Legendary New
York Gay Bookstore Shuts Its Doors

Even landmarks can't outlast this tough economic downturn. Greenwich Village's famed Oscar Wilde Bookshop will shut its doors after 41 years in March.

"Unfortunately we do not have the resources to weather the current economic crisis and find it's time to call it a day," wrote owner Kim Brinster in an e-mailed message to patrons that went out on Tuesday. "So thanks to all who have been a part of the Oscar Wilde family over the years; you have truly been a part of a great global community."

The shop, billed as "the world's oldest gay and lesbian bookshop," was established in 1967 on Mercer by Craig Rodwell. It moved to its present location at 15 Christopher St. a few years later. Rodwell, who organized the city's first pride parade in 1970, died in 1993 of stomach cancer, according to The New York Times. After two other owners briefly took the reins, Brinster and her partner, Janet Layard-Liesching, bought the store in 1996.

The store will accept e-mail orders on its website until mid March, and will officially close on March 29. Brinster told The Times that she pays $3,000 in rent alone, which was already lower than comparable spaces.

"Even if we were rent-free it wouldn't be enough for us to cover the bills we have," she said in the article. "This is one instance in New York where it's not a case of the landlord gouging the tenant. Our landlord has always been remarkable with us." (Michelle Garcia, Advocate.com)