Owner of iconic NYC dive bar Lucy’s facing eviction, opens up about future of her business
NY Post
The beloved owner of Lucy’s — the iconic East Village dive bar facing eviction — says she would welcome an investor or partner to keep her business afloat, but she is not ruling out retirement.
Ludwika “Lucy” Mickevicius, 81, who has owned the legendary namesake watering hole on Avenue A for nearly four decades, has no plans to reopen the bar at a new location, “because I’m not finished here,” she told the neighborhood blog EV Grieve.
The bar is facing eviction within 30 days from its new landlord, West Lake 135-139 Avenue A LLC, which purchased the building that houses Lucy’s for more than $19 million in December.
Mickevicius said that her previous monthly rent was $8,000 — but now she is being forced to pay $25,000 per month, though there might be some wiggle room to negotiate.
“I have paid the January and February rent, but I didn’t open because I am afraid of the new rent,” she told the blog.
The iconic drinking establishment has been closed to customers for the past three months, with the city Department of Health shuttering Lucy’s for operating without a Food Protection Certificate.
