An intersection on the Lower East Side in Manhattan, NYC, is now officially called Beastie Boys Square – the corner of Ludlow and Rivington streets got the official renaming this weekend.
Speaking at the ceremony, former band members Ad-Rock and Mike Diamond thanked their fans for making their dreams come true. “Thank you to New York for teaching us what to look at, what to listen to, what to wear, how to love, how to live,” said Rock, aka Adam Horovitz. “It makes me really happy to know that some kid on the way to school 50 years from now is gonna look up and say, ‘What the f–k is a Beastie Boy? Why do they get a square?’” Mike D also added that “We could not have become what we became without growing up in New York City.”
In 2022, the New York City Council voted to rename the intersection of Ludlow and Rivington streets in Manhattan’s Lower East Side – the intersection was featured on the cover of the group’s second album, ‘Paul’s Boutique.’ The vote was result of a grassroots campaign started in 2013 by historian LeRoy McCarth as the square was officially renamed on September 9th 2023, coinciding with celebrations of the 50th anniversary of hip hop.