Never Stops

First it was the Wetlands, and then it was Joe's Pizza, and then it was the Liquor Store, and then it was the Blind Tiger, and now it's the SECOND AVENUE DELI:

One of the most famous delis in New York City may have served its last corned beef on rye.

The owner of the 2nd Avenue Deli said he closed the restaurant Sunday after a lease dispute with the building's new owners.

"My current rent is $24,000 a month for 2,800 square feet,'' Jack Lebewohl told The New York Times. "They want $33,000. I can't afford that.''

Jonis Realty of Great Neck, N.Y., owns the building. The Times said messages left with representatives of Jonis Realty were not returned.

The deli has been a landmark in the Lower East Side ever since it opened in 1954, serving much-loved Jewish fare like chopped liver, potato kugel and hefty corned beef sandwiches.

And people keep telling me real estate prices and rents are going down. Good one.

When you can't operate a restaurant that's packed every day, or a bar that's packed every night, there's something seriously wrong.