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Life Cafe Is Dead, <em>RENT</em> Muse Now For Rent


By

Garth Johnston

Published Feb 27, 2012

Modified Feb 27, 2012


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A realtor image for the old Life Cafe space

 

NYREX


By

Garth Johnston

Published Feb 27, 2012

Modified Feb 27, 2012


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How much for a five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minute-long lease? That's the million dollar question now that the Tompkins Square-adjacent space where Life Cafe used to live is up for rent. The Alphabet City cafe that will forever be associated with the Jonathan Larson musical RENT closed indefinitely back in September citing building repairs.

To a certain subset of theater geeks and neighborhood stalwarts the death of Life is terribly sad thing. For the rest of us, it is a bummer that wasn't hard to see coming, considering the place's decline in the years since Larson wrote parts of his much-loved musical there. The food was never much to write home about in the first place but it seriously went down hill in recent years. And for those who don't agree, well, the Bushwick Life Cafe outpost is very much still kicking!

The listing for the 600-square foot location doesn't currently include a listing price, and the realtor has yet to reply to our questions. Somehow we suspect that the next tenant won't be too big on la vie Boheme.

Tagged

alphabet city

east village

life cafe

manhattan

rent

rent the musical

tompkins square


Garth Johnston

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