New York City\u2019s streetscape shifts as time marches on relentlessly. Businesses open and close, bidding this town hello and goodbye.<\/p>\n
One particularly lauded<\/a> eatery is currently in limbo: Agi\u2019s Counter<\/a> at 818 Franklin Ave. in Crown Heights will close imminently. The restaurant ceased dinner service on June 14 but will continue serving lunch until July 5.<\/p>\n \u201cBetween now and then, we’ll cook some old favorites,\u201d wrote Jeremy Salamon on the Eastern European-inspired cafe\u2019s website. \u201cThe tuna melts, the cheesecake, the deviled eggs, the borscht. All the things that somehow became bigger than the little room they came from.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the impending closure, Salamon maintains hope that he can find Agi\u2019s a new home in the future.<\/p>\n Here are some other entities that entered and left New York in recent weeks:<\/p>\n Openings<\/p>\n Fireboat<\/a> at Brooklyn Bridge Park\u2019s Pier 6<\/p>\n A new nautical drinking opportunity has docked in Dumbo. From the same team behind Hudson River oyster bar Grand Banks<\/a> comes Fireboat, a decommissioned 1961 FDNY fireboat restored and transformed into a floating watering hole. The vessel \u2013 acquired by its new owners at a 2015 city auction \u2013 is open seasonally from April through October and offers frozen drinks poured from the ships original fire cannons and hose connectors, which have been converted into taps. It offers a wonderful view of the water and only a little wake.<\/p>\n The New York Historical Society\u2019s Tang Wing for American Democracy<\/a>, 170 Central Park West<\/p>\n The New York Historical Society has a new, 71,000-square-foot wing. The Tang Wing for American Democracy officially opened on June 18 and features an exhibition hall of American art, a shoe museum documenting three centuries of footwear, a state-of-the-art conservation facility, and on-site storage for millions of manuscripts, photographs, maps and more.<\/p>\n Game of 1000 Boxes<\/a>, 302 Bowery, Lower East Side<\/p>\n A new live game show experience called Game of 1000 Boxes has opened off East Houston St. The venue offers private citizens the opportunity to pit themselves against friends and strangers in setups reminiscent of \u201cWheel of Fortune\u201d and \u201cJeopardy.\u201d The one-hour \u201cshow,\u201d which is led by a live host, is equipped with a 40-foot LED wall and a variety of trivia and luck-based games to play.<\/p>\n Forever Brewing<\/a>, 574 President St., Gowanus<\/p>\n Fermenting fans, rejoice. Forever Brewing & Homebrew Supply \u2014 which was launched by two Brooklyn dads back in 2024 \u2014 has been selling beer and beer-making implements from its new brick-and-mortar location, which opened late last month. The space has a full-scale brewery and taproom as well as high-quality ingredients and expert guidance for homebrewing your own beer, mead, cider, wine and kombucha.<\/p>\n The Museum Bar + Gift Shop<\/a>, 1329 Willoughby Ave., Bushwick<\/p>\n Bushwick just got a high-concept new cocktail spot inspired by \u201cnatural and unnatural history,\u201d as the bar states in its Instagram bio. Think dinosaur skull decor and complex cocktails presented with an academic air. The heady entity\u2019s new permanent location opened last week in a demurely decorated industrial space two blocks from the Jefferson Street L train stop. Previously the Museum existed as a roving pop-up, or \u201cspecial exhibit\u201d in its own terminology.<\/p>\n Closings<\/p>\n John’s Coffee Donut Shop, 481 Myrtle Ave., Clinton Hill<\/p>\n Clinton Hill has lost an over 40-year-old<\/a> staple: John\u2019s Coffee Donut Shop, or John\u2019s Gyro Souvlaki, as the faded awning long advertised in larger letters than the actual name. The sudden closure appears to be due to a failed inspection<\/a> by the City Health Department. On the bright side, though, John\u2019s former staffers<\/a> have been hired by Neno\u2019s Gourmet Mexican just a block down Myrtle, which will also now offer John\u2019s former breakfast menu.<\/p>\n Kiki\u2019s<\/a>, 130 Division St., Dimes Square<\/p>\n Photos of an orange \u201cSEIZED\u201d sign in the window of this Dimes Square favorite began circulating on social media last week, much to the chagrin and confusion of fans and followers of the trendy Greek spot \u2013 especially after a sign reading \u201cKiki\u2019s open across the street\u201d appeared in the adjacent window. Both are true: The main location has been forced to at least temporarily shutter as a result of unpaid taxes<\/a>, but it\u2019s business as usual at the nearby secondary location.<\/p>\n The Meatball Shop<\/a>, 798 Ninth Ave., Hell\u2019s Kitchen<\/p>\n The former local chain is officially no more. \u201cAfter many great years, The Meatball Shop has closed its doors,\u201d reads the Meatball Shop\u2019s website. \u201cWe\u2019re deeply grateful to our guests and team for the memories we shared.\u201d The eatery opened on the Lower East Side back in 2010 and eventually grew to have seven locations, but all but the Hell\u2019s Kitchen branch had closed by the end of 2023, and now that one is also gone.<\/p>\n