By Sarah Han

Sad news for fans of 24th Street dive The Attic. I got word yesterday that the beloved Mission bar that often doubled as a tiny, sweaty dance club, is officially no more. As reported back in November last year by Uptown Almanac, the closure was expected sometime this year (the rumor was that it’d be in February), but The Attic closed its doors for good on Monday morning without public warning. A few friends who were regulars told me they were at the bar on Sunday night without realizing it’d be their last visit.

The bar had issues in recent years, including neighbors complaining about the sound, needed building improvements, and troubles securing a long-term lease. The bar’s owner, Roger Howell (who previously owned Mad Dog in the Fog), decided to leave 24th Street when he couldn’t get more than a month-to-month lease or necessary renovation from the building’s owner. Howell is now involved with Gashead Tavern, a new bar on Mission Street, in the old Charanga location.

Attic regular Andy Pastalaniec heard the news of the bar’s shuttering yesterday during his lunch break. He made it over in time to find Howell and bartender Keith packing up and taking down the bar. “I documented the unceremonious removal of the sign out front. After work I stopped by and hung out with a handful of regulars and Keith, and we had a minor send-off. I had to leave as Keith was about to kick everyone out and close up for good.”

By Monday evening, Pastalaniec told me, “the sign was gone, the gate was locked, and the Attic, a truly unique place that played a huge part in my life in San Francisco, was gone.”

Photo by Thomas Hawk via Flickr; video and lower photo by Andy Pastalaniec