119-25 East 11th Street, The Ritz

A theater and event space since 1886, Webster Hall was an important stop for union organizers and radicals like Emma Goldman. In the 1950s it was known as a folk music venue, with performers such as Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, as well as Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, and Frank Sinatra. In 1980, a club called The Ritz (1980-1992) took over the space, and performers such as U2, Guns & Roses, Depeche Mode, Ozzy Osbourne, Run-DMC, and Duran Duran played gigs there. In the 1980s a new cable music channel called MTV broadcast its first live show from here and “Live from the Ritz” was a regular feature.