Nolita's Cafe Gitane Has Closed

"When Luc Lévy, originally from Morocco, opened Cafe Gitane at 242 Mott Street, near Prince Street, in June 1994, nobody showed up, Gothamist reported last year at the release of the restaurant's 30th anniversary coffee table book, Cafe Gitane: 30 Years, written by Isobel Lola Brown, the cafe's general manager. (A follow-up was released in October.) It was so slow, Lévy recalled, that he sent his only waitress home - a musician named Charlyn Marshall, who, months later, recorded her first album as Cat Power at a practice space up the block shared by Sonic Youth and the Beastie Boys."

"Now, more than 30 years later, the original Cafe Gitane, which became such an iconic New York institution, closed, apparently, a few days ago. A tipster alerted Eater that the longtime Nolita cafe was boarded up, and Eater followed up by calling the Vinegar Hill location, where an employee confirmed and lamented its closing. The website is also dead."

""I have so many memories when I come here," Helena Christensen told the Times. "The downtown landmarks like Cafe Gitane signify a time and vibe in New York that once was. Yes, the city has changed so much, but I still think Gitane is as cool as it always was.""

"Eater nodded to its help in making avocado toast ubiquitous, calling it the "fashionable toast specialist cafe.""

Cafe Gitane opened in June 1994 at 242 Mott Street in what became Nolita and initially drew no customers. The early slow days included sending its only waitress home, who later recorded as Cat Power nearby. Over three decades the cafe grew into an iconic downtown living room and clubhouse frequented by musicians, models, and restaurateurs. The longtime Nolita location has been boarded up, the Vinegar Hill location confirmed the closing, and the website is no longer active. The cafe played a role in popularizing avocado toast and symbolized a changing New York vibe.

Read at Eater NY