In the Window

Rag & Bone Nolita Taunts Billy's Antiques with Subway Signage

By Izzy Grinspan Feb 11, 2011, 4:59pm EST

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Billy Leroy, antiques dealer and unofficial Houston Street mayor, has a bit of a history with the MTA. For the past year, he's been fighting with them over subway signs that they accused him of selling illegally via Billy's Antiques, his market on the northwest corner of Houston. So it's maybe not a huge surprise that he isn't a fan of the new installation of subway art that just went up in the windows of Rag & Bone across the street. In an email, he writes:

Thought I would send you this pic of R&B's Window...this is why the Bowery has become totally lame..the sign in there window is a repro subway sign made of foamcore.. it is so uncreative and stupid...but who's to blame them.... are they not the from the Midwest ?...Oh and they better watch out the MTA can be real assholes I know ..it was almost a year ago they arrested me.

Up until recently, the relationship between Billy's Antiques and Rag & Bone seemed pleasant enough, despite the fact that one was a symbol of the gritty old Bowery and the other sold $500 shoes. But now it sounds like the truce might be over.