May 30, 2007
Galapagos Heads To Dumbo
There have been murmurs of Galapagos moving from its current space for a while now. The Burg even did an entire episode about saving it. From that show:
"Galapagos is many ways is the heart of Williamsburg, the oldest consistently operating bar in the area, it's been around for seven years - it's historic. And now I hear Clear Channel's trying to buy it.""I hate Clear Channel, first McCarren Park Pool and now this!"
Clear Channel didn't buy it (that we know of), maybe Northsix The Music Hall of Williamsburg did - but likely it's going to be another set of condos (with neighbors complaining about the noise). Either way, the rumors of it moving have been confirmed, as The NY Times reports that the North 6th Street art space will be leaving Williamsburg for a brighter future in Dumbo. They also note this has great symbolic significance, given it was an establishment that pioneered the neighborhood it will now be leaving.
The new digs are inside "a 102-year-old, 10,000-square-foot former horse stable at 16 Main Street," and all will be revealed in the summer of 2008. Two Trees Management owns the building, and 2.5 million square feet of real estate in Dumbo. With such a huge investment in the neighborhood that they basically created, an established cultural destination like Galapagos will help them out, as much as it will the venue - which is doubling its space and halving its rent. How much is the current rent for Galapagos? "The monthly rent for the Galapagos space had increased to $10,000 a month in December 2005, and the landlords were asking for a 30 percent increase next month."
The environment will also benefit, as the Times reports:
After renovation the building would be the first performance space in New York City certified as “green” under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards set by the United States Green Building Council.
The current Galapagos Art Space will be opened through the weekend of June 17, with select events throughout the summer. One wonders what N 6th Street will look like once it moves out for good in 2008.
Photo on right via Christopher W. Havens/Two Trees Management.
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this is sad on so many levels -- sad for the community, for the neighborhood, for NYC culture. Particularly sad for me personally because my wedding party took place there in 2005 (and it was awesome). I'm glad however that they are not closing up shop entirely. We must visit DUMBO and help Galapagos continue its mission!
The crowd has been horrible Jerz for years now, but the bands and other performances were often surprisingly good. RIP Variety SHAC @ Galapagos.
kudos to 2 trees for seeing the forest and the trees. i live in wburg and work in dumbo. this is the difference between a neighborhood with a landlord who has a vested interest in the overall quality and growth of the area as a whole to an individual landlord who's only interest is cashing in to the determent of the neighborhood.
Yay! Looking forward to this. I live in DUMBO!
Bittersweet news. However, I love DUMBO and look forward to visiting the new performance space. Powerhouse Arena is right across the street from Galapagos' new location. I'll be hoppin' from one side of the street to the other to visit both of these venues!
sad for me too. I was just married there in September 06. well, nothing last forever in nyc, that's for sure.
Very sad news because it has been a long standing rituall that when we finish a night at galapagos we go to settle over a late night early morning burger at anytime.
I'll believe it when I see it. I don't believe that the owner Robert Elmes is up to it.
hey Gothamist- I think you misread the press release. It says that Galapagos' rent INCREASED $10,000/month. NOT that their rent is $10,000/month.
$10k a month rent for a space like Galapagos would be a steal!
Wow. I got married in...uh, I mean...the first girl I ever picked up in Williamsburg, I picked up in Galapagos, seven years ago. Sniff, sniff (eyes tearing up a).little
"we go to settle over a late night early morning burger at anytime"
Yuck! do you have the afternoon-shits the following day? That place is really filthy and disgusting. I always end up spending a lot of time on the toilet after a meal at anytime.
an era has ended. i remember robert buying some of my track lights back in '94 for a "club" he wanted to open. there was nothing but the L-Cafe back then--a ghost town. I wish him well.