.

Most interesting, however, is that in Coney Island, Bowery is considered a street. This concrete doppelganger runs an east-west route between Jones Walk and West Fifteenth, and also boasts an infamous past. According to the Morning News, the thoroughfare once housed 260 saloons, dance halls, baths, theaters, and bordellos. But by the end of World War II, penny arcades and roller coasters replaced drinking establishments as the main money draw. These days, the games, and the park itself, remain threatened by gross over-development.

Recent Stories

Music
Avril Lavigne Marks 20th Album Anniversary on Canal Street

Avril Lavigne returned to SoHo this week to mark the twentieth anniversary of her pop-punk debut, Let Go. The “Sk8er Boi” artist took to TikTok in celebratory gush, posting a quick hit of her standing in the intersection of Broadway and Canal Street. An ode to the album cover, twenty years older and not blurry, […]

Real Estate
Long-Stalled Grand Street Lot Reactivates

Despite ongoing troubles with his East Broadway project, local owner-developer Daniel Wise is now proceeding with a new development planned for Grand Street. No longer an overgrown jungle of weeds, the zombie parcel spanning 330-332 Grand is, as of a couple weeks ago, fully reanimated. The Department of Buildings issued permits for foundation work last […]

Food
From the Rooftops: The Hell Square Aural Assault

Articles about ear-shattering noise levels, from parties to cruising cars, as well as the general lack of regard for the residents of Hell Square, are rote at this point. Almost a cliche. But to residents living in the bullseye, the aural assault remains a weekly nightmare. And this past Saturday night, by several accounts, upped […]

Sport
Pitt Pool Opens for Summer Season

New York City public pools officially opened yesterday. For the Lower East Side, that means the Pitt Pool (aka Hamilton Fish) is ready to go. The launch happened with great fanfare. Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue joined Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Assembly Member Harvey Epstein, Senator Brian Kavanagh, Council Member Carlina Rivera, and local kids […]

Food
At Belse, the New Vegan Brewery on the Bowery

Belse, the Texas-based vegan brewery and restaurant, is now in business on the Bowery. The Lone Star State transplant – officially, Belse Plant Cuisine – takes 11,000 square-feet at 265-267 Bowery, in what was previously the fleeting home of the Paulaner Brauhaus brewery. The renovated space features three sections – a restaurant, bar, and Garden […]