Miss Williamsburg Diner Burns,Monster Island Arts Center Damaged

An early morning fire gutted a landmark Northside diner overnight, causing damage to an adjacent arts collective at Kent Avenue and Metropolitan.

A fire broke out in the former Miss Williamsburg diner at 206 Kent Avenue just before 2 am Thursday. Ladder Companies 104, 146, and 108 responded along with several engine trucks, quickly knocking down the blaze, which appeared to cause extensive damage to the diner. The two-story building next door at 210 Kent Avenue appeared to have escaped with just broken windows and smoke damage. The building known as "Monster Island" houses two galleries: Live With Animals, and Secret Project Robot, as well as Mollusk, a surf shop.

The diner was originally a fixture for truck drivers servicing the miriad industrial businesses that lined Kent Avenue for most of the 20th century. Later it was reincarnated as an Italian bistro called Miss Williamsburg, and its authentic 1940's interior made it an irresistable location for television and films including Woody Allen's The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, and Stay, which starred Ryan Gosling. More recently it changed hands and reopened as 718.

The exterior of 210 Kent is known for its mesmerizing artwork - often photographed, and recently glimpsed in Charlie Kaufmann's Synechdoche, New York.

More photos of the fire [Flickr]