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...
