Below: If my iPhone had a decent camera, you'd be able to read the above sign, posted in the window of Hookah House, which informs all interested parties that the landlord has taken "legal possession of these premises."

The year 2008 is shaping up to be a real downer when it comes to bars, at least insofar as there seem to be five bars closing for every one that opens. Like Gin Lane--which was in fact so negligible that I didn't notice it had closed until a month later, despite the fact that I pass it nearly every day.

Here's another one no one will miss: Hookah House, on Avenue A between 10th and 11th streets. As per a sign in the window, the landlord repossessed the property pursuant to this or that legal code, and so on and so forth. The notice is dated the first week of January, and judging from the fact that the tables inside are still set (right down to the tabletop salt shakers), the owners didn't have much warning prior to the closure. So, if your weekend plans involved a trip to the old Hookah House, get a life make other plans.