New Music Venue To Open Across From Park Slope Food Coop

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — A beloved Gowanus jazz and improvised music venue may see a revival on Union Street.

According to a liquor license application, the owners of the ShapeShifter Lab are looking to open at 837 Union St., near Seventh Avenue.

Free jazz lovers will be able to catch a set after wrapping up a work slot shift at the Park Slope Food Coop located just across the street.

The application states that the bar will be able to fit nearly 75 people, with about 40 tables and seating for 60.

Hours appear to be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the possibility of acoustic music performed each day until 1 a.m.

Food will be served as well — pastries and sandwiches alongside salads, charcuterie and chocolate fondue, reads the application.

The building, owned by the Dixon family who operates a Dixon's Bicycle across Union Street, has been home to many businesses over the years.

In 2014, Park Slope institution the Tea Lounge closed its doors after 14 years of business.

Sir D's Lounge, run by a relative of the Dixon family, operated from 2016 to 2018.

When it closed, it reopened as The Slope Lounge with a full kitchen serving dinner at night.

ShapeShifter Lab, opened in 2011 byMatthew Garrison and Fortuna Sung, was a performance non-profit that featured over 10,000 jazz and experimental music performances in an intimate setting.

The venue closed almost exactly a year ago, and the owners have been producing events across the Hudson Valley in the meantime.

Attempts to reach the owners were unsuccessful, and it remains unconfirmed if the spot will remain a stroller-friendly haven as it has in many of its prior iterations.