Rainbow Room to close restaurant, citing economy

By GottaLaff

I hate to see these venerable businesses shutter, one by one-- or in the case of our Big Recession-- 12 by 12, at the very least:

The recession has reached the ritzy Rainbow Room, the special-occasion spot that overlooks midtown Manhattan from high above the tourist-attracting Rockefeller Center skating rink.

With business slowing and an ongoing lease dispute, the venue's Italian-themed Rainbow Grill restaurant plans to shutter as of Jan. 12, a spokesman said Saturday. Its bar, banquet space and the weekend dinner-dancing sessions that reflect its glamorous history will continue on the 65th floor. [...]

The Rainbow Room has symbolized cosmopolitan elegance since it opened in 1934, during the Great Depression. It is located above NBC's studios at Rockefeller Center, offering Art Deco ambiance and glittering vistas of the city skyline.

Generations of celebrities have performed and partied there. Frank Sinatra once showed up on the same night as Bob Dylan. Famously unruly Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards even donned a tie to see a Marianne Faithfull show there.

The venue's periodic dinner and dancing nights still call for suits and dresses — if not tuxedos and evening gowns — and feature a big-band orchestra.

There are no plans to convert the space, and it's unclear how long it will remain closed.

I've never been there, but it's still like saying good-bye to an old friend.