New Amity Diner Closes After 45 Years On Upper East Side

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Another Upper East Side food institution has closed its doors: the New Amity Restaurant shut down permanently at the end of May after decades on Madison Avenue.

The classic diner had operated for 45 years near the corner of East 84th Street, serving up eggs, sandwiches, and Greek favorites like moussaka and gyro. The cozy interior was lined with mirrors, booths and a seafaring mural on one wall.

New Amity closed on May 31, according to a notice on its front window that was posted to Twitter on Monday by New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik.

"Dear friends & neighbors, it has been our joy to serve this community for the past 45 years," it reads. "Sadly, we will be closing our doors on May 31. We thank you for your years of friendship and support."

The restaurant's phone number was disconnected on Tuesday.

"New York will break your heart," Gopnik commented, adding that New Amity's demise would deprive the neighborhood of "much needed hearth for the heart."

In a 2020 article in the New York Post, New Amity co-owner Mario Stivaros said his diner "feels like home" for patrons.

"The waiters know everybody," he said. "The people are happy."