On Thursday nights, the Moulin Rouge starts at 8 p.m. and audiences leave the theater after 10:30 p.m. Whereas in the past, they might have a second round at the Chinese restaurant Wo Hop a few train stations away at 11 p.m. or later, the place is already dark by the time they arrive.
The subways are back in operation overnight, but Chinatown, which used to be open 24 hours a day, is now "locked and bolted" at 10 p.m., according to The New York Times. The French bistro L'Express on Park Avenue South in Manhattan, which used to be open 24 hours a day, now closes at 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 11 p.m. the rest of the week.
In the same area, a coffee shop on Chelsea Street now closes at 1 a.m. instead of having no closing time. Whitestone Lanes, a bowling alley in Queens, is no longer open 24 hours. New York is known as the "city that never sleeps" because of its vibrant lifestyle. But after the city recovered from the pandemic, nightlife seems unlikely to return to normal. While the rest of the country has regained its old rhythm, New York is struggling.
24/7 lights out sign
There are many reasons behind this, but the main one is that many businesses are scaling back and finding it difficult to hire staff. Many hotel and restaurant jobs have disappeared as fewer people visit the city or eat out. The jobs that are available are hard to fill, with late-night shifts and relatively low wages.
A restaurant that used to operate all night had to close early.
On Saturday night, Damon Crittendon couldn't believe his eyes when Wo Hop, his favorite late-night spot, posted a sign saying it was closed early. He had planned to take his wife and children to the place where he spent his youth, to eat roast duck that he described as "nostalgic."
Wo Hop opened in 1938 and operated on a 24-hour schedule for decades, then 4:30 a.m. starting in the early 2000s. “The staff here are mostly older, and many decided to retire after the restaurant closed due to the pandemic,” said current owner David Leung.
"I also don't want them to work late anymore. Most of them live in Brooklyn or Queens and commute by public transportation. With the attacks on Asians over the past few years, I worry about their safety," Leung added.
At 10:30 p.m., Shep Wahnon had just finished his pies and meatball soup at Veselka, a Ukrainian restaurant beloved by East Village residents. Shep had been a regular there since 1981. The first thing he noticed was that the neon sign that read “open 24 hours” was no longer lit and the kitchen area looked much quieter.
Starting as a candy store in 1954, Veselka became a restaurant and operated all night from the 1990s until the pandemic hit. Like many other establishments, Veselka now closes at 11 p.m. “I can’t find enough staff, it’s hard to find dishwashers and kitchen helpers,” said Jason Birchard, the third-generation owner. The regular clientele from nearby Broadway theaters, such as actors and troupe members, has also dwindled as many people have switched to remote work.
Many shops are no longer open all night like before.
Many customers told Birchard that they miss the old atmosphere at Veselka, when they would come in at midnight and still feel the hustle and bustle. Although the owner shares the same sentiment, he doesn’t know when he can reopen 24/7 like before.
“This is the calm before the storm,” said the manager at Katz’s Delicatessen, a Jewish restaurant. Just after 3 a.m., there were only four people in the restaurant. Half-eaten pickles and pastrami sandwiches were scattered on tables. They expected more customers to come in after the bars closed, usually around 4 a.m.
Some consequences of welcoming guests at night
For some other eateries and restaurants, staying open too late often brings customers who bring trouble. Space Billiards, located on the 12th floor of the bustling K-Town center on West 32nd Street, opened in 2007 but stopped operating continuously, without breaks, in 2017, before Covid-19.
"The problem is that most customers who come after 1am to play billiards are often not sober and act impolitely," said Harvey Shim, marketing manager of Space Billiards.
However, this entertainment spot is still in a better situation when the number of people coming to it is still crowded. After midnight on Saturday, early Sunday morning, all the tables are reserved and the people who come later have to wait an hour for their turn. Meanwhile, in the working-class district of Brooklyn, the situation of the restaurants that stay open all night is somewhat more bustling.
A long-standing diner in New York's Chinatown.
At the intersection of Jefferson and Wyckoff in Bushwick at 4 a.m., at least nine trucks selling Mexican food, tables and chairs, lined the street. The vendors’ calls to come and enjoy their food blared repeatedly from the trucks’ speakers.
Tia Butler, in high heels and a short skirt, stepped out of a car with a group of friends. She had just attended a fashion show, then gone to a few clubs, and was now looking for something to fill her stomach. Femmie, another model in a mesh crop top, striped miniskirt, and furry boots, joined the taco line.
“New York is the city that never sleeps. Look at us, we’re like black cats out for a walk,” she asserted from the perspective of a late-night hangout.
