Beastie Museum _ Services _ Paul's Boutique Corner

Paul's Boutique Corner / Lower East Side, New York

99 Rivington Street (corner of Ludlow)
New York, NY, 10012

Phone: (212) 228-8022
Subway: F, J, M, Z, to Delancey St. at Essex St.

MUSICAL REFERENCE: Paul's Boutique, a 1989 album by the Beastie Boys featuring hits "Hello Brooklyn" and "Hey Ladies".
BACKSTORY: Adam "Ad-Rock" Horowitz took the album's title from an old radio ad for a men's clothing store. The problem: Paul's Boutique no longer existed. So the Beasties created a new Paul's Boutique for the album cover shoot, putting up a fake store sign next to the still-visible Lee's Sportswear awning.
FUN FACT: To capitalize on the record's popularity, a Mediterranean restaurant named Paul's Boutique later cropped up at the intersection.
WHAT IT'S LIKE TODAY: In 2007 the restaurant's name was changed to the Three Monkeys, leaving no visible clue to the intersection's music history.

Wikipedia articles
Lower East Side | Ludlow Street | Rivington Street

Additional Services
360° Panoramic Photograph

1989 - 1999

2001

R99 becomes Paul's Boutique

January 22, 2003
"Lots of neighborhood news to catch up on this week. Let's start closest to home (well, my home)... Tiny brunch haven Rivington 99 (Rivington @ Ludlow), closed for the last month for renovations, has remade itself rather dramatically. Think Jewel Bako meets Butter, all in a 20x20 space. The menu appears blessedly unchanged, but they've gone and tarted up the name. In honor of the Beastie Boys album of the same name (cover art for which was shot on this very corner), it's now known as Paul's Boutique." - Lockhart Steele

2004

2005

2006

Lower East Side - New York City Panograph

33 Photo Panograph of the Lower East Side, shot by Traitlin Burke, July 2006
All the photos were taken from one spot at Hotel on Rivington, 16th Floor. The center view shows the corner of Rivington and Ludlow Street. Paul's Boutique is right there.

2007

Paul's Boutique becomes The Three Monkeys

April 14, 2007
"Sadly, Paul's Boutique is no more. That place went downhill as soon as they switched owners, hired a new staff, and painted the entire inside in an awful explosion of graffiti-esque blobs. Now it's a falafel joint called the Three Monkeys." - JL

Spitzer's Dress Store becomes Spitzer's corner

SPITZER'S Corner Logo

"On the corner of Rivington and Ludlow Streets on the Lower East Side, new Spitzer’s Corner is to beer what ‘Inoteca located opposite is to wine and cheese. I don’t know how many beers they have on draught, but it’s a lot. Most are local micro-breweries, and often have fantastic names: it’s fun ordering a Smutty Nose Ale or an Old Arrogant Bastard. The place gets busy but in a good way — nice crowd of young, cool professionals, no fratty types looking to hit or be hit on — and they open up the windows when it’s warm. Great fries, too." - James Taylor

"Spitzer's Corner proved itself to be an excellent spot for some relaxing people watching and mostly quite satisfying food. Breezy and bright from the wide-open front, the interior is all massive wooden communal tables and rough-hewn walls made from (presumably never used) pickle barrels. The main downside here: there are no chairs with backs... it's all benches and stools. Spitzer's Corner is located on the corner of Rivington and Ludlow Streets. They have a lengthy wine and beer list, there's a huge back room, and I imagine it gets insanely packed at night." - Scott Lynch

New logo designed by Nicholas Felton.

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