The wide cobblestone streets of the Meatpacking District have long been like the Wild West of Manhattan—a no-man’s land ripe for one power struggle after another. Without residential neighbors around to file noise complaints, the nightclubs started in the late ‘70s thrived, attracting a derelict scene of drugs, prostitutes, and drag queens. But by the late ‘90s, a gold rush of fashion and luxury industries moved in, creating an exclusive enclave for the rich and beautiful.



Florent Morellet, who took ownership of his eponymous aluminum 75-seat diner after becoming familiar with the neighborhood’s gay scene, has been serving French-American treats like steak frites, escargot, and mac ‘n’ cheese to late night revelers and early risers since 1985. But his rent is increasing from $6,000 to $50,000, and, likewise, the rent at 9th Avenue dive bar/BBQ joint the Hog Pit is tripling to $40,000—forcing both places to close. High-end retailers such as Hugo Boss, Helmut Lang, Barneys, and Moschino are reportedly moving into the once-seedy neighborhood. Rumors are that Bloomingdale’s, Dolce & Gabbana, and Ralph Lauren are not far behind.

Florent says he accepts the closing of his restaurant, scheduled for June 29, Gay Pride Day, as part of the cycle of commerce in New York. He claims he's not angry or sad—and to prove it, he’s holding a five-week goodbye dedicated to the Kubler-Ross stages of grief. Beginning Monday, May 26, each week the restaurant will host a theme party—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

“I came to New York because it’s a city in constant flux,” says Florent, who moved to the city from Paris in 1978. A longtime activist—he tested H.I.V. positive in 1987 and has been open about it ever since, posting his T-cell count on his restaurant’s bulletin board—Florent infused the neighborhood with an unpretentious, welcoming character, leaving many to dub him the “queen” of the district. The restaurant, with its pink neon sign, has always been a scene-within-a-scene—long banquettes along one wall and bar stools at a formica counter along the other make for an impromptu catwalk, something that is, Florent says, very Parisian.

“If somebody walks along the aisle, you know, [the people sitting] pretend they’re busy doing something, but you know what they’re doing, they’re eyeing the person up and down,” he says. “And soon as the person has passed and can’t see them, they turn to each other and [start] gossiping.”

People-watching has been especially interesting at Florent over the years because its reasonably-priced menu has assured a diverse clientele. “I think that’s what makes a place fun—and what’s made this place fun for 23 years,” he says. “People love to come here because they always see people that are different than themselves.”

Florent’s hand-drawn maps, his personal passion that serve as the décor of his restaurant, will be auctioned on eBay in mid-May, and proceeds will go to the soon-to-be-unemployed kitchen and dining room staff. “The team here, it’s kind of a family,” he says. “Some have worked here since the beginning.”


~ Selena Ricks