Bushwick’s Wreck Room Is Closing After 9 Years
c/o Brokelyn
Well, here’s some unwelcome news for fans of grungy bars and Bushwick stalwarts: Wreck Room is closing after 9 years in business.
Via Bushwick Daily, “what seemed like a staple at Bushwick bar scene, dive bar Wreck Room has announced that they are closing as of June 30, and this coming Saturday will be their last day.” One of Wreck Room’s bartenders, Troi Benjamin, posted a Facebook status welcoming friends to join him for a final drink this coming Saturday and to “tip well” and “show some love.” Benjamin did not disclose why the bar was closing (it is, he pointed out, “none of yo business. Lol.”), but bar manager told Bushwick Daily that it was the “same old story,” namely, a new landlord and rent increase.
And while we are sure that we will be accused of waxing nostalgic for things that have no intrinsic value beyond our personal memories and experiences of them, and have been told many times that New York’s whole thing is build-destroy-rebuild, to all those who would roll their eyes at our lamentation over the loss of a dive bar in Bushwick, we say, fuck you. There’s nothing wrong with being sad when favorite places get priced out or iconic signs get torn down. There is room in our heads and our hearts to miss these places and also fight to keep hospitals and mental health facilities open and to promote equality and transparency in our schools. It’s a false and dangerous myth to pretend that nostalgia is bad and impedes social change and development. And we’ll be prepared to argue about that with anyone who stops by Wreck Room this Saturday. Cheers.
Follow Kristin Iversen on twitter @kmiversen
