The art mecca's accumulated countless cuts and even the odd Hirstian flop lately, but the shutdown of Lower East Side art gallery 31 Grand after nine years of operation emerges as a major casualty. Opting to exit with pomp, the space will host a final group show entitled "Death Is Not the End" this Saturday. With a similar plague threatening to sweep all corners, maybe those bellyaching for the gritty, seedy heyday of the city will finally live to see the Westside devolve back into a slum. But more likely is that rents will stagnate and struggling galleries will start charging cover -- or worse, scale back on the booze. Of course those Brooklynites are always a step ahead, with the inception of living room galleries, which makes sense, considering that no one even goes out to drink anymore.