Central Park’s Loeb Boathouse to close amid rising costs

By Lilit Marcus, CNN

One of New York City’s best-known venues, Central Park’s Loeb Boathouse, will close this fall.

The owner of the restaurant and event space, Dean J. Poll, filed paperwork with the city of New York stating his intention to close the business.

“Due to rising labor and costs of goods, the business will be permanently closing effective 10/16/2022 affecting a total of 163 employees,” he wrote.

The boathouse itself, however, will not close. The current building, which was built in 1954, belongs to the city.

Central Park is owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, but day-to-day management is handled by the Central Park Conservancy.

There are many famous and oft-photographed places within the park, including the Alice in Wonderland statue and the Delacorte Theater, which is home to Shakespeare in the Park.

However, the boathouse stood out even among that group. It has been a popular filming location, with scenes from movies and TV shows like “Sex and the City,””When Harry Met Sally” and “The Manchurian Candidate” shot there.

Crystal Howard, a spokeswoman for the Department of Parks and Recreation, told the New York Times that her agency was actively trying to find a new operator for the Loeb Boathouse restaurant.

She added that they are also working with people who have booked future events like weddings at the Boathouse “in good faith.”

The boathouse is not the only New York City attraction to shutter since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020.

Legendary department store Barney’s closed its doors in 2020. The Roosevelt Hotel, which was briefly home to Don Draper on Mad Men, also bid farewell that year.

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