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River Cafe's Rent Is Less Than Your One Bedroom Apartment
By
John Del Signore
Published May 4, 2009
Modified May 4, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published May 4, 2009
Modified May 4, 2009
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Last winter River Cafe owner Michael “Buzzy” O’Keeffe sent out a letter to the media predicting that the under-construction Brooklyn Bridge Park would be a nightmare for his riverside establishment. O'Keefe feared his little park beside the River Cafe would be damaged because plans for Brooklyn Bridge Park call for a pathway through his grounds, connecting the state- and city-owned portions of the park. According to the Brooklyn Paper, O'Keefe maintains the park as part of his $1,667 per month lease with the city, and he worries—whaaa? $1, 667 a month!? That's less than what most New Yorkers pay for their shabby apartments, and the majority of us can't sell $125 six-course tasting menus to cover our rent. Brooklyn Paper has more on O'Keeffe's park panic, which he says was sparked because "when you’re dealing with municipalities, sometimes they’re unreasonable." Yeah... after reading about his sweetheart long-term lease, we've no choice but to start calling this place the Cry Me a River Cafe.
Tagged
lease
park
river cafe
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
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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