What The East Village Needs Is More Porn?

With the shuttering of the Kim’s Video location on Avenue A, apparently there was a bit of a film rental hole in the East Village despite the still brisk business in Two Boots Video further down the avenue. Last week, Gothamist noted a new retail establishment going into the store front on 1st Avenue between 5th and 6th streets, a former lounge/bar and a current favorite homeless resting spot. Our interest was further peaked by the putting up of a large neon “Video” sign above the door -- more Punjabi musicals to come perhaps, to further compliment the predominant cuisine on that block?

Based on the newly installed dark glass entrance we noticed last night on our way home, plus the installation of the rest of the store’s name, i.e. “Blue Door,” we’re going to hazard another guess at the shop’s stock. This morning we peeked in further through the windows and noticed signage for a leather section. It all seems pretty clear now.

Does 1st Avenue need a porn video shop? Any guesses on how this will change the East Village nightlife? Will you be stopping in?

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Karen Wilson in Food on February 24, 2005 11:46 AM

Comments [rss]

Brachish

Yeah, it looks cheesy and not very hip. Much like a lot of the new shops, restaurants, and apartment buildings opening up in the Village. I mean, look at how they've turned over half of St. Marks Place into a friggin' mini-mall shopping center. And of course Brownies is long gone, leaving very few places to see good music on the cheap. But the blue-bloods that keep moving in and driving the rents up seem to like chain restaurants and chain clothing stores and mini-mall atmosphere; they say they want to live in a hip neighborhood, but they don't actually want anything hip located under or near the building they live in (god forbid a noisy bar or cool porn shop and carzy music venue be IN their building, even though they moved into the Village so that's what they should expect). Of course, even a cheesy porn shop like Blue Door is probably too dirty for them -- what they really want is a TGI Fridays, I'd think. No smoking, no dancing ..... Anyway, at least there's still Kim's on St. Marks and some old-school Falafel and Indian places and the amazing and low priced East Village Cheese shop and the Hollywood Coctail Lounge, etc., all still in the area. The Village beats the rest of Manhattan as a hang out spot by 1,000 to 1 -- I just hope it stays that way, despite current trends. And long live Brooklyn....

evresident

Just a note: Margarita Lopez has term limits so she's not worried about reelection -- she has the borough president seat in mind.

fancypants

Wait. Isn't this a good thing? Many old timers keep bitching about how Times Square was better back when it was all porn shops. So this new porn shop should make the lower east side cool again, right? Throw in a few strung out dopeheads and police-scene chalk outlines and we'll never have to hear any old timer bitch again.

annette

not totally porn related :) But what do you guys/girls think...does this theory hold water?

http://www.boomsalon.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?boom=35

OTC

Perhaps the neighborhood needs to elect a member of city council that will have the integerity and background to fight these business, instead the people have elected Margarita Lopez who seems content to let these businesses open (there is another one on 14th between 2nd & 3rd that opened last year)without so much as a batting an eye.

So if you live in her district, keep that in mind next time she runs for re-election.

Rose

I think other things besides porn is doing business there. Porn is just the coverup.

karina

I live upstairs, and when they were first moving in a week or so ago, they briefly put up neon signs in the window that read things like "lingerie" and "adult novelties". Those informative text displays mysteriously disapeared before they opened for business...

George Michael

Does it have a bathroom in the back so I can do my business?

George Michael wants to know.

confused

Wait, you mean this isn't a buddy booth?

Ari

More importantly; where are the UES and UWS porn shops?!?!

chimpie

This doesn't bode well. It already looks like kojak and anon above are chomping at the bit to go share a buddy booth at the blue door video. More adherents to the new east village cheese and tackiness vanguard.

chimpie

Maybe the chimp is getting old but I was really pissed to see this lame-o porn shop open in the neighborhood, trying to turn the neighborhood into a retro-1980's times square buddy booth. Hopefully east villagers will simply get their porn off the internet and the losers running this place will sit alone in their buddy booth and eventually close down. I have no problem if someone wants to open a porn shop in the east village as long as it's done with some awareness and style like the chicks that run the Toys in Babeland shop on the lower east side. This new place is just in some sort of new vanguard of tackiness and cheese. I think they should fuck off.

Kojak

Why is this question even being asked?

The Answer is obviously yes. Just as long as the advertising is not as crazy as what you see on 8th Ave.