As I first reported on Dec. 10, the 33-year-old Sidewalk Bar & Restaurant on Avenue A and Sixth Street has new ownership
The new owners will be hospitality vets Laura Saniuk-Heinig and Alyssa Sartor. (Saniuk-Heinig is the general manager at the Bar Room on East 60th Street; Sartor co-owned August Laura in Carroll Gardens.)
There are a lot of unknowns about what's next. In an email exchange earlier this month, Saniuk-Heinig told me that they will keep the Sidewalk's longstanding live-music tradition alive, though she was not sure yet what type of music they'll feature. She also said that no decision had been made yet on the name of the establishment (perhaps Sidewalk will continue).
In a piece posted last night at The Daily Beast, Anthony Haden-Guest writes that it was "a shock but no surprise to learn" about the change in owners.
So why no surprise? Because in our Wealth Gap period, gentrification has become a seemingly unstoppable force.
Saniuk-Heinig told the Daily Beast that they'd know more details on what's to come next month.
The DB article also looks at the history of the venue's open-mic nights — the most active one in NYC.
Andrew Kirell, a Daily Beast senior editor and accomplished musician, has played there. “What makes Sidewalk so charming is that it has the feel of the type of DIY venue that Manhattan now sorely lacks,” he said. “There’s a sense of community in just being there, because it feels like a haven for underdogs, rabble-rousers, and anyone who just wants to express themselves.”
Previously on EV Grieve:
New owners set to take over the 33-year-old Sidewalk Bar & Restaurant on Avenue A