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History of Tribeca Buildings
Cosmopolitan Café Has Closed
I’m sorry to report that Cosmopolitan Café has closed its doors. Owner Craig Bero’s enthusiasm for all things Tribeca—including local history, Bogardus Plaza, and the Greenmarket—will be greatly missed.
I don’t know what will replace it (yet), but I do worry that independent businesses will only find it increasingly difficult to survive here—and that Tribeca, which has lagged behind the rest of the city in being overtaken by chain stores, is beginning to succumb.
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8 Comments
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That is very sad news.
What a shame.
My family truly enjoyed the cafe and it’s secret room. It was one of the gems in the neighborhood.
They will be missed.
Alycea Ungaro
I wonder if the never-ending construction on the street level and mysterious building next door contributed to this.
@Kenny: The construction certainly didn’t help. As for the mysterious building, if you mean the one to the north, where Mary Ann’s was, it’s being turned into a branch of the Chelsea restaurant Cafeteria — and that obviously wouldn’t have been a boon for Cosmopolitan Café. I’m guessing that the Cosmopolitan Hotel’s owners are looking take all of their storefronts more upscale, with an according increase in rent.
I’ll sure miss this place. The Cosmopolitan Cafe was always a must for me for breakfast when in town.
When the ice cream parlor closed Craig mentioned something about the hotel wanting a “fancier” shop to take its place. What a shame.
As for Cafeteria, I’ll believe it when it opens. I live next door and haven’t seen or heard any work in the building since the announcement.
Tribeca lost some of its soul today. Cosmo was always a place of peace in a city with little of it. The first person we met in the neighborhood was Craig, who offered a helping hand immediately, would not take no for an answer and worked well into the night with us unloading a moving truck. He made us feel like we were opening in Smalltown USA, not Downtown Manhattan, and for the last 6 years has been a constant support through the good times and bad. I have watched as he has continued to do that very same thing for countless residents, businesses and charities Downtown. The world needs more people like Craig and this City needs more businesses like the Cosmopolitan Café.
Thanks for everything Craig!
Chris and the entire Marc Forgione family
This is very sad news for us at the Tribeca Greenmarket. Craig not only sourced many ingredients from the local farmers at our markets, he was known to hand out coffee & hot chocolate to the farmers. I remember the first weekend after Hurricane Sandy, when nearly everything was still closed, trading coffee cups and apples for pancakes as he served free food by candlelight to anyone who came by. We are grateful for Craig’s presence in the neighborhood, and hope to know what his next steps will be.