Houndstooth Pub Bids Farewell After 13 Years of Cheers, Celebrities and Community

The Houndstooth Pub, a cornerstone of the Garment District’s food and drink scene, is closing its doors for good on Saturday — after 13 years of business.

General Manager Nicholas Cohen sat down to reminisce with W42ST in the bar at the corner of 8th Avenue and W37th Street yesterday afternoon. He said that he will always cherish his time at the traditional Irish pub, where celebrities were often spotted nursing a pint or two.

“We’ve had many great nights over the 13 years,” Nick said. “I’ve had Courtney Cox pulling pints of Guinness. I’ve had Ed Sheeran having a jam session with Beyoncé and Jay-Z.”

But even with these memories, Nick, who also manages the Houndstooth’s “sister bar,” Stitch at 247 W37th St (bw 7/8th Ave), explained that the sudden loss still stings. “There’s tears in my eyes that it’s lights out but that’s the reality of the economy right now,” he said.

Houndstooth joined the neighborhood after Stitch’s landlord offered the space to Nick and his partners. By offering good drinks, good food and good conversation, the pub was able to attract a sizeable crowd, and it developed a reputation as one of the top bars in the Garment District.

Over the years, Nick observed how the patrons changed with the neighborhood. At first, the bar teemed with “Bank of America and Ernst & Young” types. Later, it became the preferred watering hole for theater groups and parents waiting for their children to finish dance rehearsals in the studio upstairs.

In 2004, he scented opportunity in the Garment District. “It was a neighborhood in New York that was underdeveloped. There weren’t any bars or restaurants around here 20 years ago,” he said. Along with some partners, Nick launched Stitch, whose impressive success led to the opening of Houndstooth some seven years later.

But this summer has been particularly hard for the bar, as Houndstooth’s normal summer crowd failed to materialize. It has also struggled to adapt to some of the changes that have rocked the broader Hell’s Kitchen area, including a burgeoning mental health crisis and widespread substance abuse problems.

In June, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and Mayor Eric Adams announced the foundation of the Midtown Community Improvement Coalition , a task force comprising more than 20 agencies, to address quality of life issues from W34th to W45th Streets between 7th and 9th Avenues.

Barbara Blair and Tom Harris, in their W42ST op-ed , pointed out that while overall crime is down in the Garment District, “visitors and residents are plagued by deteriorating quality of life conditions that cannot solely be solved by enforcement.”

Despite the turmoil in the area, Nick hopes to stay in the Garment District, where his ties run deep. “I’ve sat on the board of the Garment District for over 12 years,” he said.

With Houndstooth gone, Nick plans to devote more energy to Stitch. “I just want to thank everyone for 13 great years. Such great memories…It’s breaking my heart, but the only thing constant is change. Let’s see what the next chapter brings for me and our wonderful staff,” he said.

The post Houndstooth Pub Bids Farewell After 13 Years of Cheers, Celebrities and Community appeared first on W42ST .