then and now: bleecker bobs

It was an institution, a rite of passage, a historical landmark, and a great place to kill time at 2 a.m. on a weekend before you passed out on the couch. Bleecker Bob's helped start one of New York's greatest bands, was America's No. 1 punk outpost, and was on the receiving end of solicitous phone calls from Madonna. As a institute of inspiration for many, a semi-nice Japanese restaurant occupies the space where a lot of 'number ones' used to live.