Home Of Lucky Cheng's Drag Show Sold To Developers

EAST VILLAGE, NY — The longtime home of Lucky Cheng's, New York City's most famous drag show, was sold to developers for $12.25 million this month.

Ryback Development Group bought the property at 24 First Ave. along with a neighboring site at 99-101 E. Second St., according to documents filed with the city. EV Grieve was first to report on the sale. Together, the two properties make an "L-shaped development site," according to a statement from EPIC Commercial Realty, which brokered the deal.

It's unclear what will become of the existing buildings; both the three-story building at 24 First Ave. and the two-story building at 99 E. 22nd St. are currently vacant. The lot appears destined for new development, according to hints in the statement about the sale of the properties, which note that they include 20,000 buildable square feet of space.

The First Avenue building was the longtime home of Lucky Cheng's, one of NYC's most popular drag shows in its day. Lucky Cheng's first opened in the East Village in 1993 and created a Chinese restaurant with a drag show to accompany it. The spot started as part of the East Village bohemian scene before eventually becoming more mainstream, including an appearance in the pilot episode of "Sex and the City."

After 19 years in the East Village, Lucky Cheng's temporarily relocated to Times Square before shuttering for good in 2014.

This post has been updated with additional information.

Image credit: Courtesy of Google Maps