The Hangout Nola , a vibrant event space and youth recreation center on Lake Forest Avenue in New Orleans East, is closing its doors after opening three years ago.

Co-owner Ray Bender announced the closure on social media last week, calling it a difficult decision that came when their business model became unsustainable.

“As much as our hearts led us to focus on the community aspect of it, the business is what keeps the lights on,” Bender said.

The Hangout's mission was to give kids something fun to do in a safe space among their peers — a place for them to be themselves outside of school or structured extracurricular activities.

Bender said it was a way to reimagine the excitement of his own youth, when New Orleans East, before Hurricane Katrina, had a variety of recreational options

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