Las Vegas nicer to CBGB than NYC...

[Keith <kaj22>]

C.B.G.B. owner says Essex building doesnbt rock

By Lincoln Anderson

bThis ainbt no Mudd Club, or C.B.G.B.,b David Byrne sang. Hilly Kristal, owner of C.B.G.B., feels the same way about a property the city recently offered him for a new home for the legendary punk music club.

At the end of last year, Kristal reached an agreement with Bowery Residentsb Committee to vacate his space on the Bowery by this coming Halloween. Since then, hebs been looking both in Las Vegas and Manhattan for new locations to reopen.

Speaking on Monday, Kristal said hebd just returned from Vegas where he was checking out several different spaces. He said he likes one of the locations a lot but is bgetting the money situation together first before we doing anything.b

bI like Las Vegas,b he said. bIbm a little sore about what happened in New York. But I really feel I would like to do it in New York, despite what happened. I have about three New York spaces Ibm looking at, and Ibm going to look at others too.b

In addition to B.R.C. effectively kicking Kristal out of the property C.B.G.B. occupied for 23 years, Kristal was also disappointed when Mayor Bloombergbs pledge to help him find a new space didnbt pan out. According to Kristal, the city offered him the Essex Market building on Essex St. south of Delancey St. in the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area.

bWe looked at that place that the mayorbs office was offering,b he said. bIt has a little liquor store and coffee shop in it b we would have gotten the rest of the buildingb&. It was nothing b itbs just a shell. They wanted an advance of $5 million. It was a bit of a shock to me. I thought they were going to get me a place that was going to be reasonable.b

By contrast, Kristal said, bThe mayorbs office in Las Vegas has been very helpful. Theybve been finding me places. Itbs a good feeling.b

Meanwhile, he said hebs having more luck working with Newmark Real Estate. Hebs currently looking at two spots in Times Square, two in the East Village, one in Noho, another in Tribeca and two or three places above 14th St., including btwo floors in an old printing factory around W. 18th St. Itbs pretty reasonable,b he said.

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