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Williamsburg dance club Kinfolk is permanently closing

"We did not want this to be the way we said goodbye.”

Collier Sutter
Written by
Collier Sutter
Kinfolk
Photograph: @ksushas
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Kinfolk, the multiuse creative venue on the corner of N 11th and Wythe, is shuttering its doors after 12 years.

In a letter addressed to "family and friends" on Tuesday, the Kinfolk team made the announcement that this decision, forced by financial burdens from the pandemic, was not made lightly.

"Unfortunately, the reality of the extended shutdown and piling up of operational costs has essentially forced the decision to be made for us,” the letter reads. After over a decade, they reiterated how heartbroken they are: “ We did not want this to be the way we said goodbye.”

They also expressed how proud they are of the community and legacy that was built that gave people a space to gather and express their "100 percent true selves." 

"We can only hope the energy created in our spaces will inspire and help grow the next scene, sparking a future of an ever-changing New York still built on expression, acceptance and freedom to be yourself," they wrote. "This is the ethos, we believe that makes this city the best place on planet Earth."

The vibrant Brooklyn space has been open since 2013, and hosted a variety of happenings from art openings to DJ sets. On any given night, you may have caught a secret show by beatsmith Jamie xx, attended a party where Jonah Hill showed up, or counted on it for a nights of pure house, trap, rap and reggae.

djs
Photograph: Natalie Miano

Both Kinfolk 90, the coffee shop by day and bar by night, and Kinfolk 94, the disco ball-laden club with a dance floor, have been the grounds for many New York memories. Fans of the space have taken to social media to say goodbye with their own slew of stories and thoughts on the sudden closure. 

Many also eluded to their fears about what's to come for New York nightlife as we know it. Without major government action and with hefty rent checks building up for those sprawling venue locals, there’s a lot of anxiety around when the next nightlife institution will be forced to shut.

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