[EVG photo from late January]
The Bourgeois Pig closed for good in late January at 111 E. Seventh St. As Eater reported back in November, a rent hike was behind the 10-year-old bar's East Village closure.
There's now a listing via Sinvin (the PDF is here) for the storefront between Avenue A and First Avenue ... "perfect for any use, food or retail"...
The asking rent is $10,500.
As for The Bourgeois Pig, the wine-cheese bar opened a new location at 127 MacDougal St.
Previously.
I remember this as once a great book and record store where I found so many treasures.
ReplyDeleteI also remember years ago, the Bourgeois Pig was located in a very tiny space, also on E. 7th I think. It was staffed by one man who carded you, seated you, poured the wine, and made the fondue. I went once with a friend to catch up and we were the only people there for most of the evening.
I hope whoever rents this space next gets rid of the dungeon details on the quite nice neoclassical exterior.
ReplyDeleteR.I.P. East Village Books and Records; not only was this a great book and record store, but it was a total hangout on Friday evenings—a lot like St. Mark's Books used to be. God, I miss New York.
ReplyDeleteHi Scuba Diva!
ReplyDeleteWasn't that Tompkins Books and Records?
I have no idea where they got their stock from, but I always walked out something special.
Also remember the old Pageant on 9th? Also great for treasure hunting.
Yes, it was Tompkins Square books. But the store wasn't in the Bourgeois Pig space, it was located in the east storefront of 111 E 7th where Village Style is now. The book store, owned and operated by Gani Remorca, had it's closing party on Monday night, Sept 10, 2001. I'll never forget that date. Gani was, and still is (he's been selling online since it closed), one of the great New York City booksellers in my lifetime.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, back in the early to mid 90's a friend and co-worker of mine actually lived in the Bourgeois Pig Space. She used the back portion as a photography studio and darkroom. The rent back then was probably around a $800 to a $1,000 a month. She threw a lot of fantastic parties in that storefront apartment.
Oops, my "it's closing party" should've been "its closing party" without the apostrophe.
ReplyDeleteHello Jack,
ReplyDeleteI have a typo to fix too! I meant "I always walked out with something special", not "I always walked out something special".
I really enjoyed reading your post, thank you!
Former East Villager said:
ReplyDeleteWasn't that Tompkins Books and Records?
I have no idea where they got their stock from, but I always walked out something special.
Also remember the old Pageant on 9th? Also great for treasure hunting.
My bad; practically after I sent that post, I remembered it was Tompkins Square Books and Records. I still have some treasures from there, like Confessions of a Pretty Lady by Sandra Bernhard.
[Gani Remorca—I still have his card somewhere.]
Pageant still exists, but on 4th street between Cooper Square and 2nd—not far from the vintage Dodge Dart with the penguin and owl in the front seat.
That spot use to be the old VFW hall years ago.
ReplyDeleteTompkins Square Books & Records closed on September 10, 2001. I and another bookseller from Ithaca were going to take away the remaining stock second week of September, but the aftershock and chaos of 9-11 prevented us from even getting into the city. Gani put the rest to the street to be picked over and eventually hauled away. My point is, Gani closed because his rent was raised to $4,000 a month which for a used bookshop in 2001 was astronomical, I feel. He supported the store through a blind generosity and the desire to provide a job for his employees and a salon for the book and record-hungry East Villagers.
ReplyDelete