A seemingly unstoppable wave of retail gentrification has claimed many of the city’s independent shops over the past few years; 2016 alone has seen the disappearance of Lee’s Art Shop, Central Art Supply, and Other Music, to name but a few. But thankfully, this is not one of those cases: New York reports that Three Lives & Company bookstore, which was facing an uncertain fate as recently as a month ago, will remain in its longtime West Village home for the foreseeable future.
Three Lives moved into its current location, a small storefront at the corner of Waverly Place and West 10th Street, back in 1983. Of course, the neighborhood has changed drastically since then, and the building it’s located in sold to developer Oliver’s Realty Group (a co-developer of Brooklyn Bridge Park’s controversial Pier 6 towers, among other projects) earlier this year.
At one point, the shop was on a month-to-month lease, leading to speculation that its days were numbered. But owner Toby Cox and ORG’s managing partner David Wine were able to negotiate a new, long-term lease (the terms of which were not disclosed), meaning the shop isn’t going anywhere for a while. In a press release, Cox said he is “delighted with the cooperation” from ORG, and that “my staff and I are thrilled to continue serving our community as a bookseller and gathering spot, a role the shop has embraced and cherished since 1978.”
Wine, in the same release, said “Three Lives is one of the classic NYC bookstores, and I encourage all New Yorkers to shop there this holiday season.” (Good call.) Now more than ever, friendly local businesses are necessary—as gathering spots, neighborhood linchpins, and so much more—so this is good news indeed.
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