Gowanus fave Littleneck is closing its doors after more than a decade

The beloved seafood and cocktail spot opened 2011, but owners say it's become too 'challenging' to keep going

Littleneck, a Gowanus favorite New England-style seafood shack, is closing up after more than a decade.

The restaurant recently announced with “heavy hearts” that it’s serving up its final meals for the first couple of weeks of March, with an official closing date yet to be determined.

“This has been a hard, and also profoundly rewarding journey. Taking over Littleneck after working here as employees, even on the brink of the Covid pandemic, was a dream come true in so many ways,” the team wrote on Instagram. “This place has been magical to us, and many others, and we are completely gutted to be closing our doors here on 3rd Ave.”

As with so many other restaurant closures, operating in a post-Covid environment with rising rents has made running the business “most challenging,” the trio said. “With the unbelievable density of new construction surrounding us since the rezoning of Gowanus, it’s become impossible to continue operating in our favorite NYC neighborhood.”

They said while this is the end of the Gowanus location, which opened in 2011, it’s also an “exciting time for us to think about what our next chapter will be.” Its Instagram page will remain active for “future catering events and new endeavors.”

Fans of the establishment were upset by the news. “Oh this is awful!!! Gowanus will not be the same without you,” one person wrote on the Instagram post. Another added: “You’re my favorite restaurant in NYC and the home of the best clam chowder I’ve ever had (and I’m a native New Englander).”