A popular Williamsburg music venue has closed its doors.
Public Assembly on N. Sixth Street is gone for good and a new saloon called the Black Bear Bar opened in its place, in December, according to Time Out New York. Public Assembly took the place of the original Galapagos four years ago, when that club decamped to a larger space in Dumbo. Regulars miss the defunct venue, which hosted local bands, burlesque shows, and the annual Brooklyn Zine Festival.
“I saw a lot of good shows there, so it’s sad to see it go,” said Bushwick resident Marcy Newman. “I hope Black Bear will also be good, but time will tell.”
Black Bear Bar is owned by Jessica Lee Wertz, who is also the proprietor of the bar and venue Lone Wolf in Bushwick and No Name Bar in Williamsburg, according to her assistant.
In the spring, Public Assembly briefly shuttered its front room for renovations. After work was completed in the summer, management closed off the back room and never reopened it.
Public Assembly’s owners never announced that the place was closing. Its website is now down and its phone number has been disconnected.
The interior of Black Bear Bar has several motorcycles for decoration and a stage for music. So far, the bar does not have a website.
Wertz did not return calls for comment.
