Palisades, the local DIY venue that was located inside the distinctive, acute corner of the building at Broadway and Stockton Street until it was shut down in June for building code violations, will no longer be leasing the space it called home.
This week, “for rent” signs have gone up on the building, and Palisades promoter and both venue sources and building owners confirm that the space is now seeking new tenants.
The space, which opened in April of 2014, quickly became a mainstay of the city’s music scene, hosting a robust and diverse lineup that featured both major acts and excellently curated up and coming talent right from its start: a Trash Talk show only two months after its opening drew crowds who wrapped around the block, a sight which would become a regular occurrence for neighbors.
In late April of this year, Palisades was immortalized in a vivid, loving portrait on the cover of the New Yorker’s annual entertainment issue. The artwork by illustrator R. Kikuo Johnson depicted a packed show inside the venue from the perspective of a performing onstage: the crowd is going wild, and the space is immediately recognizable because of the support column in the middle of the room.
Ric Leichtung, a Palisades promoter and the founder of AdHoc, posted an image of the “for rent” sign outside the space which he has since deleted to his Instagram account, confirming in his caption that “the space formerly known as Palisades” is back on the rental market; Leichtung did respond to requests for additional comment. In a statement he gave to Resident Advisor after the venue initially shut down in June, he characterized the Palisades crew as “devastated” by the shutdown.
Palisades was first shut down by the NYPD during a show on the evening of Friday, June 10th. Department of Building records which are dated June 16th indicate that the venue was operating in violation of the city’s cabaret laws: the space did not have an automatic sprinkler system or adequate means of egress for a venue with a capacity of more than 74 people. A partial vacate order remains on the premises.
Will Palisades reboot elsewhere like Silent Barn did after its shutdown at its former location in Ridgewood? We can only hope. Until then, pour one out for this great venue.
