After nearly 15 years of operation, 20th Century Cycles, Billy Joel’s popular Long Island motorcycle shop, is closing. It comes as the singer is relocating to Florida after being diagnosed with a rare, but treatable, brain condition called normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). The local gem showcased the singer’s extensive collection of rare and expensive motorcycles, which he had “purchased, built, customized, modified, [and] traded” across the decades, as Joel shared in a video about the shop, adding that he wanted to preserve a “lost aesthetic.” It soon became a local tourist attraction and brought business to the town, which was part of Joel’s hope for Oyster Bay, just a 15-minute drive from his hometown of Hicksville. Locals shared their disappointment with CBS. “This is one of the prime things to do in Oyster Bay, is [sic] to see the motorcycles,” resident Stephen Sprachman told the outlet. In 2023, part of the road on which the shop is located was renamed to “Billy Joel Way,” and Billy Joel Way it will remain even after the star moves. “While we may be losing this motorcycle museum, we’re not losing our love,” Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino told CBS.
Read it at CBS News
