'The Sale of Manhattan' – New York, New York - Atlas Obscura
'The Sale of Manhattan' is permanently closed.

AO Edited

'The Sale of Manhattan'

Down a stairway in the East Village, you could once read a plaque describing an alternate history of a fictional version of Manhattan. 

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Created by Eames Demetrios, Kcymaerxthaere is a “parallel universe that intersects with much of our linear Earth, but with different stories, creatures, peoples, even laws of physics and qualities of existence.”  

The project has been likened to a novel with every page in a different place. What makes the Kcymaerxthaere project particularly interesting is that Demetrios installs informative markers and historical sites at the locations in our world that connect to his world, creating real-world intersections with his imagined universe.  Most of these installations are bronze or stone plaques inscribed with stories but some are larger, even entire buildings. As of 2021, there are more than 140 sites spread across six continents and 30 countries.

These images represent the Sale of Manhattan Marker when it was installed. Sadly, visitors to the location report it is gone, though it was respected by graffiti artists for the longest time (see one of the gallery images). This is, of course, very distressing, but we are working hard to make the information remains accessible on site. We look forward to replacing it in a more secure manner. Why is it still on this list? Because it was installed here for many years, and we don’t let vandals determine where the events of Kcymaerxthaere happened.

The story concerns the Sale of Manhattan to the Future Gwome Manhattaan to settle the equivalent of a 24 dollar gambling debt. There was much work that had been done to the land here, indeed, it was one of the most famous of the Monastery Districts, but slowly a more beautiful one arose, hovering above the waters offshore, and myriad creatures made this district their home.

Know Before You Go

It was just outside the bar once called Route 85A (it has been through alot of iterations since then)Whatever it is now, it is at 85 Avenue A in the East Village (in Manhattan)--between 5th and 6th.In most forms, the bar seems to be open from 4 PM to 4 AM, however the gate is usually up starting at around 8 or 9 in the morning. (Since the Plaque is in a stairwell, there is a security gate. However, it is not inside the bar.). This is no longer available for viewing. Plaque has been removed and graffiti painted over.

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June 16, 2013

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