End of an Era in The Meat Packing District

Florent, A beloved 24 hour french style coffe shop in The Meat Packing District closes today.

Florent was the original Meat Packing destination. There was nothing else in the neighborhood. It was the place for steak and frites, mussels, omlettes any time day or night.

It was the place to go and the only place open in the neighborhood to get a bite late at night. It was the place to people watch.

There are many fond memories of Florent, at 5am, ordering breakfast while watching the ‘fabulous' late-night New York crowd.

Before all the designer boutiques, designer condos, trendy restaurants and hotels the Meat Packing district was a gritty neighborhood with cobblestone streets where slaughterhouses packed meat but there was always Florent.

Florent Morellet, the owner of Florent is known as the Unofficial Mayor of the Meat Packing District. Florent a neighborhood activist, an HIV/aids activist and a gay rights activist fought for the integrity of the neighborhood.

Florent put the gritty and now glamorous neighborhood on the map. Thanks to his efforts the neighborhood is now a historic district. His annual Bastille Day party in front of the restaurant on Gansavoort Street was always a fun event.

Farewell Florent, we wish you well. Thank you for the fun times, good food and great people.