I’ve been meeting with some of my old friends for dinner every year at Florent and most of my friends are pretty upset about the restaurant closing in a few months - the whole situation is explained in a New York Times blog post titled Diner’s Journal: Stages of Grief Over Florent.

Soposed to go back one last time in later on in April, to meet with friends for dinner that I’ve known for a long time.

It’s sad when good things come to an end because the Meat Packing District’s rents have become so high that it’s impossible to pay the rents any longer (once a lease expires, as Florent’s did).

On the other hand, I’ve seen several stores closing in Brooklyn, some of them on the same block - in many cases, institutions of the neighborhood, like the Second Street Cafe (it was always packed) and it was just renovated last year.

To me, it’s not so much what happens on Wall Street that tells me things are bad - that’s all too clear - it’s when shops fold because they can’t pay rents that went up 1000%.

Even today, just as the US Economy is more less into recession (it has not been officially stated yet) Manhattan Apartment Prices Hit Record High - just as no one but a few could truly afford or even sell their apartments (liquidity is drying up).

I suppose prices will move down next year - it’s hard to see how even the globally rich can come here and drive up the prices of real estate while it tanks everywhere else - but I’m sad it won’t happen in time to save restaurants like Florent - that ought to be saved.