And this is not the parish, as you might think. The building was constructed in the mid-19th century and once belonged to the Episcopal Church. The building of the Church is made in the neo-Gothic style, and resembles a small parish church in medieval England. Famous for its irregular masonry of the brown stone blocks. It was the first church in America made in this technique.

The interior of the church in 1901.

I have pictures of this building a few years ago, but then the doors were closed, and homeless people sat on the steps begging money from passers-by. I noticed this building today because of the loud music within.

And when I came closer…

Inside was a fashion store.In place of the altar is conveniently located shoe department.

How did it happen?

The story is quite common for New York. In the 70s, because of the crisis has engulfed the whole of New York, once the area became a fashionable semi-abandoned, the number of parishioners has decreased substantially, and the parish reduced by combining it with a neighbor. All the parishioners began to go to another church, and the vacant building was sold for $ 495 thousand to a non-profit organization.They tried to engage in rehabilitation of drug addicts , but because of financial problems has sold the building in 1982 for $ 1.65 million to Peter Gatien, owner of several nightclubs. He already had the experience of a night club in a former church in London. In 1983 there he opened a famous night club «The Limelight». Party for the opening of the new club organized Andy Warhol. The club started with diskomusic, but eventually moved to the then newfangled technology and organizing raves.The club was closed countless times by the police. In the late 90′s «The Limelight» was closely associated with the movement of the club called ” Club kids “, and the history of the murder, when one of the organizers of this movement Eligius Michael brutally murdered drug dealer Andre” Angel “Melendez. This story has been dramatized in the film ” Party Monster “with Macaulay Kalkin in the title role. In the 2000s the club changed the name to «Avalon», but in 2007 this stage in the history of the former church was completed. The building was once again re-sold for $ 3.2 million and reconstructed for $ 15 million as shopping center, which opened its doors in May 2010. As such, I found it today. As you can see, the shopping center is not the worst thing that happened in those walls.

But still, inside you feel a certain uneasiness because of the mismatch of form and content.

The space inside is completely redone.

Clause is used, even the space beneath the vault.

View of room from the second tier.

Small Hall

Here in the former altar they are selling ice cream.

In the former outbuildings are now interior department.

And here’s cell.

Or abbot’s office.

From the rigor of the former church interior was gone.

The staircase leading to office space.

And here it is. It probably was once part of living space.

In the sales area there are still artifacts.

In one wing of the building runs a pizzeria. This branch of the famous pizzeria Grimaldi’s, which is located under the Brooklyn Bridge.

And the yard is clean. Soon there will be a street cafe.

Here is a church in Manhattan

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