Gerde's Folk City

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Gerde's Folk City was a legendary venue in the West Village. Opened by owner Mike Porco as a coffeehouse in 1952, it was located at 11 West 4th Street moving in 1970 to 130 West 3rd Street before finally closing in 1987.(the building no longer exists).

Everyone on the folk scene played at Gerde's. Bob Dylan played his first professional gig there on April 11, 1961, supporting John Lee Hooker. His September 26th, 1961 appearance was reviewed in the New York Times by Robert Shelton, after which Dylan's reputation was made.