Long vacant Dupont site to become Parisian bar

It finally happened. Someone managed to lease the uniquely shaped and long-vacant space at 252 Dupont St. that used to house Nite-Caps by the Castle. It's been empty for as long as I can remember, but come late fall Anthony Rose hopes to have his sixth restaurant up and running here, which will go by the name of Bar Begonia.

"I couldn't say what the deal is with the design of it, I know the same family has owned it for years and years and it was built at a time when they probably thought that look was cool," Rose tells Swallow Daily.

"We're maintaining the shape though and making a Parisian style bar. There is a parking lot in back but we're getting rid of it and going to do this big, beautiful grassy knoll with bocce ball and tetherball, very casual and picnic-y. It will be a bar and the focus will be mostly on cocktails with a little bit of food."

The building is an empty shell right now, but looked a lot worse six months ago when it was covered in wood paneling. I'm not sure if the grey plaster is the best choice, but it cleaned the building up enough to get a deal done. The landlords were reportedly looking for $4500 a month in rent, which is one reason why the site stayed vacant for so long.

With Swan set to open in about a week and the ink fresh on what many thought was an impossible lease, Rose is certainly on a roll. And you can bet the bocce ball will be popular.