When I moved to New York City in 2001, Manhattan’s landmark Episcopal Church turned nightclub, The Limelight had already closed and been reincarnated as The Avalon, a slightly less cool dance spot.

That venue was short-lived, however, and once it closed, this gorgeous and historic space was left decaying on 6th Avenue.

Not for long though. Fashion retailer Jack Menashe aims to transform the 163-year-old building into a three-story shopper’s paradise opening this Spring. Inspired by the U.K.’s Covent Garden, Dover Street Market and Burlington Arcade, the Limelight Marketplace will "display traditional elegance with a modern twist, showcasing a fantastic “street of shops” with elaborate facades and varied designs that invoke the feeling of a stroll down a marvelous European street."

I have to say...only in New York can a church be reincarnated first as a raucous nightclub and later as a high end shopping venue. Gotta love it!