Blondie Loft

The Story

This four-story building in the Bowery was known on the scene as the Blondie Loft. Debbie Harry and Chris Stein lived there for three years in the 70s, paying three hundred dollars a month for modest rooms and sharing a bathroom with other residents. The space served as both a residence and a rehearsal and meeting point for the band, with friends who slept there after long nights of shows at CBGB. Designer Stephen Sprouse, who would later help define the city's visual punk aesthetic, lived on the top floor. The couple always insisted that the building was haunted, with noises in the walls and things falling without explanation. After Debbie Harry and Chris Stein moved out, musicians Jesse Chamberlain and Randy Gun, from the band Necessaries, occupied the space, and Richard Lloyd, from Television, also lived there for a while. The building remains practically unchanged to this day.

Explore more