The NY Post reports that Brooklyn’s Kings Plaza Diner will close it’s doors after 35 years. There have been rumors going around, but it seems that this is for real as the land has already been sold to a developer.

KPD has been a beloved spot to many Brooklynites, not just those in southern Brooklyn. It took me 2 buses to get to Mill Basin when I was growing up, yet I found myself in that diner many times.

My high school BFF lived in the neighborhood. KPD stayed open late night (maybe 24 hours?) and there quite a few after club meals consumed there. Each booth had a personal jukebox, so we just hung out for hours. Who needed Starbucks back then?

My fondest memory is the night BFF crashed into the parking lot fence. No, we weren’t drunk. There was a snow storm and she had just gotten her permit but still was unsure of her driving skills. We were in another friend’s car and couldn’t get out of the spot because of the ice, so he got out and pushed while she steered. Well, we went screeching down the street and while we were swerving around, my life actually flashed before my eyes. (It really did!) When we were stopped by the fence after missing the telephone pole by about an inch, I was so happy to be alive that I wanted to do it again.

So, I’ll always remember Kings Plaza Diner for surviving my first brush with death.

I had since lost touch with HS BFF. She resurfaced about a month ago and we went to pop in on her in the old neighborhood. Guess where we had lunch before stalking her? We were so excited to be at KPD that I snapped the above photo of L at the booth. Who knew it would be our last time at the diner?