6. 135 Bowery
The new 135 Bowery
135 Bowery, which was demolished in 2012, failed to gain landmark status by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. There have been many efforts recently to protect many buildings in the Bowery area of the Lower East Side. The area’s complex history dates all the way back to the middle of the 17th century. By the early 1800s, many buildings like the Bowery Theatre opened in the area, and Bowery has been undergoing extensive redevelopment since the 1990s.
The Federal-style building that once stood at 135 Bowery was constructed in 1819 for John A. Hardenbrook, who owned a soap and candle manufacturing store. The building received alterations in 1903 and 1920, but much of the original building remained intact. In June 2011, the LPC, with the help of City Council Member Margaret Chin, designated 135 Bowery a New York landmark. However, Chin changed her stance in September 2011 at the urging of the First American International Bank. The bank owners noted how the building was leaky and old and that a new building would offer much more affordable office space. The building was demolished in 2012, alongside nearby 138-142 Bowery in 2016 (which became the now-former location of the International Center of Photography) and 185 Bowery in 2010.