New York City
You can see most of the NYC sites associated with the Ramones in a single day, by using the subway. Starting at 53rd & 3rd will put you close to the E-M line, which you can take out to Forest Hills. After exploring the middle-class neighborhood where the Ramones spent their formative years, hop on the F train to the Bowery, where you can see where the band played their first series of gigs, as well as the street sign bearing Joey’s name. For the second leg of the tour, take the A train out to the beach that the Ramones helped make famous.
A similar version of this post originally appeared on Matador Network.
53rd & 3rd
The Bel Air (Birchwood Towers)
The Ramones Way
Joey Ramone Place
Dee Dee Ramone House
Johnny Ramone's East Village Apartment
Rockaway Beach
Arturo Vega's Loft
John Varvatos (formerly CBGB)
The Grover Cleveland
Forest Hills High School
Birchwood Towers
A couple blocks west of Forest Hills High School, million- dollar homes surrounded by brick walls give way to uniform-looking apartment buildings. Joey lived in the Birchwood Towers apartment complex (Bel Air building apartment 22F). Douglas Colvin, John Cummings, and Thomas Erdyeli all lived within a block radius. Joey described the middle-class Queens neighborhood residents as snooty. In fact, the brat in the “Beat on the Brat” is a typical rich kid running around Birchwood Towers playground and annoying everyone.
Nearest Subway Station: 67 Av
Address: 102-10 66th Road in Forest Hills
Forest Hills High School
Fifteen years after Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel graduated from Forest Hills High School in Queens, a new breed of rock music was being heard in Lower Manhattan clubs like CBGB and Max’s Kansas City. All four of the original Ramones attended Forest Hills High School in Queens. John Cummings (later Johnny Ramone) and Hungarian-born Thomas Erdyeli (later Tommy Ramone) were outcasts who bonded over a love of The Stooges and other music. The Ramones took shape in 1974 after they met Jeffrey Hyman (Joey) and German-born Douglas Colvin (Dee Dee).
Nearest Subway Station: 67 Av
Address: 67-1 110th Street in Forest Hills
CBGB (now John Varvatos)
From 1973 to 2006, CBGB operated as a small club at 315 Bowery and would serve as the launching pad for underground punk acts like The Misfits and The Dead Boys as well as more mainstream artists like Talking Heads, Patti Smith, and Blondie. On August 16, 1974, The Ramones played their first gig at this 350-capacity club in Lower Manhattan. They would go on to play 2,262 more shows around the world before finally calling it quits in 1996. Perhaps no other act is more closely associated with CBGB than The Ramones.
The building is now occupied by Detroit-born designer, John Varvatos. Although the retail store primarily sells clothing and records, live concerts still occasionally take place inside the store.
Nearest Subway Station: 2nd Av
Address: 315 Bowery in Manhattan
Arturo Vega’s Loft
The Ramones played their first show of 1975 at a loft on 2nd Av, which would become a crash pad for Joey and Dee Dee. The man who resided there was Mexican-born graphic designer Arturo Vega. He would go on to become the fifth Ramone of sorts as creative director and would attend all but two of their 2,263 shows from 1974 to 1996. During their years as an active band, The Ramones never went a full year without playing a gig. Vega lived in the apartment until his death in 2013.
Nearest Subway Station: 2nd Av
Address: 6 East 2nd Street in Manhattan
53rd & 3rd
Before the Citigroup Center occupied the area of East 53rd Street between 3rd Avenue and Lexington, it was a well-known center of male prostitution known as the hub. “53rd & 3rd” is a tale of a teenage hustler who never gets picked. When someone finally picks him, he takes his razor blade and does what God forbade. While the area has changed drastically since The Ramones released their 1976 debut album, the signs are still there. Whether or not the song is fact or fiction, may never be known since all four original Ramones have passed on.
Nearest Subway Station: Lexington Av/53 St
Address: 3rd Avenue & East 53rd Street in Manhattan
The Grover Cleveland
After getting married in late in 1972, John Cummings moved into an apartment complex at 67-38 108th Street in Forest Hills. He was a construction worker by day, but by night, he and his then-wife Rosana would drive into Manhattan to see bands like the New York Dolls. Neither the apartment nor John’s marriage to Rosana would last. By 1976, John left Rosana, took on a new identity as Johnny Ramone, and moved to Manhattan’s East Village. Many of the songs from the first two albums were written in what is now the Grover Cleveland Co-op building.
Nearest Subway Station: 63 Dr
Address: 67-38 108th Street in Forest Hills
Rockaway Beach
Rockaway Beach was immortalized in The Ramones’ 1977 song off Rocket to Russia. It is the largest urban beach in the United States. Located at the southern end of the Rockaway Peninsula, it is New York City’s only legal surfing beach.
Rockaway Beach is nearly an hour by car from Forest Hills and more than an hour by A train from Manhattan’s East Village, where Johnny and Joey lived during most of their time as bandmates. It’s busiest from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Nearest Subway Station: Beach 90 St.
Address: Beach Front Road in Queens
Dee Dee Ramone’s House
As he described in his autobiography, Dee Dee Ramone moved to Whitestone because it was far from Manhattan. The nearest subway stop is more than three miles away from the house he and his wife rented on the corner of Willets Point Blvd and 157thStreet. At the time, he was looking for normalcy and Whitestone may have felt more like nearby Long Island, than the chaos of the East Village.
Each house on tree-lined 157th Street has a garage. His former landlord is still there and has fond memories of Dee Dee and his wife. What she remembers him saying the most was, “Don’t tell anyone I live here.” She says that other 80’s icons like Debbie Harry did make their way out to visit.
Nearest Subway Station: Flushing-Main St.
Address: 21-07 157th Street in Whitestone
Johnny Ramone’s East Village Apartment
Too Tough to Die is a fitting title for the first Ramones album after Johnny suffered a fractured skull during an altercation outside of his old East Village apartment. The incident made the cover of the New York Post and also appeared in the New York Times.
Nearest Subway Station: Astor Pl
Address: 85 East 10th Street in Manhattan
Joey Ramone Place
Joey Ramone Place may be the most stolen street sign in New York City. Although the sign now stands among trendy restaurants and high-end retail (the nearest Whole Foods is just two blocks away), it’s a reminder of who and what came from this tiny area between Little Italy and the East Village. The former CBGB is 150 feet away.
Nearest Subway Station: 2nd Av
Address: 325 Bowery in Manhattan
The Ramones Way
The Ramones have the honor of having a street named after them near their high school. Homes in Forest Hills tend to be surrounded by large brick walls and probably cost seven figures. Joggers around Ramones Way are as common as in Beverly Hills. You are as likely to see a punk in a black leather jacket with body piercings as you are to see free parking in Lower Manhattan.
Nearest Subway Station: 67 Av
Address: 67-1 110th Street in Forest Hills
Interested in a Guided Tour of Ramones Landmarks in NYC?
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This looks awesome! I’m going to have to send this to my brother he absolutely loves the ramones, and I’m going to go to every single one of these when I’m next in the states.
Cool list! Although I have traveled all over the world for some reason I still haven’t made it to New York… I really enjoy reading your New York posts though and hope to be able to check out some of these places myself soon!
Fascinating! I’ve never heard of this before. I travel to NYC at least five times a year and I’m tired of always doing the same activities over and over. Maybe I’ll give this a try next time im in the big apple 🙂 – Mariella
I am not a fan of the Ramones but I think that it’s great to discover the places in a city which defined your favorite band. I have actually did a similar thing when I visited Moscow. One of my favorite songs ever is the “Wind of change” from the Scorpions, which starts like this “I follow the Moscva, down the Gorky Park”. Which is exactly what I did 🙂
Although I live in California now, I’m from Queens originally and had no idea about any of this! I have a friend who’s a big Ramones fan, and I’m going to share this with her. I’m sure she’d love to go see all of this in person!
I am a great fan of traveling. though I have never visited USA till now. I am planning to visit there sometime soon to meet some of my friends and I like the idea to visit Ramones landmarks. Thanks for sharing.
It’s so much fun to discover the places associated with your favourite band. I am not a Ramones fan but will share this with a friend of mine.
I have just been to NYC but I was not knowing about Ramone landmarks. Will visit in my next trip to New York. Your pictures are beautiful specially that of street art.
Great list. I know a lot of people who love Ramones. I am definitely going to share it with them.
What a fun article. I’m not a big Ramones fan but LOVE new york. I also think it’s neat to learn about places that are famous like this. Cool list!
Wow I didn’t realize there were so many Ramones sites around NY, I’ll have to keep an eye over next time I am in the city x
I don’t know too much about the ramones but as a street art fan I am of course loving the Ramone mural. I will have to do more research on him to find out more !
Hi Ana. There are murals in Forest Hills as well!
I will visit NYC this year for the first time in my life! I really enjoyed reading your next great article and all those pictures are just great!! Thanks for posting
You’re welcome. How was your trip?
53rd and 3rd sounds like a nasty place! I have heard about the Ramones but don’t recall hearing their music until I clicked on one of the links in your post. It sounds like an awesome way to discover New York city by visiting places around a theme.
Hi Razena. It’s pretty sanitized nowadays!
This was great! So much fab information and details. Next time I need to take that tour and visit those places. I saw the Ramones alive at Hammersmith Palace in London in the 80s 😀 1-2-3-4!
Hi Tiina. They were more popular in the UK. Must have been great!
I love learning about the history of the band– that is really cool. Especially about the “Beat a Brat” song was about real live situations that happened near the towers.
~ http://viabella-thebeautifullife.blogspot.com/
Yes, I also enjoy the U2 version of Beat on the Brat!
Being in the NY i missed Ramone landmarks. Will have to make a trip here sometime. Your pictures are beautiful specially street art.
Thanks Suchi. Glad you like the pics!
Think it’s amazing to discover landmarks associated with your favourite band. I can’t wait to visit New York one day!
Thanks. That’s why I blog about my city!
What a great list!! i would love to be there!! New York City is at the top of my bucket list <3
Hi Hra. As long as you like big CITIES, you won’t be disappointed!
I am not a big fan of Ramones but I can see how it would appeal to a fan. I would feel the same way if Harry Potter had a city 🙂 Definitely a haven for the Ramones lovers
Hi Ami. I think there are Harry Potter attractions in the UK?
I don’t follow Ramones but it was really interesting to know about it through your post. A lot of interesting facts in there. And you have followed the trail really well.
Hi Neha. Yes, I think it’s time for a part two!
What an interesting article! I don’t know the Ramones at all, but it is clear they had quite an influence in New York.
They had the most success in South America though.
what a unique tour of NYC
Thanks. That’s why I blog about my city!
Thanks for the interesting and unique post.
Hi Hassan. Thanks for commenting. You are very welcome!
I love this idea of music tourism, I’ve explored Liverpool to see the Beatles’ famous spots, and I’d love to see places in Seattle where Nirvana started out, so gutted I never got to see them live!
Hi Claire. Yes, I did the Liverpool tour in 2012 and even stayed at the Hard Day’s Night Hotel! You have to explore Seattle though.
I know BB King, but not DD King and while been to NYC many many times, you cover places I have not been.
Dee Dee King was an embarrassment to most RAMONES fans, lol!
Yeah! Love the Ramones 🙂 Thanks for this whistlestop tour of the landmarks associated with (one of) New York’s finest.
Hi Joe. Yes, such a shame all the original members are GONE like the Pearl Jam song!
While i’ve been past a lot of these places many times I didn’t know all the detailed history with the Ramones. I love it! I
Hi Candiss. That’s what my blog is for!
New York looks amazing! I’m not really a Ramones fan but I would still love to see these places!
Hi Rachael. Yes, a great way to discover areas that you may otherwise overlook.
Not heard much of the Ramones music, but this tour of the landmarks associated with their lives is definitely fascinating nonetheless. It would be a thrilling experience to their fans who could connect on account of their music,
Hi Sandy. I’ve discovered so many parts of New York that I would have never otherwise explored.