On the heels of Florent's closure comes news that another one of the Meatpacking District’s pre-millennial hang-outs will walk the plank: The Hog Pit, a Southern dive bar and BBQ joint that opened in the late '90s, is the latest casualty of the neighborhood’s astronomical rent increases. Co-owner Felisa Dell sent an email to Eater today confirming the closure, which was brought on by a triple rent increase to 40K per month.
The Hog Pit’s fall won’t happen until January, when the lease runs out, but Dell wanted to give everyone plenty of time to come pay their respects and bitch at length about the city’s increasing Mall of Americanization. In the email, Dell speculates that property owners “are planning a Ralph Lauren Store” for the Ninth Avenue location.
Dell also points out that “the mayor and the State Liquor Authority are now only issuing Liquor Licenses until 2AM. It's very sneaky, but in 5 years the 4AM liquor license will be a thing of the past, without any community input.” Dell's now searching for a new space somewhere far, far away from the fratastic Meatpacking area, where the Hog Pit’s older sister, Hogs & Heifers, still defiantly squeals… for now.
Photo: Mike Mostransky
