Upper West Side Bar Closing After 23 Years In The Neighborhood

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — The West End Lounge knew how to put on a show.

The bar and performance venue on West End Avenue and West 107th Street announced Wednesday it is closing down after 23 years in the neighborhood.

Upper West Siders flocked to the bar for its consistent live entertainment rotation, ranging from concerts to drag shows. The bar often had a live performance scheduled for all seven days of a week.

The popular drinking joint also wasn't without its controversy. The bar existed on the bottom floor of a residential building in an area of the Upper West Side with few nearby restaurants. Some neighbors said the bar got too loud to be in a residential building.

The bar recently completed a two-year process with Community Board 7 to change its menu and other elements of the establishment to gain certain regulatory approvals.

On Wednesday, John Daniel Forslund, the West End Lounge owner for the past decade, posted an emotional message about the restaurant's closing on his Facebook.

"After a lot — and I mean a lot — of introspective thinking & discussing with my small team of advisors...I will not be reopening The West End Lounge on 107/Bdway," Forslund wrote. "The years and years of fond memories will always stay with myself & my entire team (past & present up to COVID)!"

"We've literally poured millions of drinks over the years & collectively we have appreciated the support along the way for each and every one of them," Forslund added.

You can read the full message on Forslund's Facebook.