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Black Betty Goes Dark in Williamsburg
By
John Del Signore
Published May 22, 2009
Modified May 22, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published May 22, 2009
Modified May 22, 2009
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It's last call at one of Williamsburg's pioneering hipster hangs: Black Betty, which has been a Metropolitan Avenue mainstay for over a decade, is closing down after a dispute with the landlord. Co-owner Bud Schmeling tells Brooklyn Paper he thought he had a deal to increase their monthly rent from $2,700 to $5,000, and he even paid a $35,000 fee as an incentive. But he says the landlord went behind his back and found new tenants willing to pay even more. (The landlord insists he gave Schmeling a chance to renegotiate their lease but he was too slow to respond.) The dark yet upbeat and unpretentious haven for dancing, debauchery, live music and Middle Eastern food just celebrated its 10th anniversary this month; on June 15th it will join Stinger Bar and Kokie's in Billyburg bar heaven after a final blowout party. It's unclear what will take its place, but Schmeling says, "We were definitely the first of a new breed of Williamsburg bars and performance places—and I don’t see something truly replacing Black Betty."
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bar
black betty
brooklyn
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williamsburg
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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