Is a 45-year-old diner in Queens, New York really going to be taken apart and moved to Ulster County?

That was the word early Wednesday morning during a last-ditch effort to save the old diner from the wrecking ball. According to QNS.com, the Shalimar Diner in Rego Park closed for good in November. Since then, a building preservationist has been shopping the classic diner around, trying to find a new home for the iconic eatery.

With the help of former Mets outfielder, Lenny Dykstra, a plan was struck to move the diner to land in Suffolk County. The building was to become a diner and brewery in Riverhead. However, because of zoning restrictions in the town, the plan fell flat.

On Wednesday morning the wrecking balls were ready to destroy the old diner when a last-minute buyer from Kingston, New York stepped in to purchase the building. The unidentified party was ready to take the diner apart and move it piece-by-piece to Ulster County. It's unclear what the plan for the building was, but fans of the Shalimar were hopeful that the building would survive.

An urgent message to halt the destruction of the diner was sent, but unfortunately, it was too late. Within just a few hours, the diner was smashed to pieces by the wrecking crew and reduced to a pile of bricks.

Who knows what could have become of this iconic diner if it was successfully moved to Kingston? Would it have remained a diner or repurposed for a new and different business venture? Unfortunately, we will never have an answer, as the Shalimar is officially gone for good.

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