In photos: The Astor Place Cube as it’s returned to the East Village

Check out the installation of the more than 50-year-old public art project

By Amy Plitt@plitter Nov 4, 2016, 11:00am EDT

Photography by Scott Lynch

Proof that 2016 isn’t a totally garbage year: earlier this week, the Alamo, a.k.a. the Astor Place Cube, was returned to its longtime East Village home, with seemingly very little pomp and circumstance. But it’s been a long time coming for this beloved piece of public art: It was first removed from the site in 2014, paving the way for the myriad updates that Astor Place has gotten in the ensuing years. After several false starts, it was finally returned on Tuesday.

And in a neighborhood that’s always changing, the Cube is one comforting constant. It was first installed in 1967, and has remained a neighborhood touchstone—a meeting place, somewhere for misfit teens to hang out, inspiration for Halloween costumes, and even, briefly, some dude’s home (except not)—ever since.

Photographer Scott Lynch was on the scene to capture the installation of the Cube earlier this week, as well as its inaugural spin—check his photos out below.