Billy Leroy shows his acting chops with 'Bourek,' opening today at Cinema Village

And starting today at Cinema Village on East 12th Street between University and Fifth Avenue... it's "Bourek," an independent comedy filmed mainly in Greece...and directed by New School faculty member Vladan Nikolic...



A familiar name/face has a lead role — William Leroy... aka Billy Leroy, who ran Billy's Antiques and Props on Houston and the Bowery for many years. He's not dead. He has been busy doing a little acting (as he did before the big tent folded) and appearing on a show for the Travel Channel.

Anyway, here's the "Bourek" trailer...



He'll be at the 7:10 p.m. screenings this weekend. Will be nice to see him around again.

[Updated] Billy Leroy's Banksy

Just about two weeks since Banksy dropped his Grim Reaper Bumper Car on the former Billy's Antiques on East Houston ... Billy Leroy reports the following discovery earlier today at The ANNEX flea market on West 25th Street...

"The guy I bought it from found it late Friday night on East 4th Street and 2nd Avenue on the sidewalk. He is a professional dumpster diver and every week he puts out all his finds at the flea market ... needless to say he sold it to me for a very low price...it's just such a coincidence that after all the bad mouthing I did on Banksy last week and here I am tooling around the flea market and, voilà, a Banksy appears ... Crazy."

Updated 11/3

Here's video testimony from the man who sold Billy the painting...

Banksy's grim reaper and the old Bowery ghosts

[Image via jerebles]

As you may have heard or seen, Bansky's latest street installation is on East Houston and Elizabeth ... at the site of Billy Leroy's former big tent.



The above video of the Grim Reaper Bumper Car comes from the official Banksy site, which includes an audio guide. (Banksy labeled this Bowery on his site.)

Catch it while you can, I mean, if you want to. Tonight through Sunday, dusk until midnight, apparently.

Find more photos, and what not, at Gothamist... BoweryBoogie ... and AnimalNY, who posted this video...



We reached out to Billy Leroy for comment... he is currently in Los Angeles... enjoying the start of the third season of "Baggage Battles" on the Travel Channel.

He said he was unaware that Banksy would be using his former Billy's Antiques spot for this installment.

"I support art and I like Banksy's work," Leroy said via email. "A year and a half ago we did the whole Death thing and buried the old Bowery with music. It's a compliment that a world-class artist would do a similar idea. The ghosts of the old Bowery told me they are still happy,
but will never allow anything to be built on that spot."

Someone stole the horns off the Billy's Antiques sign

Billy Leroy told us last night that someone swiped the horns off the Billy's Antiques sign on Houston at the Bowery...

"Kinda blows," he said.

So keep your eyes out for these...

The big tent came down here earlier this year... a new Billy's may be back at this corner... Meanwhile, Billy is busy with "Baggage Battles" on the Travel Channel.

Sales continue outside Billy's Antique's

Well, you know that Billy's Antique's & Props closed up at the beginning of the year... Still, you can, on occasion, find the crew out front selling various odds and ends. Like earlier today. Here, Billy Leroy and Sugar-Bear discuss the finer points of selling a Lincoln hubcap.

Billy's Bowery Boys refuse to let Billy's Antiques die

Billy's Antiques may be dead for now on East Houston near the Bowery, but... the sales live on...

[Right to left] Toothless Pete, Sugar Bear and Trinny-Trinidad

Earlier via Bobby Williams...

Why some people think Billy Leroy is dead

As you know, Billy's Antiques and Props as we know it is gone over on Houston near the Bowery... the former home of Billy's tent is drawing some curious onlookers... many of whom believe that Billy himself died.... helped, in part, by that missing s in the homemade RIP Billy sign... (it should read "RIP Billy's")

... not to mention the workers on the scene who may be playing along with the death rumor ... In any event, the casket lying in state, as BoweryBoogie put it, continues to draw curious onlookers...

Perhaps this will become the next stop on the Dead Apple Tours...

The End is Here for Billy's Antiques and Props: The trilogy

Billy's Antiques and Props as we know it is gone... In case you missed the closing ceremonies this past weekend... through the magic of Vimeo, a closing in three parts...

Part 1. Preparation of the party

Part 2. The Party

Part 3. The Burial

Directed by Jenner Furst

Can't wait for the director's cut!

The painting Billy Leroy left behind

So the tent is gone now here at Billy's Antiques...

Proprietor Billy Leroy passed along this photo of a painting that he accidentally left behind on the property...

BoweryBoogie has coverage of the funeral possession here.

Bye bye Billy's

Here's the tent at Billy's Antiques last evening on Houston at the Bowery ...

[Photo via Fresh Paint NYC]

And today, the tent came down... a funeral procession ensued...

Look for a two-story brick building some day (and subsequent dozens of posts) ... Billy says that he will return...

Bottom two photos by Bobby Williams.

Billy's big-top tent comes down this weekend; here's a last look inside

By now you probably know that Billy's Antiques on Houston at the Bowery has closed to make way for a two-story brick building... (Billy says that he will return!)

The iconic tent is coming down this weekend... Here's a last look inside the tent ...

Actually, you'll be able to take a look inside yourself starting tomorrow night at 7...

From the news release that is making the rounds...

After nearly three decades in business the infamous Tent housing Billy's Antiques and Props on Bowery and Houston will be taken down forever. Shop owner Billy Leroy, Proprietor Tony Goldman of Goldman Properties and the filmmakers behind "Dirty Old Town" a feature narrative that prefigured this moment, have come together to host a final farewell celebration. The evening will be hosted by renown New York writer and personality Anthony Haden Guest, featuring a line-up of eulogists and performers...

On the next day, Saturday, March 10th at 3pm, the tent will begin itʼs first phase of demolition. The tarps and fabric, enduring over 30 years of New York weather, both cultural and environmental, will be taken down forever. In a gothic burial ceremony, the “Flesh” of the tent will be peeled from the skeletal “Bones” of the structure and placed in a coffin. The coffin will be paraded around the block by pallbearers, while a funeral march is strummed by guitarist and tent-matriarch Lorraine Leckie. The coffin will be chained to the inside fence, and the remaining hollow structure will be painted fire-engine red in the days to follow. This theatrical end was the brain-child of landlord Tony Goldman, Leroy and filmmaker Jenner Furst...

Going out in style...

Meanwhile, you can catch Billy on the Travel Channel starting April 11...

Billy Leroy will battle baggage starting April 11

So you know that the iconic tent that houses Billy's Antiques on Houston at the Bowery is coming down to make way for a two-story brick building ... the place is now closed... Proprietor Billy Leroy told us in December that he'd be keeping busy in the interim by, among other things, serving as co-host on a new antiques reality show called "Baggage Battles" on the Travel Channel.

And we just received the show's official news release.

So, from the EV Grieve inbox...

Ever wonder what happens to your lost luggage? Travel Channel provides a glimpse into the very profitable business of bidding, buying and reselling unclaimed property in the new original series “Baggage Battles,” premiering with a special one-hour season opener featuring back-to-back episodes on Wednesday, April 11 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The weekly half-hour series follows three teams of savvy “auction specialists” who travel to some of the most important and unknown auctions where their bids are based on sight unseen instincts. The season premiere will kick off at Miami International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, and then the auction pros will jump across “The Pond” to London.

'The last great free piece from Billy's'

On Friday, Billy Leroy put this solid walnut breakfront cabinet out for anyone to take. As of early this afternoon, it was still there, surprisingly well-preserved after a weekend of weather.

"It's the last great free piece from Billy's," he told us.

Billy's is now closed here on Houston near the Bowery for the next year or so to make way for a new two-story structure.

Your chance to own Billy Leroy's desk — for free!

Earlier today, we pointed out some of the free stuff to be had outside Billy's Antiques on Houston... Proprietor Billy Leroy just provided us with an update — there's even more stuff for free...

...including Billy's own personal desk with sticker celebrating his MTA Sign Fiasco. Real Bowery History!

Free stuff outside Billy's Antiques

The gang at Billy's Antiques on Houston near the Bowery are putting out some freebies today. Billy's is now closed for the next year or so to make way for a two-story structure here. (Billy says that he will return.)

The final countdown at Billy's Antiques

Yesterday, Billy Leroy and Jesse the manager removed the painting done of Leroy "back in the day" ... the store is closing Jan. 1. The iconic tent here on Houston at the Bowery is coming down to make way for a new two-level building. Billy's Antiques will return to the new structure when construction is complete.

Billy's Antiques closing on Jan. 1 for the next 10-12 months

As The New York Times reported on Dec. 5, the iconic tent that houses Billy's Antiques on Houston at the Bowery is coming down to make way for a two-story brick building. Billy's will be moving back into the new structure. BoweryBoogie got the scoop that the tent will come down on Jan. 1.

We asked Billy for a few more details... He figures it will take about 10 to 12 months for the work to happen on the site... but he did confirm that Billy's will remain at the location. (Previously, Billy told us that the brick for the new structure is coming from an old factory in Massachusetts.)

And what will Billy do in the interim?

"I am a co-host on a new Antiques Reality show called 'Baggage Battles' on Travel Channel. We have already filmed two episodes in Miami and London," he said. "I got the part out of 60 Antique Dealers. The pay is decent and who knows — America might really dig Bowery Billy. Or might not?"

More on the new home for Billy's Antiques

We heard the news this morning via The New York Times that Billy's Antiques will be losing its tent as the site will become home to a new two-story building. So we asked Billy Leroy about his future place of business there on Houston and the Bowery.

"I've seen the plans. It's going to be old brick imported from an old factory in Massachusetts. The will be four arched, giant doorways of metal and glass," Billy said via email. "Tony Goldman my landlord has really good taste and he is doing it right or I would not be taking a spot in the new building."

As for the space for the mural at Houston and the Bowery: It will remain, Billy said.

Plan to sterilize the Bowery nearly complete: RIP Billy's tent

We wrote this back in May:

We can't help but be nervous when we see things like surveyors at work outside Billy's Antiques on Houston... What are they surveying? What godawful thing is coming/happening next to this region near the Bowery?

Now we know: After 25 years, the tent is coming down at Billy's Antiques to make way for a two-story brick building, The New York Times reported.

Proprietor Billy Leroy confirmed that his store will reopen in the new building. But, you know. Per the Times:

[W]ith the disappearance of the tent, Mr. Leroy and his employees said, another vestige of the neighborhood’s history will vanish. It is a prospect that some of them anticipate with gloom.

“It’ll be part of that final transition to a landscape of Pottery Barns and Starbucks,” said Jesse Sommer, a member of Mr. Leroy’s staff.

Should have known when the skull blew down in August.

[Photo circa 1991 by Clayton Patterson, courtesy of Billy Leroy]

What do you do if your Aston Martin Vantage Volanté breaks down on Houston and The Bowery?

Billy Leroy, the proprietor of Billy's Antiques, passes along this anecdote from last night ... at the crossroad of the world — Bowery and Houston.

So this fellow has a $100,000 Aston Martin DBS 1984 Aston Martin Vantage Volanté that breaks down. As Billy notes, instead of calling a tow truck, the man decides to have a buddy tow him with a few feet of twine ...

As you might expect, it snapped.

So Billy was nice enough to lend the man a chain from his tool room at Billy's Antiques.

Billy notes that the man was kind enough to return the chain.

And the Ghosts of the old Bowery strike again.