Overthrow is closing next week on Bleecker Street; the onetime countercounter HQ is for sale

After 10 years at 9 Bleecker St. just west of the Bowery, Overthrow announced that it was closing the doors to its boxing gym next week. 

Here's the message via Instagram: 

It is with heavy hearts that we announce Overthrow will be ceasing operations with our last day of business being Thursday, November 7th, 2024. This decision is heartbreaking for us. Unfortunately, we took on immense debt during and post-Covid, which kept the doors open, but we can no longer afford our current lease, and the building has been listed for sale by the owner, making staying open unsustainable.

We hope that Overthrow has given you something special, and made a lasting impact on the community that we’ve built together over the years. It’s been an honor to share this journey with all of you.

As for the three-level building, Corcoran has the listing: 

Discover a rare gem in the heart of NoHo, one of Manhattan's most exclusive neighborhoods. This historic 3-floor townhouse, featuring a usable lower level with sidewalk vault, offers a unique blend of rich history and limitless potential. Occupied by one commercial tenant since 2014, the property will be delivered vacant and is primed for transformation into a single-family residence, multi-family with retail, or retained as a prime commercial investment.

The asking price for this one-time home of the Yippies, named and created by Abbie Hoffman and Paul Krassner, is $6.6 million.

After a protracted legal battle, the Yippies had to vacate their home of 41 years on Jan. 17, 2014. It served as the Yippie Museum Café since 2007. (Read this archived story in the Times for all the legal wrangling and history.) 

Overthrow was named after one of the countercultural newspapers that the Yippies published here.

The changing of the facade at 9 Bleecker St.

Signage is up now at the former longtime home of the Yippies here near the Bowery.

The new tenant, Overthrow, named for one of the countercultural newspapers that the Yippies published here, aims to be a boxing gym/training facility.

This past week, Throwback NYC partner Joey Goodwin, aka "the Soho Kid," a Golden Gloves contender, sent us information about the club's Indiegogo campaign (looking to raise $50k).

The crowdfunding page includes a lot of details about what to expect from the space, such as:

Overthrow New York will create a brand and a flagship location, which offers a high intensity anaerobic workout based on classes using boxing as a foundation. overthrow nyc provides a base for those in need of a high intensity work out in an equally cool and historical venue.

Stemming off of the neighborhood’s long history, Overthrow New York will take cues from CBGBs, the Bowery, underground boxing fight club Friday Night Throwdown, and 9 Bleecker street’s own rich counterculture history.

The club

The main level at Overthrow is the first impression for both the fascinated taste-maker and the intrigued passerby. The walls are adorned with framed counterculture and underground posters celebrating the activist history of 9 Bleecker and the punk scene on the Bowery. The main floor will feature the boxing club which will include a branded ring, unique heavy bags and one of a kind speed bags. This area will allow members to check in for group class, shop the Overthrow New York retail concept, grab a juice, or workout with a private trainer.

The locker rooms

Overthrow New York's locker rooms allow members to change and shower before or after their workout. The steamed glass wall dividing the men's locker room from the women's locker room makes for one of the cities sexiest yet grittiest bathrooms.

According to the Indiegogo campaign, the Overthrow folks are currently pitching "Off the Bowery," a television show about the building, concept and team, to production companies.

After a protracted legal battle, the Yippies had to vacate their home of 41 years this past Jan. 17.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Yippie Museum Cafe is in financial trouble

The Yippie Museum Cafe will reopen next Wednesday

A bad sign at the Yippie Museum

Last day for the Yippies at No. 9 — for now

Fights of a different kind coming to 9 Bleecker St., longtime home of the Yippies

About Overthrow NYC, the boxing gym coming to the former home of the Yippies at 9 Bleecker St.

About Overthrow Boxing Club, the gym coming to the former home of the Yippies at 9 Bleecker St.

[No. 9 this past Saturday]

Here's more information about the three-level boxing gym opening at 9 Bleecker, the former home of the Yippies.

The gym will be called Overthrow Boxing Club, named for Overthrow, one of the countercultural newspapers that the Yippies published here.

In a video posted on June 15, Throwback partner Joey Goodwin, aka "the Soho Kid," a Golden Gloves contender and creative director at men's clothing label Unruly Heir, provides a quick overview of the space.

"We're going to turn this into a great spot, and a great business and make some good things happen," he says. "It's going to be boxing meets punk rock ... we're going to keep the history, keep the heritage, and go from there."

And now the video...



As the Times reported in June 2013, Steven L. Einig, a lawyer for Centech, which holds the building's mortgage, "stated that Yippie Holdings, which bought Number 9 along with a nonprofit called the National AIDS Brigade, had failed for more than five years to make payments on the $1.4 million mortgage."

For their part, a lawyer for Yippie Holdings, said that the group was "compelled into foreclosure with payments being rejected" by Centech as part of a scheme or plan to take over the building.

The Yippies had to vacate their home of 41 years this past Jan. 17 while litigation continued. The space here near the Bowery had been on the market for $22,500 in monthly rent.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Yippie Museum Cafe is in financial trouble

The Yippie Museum Cafe will reopen next Wednesday

A bad sign at the Yippie Museum

Last day for the Yippies at No. 9 — for now

Fights of a different kind coming to 9 Bleecker St., longtime home of the Yippies

The Yippie Museum Cafe will reopen next Wednesday

[Photo from June 27 by Donna Rae]

The Harmony Kitchen, the food vendor at the Yippie Museum Cafe, closed at the end of June ... At the time, it was unclear what would happen with 9 Bleecker Street, the longtime headquarters of the counterculture group and home to the cafe just a few storefronts west of the Bowery.

On June 10, Colin Moynihan at The New York Times reported that Yippie leaders have been fighting an attempt by a lender to foreclose on their three-story home.

The space has been shut all this month, with a "closed for re-calculating" sign up...

However, there's an additional sign now... noting that they space will reopen next Wednesday for performances and events, though without any food or coffee...



The sign says Harmony "packed their bags and split. They left many unanswered questions and bills."

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Yippie Museum Cafe is in financial trouble

[Updated] The Yippie Museum Cafe is closing

[Photo by Donna Rae]

EVG reader Stephen Popkin spotted this sign outside the Yippie Museum Cafe yesterday... both employees on duty at the Harmony Kitchen and Cafe, the space's vendor, confirmed the closure for this weekend.

At this point it's unclear what will happen with 9 Bleecker Street, the longtime headquarters of the counterculture group and home to the cafe just a few storefronts west of the Bowery.

On June 10, Colin Moynihan at The New York Times, reported that Yippie leaders have been fighting an attempt by a lender to foreclose on their three-story home. Things took a turn for the worse last month "when a judge appointed a receiver to manage the building and collect rent."

Per the article:

In court documents, Steven L. Einig, a lawyer for a company called Centech, which holds the building’s mortgage, stated that Yippie Holdings, which bought Number 9 along with a nonprofit called the National AIDS Brigade, had failed for more than five years to make payments on the $1.4 million mortgage.

A lawyer for Yippie Holdings, John Diffley, said in an e-mail that his clients “were compelled into foreclosure with payments being rejected” by Centech as part of a scheme or plan to take over the building.

Said Popkin: "Sad, but it seems over."

Updated 8:51 a.m.
We checked in with Rachel Kay, a member of the board of directors at the Yippie Museum ... she confirmed the cafe's closure. As for the rest of No. 9?

"At this point: we have no idea. I hope that possibly the building will remain and then maybe another cafe will take its spot. I just hope that it doesn't become what everything else in the neighborhood has," said Kay, whose father is The Pieman, Aron Kay. "It's one of the last remaining foundations of the East Village."

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Yippie Museum Cafe is in financial trouble

Report: Loan dispute could be the end of the Yippies at 9 Bleecker St.

[EVG 2011]

More troubling news from 9 Bleecker St., longtime headquarters of the counterculture group and home of the Yippie Museum Cafe. As Colin Moynihan reported yesterday at The New York Times, Yippie leaders have been fighting an attempt by a lender to foreclose on their three-story home. Things took a turn for the worse last month "when a judge appointed a receiver to manage the building and collect rent."

Per the article:

In court documents, Steven L. Einig, a lawyer for a company called Centech, which holds the building’s mortgage, stated that Yippie Holdings, which bought Number 9 along with a nonprofit called the National AIDS Brigade, had failed for more than five years to make payments on the $1.4 million mortgage.

A lawyer for Yippie Holdings, John Diffley, said in an e-mail that his clients “were compelled into foreclosure with payments being rejected” by Centech as part of a scheme or plan to take over the building.

Read the whole article here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Yippie Museum Cafe is in financial trouble

The Yippie Museum Cafe is in financial trouble

[EVG, July 2011]

Troubling news from over at 9 Bleecker Street, longtime headquarters of the counterculture group and home of the Yippie Museum Cafe. There's a campaign under way to help revitalize the space. (Last summer, the Yippie Museum Cafe closed to make some renovations and add new menu items.)

[Click to enlarge]

According to a letter on the Yippie's online donation page:

As a Sea of Starbucks engulfs the East Village, one of the Last Castles of Free Thought and Artistic Freedom is under siege. The Yippie Museum Café is a movement encapsulated into a Coffee House Performance space, founded by artist/activists, maintained by artist/activists, and is still run by artist/activists. It is a rare state of affairs these days.

"The Yippie has every intention of remaining an East Village bastion of vibrant and varied live music, free speech, challenging art, the demand for social justice, and a place to get some affordable caffeine. But like many non-corporate businesses, the Yippie is suffering financially. It needs a new HVAC system, new equipment for its backline, and some essential physical upgrades. Help the Yippie, protect one of the last great East Village Castles."

As of last night, they had collected just $230, well short of its planned $10,000 goal. Megan Hayes, the Yippie's events coordinator, told me that "every penny is going to improving and revitalizing the space." (According to an article from 2006 in the Sun, the Yippies partnered with a group called the National AIDS Brigade to purchase their longtime headquarters for $1.2 million in 2004.)

There's also fundraiser on Sunday from 4:30-10 p.m. hosted by John Murdock and Joey Gay of WBAI's Occupational Hazards. There will be other various speakers and musicians during the late afternoon and early evening as well.

Is there any danger of The Yippie Museum Cafe closing?

"If we can't pay off our bills, sadly yes," Hayes said.

The Yippie Museum Cafe reopens today

On July 1, we noted the Yippie Museum Cafe on Bleecker Street between Elizabeth and the Bowery was undergoing renovations...

According to the Cafe's site, they'll reopen this morning at 10.

The Yippie Museum Cafe adding 'specialty coffees and light food'

Last Friday, we noted the Yippie Museum Cafe on Bleecker Street between Elizabeth and the Bowery is undergoing renovations... There's a sign out front now that explains what's going on here...

The Yippie Museum Cafe closed for renovations

Over Bleecker Street between Bowery and Elizabeth, the Yippie Museum Cafe (and the Lenny Bruce Academy of Sick Comedy!) is closed for renovations. We don't have any further details at the moment...