“As far as the building owners go, they seem good. They have been helpful and fair as of now,” Lit Lounge founder and owner Erik Foss tells ANIMAL. “I can tell you this, it’s much more relaxed compared to Manhattan.”
Blackbook reported that after 12 years as a Manhattan staple, Lit Lounge is getting a “Bushwick” annex. Specifically, Erik Foss, David Schwartz and Trash Bar owner Aaron Pierce are opening a second Lit Lounge in the basement of McKibbin Lofts in Bushwick-adjacent Williamsburg. The multi-purpose venue will be a cafe, a coffee shop, a bar and a club at 248 McKibbin, the nicer of the two buildings.
McKibbin has been trying to class up its party reputation, renting more renovated spaces to big spenders. Though it’s still primarily made up of cheap “shanty-dorms” and cramped DIY treehouse-style bedrooms, McKibbin is not for just people who think that “standing up in your room is overrated“ anymore. The management has also started banning parties, while being selectively vindictive or permissive on a case-by-case basis.
The new space will be two floors. The top floor — Current Cafe with coffee and food by chef Ryan Pico — opens March 16th. The bar — Lit, just like it’s Manhattan venue — opens around September. “One room will be the bar with lounge seating and very rustic and hand-built by us, as we did with Lit,” Foss says. “The second room will be the space for bathrooms / dj booth / dance floor. There will be interchanging murals by artists from all over the world, artists I have relationships with and feel fit the space and vibe. Ben Eine will be the first artist to do the mural wall.”
“When Lit opened, the entire East Village was a party zone and most locals were young and creative,” Erik Foss reminisces. “Now that it’s slipping away and moving to Brooklyn, it will be like the old days. I’m excited about that.”
