Apparently, the perfect Prospect Heights dream of one ambitious couple wasn’t all they imagined.
The popular wine bar, Half, on Vanderbilt Avenue near Prospect Place, has been closed for months, but now there’s a sign on the outside saying that the shop — lock, stock, and plenty of barrels — is up for grabs.
“Wine bar for sale,” it reads, ruefully.
Running such a gin joint might just well be every Yuppie’s dream. And for just $100,000 and a monthly rent of $2,600, it could become every Yuppie’s nightmare — just like it became for Patty and Max Jerome.
“It just proved to be too much for them, with everything else going on in their lives,” explained Steve Commender, a leader in the local merchant’s association who owns a flower and gift shop, the Forest Floor, across the avenue.
The Jeromes still live nearby, but they did not return calls for comment.
Like many Brooklyn entrepreneurs, the Jeromes crafted their business as a place they would like to hang out themselves, Commender said.
For a while, the place was exactly that. The Jeromes even ran a special, “Tots and Tonic,” that brought in some moms groups in the late afternoons.
But like so many things, the dream didn’t live up to reality. Patty Jerome had a baby, Max Jerome pursued art projects, and eventually the bar closed.
Whoever buys the location doesn’t have to keep it as a wine bar, of course, but the neighborhood is hoping to lure another young professional with big dreams who will keep the vino flowing.
“Lots of people are hoping a wine bar opens up again,” said Jan McGill, one of the owners of Fermented Grapes, a two-year-old retail wine shop across the street.
