Stirrings at Former Site of Studio Coffee Shop

One of the things that most bothers me about development in this city is not so much that greedy landlords force wonderful old shops and restaurants close, but that they force them to close and then NOTHING HAPPENS. The space remains vacant for months, years—time when the old business might have stayed put.

Such is the case for Midtown Studio Coffee Shop, much loved by this site. It was a kingdom of humility, simplicity, economy and silence in the rowdy theatre district. It went dark in early 2006 and the roller shutter has remained tightly closed since then.

But there may be a new business there soon. Obviously, it won't be as good at the Studio Coffee Shop, but at least there will be a visible reason why the place had to die. The doorman at the Film Center Building, in which the space is located, said construction work had been going on for the past two months and that a "trattoria" would be opening there. He knew no more than that, so we'll have to wait and see.

The Sound of Silence Silenced