On Saturday (September 9), the corner of Ludlow and Rivington Streets in New York will be officially dubbed “Beastie Boys Square” with a celebration featuring appearances from Michael “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz. The historic locale was once home to Paul’s Boutique—the namesake of Beastie Boys’ pivotal sophomore LP, released in 1989. The eponymous shop was famously featured on the gatefold album cover. The ceremony will take place from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern and will include a guest DJ set by Jon Bless HiFi System.
Beastie Boys Square gets its new name a decade after LeRoy McCarthy launched a petition to rename the street corner in Manhattan’s Lower East Side neighborhood. In 2014, a local community board rejected McCarthy’s proposal, banning him from reapplying for a minimum of five years.
McCarthy’s most recent proposal was approved by the New York City Council last year. “As many of us know, once the Beastie Boys hit the scene, it really changed the hip-hop game,” council member Christopher Marte, said at the time. “I see it as a celebration. A celebration for the Lower East Side, a celebration for hip-hop, and especially a celebration for our community who has been organizing for a really long time to make this happen.”
The unveiling of Beastie Boys Square coincides with the ongoing celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, which includes the first-ever theatrical screening of Spike Jonze’s Beastie Boys Story, taking place at IFC Center on September 8 and 9.
In addition to spearheading Beastie Boys Square, McCarthy previously got a special mural to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Paul’s Boutique approved at the same spot in the Lower East Side. And, in 2013, a park in Brooklyn Heights was renamed for the late Adam “MCA” Yauch.
