It's happening

When I moved to the LES I knew I'd probably watch it change - it's one of those neighborhoods that has a nice mix of longtime residents (the "real" people), plus hipsters and young professionals. Which means on the same street you can likely buy a $15 cocktail and a $2 hot dog. Until recently, that is.

Thanksgiving week, both the Clinton Papaya on the corner, purveyor of hangover-busting egg sandwiches, and Mama's, two doors down, peddlers of morning cheeriness and $4 breakfast deals, both closed their doors. Since it happened at the same time I thought maybe rats? But worse than rats, rising rent. Nymag.com just confirmed that Papaya is closed for good (R.I.P.), and Mama's might revive, as I stuck my head in there the other morning and the guy informed me they were closed and changing management. So we'll see.

The lovely man who runs the convenience store across the street (no longer open 24 hours, as its sign still advertises) tells me times are tough. He's worried about next month and the month after, he said, and I think the world - as we know it, for now - may be ending. Last weekend, Bergdorf's, at up to 70 percent off, saw its elegant corridors trod by the parka-clad in a bargain-basement frenzy, with steeply slashed luxury goods tossed higgledy-piggledy, Louboutins flung thither and missing their mates. And Henri Bendel, that nattily French-monikered purveyor of not-cheap novelties for the posh set had its entire store on sale for a day last week.
In an apocalyptic reverie I snapped a pic:



I maintained the hope that my shopping experience would be interrupted by some stock-market scheudenfrauder sweeping in with a giant checkbook to buy the whole place with a single flourish of his pen.
But nobody has that kind of money right now. And I have no more cheap breakfast.

What's next? Will Tiffany start holding fundraiser "Breakfasts At" for tourists and tacky people? Will all of lower Manhattan become a John Varvatos store?