CBGB's, say hello to John Varvatos Bowery

Wednesday, April 16, 2008 | 7:30 AM

cbgb then and now.jpg

Tomorrow, April 17, there will be a party thrown at 315 Bowery (New York, NY) to celebrate the grand opening of John Varvatos Bowery, a brand new contemporary menswear fashion boutique.

For those more into punk rock history than fragrance and skincare products, this story may be of particular interest to you, because 315 Bowery is the former site of the seminal punk rock club CBGB's.

(left: 315 Bowery, Then and Now).

Fashion Designer John Varvatos made sure to preserve a lot of the graffiti and drunken artwork that adorns the former club's walls, in order to keep CBGB's aura alive.

Is having a fashion boutique (w/ lots of original CBGB's graffiti and stickers) better than having a bank or Starbucks at 315 Bowery? Maybe.

Is having a fashion boutique better than having a historic punk rock club at 315 Bowery? Maybe not.

(below: Hey ho, let's go shopping!)