Jack Bistro has been at University and 11th for 8 years. Not a long time, really, but people like the place because it's unpretentious and affordable ($10 lunch with soft drink). And now it's closing.
The goodbye sign states the reason for the closure: "the financial obstacles in operating a reasonably priced neighborhood restaurant have ultimately become too great for us to overcome."
A regular from the neighborhood got more specific. She told me, "The landlord is renting the space to a bank for $50,000 a month. Jack offered $30,000, but the landlord wanted more."
Now the body hair waxing salon that replaced the Cedar Tavern next door will have an appropriate new neighbor, just as useless and vacuous, like the entire city is becoming. I hope they enjoy each other's company.
Rough year for Jack's family, after the damage done to the Bridge Cafe during Sandy.
ReplyDeleteWhat both fascinates and infuriates me is that I find it hard to believe a body-waxing salon is bringing in more money than the Cedar Tavern. I just don't believe that it is. So the question becomes, why was a venerable institution like the Cedar obliterated ?
ReplyDeleteTo make way for a body waxing salon that can't even generate the same monthly income for the landlord ?
I really can't figure this out. With the restaurant you mention today, the landlord gets an increase of 20 grand a month.
But what kind of increase could a body waxing salon bring ?
I had many wonderful evenings at the Cedar with good friends in the early 90's, and went back infrequently thereafter. But it had to go so the landlord could break even with a body waxing salon.
???????????????
I still can't believe they ripped down the Cedar for a fucking nail salon. What the FUCK??!!
ReplyDeleteSad, and sad for the neighborhood. University Place was once a street of "neighborhood businesses" which the neighborhood was glad to share with the world. Our little Main Street for the central Village, so to speak. Gone are Bradley's, the Cedar Tavern, our local diner and more. Now, University Place is being "chained" to death. We need to support the local businesses that still exist on University Place. However, our support means nothing when the landlord decides to maximize profit at the cost of chipping away at the essence of the "neighborhood." We also need to support (somehow) those (vanishing?) landlords that believe in local businesses and neighborhoods and not merely profit maximization.
ReplyDeletePoor Jack...my sympathy for what it's worth...but what can be said of an economy where one percent of the population controls all the wealth@!@!? Shame has no value. Compassion is just another word. The situation is global in scope, and "our little lives are surrounded by sleep" (paraphrase because my memory is failing...which, in it's way is a back-handed blessing.) I still appreciate your watchfulness Jerry...and sit by the graves with you, in appropriate mourning drag.
ReplyDeleteThe Cedar Tavern was basically a one-story building. It was torn down and replaced with an 8-story building with 7 floors of apartments above. The retail space stood empty for a number of months, probably because the landlord was asking for a big monthly rent. I'm sure the landlord is way ahead with the apartments before we even get to the European Wax Center's rent. European Wax Center is a nationwide chain with over 500 locations. Like many chains, they will pay more than a small business to get the exposure and bragging rights of having locations in desirable places. Not to mention that NYC locations tend to produce top-end revenues per square foot. I'm sure that EWC and the landlord have both figured out how to make money off this deal.
ReplyDeleteAre we sure it's really going to be a bank? Isn't that space rather small for a bank?
ReplyDeleteOn the internet this AM, I tuned into an NPR story of the problems going on in San Francisco with development. New, ugly, high rise condos, rents through the roof, mono-culture, small businesses being pushed out, the expulsion of people who have built their neighborhood for decades if not for generations.
ReplyDeleteThey were fighting to stop what they called the "Manhattanization" of SF. They said it was as if they had Bloomberg for Mayor.
Then I heard that Boston too, is worried about "Manahattanization".
Gotta make sure we all get out and vote for deBlasio on election day.
Cedar was a good place, I used to go there a lot. Had my 25th birthday there with friends. Did it have an upstairs? I vaguely remember being in an upstairs or a back bar. (I swear I went there often, but on the other hand I drank a lot in those days.)
ReplyDeleteAnd is the other bar with the round neon bar sign still around?
I have also read about the fear that smaller, walkable cities have about being "Manhattanized".
ReplyDeleteIt's literally that bad now. New York is synonymous with Hyper gentrification and useless glass and steel towers.
No one wants to be like New York now, they fear they will become as hollowed out and homogenized as we are.
I never thought I would see this day arrive.
they're correct, it IS happening here in Boston...i work in the waterfront area, which used to be pretty rough and tumble South Boston in ye olde days, with the fish piers and everything, and now everything is going WAY upscale....the city has a rich tradition of loving the harbor view, yet building ugly tall building that obscures any view of said harbor! Just as in NYC, the chains and big name joints have the dough to spend on astronomical rents, so I fear Boston will fall soon as well......jim
ReplyDeleteSometimes I visit this blog that has a little game where it asks "What city is this?" and it shows a photo of a skyline or a downtown vista. Then the next day, you learn what city it is. And more and more, you cannot tell the difference between cities. Shanghai looks like Sydney looks like Rio looks like Du-bai looks like New York.
ReplyDeleteOnly cities like Paris and Vienna which absolutely forbid the condo glass assault still look like themselves. Guess all that Bloomberg development which welcomed tourism, will eventually destroy that golden goose (so-called) too---who wants to visit the chain store in Manhattan when you can do it in any city and not even know where you are?
Can't get my mind around the bigness of the loss that's going on.
The Cedar definitely had an upstairs. I not much of a drinker so I can vouch for that.
ReplyDeleteThe posters should take a walk down 8th Street between Sixth and Fifth Avenues where it's still gritty and rough, and patronize the small neighborhood restaurants trying to survive.
ReplyDeleteJack's was a very nice place and new, but nothing that special, though it's a shame to see it replaced by a bank.
anon 6:09, the corps rule. this overrides govt. (they ARE govt, oneworldgovt). the fed is taking away the rights of the indivual. this includes free expression, self run businesses etc. big gov has made it almost impossible for small start up biz, the "regulations" are thru the roof. it was easy say in 1900 for someone to open shop, have a start, build it from scratch. you hired who you wanted, on your own terms. no one was breathing down your neck. this is why you dont see many small businesses opening. also landlords know the chains will overbid for the rent. corps can open & close their chain stores & it is a tax writeoff. they can buy their way into a location.
ReplyDeleteOh no! Another gem..gone. I love Jack's! It's been one of the few affordable spots in the Village. Sounds as if this neighborhood is getting like the Upper West Side, land of banks and Verizon stores. Ugh...
ReplyDeleteNazi new world orders have destroyed NYC, and continue to destroy the planet. End times
ReplyDelete