Oh, Man: Daddy’s is Closing on December 30
New York is forever new, and therefore—unfortunately—forever shedding the old. Today, we learned we’re losing a particularly fantastic piece of Graham Avenue in Williamsburg that dates back to 2002.
Daddy’s, the no-nonesense bar, opened by Jen and Laura Rogers of The Rogers Sisters, and by Greg Anderson of Oakley Hall, built the bar in the months following 9/11, according to Daddy’s Instagram post that announced the closing yesterday, and to Brooklyn Vegan who reported it.
Of course, to live here is to say goodbye to people and places more often than we’d like. But on a personal note, I really hate to say goodbye to this one. I live in the neighborhood and, when a friend asks, “Where should we meet for a drink?” my unthinking answer, every time, is Daddy’s. I’ve tried to explain to myself why I love it so much, and the answer is not more complicated than: Because, in its no frills simplicity, there are few remaining places like it. The focus is the people you bring with you, or bump into when you arrive, and the conversations you have with them.
In their Instagram post, Daddy’s owners leave specifics about the closure unanswered: “Times change, neighborhoods change, and this is our time to move on to other achievements,” it reads. Among those achievements, they note, are “Those who met their spouses at Daddy’s, and later, celebrated the births and birthdays of their children.”
Personally, I can’t say I did more at Daddy’s than watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics on its one inconspicuous TV, drink draft High Lifes at the round bar after stressful days at work, or gather friends together in its booths with tequila shots, many times over, but I also can’t say those are not the things I live for. They are, and to not be able to do them at Daddy’s is a loss indeed.
Luckily, there are a few remaining weeks to enjoy its low key magic. Closing night is December 30. Might I suggest you spend that particular Friday night at 437 Graham Avenue? There is much to eulogize, but also, finally, to celebrate.
Image via Daddy’s Instagram