q2K BHP
Black History Portal
THE BHP WIRE —
HIDDEN TRUTHS
What's New!
THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

Explore Black History

Explore the people, places, events, achievements, struggles and stories that shaped our journey.

✊🏾

Civil Rights

Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.

⚙️

Black Inventors

Innovation, patents, science, technology and world-changing contributions.

🏆

Sports

Pioneers, champions, Negro Leagues, records, activism and excellence.

♟️

People

Meet the people whose lives, choices and achievements shaped the journey.

📍

Places

Black towns, communities, institutions and places where history happened.

📜

Events

Moments that changed communities, movements, institutions and the nation.

Enter a person, place, event, or topic.
MY'STORY

The MOVE Fire

This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985 Philadelphia police fired thousands of rounds at the MOVE house, city officials approved dropping an explosive device on the roof, the resulting fire was allowed to burn, 11 people—including five children—died, and 61 homes were destroyed. Philadelphia City Council later called it a “brutal attack carried out by the City of Philadelphia on its own citizens” and acknowledged that no individual faced criminal consequences for the bombing. One timeline correction worth preserving for the BHP record: the major previous MOVE-police confrontation was August 8, 1978, about seven years before the bombing, not a year or two earlier. Officer James Ramp was killed, other police and firefighters were wounded, nine MOVE members were later convicted, and television cameras recorded police beating Delbert Africa during his arrest. The 1985 MOVE Commission later specifically criticized city planners for failing to adequately use lessons from that 1978 confrontation. And that actually strengthens the point you’re making: 1985 did not happen without precedent or institutional memory. There had already been a deadly confrontation with MOVE, years of conflict, negotiations and police involvement before Osage Avenue.

MORE →
BLACK FACTS
The Truths They Never Taught You...

Katherine Johnson — Mathematics to the Moon

Katherine Johnson’s mathematical calculations helped guide some of America’s most important early space missions while she confronted the racial and gender barriers faced by Black women in twentieth-century America.

MORE →
BHP gathered finds from its connected research sources. Showing the 4 strongest Black History matches.
← BACK TO RESULTS
Wikipedia

Lit Lounge

Lit Lounge
Map
Interactive map of Lit Lounge
Address93 2nd Avenue
LocationEast Village, Manhattan, New York, US
Coordinates40°43′37.8″N 73°59′20.3″W / 40.727167°N 73.988972°W / 40.727167; -73.988972
OwnerErik Foss & David Schwartz
TypeNightclub
Public transit
Construction
OpenedFebruary 22, 2002 (2002-02-22)
ClosedJuly 30, 2015 (2015-07-30)

Lit Lounge was a nightclub in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The two-floor complex housed a concert venue, lounge, dance floor, and Fuse Gallery, an art exhibition space. Lit Lounge was noted as a major venue for New York City's hipster subculture in the mid- to late 2000s, particularly the indie rock and electroclash scene of the era.

History

[edit]

Lit Lounge was owned by Erik Foss and David Schwartz, who worked at East Village and Bowery-area bars throughout the 1990s. Lit opened on February 22, 2002, while Fuse Gallery opened on March 16, 2002, with an exhibition of works by H.R. Giger.[1] Lit quickly became a major venue for New York's hipster subculture, particularly the indie rock and electroclash scene of the era.[2][3] It was among the first New York clubs to embrace European DJs in the mashup genre such as Soulwax and Erol Alkan, along with post-hardcore artists such as Sergio Vega of Quicksand.[2] Lit declined in popularity after The Beatrice Inn converted into a nightclub in 2006, though enjoyed a resurgence after Beatrice was shut down in 2009.[2]

In 2010, the bar was the subject of protests during a request for a license transfer for a new venture, in which local residents claimed Lit frequently played music past 4 a.m. on weekends and contributed to crowding on sidewalks.[4] Lit withdrew their transfer request in response, and committed to hiring additional security and installing additional soundproofing material.[5]

Fuse Gallery closed on August 6, 2013, citing financial difficulties.[6] On July 8, 2015, Foss and Schwartz announced that Lit Lounge would close "within the next two months."[7] Rising rents and the changing social scene of the East Village were cited as primary reasons for the closure, with the majority of Lit Lounge's clients having migrated to the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bushwick, Greenpoint, and Williamsburg.[7] Lit Lounge abruptly closed on July 30, 2015, following an incident in which a 34-year-old teacher at Léman Manhattan Preparatory School was alleged to have had sex with a 16-year-old student in the bathroom at Lit Lounge.[8][9] In December 2015, the gay bar The Cock moved into the space at 93 Second Avenue formerly occupied by Lit Lounge.[10]

Foss and Schwartz announced plans to reopen Lit Lounge at a location in the McKibbin Street Lofts in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which was at the time occupied by the Currant Cafe, a restaurant they opened in March 2014.[11][12][13] The venue opened as a nightclub under the name Tilt in December 2016,[14] which closed in February 2019.[15]

Reception and legacy

[edit]
One of Elliott Smith's final live performances in New York at Lit Lounge, January 2003

AM New York Metro described Lit Lounge as "the nexus of cool people and indie bands in the early-mid 2000s."[11] The club attracted numerous celebrities as patrons, including Chloë Sevigny, Kirsten Dunst, and The Strokes.[11][16] Notable artists who performed or exhibited at Lit include actors Mike Myers and Leo Fitzpatrick; photographers Ryan McGinley and Mick Rock; filmmaker Spike Jonze; and musicians Karen O, Nick Zinner, David Yow, and James Iha.[1][17] Writer Cat Marnell, a regular at Lit Lounge, described the club as "such a piece-of-shit place in the best way possible" and "like Cheers ... but with PCP and vodka."[1] Several music videos were filmed at Lit, including "Rich Girls" by The Virgins and "Boy Boy" by Lissy Trullie.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Disser, Nicole (August 13, 2015). "'It Was Our Fantasy': The Story of Lit Lounge, Told By Its Regulars". Bedford + Bowery. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Lemoine, Ray (March 14, 2012). "The Three Lives of Lit Lounge". The Local East Village. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  3. ^ "NYC's 5 Best Hipster Bars". CBS New York. May 24, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  4. ^ Amanda, Klundt (March 16, 2010). "Porchetta Follow Up is a Go; Lit Seeking to Change Identity". Eater. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  5. ^ Solish, Scott (April 29, 2010). "Like A Good Neighbor, Lit Lounge Is There". NY Eater. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  6. ^ Maurer, Daniel (August 9, 2013). "It's the End of Fuse Gallery as We Know It, and Erik Foss Feels Fine". Bedford + Bowery. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Lewis, Steve (July 8, 2015). "Lit Lounge Will Close". Club Planet. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  8. ^ Tempey, Nathan (July 30, 2015). "Prep School Teacher Arrested For Having Sex With Student In Lit Lounge Bathroom". Gothamist. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  9. ^ Rosenberg, Rebecca; Rosenbaum, Sophia (July 30, 2015). "Prep school teacher had sex with student in nightclub bathroom, cops say". New York Post. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  10. ^ Maurer, Daniel (December 10, 2015). "The Cock Slips Into Lit's Old Home, Gets 'Bigger, Longer, Harder'". Bedford + Bowery. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  11. ^ a b c Kral, Georgia (July 10, 2015). "Lit Lounge is leaving the East Village". AM New York Metro. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  12. ^ Maurer, Daniel (February 25, 2014). "Lit Is Opening a Place in the McKibbin Lofts". Bedford + Bowery. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  13. ^ Shiffman, Allyson (March 14, 2014). "Eat a Sloppy Joe at Currant Cafe Sunday While You Wait For Lit Brooklyn to Open". Bedford + Bowery. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  14. ^ Maurer, Daniel (December 8, 2016). "Lit's Follow-Up Inside of the McKibbin Lofts Finally Opens Friday". Bedford + Bowery. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  15. ^ Graves, Cassidy Dawn (February 1, 2019). "McKibbin's Club Tilt Is Becoming A Gay Bar, The Vault". Bedford + Bowery. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  16. ^ Arino, Lisha (July 9, 2015). "Lit Lounge Leaving East Village After 14 Years and Moving to Brooklyn". DNA Info. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  17. ^ Maurer, Daniel (August 6, 2013). "After 11 Years, Fuse Gallery Is Closing Behind Lit Lounge". Bedford + Bowery. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
[edit]

Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.

No preview image
Wikipedia

Lit Lounge

Lit Lounge was a nightclub in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The two-floor complex housed a concert venue, lounge, dance floor, and Fuse Gallery, an art exhibition space. Lit Lounge was noted as a major venue for New York City's hipster subculture in the mid- to late 2000s, particularly the indie rock and electroclash scene of the era.

MORE →
No preview image
Wikipedia

Erik Foss (artist)

Erik Foss (born 1973) is an American artist and curator based in New York City. His paintings incorporate autobiographical themes, American iconography, and pop culture, painted with airbrush in neon palettes. He has exhibited at the American Academy of Arts and Letters and Kaikai Kiki Gallery, Tokyo, and his work has been covered in Artforum and The New York Times. In the early 2000s, he co-founded the bar Lit Lounge and its adjoining art gallery, Fuse.

MORE →
No preview image
Wikipedia

Lit

Lit or LIT may refer to:

MORE →
Wikipedia

NoHo, Manhattan

NoHo, short for "North of Houston Street" (as contrasted with SoHo), is a primarily residential neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded by Mercer Street to the west, the Bowery to the east, 9th Street to the north, and Houston Street to the south. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission has declared most of the 125-building area a historic district, divided into the NoHo Historic District and the NoHo East Historic District, created in 2003.

MORE →
TOPIC OF THE DAY

Greenwood / Black Wall Street

Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.

MORE →
TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE DAY

What prosperous Tulsa district became widely known as “Black Wall Street”?

The Greenwood District.