Bushwick Public House venue closes after landlord tripled rent
The eclectic business functioned as a coffee shop, bar, library, pool hall and even a concert venue in its basement floor.
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The Bushwick Public House on Mrytle Avenue closed its doors Tuesday after 10 years of business.
The eclectic business functioned as a coffee shop, bar, library, pool hall and even a concert venue in its basement floor.
"It's perfectly Bushwick, the chairs don't match, the walls don't match, the stickers don't match, and yet it somehow all matches," said Owner Hooman Enayatian.
He tells News 12 he is proud of the team and the memories that the bar has served, including acting as a first-gig for many bands and open-mic standup comedians, saying it is a point of pride that in an artistic neighborhood, the public house was known as a place to cut your teeth as a performer.
"I would be proud, like of my own child graduating, when we see someone who eight years ago would have performed, and now I see them on Netflix with their own program," he said.
But giving artists their first break, doesn't make it easy to break even, and with the landlord asking for over $8,000 a month for a renewed lease, the numbers no longer added up for them.
"The term starving artist, its not made up, and when you are trying to run a business with artists, it cannot be done when rent is tripled," Enayatian said adding "this is not midtown, 57th Street and Lexington this is Bushwick.
Neighbors came out to say goodbye to the venue, lamenting the loss of its book swap library, public printing and cheap drinks.
"There was an intersection of people here who worked during the day- and then in the afternoon would hang out- and then be a community place to raise issues in the community- and that will be greatly missed," said customer Josiah Wilkins.
Enayatian tells News 12 that he does not know what is next for the space, but hopes it can still be a part of the community.
"I don't know what it will be maybe a flower store, anything that I can walk by and still see people enjoying the space, I wish them well," he said.
