4. C-Squat

The East Village is famous for its squatter history in the multiple abandoned buildings. One of those buildings evolved into a squatting residence for artists and musicians involved in the ’90s punk movement. The building, a brick walk-up abandoned after being ruined by a fire in Alphabet City at 155 Avenue C, began to be occupied in the late 1980s. Known as the C-Squat, it was not only a place for squatters to stay, but it also held punk rock shows in the basement.

Around 2005, the city allowed C-Squat to remain instead of forcing the residents out. After surviving over the years, the building has become a space for punks to “live their ideals.” Photographer and long-time visitor of C-Squat, Konstantin Sergeyev, told the New York Times that these artists and musicians “took this space which was wasted, useless, and tried to save it, and use it productively.”

The walls of C-Squat are covered in graffiti and art marking its short history as a kind of safe-haven for punks. Other residents include members of notable bands Morning Glory, Choking Victim, and Banji.