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Tavern on the Green Up for Grabs
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 2, 2009
Modified Feb 2, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 2, 2009
Modified Feb 2, 2009
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The Parks Department, which controls the lease to the notoriously mediocre and tacky restaurant currently known as Tavern on the Green in Central Park, has finally stepped in to yank the place back from Jennifer Oz LeRoy, who inherited the business from her late father Warner. As promised, Parks officials are now seeking potential operators with "imaginative and thoughtful proposals that will respect the architectural intent of the original building and its location within the park landscape." Last year it was rumored that Donald Trump, Nobu owner Drew Nieporent, and Danny "Shake Shack" Meyer were "circling the restaurant like vultures." But it's doubtful that LeRoy, whose grandfather Mervyn produced The Wizard of Oz, will let go without a fight; her father brought the place back from the dead in 1974, and she recently promised Page Six that she will "refuse to sell the soul of Oz." Of course, the only catch is that it's not hers to sell.
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tavern on the green
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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