A Mysterious Billionaire Might Save New York’s Iconic Central Park Boathouse

It was announced in July that the Loeb Boathouse would close in October 2022

Whether you’ve been to New York City or not, you probably recognize the Loeb Boathouse. An iconic restaurant sitting on the bank of Central Park Lake in Manhattan, the establishment has been featured in a slew of New York–based films like When Harry Met Sally, 27 Dresses, The Manchurian Candidate, and Enchanted. It’s a place many know and love, and resulted in a wave of disappointment when it was announced in July that the establishment’s current operator, Dean Poll, had plans to close the space in October, citing costs as the driving factor.

Now, according to a report in the New York Post, the Boathouse might have been saved from its unfortunate fate. As the Post shares, an unnamed billionaire offered a $6-million financing deal to Poll that would keep the lights on. The secret financier was apparently moved after reading an op-ed, also published in the Post, about the importance of saving the storied establishment. AD reached out to the Loeb Boathouse for comment, but has not received a reply at the time of publication.

A view of Central Park's historic Loeb Boathouse restaurant is seen in Central Parl

Though now more famous as an eatery, the Boathouse was born from a functional need. In the 1860s, boating in Central Park Lake grew in popularity so much that a storage location was needed for the many vessels out on the water. Twelve years later in 1872, Calvert Vaux—Central Park’s landscape architect—built a two-story Victorian-style structure to fill the need.

Vaux’s boathouse was replaced with something simpler in 1924, though it fell into disrepair by the ’50s. It was then that investment banker and philanthropist Carl M. Loeb stepped in and donated $305,000 to build the boathouse that stands today. The current neoclassical structure is most easily recognized for its green hipped and gabled roof and columned terrace brushing against the lake’s edge.

Entrance of the Central Park Loeb Boathouse

If the deal falls through, it’s likely the restaurant will close in October as was originally announced. Even though a longstanding chapter of the structure’s history would end, as The New York Times reported in July, the Department of Parks and Recreation would be looking for a new operator for the establishment.

Via Architectural Digest