Once again, I get all my news from EV Grieve.
I read with some surprise that evidently the Hell’s Angels are leaving their long-held perch on East 3rd Street. When the Hell’s Angels are vacating the East Village, that’s got to be a sign of impending apocalypse, no?
My interactions with the `Angels were very, very few. I did, once, happen upon their fabled Halloween street party several years back. That was fun, if memory serves. I remember frequently going the bar at the eastern end of their street, The Edge. I don’t remember much about the place beyond needing to examine any change the bartenders gave me, as they were supposedly notorious for brazenly skimming. They shut up shop in 2016, or so. Don’t know what’s there now.
I enjoyed the lore of the Hell’s Angels’ tenure on that street – how nothing happened without their knowledge and/or say-so. That seemed like a throwback to a bygone age. But I never had any altercations or bad occurrences or run-ins or anything with the fellas, …. not that I ever went out of my way to instigate any. Obviously, you were well served to leave them to their business (whatever that might have been).
That all said, there’s definitely one aspect of their alleged plan to depart the neighborhood that makes me sad --- their front door. That's it up top from the 90's. In more recent years, they had the painting touched up, making the skull-faced demon guy slightly more buff. See below.
Since I don’t know when, I’ve taken photo after photo after photo of their endearingly over-the-top entrance, usually appended with a comrade or two posing incongruously in front of same. In more recent years, it’s been a favorite spot for the kids. See below...
Like so many other things I took for granted, I will miss it when it’s gone.
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