New York City Council Approves ‘Beastie Boys Square’ Designation
The corner of Ludlow Street and Rivington Street immortalized on 'Paul's Boutique' will soon be renamed in honor of the influential hip hop trio.
By Scott Bernstein Jul 18, 2022 • 11:30 am PDT
The intersection of Ludlow Street and Rivington Street in New York City’s Lower East Side will be renamed “Beastie Boys Square.” The effort to honor the legendary hip hop act by renaming the corner featured on the cover of the trio’s 1989 album, Paul’s Boutique, has finally been approved by the New York City Council nine years after an initial proposal was rejected.
The New York City Council approved the renewed application on Thursday. “As many of us know, once the Beastie Boys hit the scene, it really changed the hip-hop game,” Councilmember Christopher Marte told PIX11. “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.”
Michael “Mike D” Diamond, Adam “MCA” Yauch and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz solidified the classic Beastie Boys lineup in 1985 and released the chart-topping Licensed To Ill in 1986. The trio took an experimental turn for their follow-up, 1989’s Paul’s Boutique, which is now considered a masterpiece after initial sales were poor. The Beastie Boys found mainstream success once again with 1992’s Check Your Head and went on to release five more beloved albums before MCA died from cancer and the group disbanded in 2012.
The initial “Beastie Boys Square” proposal was launched with a petition in 2013. An NYC community board rejected the proposal the following year. Now, the renaming effort awaits Mayor Eric Adams’ signature.
