Drag club Lucky Cheng’s will relocate from its long-time East Village digs at 24 First Avenue to the Times Square area, the New York Times reported.
The beloved destination is taking a spot on 52nd street, but the exact address was not available because the lease has not been signed yet, the Times said.
Owner Hayne Suthon said the reason for the move was to court tourist dollars.
“The phone used to ring off the hook, but as Times Square became a magnet for tourists — we just can’t get them down here,” said Suthon. “We’ve tried back flips, standing on our heads; they want to stay up there now.”
The new space will have an all-you-can-eat buffet and occupancy for 350 people.
Suthon said she knew the move could be counted as another blow to the neighborhood’s so-called authenticity, citing the recent demolition of Mars Bar as another culprit. “There’s some blasphemy going on, maybe I’m part of that blasphemy — but I always say you can’t get too attached to the past, change is always good.” [NYT]