Sunday, April 29, 2012

Downtown Auto & Tire has left the Bowery

This probably isn't much of a shocker... we've been watching the doomed corner of the Bowery and Great Jones the past few years... waiting for the day that Downtown Auto & Tire packed up and left ... there's no place for a auto repair shop on the new luxurious Bowery ... this was a grubby leftover in the shadows of 2 Cooper Square, the Bowery Hotel and 52E4 — the 15 stories of condo across the street.




As the sign shows, they've moved to First Avenue. (That's 117th Street. They may need to change that "downtown" part of their name...)



The space hit the market in May 2010 ... In July 2010, a few people were hoping to open the first New York branch of Segafredo Zanetti Espresso Café, the Italian-style coffee bar, on this spot. They went before CB2, who rejected the proposal, which included a patio with a retractable roof with soundproofing ... and sound-resistant sliding doors. (You can read our coverage of the meeting here.)

During that meeting, a rep from the New York Nightlife Association called Downtown Auto & Tire Club "junky." During her time to speak, Zella Jones, founder of the NoHo/Bowery Partnership, spoke out against the proposal. "We like that garage. We use that garage. The garage reminds us of what was." Later she said, "We are losing our businesses that don't serve alcohol."



Amazing that the place lasted until April 2012. We'll have details on what's next here later...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Please meet the next corner of the Bowery primed for something luxurious

The last days of the Downtown Auto and Tire?

The Bowery to get a South Beach diet

Making Faces at the Downtown Tire & Auto Center

11 comments:

  1. Thanks for ruining my day. This corner was the only thing I looked forward to passing on my walks to and from work every day. I guess now I'll soon have another bro and stilleto girl restaurant to avoid. The Bowery, like the Meat Packing, is nothing more than a bad reality show audition 24/7. It's sickening what this town has turned into.

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  2. Rumor has it the garage is going to be used as a private garage by a guy who is a car buff.

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  3. In response to the first comment by Anonymous - I think you are dead on with everything you said - could agree more or have had better stated it. I thank you for saying all you did. It is dreadful what this city has de-volved into. Pathetic. Pretty soon I may me ashamed to call myself a native NYer... That's fk'd up. Thank you again

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  4. The amount of drunken, screaming, look-at-me women in their 40s falling about this neighborhood on the weekend is breathtaking. I don't know which one of Bravos abysmal shows they are getting their cues from but it's not cool to act like a feral 15 year old. It's embarrassing to watch. The arrival of of yet another alcohol serving establishment on this strip is a very bad idea.

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  5. You haven't seen anything yet gringos. Just wait when the economy gets better. They are coming for your neighborhood. Good luck. Enjoy it while it lasts.

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  6. that place was awesome. this sucks.

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  7. While I dread and fear what will come to replace it, I am happy to see that eyesore go. The place itself was a filthy junkyard, but the excess of cars blocked haphazardly and even on the sidewalks was just too much.

    The Italian café would have been a great idea.

    - East Villager

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  8. Big Brother, there are equally as many douchey men and your comment sounds a little ageist too.

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  9. I agree there are just as many douchey drunk guys and I don't care if my comment sounds ageist. Any other critiques? Sexist?

    I think the world would be a better place if there were more women in power. It's a shame to see these ladies debase themselves in public because they pray to the reality tv bible.

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  10. A long time coming, but this still makes me sad. The garage and the people there have been a part of my daily life for I don't know how long. I've enjoyed this block as it seems to be the last holdout against what is happening to the Bowery. The furniture shop a couple of doors down is also gone...I just hope the fire station will prevent too much change on this block.

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  11. A piece of film history has also died here today. A small scene in the 1979 cult classic THE WARRIORS was shot here back in the summer of 1978. The scene was when the gang leader Luther, played by David Patrick Kelly is seen talking in a pay phone booth, trying to find out the location of The Warriors. Always wanted to see this place in person now it's gone.

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