As the Post reported the other day, ownership here had a megaphone installed alongside a monitored-24/7 surveillance camera "to ward off a growing number of vagrants and drunks attempting to relieve themselves on the vacant building."
Apparently, this setup has been in place for a year. We never really noticed (or heard) it. Then again, we've never urinated on the building — however tempting!
Anyway, per the Post:
Whenever a loiterer even steps foot on the stoop of the three-story landmarked building, a booming voice explodes out of the sound system, admonishing the violator to "stop!" or "move on!"The "jarring, obnoxious" clarion call can be heard up and down the block at all hours, according to residents.
The Brooklyn-based security company Live Lion is behind the system.
As noted, No. 20, known as the Daniel LeRoy House, was built in 1832. Per the Wikipedia: "LeRoy was an in-law of Peter Stuyvesant, and a South Street merchant, who lived in the house with his wife Elizabeth Fish, of the eminent Fish family."
No 20. received landmark status in 1971 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Past lives of this subterranean space — info via Daytonian in Manhattan — include a theater-saloon called Paul Falk's Tivoli Garden in the 1870s... in the 1930s, the Hungarian Cafe and Restaurant resided here before becoming a temperance saloon called the Growler.
Past lives of this subterranean space — info via Daytonian in Manhattan — include a theater-saloon called Paul Falk's Tivoli Garden in the 1870s... in the 1930s, the Hungarian Cafe and Restaurant resided here before becoming a temperance saloon called the Growler.
The Grassroots Tavern closed here on New Year's Eve 2017 after 42 years (upstairs tenant Sounds shuttered in 2015)
Speaking of the Grassroots, the other day, EVG contributor Steven went to pee on the building noticed the front door open, and looked at the white-box status of the former great bar...
Updated! 
Since this video came up in the comments... An instant request! From 1986, here is Billy Joel's "A Matter of Trust" filmed on St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue ...
I want to say this may be the place where Billy Joel’s A Matter Of Trust video was filmed. But I may be mistaken.
ReplyDeleteJust took a look at the Joel video. Don't think it was shot inside the (sorely missed) Grass Roots, but at 1:59 there IS a shot of a man sitting in front of the Grass Roots. Also, lots of quick shots of some other, long-ago EV mainstays.
ReplyDelete@7:34. I can see how you can think that, but in 1986 this space was a dark bar. However, the clean white space you are thinking of appears to be directly across the street in what was once the Electric Circus building. Now unrecognizable as an apartment building.
ReplyDeleteI hung out and met my first girlfriend from Brazil there, the walkman on my ears got lots of attention to! Yeah them good days,I still walk by and feel it.
DeleteDon't bother asking people not to piss wherever they want, this is the "city that never sleeps", pot is now a constant scent as a suburban bathroom's air freshener, and well, we all survived the pandemic and there is not longer anyone who will do anything about it anyway.
ReplyDeleteI never associated Billy Joel with the EV.
ReplyDeleteHe also shot the Uptown Girl video at the gas station across from CBGB’s
DeleteIt was 110 degrees that night!
We should crowdfund and open grassroots again. We wouldn’t need to make an immense profit. I’d imagine we could keep the doors open though.
ReplyDelete@ 9:51 - Spot on !
ReplyDeleteWeren’t some beautiful and very old historic painted tavern murals uncovered here during the renovation that were going to be preserved and featured in whatever took over this space ?
ReplyDeleteCool video man. Even better than Waiting on a Friend. Worse song though.
ReplyDeleteIt was the Locals answer to McSorley's. And with a popcorn machine! And phone booth.
ReplyDeleteThe "locals" courtesy of Central Casting stick out like sore thumbs! But a fun look back. The Dojo was a fave back in the day!
ReplyDeleteBagel Land
ReplyDeleteThat photo of the empty white space breaks my heart. Just think of all the life, love, anger, joy etc that occurred in that space over the decades. I spent so many nights in there blissfully being young. And now it’s just a plain white box, ready for any kind of replaceable commerce. A perfect metaphor for what’s happened to Manhattan.
ReplyDeleteWho also loves it when Grieve gets cheeky with the edits/labels?
ReplyDelete