2015 was a rough year for holding onto things. We'll just say it. There were a ton of restaurants, bars, and people who disappeared during this past year.
All you really have to do is consult Jeremiah's Vanishing New York. He'll tell you everything you need to know on the subject of beloved institutions being forced to close their doors to make way for luxury high rises.
Still, we can't help but be super bummed about the loss of Ruby Foo's, Market Diner, and FAO Schwarz.
We're also pretty bummed about the losses of Yogi Berra, Mario Cuomo, and David Carr, too.
We can't keep our favorite people, restaurants, and bars alive forever. Time will pass, as it always does, and it'll take the people and places we love with it.
Still, we figured it'd be worthwhile to memorialize the people and places we lost in 2015. Read on to find out what they are.
1. Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra, Yankees Legend, died on September 22nd, 2015. He was 90 years-old.
He was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1972, and was a catcher for the New York Yankees throughout all 19 years of his career.
He made the MLB All Star team 15 times, and won the MLB's MVP award three times. There are only four baseball players in the MLB who have ever done that.
[anad]
He was also known off the field for his "Yogi-isms," like, "It ain't over till it's over," and, "Baseball is 90% mental, and the other half is physical."
Berra also served for two years in the U.S. Navy during World War II. His legacy transcends baseball, and he will be greatly missed by New Yorkers and baseball fans everywhere.
2. Randolph Holder
redpillreggieohio #cops #police #thinblueline #bluelivesmatter #nypd #newyork #randolphholder #policelivesmatter #illuminati #newworldorder
Officer Randolph Holder was tragically killed in October during a chase and gunfight on a pedestrian overpass in East Harlem.
Officer Holder was 33 years old. He was shot by a gunman who'd stolen a bike during a chase along the East River Promenade.
Holder emigrated from Guyana and was a third-generation police officer. He'd followed in his father's and grandfather's footsteps in the line of duty.
"I think all of us will tell you this is the hardest thing we do," Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said in October. "That we mourn one of our own. I've been doing this for 45 years. It doesn't get easier. It never gets easier and it should never get easier."
3. Tyler Sash
Former New York Giants Safety Tyler Sash died from an accidental overdose in September.
Sash suffered from a history of chronic shoulder pain, and had recently dislocated his shoulder. Sash was 27 years-old when he was found dead at his home.
Sash played football at the University of Iowa before he was drafted by the giants in 2010, and won the super bowl with the Giants in 2012.
4. David Carr
David Carr was a renowned media columnist for The New York Times. He died at the age of 58 from lung cancer in February.
He was a survivor of Hodgkin's lymphoma, and wrote about his experiences as a cancer patient in his 2008 book, The Night of the Gun.
[anad2]
He's been called the finest media reporter of his generation.
5. Mario Cuomo
onceweweremen #mariocuomo former #governor of #newyork presidential might-have-been and personification of #political #integrity and the #americandream #owwm #manoftheday #washington #politics #president #picoftheday #photooftheday #man #men #power #onceweweremen
Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo died at the age of 82 in January.
Cuomo emerged from the Depression-era streets of Queens, and served three times as governor of New York, from 1983 to 1995.
He died from natural causes due to heart failure. He had five children with his wife, Matilda, including current New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
CNN reported that when Mario Cuomo was asked how he wanted to be remembered, he said, "I want to be the hardest working there ever was. And I want, when it's over -- and I figured on four years at first -- I want people to say, now, there was an honest person."
,6. Deluxe Luncheonette (2896 Broadway)
After 16 years of serving delicious burgers, mac and cheese, and being a regular hangout for the students of Columbia University, Deluxe Luncheonette was forced to throw in the towel.
It's sad, because the diner was a go-to spot for plenty of New Yorkers throughout the years. We will certainly miss their giant BLT with chicken; it was piled high with chicken, avocado, bacon, and came with the most excellent side of fries.
[anad]
Whenever we were eating BLTs from Deluxe Luncheonette, it felt like we were consuming our dreams. We're definitely bummed this won't happen for us in the new year.
7. Toy stores
We mean, it's got to be obvious that the rent is too damn high when the store that actualized all childhood dreams ever couldn't even make the cut. Right?
So yeah, we were pretty devastated when we heard about the loss of FAO Schwarz on 5th Avenue. It was a magical place.
Luckily, the loss isn't with total finality. The toy store officially announced that they'd be moving to 1633 Broadway between 50th and 51st Streets in July.
They signed a 15-year lease at $4 million a year which is a huge break from the $15.6 million a year they were paying on 5th Avenue.
The same cannot be said of our beloved Times Square Toys "R" Us. By the time the ball drops in Times Square, Toys "R" Us will be closing its doors for good.
8. Hogs & Heifers (859 Washington Street)
Hogs & Heifers was a legendary Meatpacking district dive bar, and we'll miss it very dearly.
We're not that surprised it was driven out of the neighborhood. The Meatpacking district has evolved into a hole of clubs with $30 cover charges.
[anad2]
Still, we're definitely bummed to lose the institution. The bar closed its doors for good on September 1st because, according to Commercial Observer, their rent spiked from $14,000 a month to $60,000 a month. That's an absurd spike.
Hogs & Heifers was near and dear to our hearts since it opened in 1992. It doesn't feel like we're just saying goodbye to the dive bar, either. It feels like we're saying goodbye to a neighborhood.
9. Market Diner (572 11th Avenue)
sir_jam3s ✨🍴☕️ A sad goodbye to the #MarketDiner, one of the last five free-standing #diners in #Manhattan, soon to be demolished for some inevitably terrible lofts. Also a goodbye, for now, to @jmpisawesome. 👋🏼😢 @onlylivingirlny
Market Diner had been doling out delicious diner fare for 53 years when it was forced to close its doors on November 1st.
We're pretty heartbroken over this loss because we were all about those 24/7 burgers, spaghetti, and omelettes.
Also, the diner was a popular haunt of Frank Sinatra's back in the day, and was a regular hang out for plenty of Hell's Kitchen residents.
Instead of a beloved diner, the space is being turned into a 13-story mixed-use building for The Moinian Group, who purchased the property for $5.9 million in 2004.
Check out 8 Reasons We Fell in Love (All Over Again) with NYC in 2015.
[Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]