New Happy Taco Closed For Good

After being shuttered by the Department of Health last month for racking up a stomach-churning 82 violation points, New Happy Taco, the hole-in-the-wall taco joint at 82 Park Place between Flatbush and Seventh Avenues, is officially closed and the space has been put on the market.

This is not a major loss for the taco-loving community, trust me. The food was generally regarded as edible, but that's about as far as the compliments went (I'm sure there's an "Old Sad Taco" joke in there somewhere). It was quick and tended to hit the spot when in the mood for generic Mexican, though, so I'm sure it will be missed by some.

For those looking for an alternative, I'd recommend checking out Maya Taqueria on Vanderbilt.

Closed for Business: Stitch Therapy/ Brooklyn Mercantile, 335 Fifth Avenue

Brooklyn Mercantile/ Stitch Therapy, the knitting supply/ gift shop on Fifth between Fourth and Fifth Streets, closed for good on April 29th after putting its space on the market for $5800/month back in February.

While the shop did have some loyal devotees, it established a reputation for itself as not the best option for craft supplies, and it's hard to envision the merchandise for sale bringing in enough revenue to continue to stay in business.

The good news is that the space won't be empty for too long: as reported a couple months ago, the tenth branch of Brooklyn-based mini-chain AREA Kids (and the Slope's third) will soon be moving in.

Closed for Business: Perfect Brows Threading Salon, 131 Seventh Avenue

The eyebrow threading salon that opened up just over a year ago in the second-floor storefront above Possibilities in the Slope, on Seventh Avenue near Carroll Street, closed down last week. Guess there wasn't enough of a demand to justify paying what's probably a pretty high rent. I'm no threading expert, but it seems odd to have a standalone storefront for a service with such a niche clientele.

Closed for Business: Lily's Gift Shop, 461 5th Avenue

The shop on the southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and 10th Street has closed, about a month after signs went up advertising a 50% Off Closing Sale.

Lily's Gift Shop was one of those fairly anonymous stores that are quite common on this end of the avenue. It sold perfume, accessories, costume jewelry, and other inexpensive, relatively generic items, and I don't think I ever actually saw anyone in there.

I was always amused by the sun-bleached "Special! Sex and The City! $8.99" sign in the window there. Guess I'll never learn what that was.

Mezcal's Was Closed Last Night

Many thanks to a tipster for passing along these photos of a very closed-looking Mezcal's, on the corner of Fifth and President. The gate has been locked tight since yesterday afternoon, and calls to the restaurant have gone unanswered.

If this closure is permanent, I can't say it's too surprising. The neighborhood's other Mezcal's, further down the avenue near Sixth Street, closed almost exactly a month ago, and while certainly nothing special, this one had a nice outdoor section that made for some good people-watching/ outdoor margarita drinking. The food was fine, but it's not that easy to screw up a quesadilla.

A peek through the side door reveals a space that looks like it's being gutted. I'll do my best to get confirmation, but I think we can safely assume that Mezcal's no longer exists in Park Slope.