East Village Art Store New York Central Closing After 111 Years

New York Central Art Supply will officially close by the end of the summer after years of falling behind in an economy where people have taken to buying many of their art supplies online.

The historic store on 62 Third Avenue has been around for an incredible 111 years and was passed down multiple generations in the Steinberg family.

"There truly is no other store like Central in the world," said the letter from Central posted to its website on Monday. "And no other staff. The individuals on our staff have more experience than entire other stores combined. We truly hope another store or vendor recognizes this and can help our team keep doing what they love."

Central opened in 1905 and thrived through at least three generations of Steinbergs, according to local East Village blog EV Grieve: Benjamin Steinberg at the beginning, his son Harold in the 1940s, and Steven Steinberg and his sister, Marcia Norins, in the 1970s.

In the 1970s, famous artists would go there to get their supplies, like Andy Warhol, Willem deKooning, Cecily Brown, and others, according to EV Grieve.

"Our amazing customers over the course of the last 111 years, from fledgling students to modern masters, have made this business unique and rewarding for each of here at Central over the years," the letter said. "And we hope to hear from many of you in the time we have left at our 62 Third Avenue location."

Image by Google Maps Street View