Rock venue Irving Plaza is set to go quiet this summer for an eight-month renovation. The 150-year-old venue hosts its last scheduled show for the year on June 30—headlined by tropical band Guaco—before shutting down for work that is scheduled to last until next spring.
Live Nation, the concert hall’s operator, announced the planned renovations this week along with the Polish Army Veterans Association, which has owned the building since 1948.
The 3,300-square-foot hall was converted from a Polish-American community center into a concert venue in 1978. Since then, Irving Plaza’s marquee has listed big-name artists including Bob Dylan, the Foo Fighters, Radiohead and the Talking Heads. Paul McCartney played a surprise show there to a capacity crowd of about 1,000 on Valentine’s Day in 2015.
But, as some Yelp reviews document, concertgoers have complained about the venue’s narrow interior and a layout that makes it difficult to buy a drink or use the restroom without missing segments of the show.
Live Nation is promising that the venue will reopen with a revamped lobby, new bars, a downstairs VIP lounge and a remodeled mezzanine with a new configuration for box seats. A Live Nation spokesman said four new bathrooms are on the way as well.
After 17 years of selling pizza by its weight, the appropriately named Pie by the Pound has closed on Fourth Avenue between 12th Street and 13th Street. June 30 was the shop’s last day.
Here’s part of the message from owner Jeffrey Reiss on Facebook:
It is time to say goodbye😭🙁😢. I want to thank the local community and beyond for supporting us and who have been our fans until the end. I will deeply miss the vegetarian, vegan and especially the Gluten Free Communities. Such beautiful memories of all the families and kids and my staff….that will last a lifetime. I will miss this place. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU.
Love,
Jeffrey
50 years is a long time for anyone or anything. That’s why it’s sad to see Village Copiers on 13th St. fade away at least as a storefront. It was the oldest business on the block. By far. Who knows what will fill that unusual below-ground space next?
The USP says: “We want to hear from you! Our 2025 Community Opinion Survey is now live. Share your feedback, ideas, and opinions to help shape the future of the Union Square-14th Street District. Your responses help us understand the community’s priorities and how we can better serve you. The survey closes 5:00 PM on Thursday, September 18th, 2025 — take it today!”
Between 12th and 13th St. on University Place, the cleaners is moving, the European cookie store that no one needed is closing, and the Verizon store is gone. Is it a case of all leases running out at the same time? Who knows? What’s next? Who knows???
The New School says:
Next week (August 29 to September 2), Contractors will continue to excavate earth and rock, and load out material. Installation of bracing rakers and line drilling will progress as well. Concrete foundation walls will continue along the perimeter of the site. Interior core foundation work and underground electrical and plumbing will proceed. Contractors will be removing the interior earth ramp. A small cherry picker crane will be delivered to the site next week and will be stationed inside the Construction fence. This crane will remain there for approximately two months.
The following week (September 6 to September 9 ), we will continue with concrete foundation walls, line drilling, rock excavation, loading out, interior core foundation work, and underground electrical and plumbing. Concrete pours for the slab on grade are anticipated to start this week. The site will be closed for Labor Day weekend (Saturday, Sept. 3 through Monday, Sept. 5).
DEP will continue to repair the water main along 13th Street. As part of this work, the DEP may periodically shut water service off. This work is out of our control.
