Per the street art here...
"This used to be Love Saves the Day. I used to come in as a kid and get sparklers and sneak peaks at the vintage Playboys."
The East Village Love Saves the Day closed on Jan. 18, 2009. Word was their rent tripled.
The deadly Second Avenue gas explosion in March 2015 destroyed three buildings here, including the space (119 Second Ave.) that housed the shop for 43 years.
16 comments:
What Fabulous Memories !
Thanks !
Way back when, a non-New Yorker friend told me how his Star Wars fan sibling was getting married and that he really wanted to find some vintage Han Solo and Leia Organa figures to put on their cake (he was very particular about them being vintage figures as opposed to whatever kind of action figures they were currently making.) I remembered that Love Saves the Day sometimes sold such things and was able to buy them there and send them to my friend who had a lot of fun incorporating them into the wedding.
Love Saves the Day, indeed, in more ways than one...
Loved that store! Was a must-see place whenever I had out-of-town visitors and great to just browse in on a rainy day.
I used to love going in there and looking around at all the fun merchandise. Bought a few collectors items over the years along with many, many gifts. The corner just makes my heart break now. I can't even look at it without being overwhelmed with sadness.
It was such a drag when LSD closed, but I'm so happy they weren't there when the building blew up. Still need to make the trip down to New Hope.
Miss the Free Being vinyl record store from the 1970s which was a couple doors north and next to B & H. Not quite the last remains of EV Hippie culture but close. That's where as a teenage delinquent I bought my first dime bag.
Fond memories of Love Saves the Day.
And now this space sits empty. Empty. Still empty. $$$
A must stop for friends that came to visit and wanted to see “quirky cool East Village shops”.
I collect old plastic toys and while Loves Saves The Day had the vintage ones I like, their sticker prices half the time were way over market rate and they didn’t haggle (that I was aware of, YMMV). But but the other half the time the pricing would work in your favor. So one day I’d find a dozen figures all priced at $18 each on the shelf and most are worth $9 at most, but I’d cherry pick the rarest ones worth double that and leave the rest for the tourists. Also last time I went to their New Hope shop they were charging a nickel admission XD
Surprised it has not been mentioned that the shop was prominently featured in "Desperately Seeking Susan," which was supposed to be a vehicle for Rosanna Arquette but ended up making a big splash for Madonna who until a short time before was known for dancing in front of DJ booths at clubs.
I briefly worked at Free Being in the early 80’s. The owner James was quite a character. I once had to go to court to bail him out after be beat up someone. It was a constant theme with him. The cops at the 9th wanted nothing to do with him.
This is quite possibly the ugliest building on 2nd Ave.
I swear we are in a parallel existence. I took a picture of that a few days ago but was too tired from work and forgot to post. My mom retired to New Hope so I continued to get fireworks and other treasures from LSTD for years. I don’t remember if that store is still open. I sit near that intersection often at Le Fournil , it’s a little sad remembering the fire and explosion that changed the landscape so drastically.
@6:32 PM Was the Free Being owner "James" a stocky blond guy? I've been across the street from that location since the 70's, and I remember seeing such a dude creating mayhem on the regular.
LSD’s photo booth was legendary. Great store.
Yes, that was him.
Funny, no one mentions the location where I first discovered Love Saves the Day.....63rd Street on Lexington Avenue on the second floor! I first went upstairs there in 1970 and met Leslie, who over the years I would visit at her shop. She'd have the patchouli incense burning and a little cafe table and chair for serving tea.....and I hung out there for hours chatting with her....and visited often! It was a great shop then, stocked with fabulous vintage clothes - and no kitsch - and I had purchased a few items in those days!
Back in the 80s, I discovered that she had opened a subsequent shop in Soho! If my memory serves me correct, I seem to recall her telling me that she had other shops, perhaps in California or Hawaii, but I can't confirm this after so many years!
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