Lucy’s, the East Village dive bar run by its namesake owner since the 1980s, has closed and is facing eviction by a landlord who recently bought the building for $19 million and reportedly raised the rent.
The legendary bar appears on the verge of becoming the latest downtown staple to shutter, following in the footsteps of other mainstays like Mars Bar, Grassroots Tavern, Manitoba’s and many more. Efforts to reach Ludwika “Lucy” Mickevicius were unsuccessful.
Mickevicius first took over the Avenue A joint in December 1987, according to an eviction notice taped to the bar’s door. She was the primary bartender for nearly 40 years, frequently offering shots of Polish vodka on the house to regulars along the way.
“It’s super disappointing and frustrating, especially because what makes New York City so unique and special and iconic is these small businesses, these bars and restaurants that have been around for many decades,” said Alex Tellides, 26, who lives near the bar.
He said his best memory was “just coming here at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. on a Saturday night with your friends, knowing what the environment is going to be like, which is very New York. A real representation of the melting pot.”
Mickevicius became a revered elder stateswoman representing the neighborhood’s old guard, before it became a pricey playground for the wealthy. The median rent in Downtown Manhattan in December was $4,495, according to real estate firm Douglas Elliman. The bar, with red neon lights, pool tables and a jukebox, remained unchanged for its many years of operation. Every year, Mickevicius would shut down the bar for a few weeks to visit family in Poland.
The bar stayed open through the Tompkins Square Park riots across the street in 1988. More recently, her business survived the pandemic – though she told one neighborhood news outlet she owed “$20,000 for rent and water.”
The joint was temporarily closed in November by the Health Department for operating without a permit,…
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