‘Wise Men’ on the Bowery Calls it Quits Tonight After 5 Years
That trendy Bowery hangout, Wise Men, is calling it quits after five years on the block. Its final night in business is tonight, marked with the requisite sendoff party.
Three lady friends in 2012 – photographer Danielle Levitt, S Magazine creative director Christina Chin, and restaurant industry vet Caroleyn Ng – transformed the sushi-cum-jello-shot spot Orange Valve into the retro speakeasy there today. Named after a Chinatown steakhouse that Chin’s family operated decades ago, the watering hole at 355 Bowery offered cocktails and bites.
New York Magazine later called Wise Men a “fashion clubhouse.”
In retrospect, the closure isn’t totally out of the ordinary. Indeed, the space had been peddled on the market two years ago for $15,000 per month, but there were no takers at the time.
The following letter was blasted to its followers this week:
To all our friends and family,
The time has come for Wise Men to say goodbye. We thank you for all your support during the last 5 years, but it is with heavy hearts we will be closing our doors after this weekend. We have witnessed marriages, break ups, new friendships, therapy sessions, hot hook ups, tears, laughter, but most of all FUN TIMES.
Wise Men will truly miss you.
Please come have a drink with us one last time at our home we’ve all grown to love, and reminisce of all the good times we had at Wise Men.
Thank you for being a part of Wise Men history.
Xoxo,
Caroleyn, Christina & Danielle
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