There’s a chance dive bar Lucy’s will reopen in the East Village
There’s a specific breed of long-standing New York dive bars that affords whoever gets shitfaced there some serious New York City street cred.
Lucy’s in the East Village, which was around since the ’80s before its owners were evicted earlier this year, is exactly that type of institution. Although news of its potential closure sent shockwaves through the nightlife community, a new development has given us hope that the beloved bar might open its doors once more.
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Lucy’s’ plight began after a new landlord purchased the building at 135 Avenue A by 8th Street last December. Shortly after, locals noticed an eviction notice posted to the door, naming the bar’s owner and namesake, Ludwika “Lucy” Mickevicius, and giving her one month to vacate the building.
The bar’s lease expired in 2015 and the owner was on a month-to-month rental agreement with the previous landlord, according to the New York Post. The outlet also reports that the latest landlord wanted to raise the rent by $25,000 per month—which likely contributed to the bar’s closure.
In May, the hospitality group Golden Age applied for a liquor license to take over the space where Lucy’s once was, and they seemed intent on keeping the bar’s old name, according to Eater.
Last week, the local community board approved transferring Lucy’s liquor license to the new operators and Golden Age’s CEO Jon Neidich discussed bringing back the bar as it once was.
“[Neidich] doesn’t want to change anything,” Max Bookman, the attorney for Lucy’s, told Gothamist. “He just wants to put in the time capsule Lucy’s as it’s always been.”
What’s next? The community board has to approve of the plan and we have faith things will look even better in the coming months. Fingers crossed, New York.