Something other than a bar or restaurant is opening on the Lower East Side

The New York Times reports that Richard F. Taittinger — a great-grandson of the founder of the Taittinger Champagne empire — is opening a 5,000-square-foot art gallery at 154 Ludlow St., where a rent hike forced The Living Room to decamp to Williamsburg.

Here's more from the Times about the gallery:

It will show the work of a roster of internationally established, midcareer contemporary artists who are underrepresented in the American market, Mr. Taittinger, 34, said.

And!

He said he had chosen the Lower East Side over Chelsea as a location for the gallery because of the neighborhood’s potential.

“It is better to be a big fish in a small pond,” he said.

Work on the space got underway last month. The gallery is expected to open on March 3.

Previously, Lucky Cheng's was hoping to open a new LES outpost at No. 154 between Stanton and Rivington. However, the landlord reportedly pulled out of the deal.

Report: Last night for The Living Room is Oct. 26 on Ludlow Street

The Living Room sent out word last night that the live-music venue's last day at 154 Ludlow St. will be Oct. 26, via an email published by The Lo-Down.

It’s hard to believe we have been here on the Lower East side for over 16 years. First on the corner of Allen and Stanton and for the last 11 years here at 154 ludlow. We were hoping to announce our new location, but we can’t do that at this time. Steve and I are continuing our search for a new home for the club. We will keep you informed of our progress.

Back in May, Living Room co-founders Jennifer Gilson and Steve Rosenthal were unsuccessful in getting CB3 approval to take over the soon-to-be-former Klean & Kleaner laundromat on East Second Street. (Read the background on this here.)

The Living Room had received several lease extensions for 154 Ludlow St. earlier this year, as BoweryBoogie has reported.

[Image via Facebook]

Reader report: Klean and Kleaner has closed

[File photo]

As we reported last September, Klean & Kleaner, the laundromat at 173 E. Second St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, was on the market for use as a bar or restaurant.

Off and on during the last few months, we heard that the laundromat was closing very soon... On April 30, we thought the end was here. "They were loading trucks all afternoon. Wouldn't let me drop off clothes unless I was ok picking up in '2-3 days' at an undefined location," said one neighbor.

However, they remained open through this past weekend. Staff was there yesterday for customers to pick up their laundry. There was a sign noting that the washers were out of service. (Someone had removed the doors to the washers.)

Meanwhile, EVG Facebook friend Edward Arrocha took these photos in late April. "They are devastated," he said of the staff. "I will miss them."









Word is the landlord is now asking $18,000 a month in rent. As previously reported, the owners of the Living Room on Ludlow Street were hoping to take over this space, though the CB3/SLA committee turned down that proposal in May.

Also, this marks the third East Village laundromat to close in the last few months. (East 10th Street and East 13rd Street.)


[Yesterday]

Previously.

CB3 turns down The Living Room's bid to move to East 2nd Street

Catching up with Monday night's CB3/SLA committee meeting. One item of particular interest: The Living Room's proposal to take over the soon-to-be-former Klean & Kleaner laundromat on East Second Street. (Read the background on this here.)

Living Room co-founders Jennifer Gilson and Steve Rosenthal (pictured) were on-hand to make their case, though, ultimately, to no avail. The committee voted down the applicants. Let's have BoweryBoogie pick up the action:

As it stands, this stretch of Second Street was grandfathered into a general residence district, and doesn’t allow for any performances with cover charges. There was reportedly contact with the DOB to settle this issue, but the Living Room hadn’t heard any news as of last night. And they didn’t have the luxury of laying over the application another month due to landlord/lease constraints, so a vote had to transpire.

BoweryBoogie also has news of what went down with the Soho House vote on Ludlow Street. (Spoiler: Denied, though it likely won't matter in the end.) Head on over to BB's for more details on the three-hour drama.

Eater has more on Monday night's meeting here. The Lo-Down has coverage here.

[Photo via BoweryBoogie]

Opposition to The Living Room moving to East Second Street

[Photo by Edward Arrocha]

The Living Room is on tonight's CB3/SLA committee docket. The Ludlow Street venue — dubbed "NYC's Best Acoustic Listening Room" on their Facebook page — is looking to take over the space on East Second Street that currently houses Klean & Kleaner, the laundromat that has lost its lease and is expected to close very soon.

We've covered all this before. A quick recap:

This potential Living Room move was a topic of conversation during a community meeting back in March. Co-owner Jennifer Gilson attended that meeting, and made her case on why the Living Room would be a good neighbor, such as shows for kids, use of the space for neighborhood fund-raisers and no pub crawls.

However, from the meeting, East Second Street residents said that they are "vehemently opposed to the possibility of The Living Room" in that space for a variety of reasons, including:

• East 2nd Street is a residential side street whose residents include a large number of seniors and families with young children.
• As a residential street, we already endure excessive noise due to late night crowds from the many bars and restaurants already on our block and nearby.
• While we believe The Living Room is a wonderful part of the cultural fabric of New York City, its presence at 173 East 2nd Street will severely and negatively impact our quality of life.

Ahead of tonight's meeting, someone placed these flyers along East Second Street between Avenue A and Avenue B encouraging people to come out against the Living Room's plans tonight ... a reader sent this one from inside his building on that block...



We've also heard from people who very much want to see The Living Room stay in these parts ... instead of being pushed to Brooklyn. The Living Room currently has a lease on Ludlow Street through August, as BoweryBoogie has noted.

Previously.

Meeting tonight to discuss the future of 173 E. Second St.

As noted several times, The Living Room is hoping to move its live-music venue from Ludlow Street to East Second Street... they withdrew from this month's CB3/SLA meeting, though ... Regardless, it's still a big topic of conversation for residents... and the focus of tonight's 2nd Street Block Association Meeting... According to the flyers posted on the block, The Living Room will likely be on the May CB3/SLA docket...



During a recent community meeting, some residents here said that they were "vehemently opposed to the possibility of The Living Room" on this block between Avenue A and Avenue B. (Read that post here.)

The space currently housing Klean & Kleaner, the laundromat at 173 E. Second St., remains on the market.

Some East 2nd Street residents want a laundromat, but not a Living Room

The Living Room received another lease extension for their current home on Ludlow Street, as BoweryBoogie reported yesterday. Third extension in as many months for the live music venue.

Meanwhile, the folks from The Living Room are moving forward with plans to find a new home on East Second Street. As we reported last September, Klean & Kleaner, the laundromat at 173 E. Second St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, was on the market for use as a bar or restaurant.

This potential Living Room move was a topic of conversation during a recent community meeting. Co-owner Jennifer Gilson attended that meeting, and made her case on why the Living Room would be a good neighbor, such as shows for kids, use of the space for neighborhood fund-raisers and no pub crawls.

However, from the meeting, East Second Street residents said that they are "vehemently opposed to the possibility of The Living Room" in that space for a variety of reasons, including:

• East 2nd Street is a residential side street whose residents include a large number of seniors and families with young children.
• As a residential street, we already endure excessive noise due to late night crowds from the many bars and restaurants already on our block and nearby.
• While we believe The Living Room is a wonderful part of the cultural fabric of New York City, its presence at 173 East 2nd Street will severely and negatively impact our quality of life.

The Living Room will go before the CB3/SLA committee next Monday. Gilson told BoweryBoogie:

Of course there’s a good chance that if they block our liquor license, another less-neighborhood friendly business with less community history will take the space.

[On April 8] I will argue why after 15 years of enhancing the quality of life by hosting great music, kids shows, fundraisers, theater, etc., I should be able to stay in my neighborhood, which I helped to transform, and not be pushed to Brooklyn…

One 18-year resident of the block told us in an email that he didn't have problems with The Living Room, "but I'd much rather keep the place as a laundromat."

Of course, the landlord has different ideas...

Possible Living Room to Second Street move on hold for now

This is one of the more intriguing items on this month's CB3/SLA committee agenda:

• The Living Room (ACP Project), 173 E 2nd St (op)

The Living Room on Ludlow Street, will be leaving their home of 10 years at the end of April due to a huge rent hike.

The owners of the live music venue recently held a successful fundraising campaign to help move to an undisclosed new home. As we reported last September, Klean & Kleaner, the laundromat at 173 E. Second St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, was on the market for use as a bar or restaurant.

ANYWAY.

All this is apparently on hold for the moment. The Living Room is a scratch now for this month's meeting, which takes place on Monday.

Is the Living Room moving to East Second Street?

The folks at CB3 just sent out the March SLA committee docket. We'll take a more thorough look at it later... Quickly, a few interesting items to note:

• To be Determined, 269 E Houston St (aka 188 Suffolk St) (op)

An unknown applicant is looking to take over the Local 269, the live music venue that never reopened after an apparent flood last September.

• The Living Room (ACP Project), 173 E 2nd St (op)

Not sure what to make of this at the moment. The Living Room, a favorite of the acoustic-music set over on Ludlow Street, will be leaving their home of 10 years at the end of April due to a huge rent hike.

The owners recently held a successful fundraising campaign to help move to an undisclosed new home. Perhaps this is it?

As we reported last September, Klean & Kleaner, the laundromat on East Second Street between Avenue A and Avenue B, was on the market for use as a bar or restaurant.

• Heart N Soul (Mama Bar LLC), 200 E 3rd St (wb)

This is the former Mama's space... from the owner of Mama's Bar next door (no relation).

Oh, and yes — Soho House plans to expand and open a location on Ludlow Street. Good night.

Report: The Living Room set to close in January

Potential bad news for live music fans. BoweryBoogie has the scoop that the Living Room is set to close at the end of January.

Skyrocketing rents (shocker!) will chase the Living Room from its home these past 10 years on Ludlow.

However! The owners have launched a crowdsourcing campaign to help them fund a move to new space somewhere else in the neighborhood. You can read about their campaign at Pledge Music.

And you can watch this video...



Also, yesterday, The Lo-Down reported that the team behind Piano's (and 7A and Virage) are looking to take over the Living Room's current space for some kind of live music-gallery venture. The group appears before the CB3/SLA committee next month.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Luna Lounge owner Rob Sacher on Joey Ramone, a new CBGB and what killed the Lower East Side