About a thousand fans ascended to the Lower East Side on Saturday to cheer on the unveiling of “Beastie Boys Square.”
It was a long fight for their right to party — almost 10 years — but the intersection of Rivington and Ludlow streets, depicted on the group’s 1989 album “Paul’s Boutique,” will now be known as “Beastie Boys Square.”
The location has been a mecca for fans, dubbed “Beasties,” and after Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch’s untimely death at 47 in 2012, LeRoy McCarthy began advocating for renaming the street corner.
McCarthy was initially turned down by Community Board 3 in 2014 because the name change didn’t meet the requirements, and he was barred for five years from reapplying again. But, with the support of Council Member Christopher Marte, the New York City Council voted in July 2022 to honor one of the Big Apple’s most popular and successful hip-hop groups.
McCarthy said Saturday that he’s happy that his hard work paid off — especially during hip-hop’s 50th anniversary.
“This is very significant,” McCarthy said. “You know, this is hometown guys being honored by New York City for a hometown music genre. And so this is a very New York moment, so I’m happy that it is coming to fruition today.”
Marte recalled that the first email he received when he ran for office was asking whether he would support a Beastie Boys Square.
“I responded immediately. And I said, ‘Hell yes,’” Marte said. “It was the first political stance I took as a politician, so it’s been a long time coming.”
Surrounded by elected officials, including Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Beastie Boys’ remaining members, Michael “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz, thanked McCarthy for his tireless work.
“This whole thing was [LeRoy McCarthy’s] idea,” Horovitz said. “He pushed to make it happen just for the love of rap music, you know. And thank you, we appreciate it.”
“I want to thank…
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