Remember those rumors about Galapagos closing in Williamsburg that were denied? Well, the "closing" part turns out to be true, after all. If you haven't heard, the performance space on N. 6th Street will be moving next year to a building on Main Street in Dumbo that's owned by Two Trees Management. An email went out from Galapagos that said, in part:
We love Williamsburg, we were born here in 1995, but we simply can’t afford to remain in Williamsburg and produce the work that we feel is our most valuable contribution to the cultural ecosystem of New York City. In December 2005 our rent went up by $10,000.00 a month. Now, in order to extend our lease past November, our landlord requires a 30% increase in rent... It must be said that our landlords are lovely people who, way back in 1995, gave us an opportunity that no one else was willing to offer. The rent increases they’ve offered us are, incredibly, still below the market rate. We’ll be working with them to make sure that 70 North 6 Street remains a venue of cultural significance and doesn’t become the North 6 Street's next American Apparel or, god forbid, a Starbucks. We’ll have an interesting announcement about 70 North 6 Street very soon.
Galapagos will continue with a full schedule until June 17 and, then, operate "intermittently." The Dumbo opening will be spring or summer of 2008.
· Art Space in Brooklyn to Get New Digs [NYT]
· Galapagos Heads to Dumbo [Gothamist] [Photo courtesy of Christopher W. Havens/Two Trees Management]