Beastie Boys Square

[Micodin]

LeRoy McCarthy's quest to document all of New York City's important hip-hop landmarks continues. Both Pitchfork and DNAinfo report that McCarthy is forging ahead with a petition to have the street corner where the cover for the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique album was shot named after the group. If Community Board 3 and City Council are receptive, the intersection of Ludlow and Rivington Streets would be christened "Beastie Boys Square." (http://www.complex.com/city-guide/2013/12/leroy-mccarthy-beastie-boys-square-lower-east-side)

[MrSmiley1]

Here is another article.

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20131217/lower-east-side/lower-east-side-corner-could-be-named-beastie-boys-square

Nothing new here but nice to see it is apparently getting some buzz.

[Micodin]

Spin (http://www.spin.com/articles/pauls-boutique-street-corner-named-beastie-boys-square/) is on it too. Good, maybe this can get off the ground!

[abbott]

(y)

[Michelle*s_Farm]

(y)

[beasties#1fan]

That'd be cool if it happens(y)

[Micodin]

Just going there is liking paying homage. Making it official would be like some Abby Road steeze.

[MrSmiley1]

At the time of these articles, it said he has 20 signatures. Did he just start and contact the media first? That is not a whole hell of a lot. Are there certain parties that need to sign or can it be anyone? Does he have to get a certain number?

I would think that since a lot of the local businesses did sign it would add some weight to it but is that enough?

[YoungRemy]

contact info and community board calendar
yesterday was the last day to submit items for the January voting agenda



http://www.nyc.gov/html/mancb3/html/home/home.shtml

http://www.nyc.gov/html/mancb3/html/contact/contact.shtml

http://www.nyc.gov/html/mancb3/html/calendar/calendar.shtml




get it done in 2014!

[JoLovesMCA]

I signed it. Best we can do as fans is just sign and spread the word around.... I hope this happens!!!!

[YoungRemy]

here's a terrible, factually inaccurate, and pretty much laughable writeup about it.

http://www.tvmix.com/leroy-mccarthy-attempts-to-name-manhattan-street-corner-after-beastie-boys-tribute-to-adam-yauch/

it doesn't even make sense.

"A cynical real estate maneuver by a New York City restaurant owner" ??

"An Open Letter To The Five Boroughs" ??

"the Beasties’ work was heavily influenced by their time spent in Brooklyn" ??



sorry that just reeks of a terrible journalist that doesn't know shit.

[JoLovesMCA]

here's a terrible, factually inaccurate, and pretty much laughable writeup about it.

http://www.tvmix.com/leroy-mccarthy-attempts-to-name-manhattan-street-corner-after-beastie-boys-tribute-to-adam-yauch/

it doesn't even make sense.

"A cynical real estate maneuver by a New York City restaurant owner" ??

"An Open Letter To The Five Boroughs" ??

"the Beasties’ work was heavily influenced by their time spent in Brooklyn" ??



sorry that just reeks of a terrible journalist that doesn't know shit.

Almost sounds like she is mocking the whole idea. :rolleyes:

[Micodin]

Almost sounds like she is mocking the whole idea. :rolleyes:

That's exactly what she's doing.

But then again, her major contributions for this planet is blogging for tvmix.com.

[JohnnyChavello]

Should rename Ludlow and Rivington on that block to Mike and Adam streets. The location would then be 99 Adam Street.

[YoungRemy]

you read the New York Post, Fulton Street, Downtown

A community board committee will weigh Tuesday whether to co-name the intersection of Ludlow and Rivington streets “Beastie Boys Square,” for the rap group that featured the corner on its album “Paul’s Boutique.”

Beastie backers said it’s hip to be for the square.

Added a biased Israel Horovitz, the proud pop of Beastie Boy Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz: “Any spot that’s named for my kid is a good spot.”

The Community Board 3 meeting will be the first step in the process to make the change official.

The change requires City Council approval.



http://nypost.com/2014/01/12/push-to-rename-corner-beastie-boy-square/



this Tuesday!

Transportation & Public Safety / Environment Committee
Tuesday, January 14 at 6:30pm -- Community Board 3 Office - 59 East 4th Street (btwn 2nd Ave & Bowery)

1. Street co-naming Beastie Boy Square at Rivington Street btwn Ludlow St and Essex St
2. Bleecker/Bowery/Houston traffic study: additional information re: Ave A and Ave B area
3. Clinton/Grand Street traffic study results
4. Consideration of revisions for street co-naming guidelines
5. Newsstand application for 2nd Avenue & East 1st Street
6. Newsstand application for 124 E 14th St
Bus Stop Permit Applications
7. UTWT Bus Lines Inc, 14 Allen Street

http://www.nyc.gov/html/mancb3/html/calendar/calendar.shtml


I wonder if the petition really matters at this point. it seems like a community board would want to see local signatures from neighborhood residents, but that they put this on their agenda in such a quick turnaround has to be a good sign.(y)


edit: although action item #4 has me scratching my head a little

[Micodin]

Last night (http://www.complex.com/city-guide/2014/01/community-board-3-says-beastie-boys-square-petition-needs-more-signatures), LeRoy McCarthy met with members of the Lower East Side's Community Board 3 about potentially naming the intersection of Ludlow and Rivington Streets "Beastie Boys Square." The project will be on hold for the time being, as Community Board 3 told McCarthy that his petition would need additional signatures to have the corner immortalized by the group's Paul's Boutique album co-named in their honor.

The meeting yielded a 90 minute discussion about whether or not the Beastie Boys satisfied the requirements for co-naming. These include no less than 15 years of community involvement in addition to the support of the community. Community Board chairman David Crane was skeptical, telling DNAinfo that, regardless of community support, he did not feel the Beastie Boys had contributed enough to the community to deserve the recognition.

"My opinion is clear," he explained, adding that he didn't believe "[the petition met] the objectives." McCarthy said that Crane's opinion is quite different than those of people in the neighborhood he's met with. "His opinion is not shared by the local residents and businesses that I have spoken with over the past few months who are enthusiastic about the possibility of Beastie Boys Square," he said in an email.

McCarthy believes this is yet another case of New York City ignoring hip-hop and its positive impact. "I think that this is another sign of New York City historically treating Hip Hop like a rental car," he said. "After forty years of generating billions of dollars for New York City and representing [it] with pride, it's late, but now would be a good time for [the city] to give hip-hop recognition."

For McCarthy, this is a merely an obstacle. He remains confident that the petition will get the necessary local support. "This effort for Beastie Boys Square needs local signatures in the Lower East Side of Manhattan to move forward. I feel comfortable that I will get the residential support needed. If people want to attend the meetings in February, they will be open to the public," he said.

Though McCarthy warned that the dates for those meetings will not be announced until the end of the month, he offered some advice for anyone interested in doing more to support the cause or a similar project. "The best thing that people can do is take greater interest in the workings of their own communities," he said. "Bring a young person to a community meeting and get to know the power structure of where you live."

McCarthy said he "[looks] forward" to resubmitting his petition to Community Board 3 next month. This is simply the beginning.

[JoLovesMCA]

I have already begun my rounds with getting more signatures.

My opinion is that they deserve it and the questions should be what haven't they done for New York? Let me dig up all of the NYC humanitarian rallies Yauch put together and I will sign it again and submit my findings to start changing some minds on that committee.

[Kid Presentable]

NYAV alone is worthy of consideration. Good luck.

[MCScoobyT]

I have already begun my rounds with getting more signatures.

My opinion is that they deserve it and the questions should be what haven't they done for New York? Let me dig up all of the NYC humanitarian rallies Yauch put together and I will sign it again and submit my findings to start changing some minds on that committee.

noice! nothing wrong with sharing he facts, maybe dude just didn't really know and needs to see the Boys resume.

[Lyman Zerga]

funny if this became reality and total beastie haters lived or worked within that square [in your face!]

[M|X|Y]

There was a story about this on NPR yesterday morning. Shake Your Rump playing in the background throughout(y)

[YoungRemy]

so..... they need more local lower east side manhattan signatures.

"residential support"

[coreyisking711]

Footage of the meeting with the community board from Complex Magazine

http://www.complex.com/tv/tags/beastie-boys-square

[YoungRemy]

^^

"you have the ability to put a call out to beastie boys fans..."


too bad we sent a guy who thinks that Paul's Boutique was a real place on that corner he is trying to convince the board to commemorate.

sorry, he just kept saying "culture" and "hip hop" over and over and did a terrible job of selling the actual history of the band in the Lower East side- their entire identity was practically crafted in that neighborhood. albums recorded, lyrics mentioning, even an entire song TITLED after a local street address there.

is it me or is he focused more on his 'hip hop street corners in all five boroughs' dream?

[Micodin]

A proposal to name a Lower East Side street corner in honor of hip-hop group the Beastie Boys was rejected by Community Board 3 Tuesday night — and the board has barred LeRoy McCarthy from reapplying for the street naming for the next five years.

McCarthy, a Brooklyn resident who first suggested the Beastie Boys honor late last year, agreed at CB3's transportation committee meeting on Jan. 14 to temporarily withdraw his application and return to the board with more signatures in February.

However, CB3's full board voted overwhelmingly Tuesday night to deny the proposal to name the corner of Ludlow and Rivington streets Beastie Boys Square, which triggered a CB3 rule that an applicant cannot return with a similar proposal for five years, board officials said.

The board voted 24 to 1 with 1 abstention to reject the Beastie Boys Square application. McCarthy did not attend the meeting because he had told the board that he had withdrawn his application and he did not expect it to go to a vote.

"I was blindsided," said McCarthy, 46, who added that he has already received more than 200 signatures of support for the co-naming since Jan. 14. "Once again I was blindsided and not given the opportunity to present the full material they [CB3] requested."

Adding to his confusion, McCarthy said he had received an email from CB3 last week confirming that the Beastie Boys Square proposal would be on the transportation committee's agenda for February.

"They did not given me a chance to be heard at the committee, which was the arrangement that had been made," he said.

Gigi Li, the chairwoman of CB3, said the full board decided to vote on the proposal because so many members felt strongly that the application could never meet CB3's requirements for a co-naming. She also said that despite the committee's resolution from Jan. 14 clearly stating a withdrawal of the application, a better word to describe its state was "pending," which paved the way for a full board vote.

"My decision was based on the fact that it did not meet the criteria and the fact that previously our most recent group of co-namings held each application to the high standard of meeting every single criteria we set out for co-namings," said Li, who voted to deny the application.

CB3's requirements include an honoree being deceased — in this case, Beastie Boys member Adam 'MCA' Yauch died of cancer in 2012 — and 15 years of service to the Community Board 3 area.

The Ludlow and Rivington street corner has been a destination for Beastie Boys fans since it appeared on the band's 1989 cover for "Paul's Boutique."

McCarthy, a film and television scout, is on a mission to honor hip-hop's New York roots and global influence by co-naming a street in every borough. Last year, his proposal to name a street after rapper Biggie Smalls in Clinton Hill was also rejected by the local community board.

Li said the five-year ban on resubmission would apply to the Beastie Boys application, but it was unclear how specific the ban would be.

In an email to McCarthy, CB3's district manager Susan Stetzer explain that part of the board's reason for voting Tuesday night was the concern "that you not put in many hours of work and then have the board deny in February," she wrote.

Chad Marlow, the only board member to vote against the denial, said despite the board's strong feelings that Beastie Boys Square was not appropriate, McCarthy should have been given what he was promised.

"The wise thing and fair thing to have been done would be to let him return to the committee," Marlow said.

"This isn't about the Beastie Boys," he added. "It is about showing respect for the community."

source (http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20140129/lower-east-side/beastie-boys-square-street-naming-rejected-by-community-board)

[JohnnyChavello]

Man, fuck that. Impeach community board 3!

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about the Beastie Boys Square idea. On the one hand, it would be cool to memorialize them as a part of NYC; on the other hand, the actual name "Beastie Boys Square," is a little too Times Square. Either way, this all just makes the board look like a bunch of fascists who hate hip hop.

[JoLovesMCA]

Let's just find another Beastie related NYC spot and try it again. ;)

[JoLovesMCA]

Sure Shot: CB3 Reinstates ‘Beastie Boys Square’ Application to March Agenda

http://www.boweryboogie.com/2014/02/sure-shot-cb3-reinstates-beastie-boys-square-application-march-agenda/ (http://www.boweryboogie.com/2014/02/sure-shot-cb3-reinstates-beastie-boys-square-application-march-agenda/)

;)

[Micodin]

After back and forth over the status of an initiative to name a Lower East Side intersection in honor of the Beastie Boys, the matter has been officially added to an upcoming Community Board 3 agenda meeting.

In January, CB3 voted 24 to one (with an abstention) to reject LeRoy McCarthy's application to co-name the intersection of Rivington and Ludlow Streets "Beastie Boys Square." The corner served as the setting for the cover of the group's 1989 album, Paul's Boutique.

After the proposal was rejected, CB3 member Chad Marlow sent Complex an email earlier this month announcing that the issue had been placed on the board's March agenda. "After receiving my letter (and with a HUGE assist from Complex News' video clip of the withdrawal actually happening at the Transportation Committee hearing), CB3 relented and the Beastie Boys Square item is back on the Transportation Committee agenda for March," he wrote.

Immediately following this revelation, McCarthy told Complex that he was still awaiting verification from CB3. In an email received this week, he confirmed the news, announcing that he will present the application to the board once again on Mar. 11. "[On] March 11th, Beastie Boys Square will be presented to CB3. When successful there, it will be [presented] before the full board on March 25th. After the community board phase, it will go to the City Council some time in the spring," he explained.

McCarthy added that the notice the matter received following the circumstances of the initial rejection helped bring it back into consideration. "The media attention helped tremendously," he said. "Complex TV's video of CB3 contradicting themselves was sent to the Manhattan Borough President's office, which helped the investigation."

After a Jan. 14 meeting, McCarthy agreed to withdraw his application when the board instructed him to retrieve 500 signatures of community support in order to strengthen it. The application was then voted on without his knowledge, a move Chairwoman Gigi Li attempted to justify to DNAinfo, saying many board members were not confident that McCarthy's application would meet its requirements. For the record, the stipulations for co-naming state that a candidate be deceased, have the support of the community and have displayed no less than 15 years of community involvement.

Li also mentioned that, even though the Jan. 14 meeting concluded with McCarthy's application being withdrawn, "pending" was what the board actually meant. In a phone call to Complex, Marlow criticized Li for her deceit, saying "It can’t be the opinion of the chair of the board that 'it's not what we say to applicants, it’s what we secretly mean.'"

McCarthy's dedication has ultimately paid off, as he's been granted a fair chance to present his efforts to CB3. Regardless of the outcome, the board's actions are now under a microscope, making them more likely to be equitable at the next meeting.

Source and video. (http://www.complex.com/city-guide/2014/02/beastie-boys-square-added-to-community-board-3-march-agenda)

[abbott]

if Im ever n town id like to buy McCarthy lunch or beer if he's a drinker.

[Micodin]

The objective to co-name a Lower East Side intersection in honor of the Beastie Boys was dealt a disappointing blow last night, as Community Board 3 voted against it. A petition to rename the intersection of Rivington and Ludlow Streets "Beastie Boys Square" was created by LeRoy McCarthy last year, as the corner famously served as the setting for the group's 1989 album, Paul's Boutique.

Following a great deal of back and forth, McCarthy was given the opportunity to present his application to the full board last night. The board ultimately decided not to approve it with a final vote of 20 to 13 according to Bowery Boogie, though McCarthy told City Guide he left the meeting following the vote when the count was 19 to 16.

"The voting mostly went along generational, cultural, [cronyism], and other divisional lines," McCarthy said in an email. Despite the disappointing outcome, McCarthy said he will not let the issue fade away. "Beastie Boys Square has many enthusiastic supporters [on] the Lower East Side, NYC, [and within] city government," he explained, adding that a meeting with city officials has already been scheduled for next week.

When asked what he expected to come from the meeting, McCarthy said he hoped to share his goals with a more powerful audience. "The community board represents their district only, when I speak with New York City government officials, I will share my overall objective of having hip-hop receive recognition from New York City," he said.

He added that he will ask City Council for support on Beastie Boys Square, as well as initiatives by himself and others to have streets named in honor of prominent hip-hop figures. "I will show New York City Council the contributions that hip-hop has had over the past four decades without gratitude, and request that they vote 'yes' on Beastie Boys Square in Manhattan, Christopher Wallace Way in Brooklyn, Wu-Tang Clan District in Staten Island, and Big Pun Place in the Bronx," he continued.

According to CB3 guidelines, McCarthy is unable to submit another application for Beastie Boys Square for another five years. This makes his decision to go over their heads even more understandable. This fight isn't over just yet.

source (http://www.complex.com/city-guide/2014/03/community-board-3-votes-against-beastie-boys-square)

[MrSmiley1]

What a bummer. I was hoping to visit Beastie Boys Square AND Adam Yauch Park when I go to NYC.

[Space]

What a bummer. I was hoping to visit Beastie Boys Square AND Adam Yauch Park when I go to NYC.

me too

[JoLovesMCA]

Well well well............

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20140404/lower-east-side/campaign-rename-les-corner-beastie-boys-square-gains-support

[3stooges]

That article also mentions a Hip Hop Museum project, which sounds cool:


Bronx Hip-Hop Museum Proposal Moves Closer With Support From Stars
By Katie Honan on March 13, 2014 2:29pm

KINGSBRIDGE HEIGHTS — Some of the founding fathers of hip-hop are moving ahead with their plan to put a museum in the borough where they say it all began — the Bronx.

Artists including Afrika Bambaataa and Melle Mel announced plans for a 52,000-square-foot museum focused on hip-hop in the Kingsbridge Armory, while they were being honored in the City Council on Wednesday, according to the New York Post.

The museum project also has the support of Councilman Fernando Cabrera, and the group has created a nonprofit to raise money.

Bambaataa first expressed his support for the museum in 2012 when it was part of another proposal for the 575,000-square-foot building.

“Hip-hop has gone from the 'hoods of the United States to the rest of the whole world,” Bambaataa said at the time.

While that plan — which called for a six-screen movie theater, food court, weekend market, rock-climbing wall and gym — was passed over in favor of the current plan to build the world's largest ice rink, the rap legend has stuck to his plan to build a museum.

He envisioned that the museum would be interactive and trace the history of hip-hop from its early days in the Bronx to its current global popularity.

Bambaataa told the Post on Wednesday that the museum would school a younger generation who had "lost sight" of what the genre is, and the deep history behind it.

“By having this museum, it’s something for many nationalities and religious backgrounds," he said.