Bleecker Bob's to close

SIGN OF THE TIMES: Bleecker Bob’s is closing, blogger Marc Campbell reports on Dangerous Minds, accurately describing the Village landmark as “New York City’s most loved and hated record store,” It’ll be replaced by a Froyo outlet in May. Onetime attorney Bob Plotnik, the store’s owner and namesake, described the situation on his Facebook page: “looks like the new tenant has signed the lease. we’ve heard they want to be open by June 1. it will take probably around 2 months to get work permits for the massive remodeling job they’ll need to do so we’re figuring we should be open until May 2013!!—get ready for another chain of self-serve yogurt/coffee/hot chocolate cafes NYC!!” Campbell provides some history: “Bleecker Bob’s opened in 1968 as Village Oldies Records. In the mid-’70s, as Bleecker Bob’s, it became a Mecca for people seeking the latest punk-rock 45s and albums. Plotnik’s surly attitude, a borderline parody of the most tightly wound rude New Yorker, added a certain manic energy that melded perfectly with the edgy music playing on the sound system. Imagine Johnny Rotten as a fat, pissed-off Jew and you might get a feel for Plotnik’s shtick. I could never tell if Bob was genuinely nuts or just playing nuts. He did usually follow his, er, ‘highly caffeinated’ (ahem) rants with a sheepish smile. Whatever the case, his gruffness turned off a good portion of his customers. I knew plenty of people who refused to shop at his store, but I wouldn’t allow his vibes to keep me away from the thousands of records pouring in every month, most of which were D.I.Y singles from all over the planet… At the height of the punk era, Bob was always interested in new stuff from new bands and would pay cash for a stack of D.I.Y. 45s. Between buying and selling, the store was a meeting place for rockers from all over the world. It wasn’t unusual to run into Stiv Bators, Joey Ramone or Billy Idol thumbing through the racks.” (3/8a)