Great Life-changing moments happen at Life Cafe. If you don't believe us, check out the great stories sent in by past and present patrons. Keep them coming! Stories posted win a $25 gift certificate. To submit your own story, go back to the Home Page and click "Submit Your Story" button. The Devil Winks Life Cafe was a beacon of light in a very dark and violent neighborhood. It was truly a scary place back then. People lined up for heroin at two in the afternoon, wearing suits, carrying attaché cases. Woman with high heels and pantyhose. All cuing up in front of the building we called the Ruins at 11 and B. The line would stretch down the block to the front of the Cafe. I always thought of Life Cafe as the last stop for the 60's. The world was becoming more and more materialistic and the Cop Spots were selling their poison and Life Cafe was always selling the idea of Peace Love and Understanding. I have been performing a One Man Show periodically about the Life and Times of Ave B in the 80's. I originally called it. To be or not to be on Avenue B. But it proved to be a bit long so I changed the title to a poem that I wrote and read at the cafe called The Devil Winks. Check it out there are clips. www.thedevilwinks.com Thanks again Kathy and David Also R.I.P. Phillipe Bounous A big part of the scene back then. David Sirk Hells Kitchen, NYC A Southern Life Story I never left North Carolina. Until two years ago I was diagnosed with Bells Palsy. The disease left the right side of my face completely frozen and numb. And I was afraid it would never go back to normal. So, in an attepmt to cheer me up, several friends and I went up to New York. We stayed in a nice hotel, and the second night saw RENT on Broadway. The next day, it was a sunday as I recall. We hunted down the location of the Life Cafe. We were so inspired by the show, we desired to visit the real place. We went to two bookshops looking in phone books trying to get the address. When we looked down the street, and saw this sign that said "Life". We ran down the street past the big christmas tree scuplture, and walked across the street and found our destination. I was hesitant about eating there because I could only move half of my face. But when we were seated, the waitress was so kind, she made me feel comfortable, and recomended a Life Burger. And I swear, I don't care that I looked like a mental patient trying to eat it, it was the best meal i've ever had. We had the waitress take a picture of us at the table; me and my lil half smile. Sadly, the film was left in NY. A month after my trip, my face went back to normal. I now suffer from major nerve and muscle damage on the right side of my body. But I'm getting by. My trip to NY was so eye opening. But few moments will stick out in my mind, than that meal at the life cafe. I plan on returning this summer with the same friends. And maybe this time, I wont look like someone who came down from the bell tower. ha. Rickie Jacobs West End, North Carolina Some Places Just Feel Like Home The three of us had purchased masquerade masques for Halloween two weeks early. That being said, we thought it appropriate to wear them around the Village, for it is common knowledge that masques have the ability to make people smile. So, donning the aforementioned facial decorations, we set out for the LIFE Café, a place we cannot visit frequently enough. Upon arrival, we were greeted in the typical LIFE fashion, with warmth and familiarity, despite the fact that we were not well-known there, and even if we had been, well...we were wearing feathered masques. Michelle had never been there before, and was positively buoyant when she saw that they serve Dr. Pepper, because apparently, that is a rarity. Soon enough, a most delightful fellow took our orders, and viewed our beaded faces as if it were quite natural to wear masques regardless of day or season. I suppose stranger birds than ourselves have passed in and out the LIFE Café doors. But not only do they accept girls in masques, but the food is spectacular, the staff intriguing as they are amiable, and the Café itself is a breath of fresh air when compared with so many other places that make you feel you're only worth as much cash as you carry. That being said, it is utter joy to stroll down 10th Street and watch as the LIFE awning peeks out from between the trees. Happy 25th, LIFE Café. It is a pleasure to know you. Alyssa O., Laura D., and Michelle C. Columbus, NJ The Price of Humanity in 1981 I arrived in New York in November of 1981 with 20 dollars and a suitcase of used clothes. I was, in a word, poor. At that time I was staying with a friend of a friend on 9th Street and Avenue C. He was reluctant, and a bit resentful, but he accommodated me for a short while nonetheless. One evening this man and I were traveling, in a shared taxi, east on 10th Street toward his home. As we passed the corner of 10th Street and Avenue B my reluctant host pointed to the corner and asked “What is that…look what’s going on there…what is that? So new was this place that at that time there was no sign identifying it. He was pointing to what has since become the Life Café. A few days later I headed toward midtown, as I did quite often, to look for a job. It was a cold wet winter and as I passed the strange place that was previously pointed out to me, I decided to investigate. At least, I thought, I could get out of the cold. Upon entering through an old wooden door which complimented the storefront, I found a tall thin man with dark blond hair shaved on the sides and in short wisps on the top and back of his head. His eyes sparkled. He has such a pleasant smile and a warm aura. Without a word, I felt welcomed. “Hello” I said and was greeted with a pleasant “Hello” in reply. I introduced myself and my host came known to me as David. I asked if he served coffee. I only had a pocket of change but thought I could afford this simple pleasantry, warming myself with a familiar brew in such a warm yet unfamiliar place. The December chill was debilitating and my used thread-bare coat was no match for its bite. But, for a few moments, I could share the company of my pleasant new friend. I sat at an old table on an old chair, both apparently found items, as David prepared my warm beverage. I remember gazing around the room looking at all the interesting ‘stuff’ which filled the evolving café while David toiled at a project of some sort. Permanently burned into my memory is the vision of a block of old U.S. post boxes made of oak with brass covers. Old and well used hand-painted terra cotta floor tiles were piled in a corner waiting to realize their future potential. Unfortunately the specific details of our conversation have been lost to memory. I do recall that for the first time while in New York I felt welcomed. David and his wife had just moved here and David was renovating the place. The couple lived in the back of their store. I remember that David pointed to a curtain which separated the front of the storefront from their living quarters. This curtain apparently provided their only privacy. After I finished my coffee I decided it was time to head out into the cold and forge my way to midtown. Before I left, I asked David “How much do I owe you?” He paused for a moment, “Oh”, and another pause, as if he had not been asked this question before, “Thirty-Five Cents” he answered. Even in 1981 thirty-five cents was a rarity (A cup of coffee at that time was usually 50 cents). “Are you sure?”, I replied. My mind chastised me the moment I said it; I couldn’t afford a subway token yet the luxury of paying the going rate for a cup of coffee. “Yes”, David replied with a smile and the slightest bit of a chuckle. I paid the man and bid him goodbye. As I proceeded toward Avenue A, I wrapped my coat around me, shook my head and questioned “How are they ever going to make it?” Frank A. Camino, East Village, NYC From the Beginning of LIFE About 1982, when the Tompkins Square North Block Association was thriving (it was us against some pretty bad elements back them) we decided to have a cabaret to show off some of the considerable talent that lived on 10th Street between Avenues A and B. Nobody's living room was big enough, but a new, interesting joint had just opened on one of the dicey-est corners, with a bar, piano, and really hip decor. Kathy, the proprietress, was all for the idea and made us welcome at Life Cafe. Wish I could remember all who on the program that night,; some who were and still are recognized names in the theater and music worlds and some who were just showing off for a lark, kids included. It was great fun, and a great bonding experience, When I see that "dance-on-the-table" scene from "Rent" I tell people, "You shoulda been here for the real thing!" 10th St. Resident for 37 years Travis, East Village, NYC Eclectic Pedestrians My “ Life” story is relatively recent one. Ever since my boyfriend, Matt, moved to Alphabet City I have been coming to Life Cafe for happy hour with my friend Tolliver. Every week we meet at Life to enjoy a couple of strawberry margaritas and indulge in some conversation. In the summer, we sit outside and watch the crowd. The constant flow of eclectic pedestrians walking along 10th street serves as constant entertainment. We also watch the pick up games and the dogs walking toward the dog park at Tompkins. In the winter, we huddle indoors, listen to the music, and just relax. It’s our place. On Halloween of this year, I ventured out dressed as an Umpa Lumpa. A humiliating costume, but fun nonetheless. When I reached the corner of 10th and Avenue B, a crowd of Life customers began to sing and dance. I believe they may have gone through the entire repertoire of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Many of the customers had been sitting at Life, enjoying the great Happy Hour specials, since 4pm. We had a great time. Having grown up on the Upper Eastside I never knew what Matt and Tolliver (who grew up on 10th street between Avenue B and C) saw in this Alphabet City. Now I know. I love Life Café and I hope you’re around for another 25 great years!!! Lauren, East Village, NYC A Journey to Life I first saw Life Café in the early 80s, the exact year escapes me. I was in New York visiting family and was introduced to this run down, dilapidated, shell of a building. I remember looking around and thinking the place was in ruins, what is going through the new owners minds? The new proprietors had set up house in the back where they could celebrate the start of their new life together and try to turn their new acquisition into something viable, something new, something exciting for their new neighborhood. This was where they landed after a jaunt around the country, living in a popup Steury camper they borrowed from the women's mother. They started in Detroit, heading west along the northern route, spending time in various locations as they tasted new cities and savored the life they had to offer. I loved the stories of their stay in Arizona and what the local rabbits were eating. But after all that, seeing all they did, I believe that in the back of their mind, even though the notion was never shared, at least to me, New York was the place they wanted to be. This man was a budding artist and where else should such a person be looking to make his mark in the world of art. The building was to be his studio, a haven for all that shared the dream of self expression. The woman, being a savvy business type, explored some of the offerings of New York big business. But this one had the entrepreneurial spirit, she needed to build, to organize, to manage, to feel the exhilaration of risk. So she took on the business side of this new venture. As I recall there was ice cream involved at some point but that could just be a hazy memory. When they split, she decided that she would turn this artistic haven into more of a mainstream business. After all, she had all that training in Junior Achievement in high school and really was cut out for such an undertaking. And survive she did. She once told me, paraphrasing Frank Sinatra, 'If I can make it here, I can make it anywhere'. And you know what, she did, and she can. That woman, Kathy Kirkpatrick Sunderland, is my sister, and I am proud of her for all she has done and accomplished. Tony Kruse Remembering... On her first day in New York City, now living with her father and sister in the Village, a thirteen-year-old girl sullenly refuses to leave her apartment. Her name is Michelle, and glad as she is to be no longer living in suburbian New Jersey, she has not yet quite adjusted to the city. In fact, she has not quite adjusted to living with her father and sister, both of whom have been living in the city for ten years, and Michelle she does not know very much about them. It is for that very reason that she shoots her family members uncomfortable glances regularly and turns down opportunities to leave the apartment. Sightseeing does not appeal to Michelle, but she supposes that if she should want to see anything in particular, craning her neck out the window is a possibility, and if she cannot find much of an interesting view, Internet photographs would not go amiss. Though the view from her apartment is nothing to write home about, Michelle confesses that she is fascinated by the shadows of buildings taller than the three-story building she had inhabited back in New Jersey, and spends much of her time gazing out of the window, watching cars pass. Several weeks of this aimless sightseeing pass by, and soon enough, Michelle's sister enters the apartment one day and demands that they go out, to see the city. Michelle tries to argue that she has seen much of the city already, but Jennifer will hear none of it, and so out they go, down the street and then another, until at last they together come to a stop by a small establishment called the Life Cafe. After settling down in a small booth in the garden area, Jennifer dryly comments that the cafe in which they have just ordered their paninis is in fact mentioned in RENT, a musical that both sisters have been wanting to see for a long time. That comment is what breaks the ice, and Michelle shrugs off her begrudging nature and lightens up. Over the years, Jennifer and Michelle continue to attend the cafe regularly, having lovely conversations alongside wonderful food. Birthday dinners are celebrated at the Life Cafe for Michelle in particular, and while Jennifer sways from favorite to favorite, Michelle has never once, in all her years of living in the city, "abandoned" her number-one favorite eatery, the Life Cafe. Of course, she bears it in mind at all times that the Life Cafe was her very first New York City experience, and no matter how much she grows and changes, those memories remain with her. Sharp Margulis, Christopher St., NYC Blaming Life, not Life Cafe! I used to frequent the life cafe (which i love) with a good friend and ex boyfriend, both of whom i'm not close with anymore. Which is a kind of sad memory.. although i'm not blaming the life cafe for any breakups. I'm thanking them for making the last days of a relationship, more delicious. Thanks Life Cafe! love Jordan Behr, 22. from greenpoint (Brooklyn, NY) Riots and Beer I used to go to the cafe when the bathroom was filled with the newspaper clippings.. there was one toilet with a little hook and eye... the magazines were covered in varnish. Billy Sleaze used to hold court outside, on the Ave B side... Life Cafe is where we used to meet and performances were held there.. I also seem to remember the drama, which was later, of Jim Power doing a mosaic in the bathroom.. I may have some photos from the early period... probably Power doing mosaic, I do have, for sure, one photo from one of the unruly demonstrations- near riots.... probably 89,, when the cops had chased some activists down 10th street.... almost had them cornered- they crossed over the fence, and sat down and enjoyed a beer at Life Cafe... thanks Clayton Patterson, L.E.S., NYC The Meat Market and the Vegetarian It started meeting each other at Webster Hall in November, 2001. Z100 Radio Station promoted a "meat market" where women went out to find their man. We met that night and had a great time. A week later, we had our first date. I asked Stacy, to have dinner with me at the Life Cafe. She told me she was not eating red meat. I had eaten their before and remembered that Life Cafe has a great selection of vegetarian meals. I felt it was the perfect place. The atmosphere, the food, and the setting was perfect! The Life Cafe, is very comfortable for people to talk, eat, and really get to know someone without pressure. Sure enough, our first date at Life was great. I remembered i had the vegetarian chili. (it was delicious) We chatted, laughed, and got to know one another. Since then, we got married in October 2003 and had our first child in 2005. She is a beautiful girl and we named her Faith. We try to be frequent guests for Brunch and Dinner. We now bring friends and family to share the same experiences we did. Truly a Great Life began with a simple date in a great place. Happy 25th Anniversary Life Cafe! We hope you are around for another 25, so our daughter's life can grow with you and share special times and memories. All the Best Wishes, Frank and Stacy Justich - Queens, NY

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