Cleopatra’s Needle, a jazz club and restaurant on Broadway between 92nd and 93rd Streets, closed on Monday after 30 years. The spot was one of the few remaining restaurants that featured live music every night, and it was a mainstay for musicians and music-lovers. A note on the door says “With a Heavy Heart, We Say Goodbye.”
“It was the accumulation of rent, city business assault and a change in the neighborhood” that caused the restaurant to close, said owner Maher Hussein in an interview. “You name it, we faced it. It became unbearable, especially the rent.”
Hussein said business taxes, higher minimum wages and other bureaucratic difficulties also made it hard to stay in business. He said he’s gotten many calls asking him to consider opening a new location, which is he is considering.
“It is a loss for the Upper West Side, and I’m not just saying that because we own it,” he said.
Customers were devastated. “I’m truly heartbroken,” wrote Paul, who sent in the photo above. “I didn’t know the place was even at risk of closing.”
This year has been a tough one for closings on the Upper West Side — from Boat Basin Cafe, to Gabriela’s, to JG Melon, to Great Burrito.
Big Nicks was the saddest moments of a business closing in the neighborhood.
Cleopatra Needle coming at close second.
Westside Market was the one that did me in….Also Pricewise. And Scaletta . And and and and and and….
ITA about the Westside Market. I work on the UES very close to it’s new location on Lexington and it appears to be doing very well. I don’t know that I actually believe the rent is cheaper in that neighborhood so I”m really at a loss to explain why it’s flourishing over there and couldn’t do so on Broadway.
Different neighborhood. The UWS store floor-plan was horrendous. It was located in a hotel and not a residential building. Fairway still is the sales leader in the area. The chain is up for sale. The rent is also I about to go up on the one building to the left which Fairway does not own.
I agree that the floor plan was messed up when they were on B’way, but it surprisingly it became a cool place to go, as if no one on the UES had ever shopped in market before. I had a good laugh about your Lincoln Center & Fairway comment (so true), lol. Happy Holidays!
The places mentioned reek of old age. The UWS shuts down at 10pm. The only potential businesses that could make it a go need to cater to the kids and seniors. The area is not hip. People do not spend money up here. Anyone who is 40 is waiting for the kids to be born and a move to NJ. They work in financial services and head downtown for a meal. The UWS is take out at best.
Sean, and where do you live that you can be so critical? How old are you, to be so judgmental. I lived on the upper west side for many years until just recently. It still has a variety of good restuarants at affordable prices. Name a neighbor that has more diversity?
I am over 70 and have lived in the West 70s since the late 1960s. The UWS is really dead, especially after around 10 pm now.
The “old” days bars and restaurants were hopping well over 11 p.m. and many of them were great Cheers-types bars. Mostly all gone. Sure there are younger singles and couples on the UWS; but they seem to hit the sack early to get to their high paying jobs early. And there certainly are many seniors, but not many go out late-except me. I much prefer going to SoHo or Tribeca. So much different and fun than up here now. I have read that parts of Brooklyn are “very hot” but I rarely go down there.
The focus for the West 70s is Lincoln Center and Fairway. The population is largely seniors in subsidized apartments watching MSNBC 24/7.
The UWS definitely needs a more vibrant nightlife. By vibrant I don’t mean clubby. I am well passed that stage. It is regrettable that there is not a single bar that stays open late and that has a nice crowd. Those places that do stay open a little late (and I mean “a little late”) make me look like a character in the Edward Hopper painting NIghthawks.
Some worthwhile additions have opened recently, but like someone pointed out, they start clearing up by 10pm. IT is frustrating!
Not a big loss. UWS continues to be a dead zone…and an overpriced one too! Lived here from 2012-14 and again from 2018 to now and it’s gotten worse since my first stint here. Love that Dive 75 and Jacob’s Pickles is around but that’s not enough options when you’re paying this much for rent. Really needs more than another generic Mediterranean or Italian restaurant. Or a generic bar like Amsterdam Ale House where the average beer is $8-10 plus 4% credit card fee on top of that! Agree with other posters that this is neighborhood is essentially a place you come to sleep at night at 10pm and shop at Fairway.
The tourists at our hotels bemoan on Yelp that there is a lack of nightlife and shopping up here. It’s a bedroom community.
Sean – you are so wrong. Have you not noticed how many young families there are on the UWS? Streets are packed with them. It is a shame that so many of the fun, social businesses are going out of business. Thee are many Saturday nights where you don’t want to trek downtown for fun – you want to go out with friends to bars and restaurants and hear live music. It’s nice to see that the area in the lower 100s is picking up, but we do need MORE adult entertainment (not THAT kind!!) in the 70s and 80s. Maybe someone like Lee Seinfeld, one of the owners of Dive Bar (the best community watering hole in the area) can get together with other owners and open up some new joints. Live music is great and draws people in. There are definitely too many vacancies right now. And it has nothing to do with Jersey!
It has to do with an aging demographic in the 60s and 70s. The young families spend differently. They are not going out to bars.
Terrible, the politicians are doing nothing while the UWS circles the drain.
I am SO sorry to hear this. This was my go-to place for years. Great, great place. I hope the owner is able to relocate. Even if it’s a smaller space, I’ll go.
And yes, a big loss for the UWS.
Very sad to see this place go. It was a gem.
Very sad and a big Loss!
Can someone please tell me what exactly Greg Bishop the Commissioner of Small Business does? He is also suppose to oversee the Business Improvement Districts in the city which he is failing daily. The BIDs do NOTHING to help these long time small businesses.
I lived above Cleo’s. It was challenging – they couldn’t care less about noise codes. I think they were in litigation with their landlord at some point as well.
PLEASE PLEASE REOPEN—AND HOW ABOUT CONSIDERING WASHINGTON HEIGHTS? BETWEEN THE MAIN COL UN CAMPUS AND THR MED SCHOOL CAMPUS…
THE NHD IS FULL OF UWS EXILES (LIKE ME) AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU!!! YOU WOULD DRAW JAZZ LOVERS FROM WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, HARLEM AND INWOOD….IN DROVES!
SO HOW ABOUT IT????
KSF
Come to Penny Jo’s at 163rd and Broadway! Live jazz every Thursday and Saturday.
Stop shouting.
Hope someone else takes over. Tried to get a drink there several times over the years but service was awful and the Owner unbelievably rude
Agree about the service. Sad to see the place go, the music was fantastic, but hadn’t gone there in some time due to the bizarre behavior of the bartender (owner?). Beyond rude. Really sad, because otherwise a fantastic spot.
I agree, the service was awful and the staff was rude. We used to go there many years ago but when it changed hands, so did the character of the place and the quality of the experience. I’d rather spend more and go to SMOKE.
Owner was unhinged and banished several people for little reason. Sorry the club can’t make it, but a big part of its demise is due to poor service and the
Management.
Sorry to hear this – seemed like a nice spot.
And to all of the deniers, note that he said that the increased minimum wage was one of the causes. Don’t you think some of those employees would be happy to still be working at a slightly lower wage? I am all for minimum wage, but a huge shock to the system like the one that NY just implemented just does not work…
The number one factor is THE RENT. Funny how you don’t lament landlord gouging business owners, but you are so quick to demand that people work for less than livable wages. Shame on you.
Rent is going up because real estate taxes are increasing very quickly. Real estate taxes are increasing to pay the exorbitant pension and health care benefits for city employees, as well as the ridiculous costs of projects due to outdated union rules. Landlords are not lining their pockets with the extra money.
And I never said the sole cause was minimum wage, nor did the landlord. I was just providing more color on that specific cause.
So much drama. Happy holidays!
Liberal leon,
You apparently are not familiar with standard NYC commercial leases. Increased real estate taxes are passed through to tenants as escalation clauses, every year. They have no effect on landlord expenses.
Rent going up is a function of what the landlord thinks he can get, and has nothing to do with property taxes
That’s not entirely true.
A standard lease passes along the INCREASE in RE taxes due to the value the store brings to the building. Not the base RE tax, which increases every year and is exorbitant.
Rent is high due to zoning rules regarding supply, high demand, and insane tax. You see even in the UWS rents actually falling now due to less demand for retail.
A big reason these stores close is because they rented 15 years ago and their business model can’t handle a current rent. But that’s not something a landlord can limit and still pay his taxes.
Perhaps all caring taxpayers should start subsidizing small businesses with rent subsides?
If the wages were ONLY slightly lower they probably would not have been a problem.
Actually more people paying with traceable credit cards is becoming a major problem for what was in the past “cash businesses.”
He said the minimum wage was ONE reason, not THE reason. And still there are plenty of other people working at McDonald’s, Duane Reade and the like who are happy to be making a higher wage and whose lives have improved because of it. You can’t deny that either.
Isn’t it more like 40 years? I seem to recall it being there around 1980. I could be wrong.
It was at 94th and Broadway in 1979, called At Our Place, and then, Mohammed, Maher’s brother reopened it after finishing architecture school at U of Michigan. Mohammed (of blessed memory)’s wife Stacey was a jazz singer so he wanted to open a place for her. So they took the hand crafted large wooden letters of the place on 94th which was called At Our Place and played anagrams, added a U, and came up with Cleopatra’s! Mohammed was nice and Maher not nice. I’m sure if Mohammed were still alive he and Stacey would have worked it out with the landlords.
I think you meant that they had dropped the “U” to create the anagram.
Oh no…just read the news. It feels like I lost a bunch of friends in a terrible accident. Cleopatras Needle was wonderful, delightful, amazing. Christmas 🎄 every night with Live Jazz. One big happy family. And
Inexpensive….maybe too inexpensive.. ..
I’m so saddened, I’m shocked
So sorry to hear Maher…
I think it started out a few blocks north as At Our Place, maybe in the late 70s? I am REALLY sad to hear this.
The new owners recycled all the letters* of the original name, “AT OUR PLACE,” into “CLEOPATRA,” so they wouldn’t have to spend a lot of $ on new signage.
*except “u”
It was the other way around. Started as cleopatra next to symphony space. The designer bought it and changed name to at our place while first owner moved a few south and opened Ghengas Khan’s Bicycle. That may be what became Cleopatras needle. (I worked at at our place)..
I think it started up a few blocks north on the same side of the street, as At Our Place, maybe in the late ’70’s?
I was there at the beginning. Maher’s brother Muhammad & his wife owned a quiet place we liked, AT OUR PLACE, on Bdwy just south of Symphony Space, with momma in the kitchen. When the hi-rise was built on that block, he moved to the 92nd – 93rd St. site & renamed it Cleopatra’s Needle. Just a quiet single-store front neighborhood restaurant for 5 yrs. The renowned jazz joint “J’s” on Bdwy & 97th St (where the dog groomer is now) was a major club / neighborhood hang all thru the ’80s to early ’90s. A young singer who couldn’t get booked there went down to hang at Cleo’s. They had a spinet piano for decoration & to have for events & he talked his way into their letting him sing there. Rarely the wife would sing, too. In Spring ’93, J’s closed. Musicians, bartenders, neighborhood hang types were all bereft – and shifted en masse to Cleo’s. The new patrons wanted music so Muhammad built the tiny stage. A baby grand soon replaced the spinet. All of us playing on the scene then played there often & mostly enjoyed it. The wife sung once a month & they booked top NYC & touring jazz talent, 7 nights a week & brunches. It was a huge hit, packed nightly & late night for jams. But they paid their bands very little — often $150/night for the band for 4 hrs of playing, terrible money even in ’90’s money. They expanded next door for a Take-Out spot, which failed. So they expanded the bar. Folks at the bar couldn’t see the band, so they put in that large TV screen w/ a camera to show the band on the screen. One night some clown came in & wanted the Knicks playoff game & showed them how to set it up & the chasm / war between TV & Jazz began. Muhammad soon began to think that HE was the reason for this nightly success instead of the power of the music & began to harass the musicians who slowly began to say, “Screw it,” & stop playing there, one by one, until nearly no one established on the NYC jazz scene would play there any more & the touring acts soon avoided it as well. But Muhammad discovered the local music schools — now between students there, and recent graduates from many other jazz programs around the U.S. just hitting the streets of NYC, he found a long line of young musicians willing to play for next-to-no money & stayed afloat w/ patrons who mostly didn’t care the bands were now inexperienced, and some not that good — there was no cover, so who cared? Then, within a couple-year period, the wife left him, his mother who cooked for years & kept the food at a very high level died, Muhammad himself died & his brother Maher took over. Until recently he maintained the $150/band music payment, insuring that mostly only beginning jazz players could afford to play there. Even with his many problems, Muhammad had treated the customers well & it was a comfortable, attractive place to spend an evening. The brother Maher though began to insult customers regularly & his rants at negative reviewers on Yelp are legendary. As with many who stopped going there after no longer playing music there, I knew little of Maher, never met him & knew little of how he ran it other than from horror stories from other musicians or neighborhood patrons. I only went in to hear friends. But soon, even that stopped. The food was lousy, the prices had gone thru the roof, the bartender was rude & mostly just a crummy bartender with a nasty disposition — and they still paid their musicians like crap. For most in the neighborhood, we always yearned for it to somehow magically improve & return to its 90s Glory; we all NEED a joint like Cleo’s in the area. But no one really needs what it became — a rip-off joint. We all need somewhere nearby to play & to hear great music, to have a decent meal & to run into friends. Alas, it never did regain that former level. Mostly, many wondered, “How does that place ever stay open?” Finally if fell — of its own, old, cheap, unpleasant weight. RIP. for what was, not for what it’d recently been.
The old man and I loved this place. Ambiently awful. Food was meh. But the music. Ah, the music. Everything else faded, then transformed into something delightful. Ideally, one wouldn’t have to close one’s eyes and mouth to enjoy. Imagine ambience, delicious food, and good music. Holy trifecta! I’m not surprised it closed but I am sad.
It feels as though our neighborhood is undergoing forced sterilization.
30 years? I met my wife there in 1976.
So on the one hand, we now have a progressive minimum wage that allows hard-working people in restaurants to earn more money–that is good. On the other hand, because they are being forced to pay a higher government-mandated minimum wage, restaurant owners cannot afford to keep their businesses going, and workers lose their jobs–that is bad. Workers go from minimum wage to no wage at all.
The current system is not working.
Did you read what the owner actually said? It was mainly the RENT that forced him to close. The minimum wage is the same everywhere in nyc; the rents are not, and are much more extreme on UWS (and some other neighborhoods).
Anyone know how to get in touch with the owner? Would
Love to revive this neighborhood mainstay.
Yes, woman! The closure really is a motive and opportunity for action.
And it’s true, there’s not much good-clean-fun nightlife in the area. I love the National Theatre films at Symphony Space, but it’s occasional.
Is everyone oblivious to the growth of the mendicants who are harassing people on this and following 2 blocks? Opening doors for the customers when trying to enter stores, asking for money, & DeBlasio giving them more & more housing in this neighborhood. This whole area has gone for the worst, & absolutely nobody gives a damn. I love living on the UWS, but in the 40 years since I’ve been here, it was never this bad.
Loved this place!! So sorry to see this!! Hope to see it open elsewhere!
I had a terrible experience here – the owner was screaming and completely inappropriate and so I never came back. If I were a betting man this is likely part of what forced them to close – abusive ownership doesn’t often generate repeat customers.
Darn, Have been there many times over the years the late night jams and sets were always happening. one night comes to mind. Wanye Shoters Footprints was played by the musicians just fantastic.. Hope they reopen someplace Best of luck
I wall by every day. I didn’t have a clue they closed tonight. Wow.
I agree about Washington Heights. It would do great there.
May God damn all landlords.
Too sad! I love walking my dog by there almost every night and people are always there enjoying the food and music.
The owners are sooo nice.
It was a true gem in this neighborhood,
whether you were inside,
or even the times walking by, outside.
This neighborhood is becoming so depressing.
New York I love(d) ya, but you’re bringing me down.
Its not just the restaurants, that have been hard to take. The Linen shop, Duane Reade on B’way at 76th, West Side Market at B’way at 77th, Ichinari Steaks was there for about 60 days. Barney’s for women between 75th & 76th. Fairway Market is for sale. At least 2 Starbucks, Arnie’s Deli. Little places we’ve taken for granted. And nothing in their place. I think we’re going thru another period of obscene wealth (Hudson Yards) and the have-nots. There’s no room for middle class. Just rich and poor. It’s really very sad.
It’s the end of an era.
As an owner of a small business on the Upper West Side I can attest to the business assault by the city. We are constantly bombarded with fines, permits, regulations, inspections and paperwork that costs a fortune and takes an immense amount of time to handle.
On top of that we have to pay expensive accountants and lawyers to handle all the over regulation. Add to that the raise in minimum wage and its a recipe for a lot more small business closures on the Upper West Side.
come on people, the place was terrible. the food was inedible, the owner was nasty and the music mediocre. It should have closed years ago. it is a wonder that it lasted that long
true!
Amen
Ye . sure . it is the monicipality’s fault’ never blame the “poor” restaurants bars and pubs – was it really a restaurant? really?
Alas it is sad to see any place closed . But hold ! there is an end to everything – that is so normal and there are thousands of places that march on !!!! How comes?
Very sad Landlords need to control They’re greediness
They are hurting great places n great people that built this city these neighborhoods. SHAME ON THEM!
When you are willing to pay higher taxes to help subsidize the rent, and by extension, the landlords increases Real Estate taxes, I’ll believe you care about tackling greed.
Oh please. 30 years for a restaurant at a location you don’t own? That’s an achievement.
Sad news. 25 years ago I lived diagonally across the street and went there frequently, also celebrated my 30th birthday there.
Maybe if the owner hadn’t been so nasty and the food of a decent quality he could have stayed open. Read the comments on yelp to understand how mean spirited he and his staff were. Take responsibility for your actions
I would go in to pickup HotSpots mag. Treated as if I was stealing something.
Everyone lauding this place has suspect taste in food and music and obviously never set foot in Mikell’s
Thanks for the Mikell’s reference.
Forget all the little shops we’ve lost over 40, 50 yrs., we’ve lost some great music venues up here over time…
That some could savor the general level of Cleo’s music fare of the last 20 yrs is heartbreaking…
Yes, thanks for the memories, only Mikkels had a world class jazz line-up almost every night. Those were the days of better night life on the uws. It wasn’t always a morgue up here.
has mikell’s surfaced someplace else? my place is the sugar bar, which runs warm and cool, but would like another (other than smoke).
Unfortunately, No.
I went 10 years ago on one of the first days I moved to the neighborhood. Good music but food was average, service was inadequate, and prices high. I don’t mind paying a cover charges up front. But don’t like drink minimums and cover charges built into prices of food and drinks.
I’m sorry CL has closed but thirty years is a long run.
There have been a tremendous number Middle Eastern or Mediterranean restaurants opening in the UWS over the past few years.
I’m sure the competition from these places hurt CL. Weak Yelp reviews were also likely not good for business.
Thank goodness. It’s about time. The owner was the worst, the service was atrocious, the prices were ridiculous. I remember talking to one of the singers and complaining that the owner had just said something extremely inappropriate to me. She said “please don’t let him see me talking to you or he won’t let me sing here anymore.” What the hell is that?
Read the reviews here. They’ll curl your hair.https://www.yelp.com/biz/cleopatras-needle-new-york
Live nearby. Went in once and the food was truly terrible. Forgot after a couple of years, stopped in again. And the food was truly terrible. If it had been the least bit inviting I would have hung out there. Need a neighborhood joint. But….I figured the music lovers must have kept it open.
Again we have business owners complaining about having to pay a living wage. If you’re business doesn’t generate enough revenue to pay a decent wage then it’s not really a going concern is it?
Owner complains about paying his employees the minimum wage? Trumper Alert!! NO THANKS. Next!
I want to thank Hussein from the bottom of my heart for all the wondrous evenings I have had, eating dinner at the bar and listening to jazz, and catching sports silently on the TV overhead, and meeting up with people who have become lasting friends. Cleopatra’s Needle was a wonderful place for an early dinner after a walk in Riverside Park, or a late night every night destination. I am so deeply grateful to Hussein for making my life warmer and richer and happier, and for his many kindnesses, including giving young people the chance to get together to play jazz. Thank you for being what matters on the Upper West Side, and what is fading, one place at a time, to chain stores and rich people. My love to everyone who went there regularly, whom I may never see again, and to all the musicians. My best wishes to Hussein. Thank you so very much.
You didn’t mention the closing of Henry’s, which was a real loss to the neighborhood.
DO YOU HAVE CONTACT INFO FOR THE OWNER? We are the owners of Whispers Restaurant on 94th Drreet. We are selling. Have someone call Carlos at 845-313-2814. We have one of the cheapest rents in the area. Thank you
I want to defend the owner from comments made. My view is that he was always a gentleman to those who behaved with respect and empathy towards others, and only asked belligerent and inappropriate and personally insulting people to leave. Which made it a safe haven from brutes for single women, among other things, and a place that was not for drunks or freeloaders or people who were disrespectful or demeaning to Hussein or to their own girlfriends or wives. I appreciated this very much and it was part of the “oasis” feel of the magical beautiful ambiance that it was a safe and decent place where people who were there to hear music and share space together could do it in a nice way. If you were kicked out, you deserved to be. Honor, respect, music, and community ruled the day at Cleopatra’s Needle. The owner is a true gentleman who ruled a good and decent ship.
Maybe if they treated customers with decency they’d remain open. Horribly rude service the last time I was there.
The new NYC is Hudson Yards. Manhattan is not totally for the rich and the tourists. No one is a local anymore. Time to move to Spain. Europe has health care.
Didn’t a community effort keep Westsider Books open? Mr. Hussein is considering opening at another location. If that happens, may it be not too far from this one.
Nonsensical idea. Feed the hungry.
I am sad for the musicians and those who patronized Cleopatra’s Needle for the music. It was literally the only thing this restaurant had going. I found the service lacking most times, and the owner was given to outbursts of recalcitrant treatment to some patrons. Just look at the Google and Yelp reviews for the restaurant to get a glimpse of the owner’s true colors. He regularly called people “jerks”, “low lives” and other foul names just because they posted a review voicing their discontent with the service received. Most of those reviews were well written and seemed to express a genuine regret for the service.
I reiterate that I truly feel bad for the musicians, who now have one place less to jam and entertain jazz lovers in the city. We need more places like that. But when it comes to Cleopatra’s Needle…GOOD RIDDANCE!
I am truly saddened by the news. It’s not about losing a restaurant, after all NYChas thousands to chose from.It’s about losing a place that fostered the arts.
If we don’t change our outlook inlife and understand that we ALL need to protect the arts, we will ALL turn into animals. Art is indeed what differentiate humans from any other realm, even that of the gods.
I wish you to find a new location, where you can continue your live jazz legacy and advertise it so we know where to find you.
With love I wish you a wonderful Christmas full of creative ideas for continuation.
Signed
Bodhivata Dharmashanti
The IDEA of Cleopatra’s Needle was great but the reality was not. At all! And to add insult to injury, this decades-old establishment did very little for the community that supported it all those years.
SMOKE jazz club has closed as well!!
You are mistaken Jan. Smoke Jazz Club is open
And has great music tonight!
It all came down to who the musicians that were or were not playing there as well as the fact that the owner didn’t know a lot about the genre of music he had performing there. Also the menu didn’t improve over the years. The owner is a nice guy though. He should try Harlem !
It’s crazy to me that rents in the UWS still have a similar price per square foot as sub-14th Street spaces, yet there’s not nearly the same foot traffic in this neighborhood — residents or visitors — to support it.
Different demographic.