A Year After Debuting, The Basement Puts 222 Hyde Space Up For Sale

A Year After Debuting, The Basement Puts 222 Hyde Space Up For SalePhotos: The Basement/Facebook
Brittany Hopkins
Published on January 02, 2016

After a year as The Basement, the two-story bar and lounge at 222 Hyde St. may potentially change hands once again.

Vandermade Commercial Real Estate posted a Craigslist ad promoting the availability of the space in mid-December. For $149,000, the buyer gets the full package: all 1,400 square feet across the ground floor and basement, the five-year, $3,200/month lease (with extension options), and the beer and wine license.

Nightclub veteran Larry Livingston, who opened The Basement last December, told us the sale isn't a sure thing. He says he's just exploring his options—mainly due to his landlord's concerns regarding noise complaints. One way to resolve the problem could be installing soundproofing, which he said he's offered to do. However, the procedure is costly, and the landlord isn't confident it would solve the noise issue. So Livingston is also weighing selling the club and moving it to a new location.


When The Basement opened last December, Livingston told Eater that he acquired the space due to its history as a green room for jazz greats like Miles Davis and Billie Holiday, who performed at the legendary Black Hawk jazz club next door. (The Black Hawk shuttered in 1963, and its former space is now a parking lot.)

For the past year, Livingston and his team been mixing up soju and sake cocktails in the bar and hosting nightly events, including dance parties in the basement lounge and the popular Thursday night open mic, "Where The Funny Things Are."

Despite the lack of a full liquor license, which Livingston said he is still working to secure, the concept seems to have struck a chord with residents and tourists alike.

"The bartender, Evelyn, and owner, Larry, are some of the nicest and creative people in the area," said Ross H. on Yelp in March. "They've completely re-hauled a once-closed TL neighborhood bar into a dim-lit and casual place that serves 100% custom Soju and Sake cocktails. They've managed to expand their craft-beer tap selection into a hard to match offering. And they've introduced Comedy nights on Tuesdays and Thursdays, all while keeping the riff raffs out and good company in."

If The Basement departs, it wouldn't be the first time a nightclub was forced out of the historic location. The underground electronic dance club and restaurant 222 Hyde opened in the space in 2009, and quickly gained a loyal following with its techno and house parties. But it was forced to close just five years later, due to trouble with a new landlord and the ABC. The line to get into the club's farewell bash wrapped around the block.

For now, it's business as usual at The Basement, which is open 7pm-12am Mondays and Wednesdays, and 7pm-2am Thursdays through Saturdays. The club is maintaining its full lineup of events heading into the New Year.