Hot dog stand Gray’s Papaya has been a STAPLE of New York’s 6th Avenue and 8th Streets for so many years, but it has officially closed its doors for good. Nicholas Gray, the proprietor of Gray’s Papaya, speaks about the shuttering of his beloved Greenwich Village hot dog stand. A demolition crew was spotted tearing the location apart yesterday, which came as a shock to all with no prior announcements or even news of a decline in sales. Today, the reason why has been revealed. “They wanted to raise my rent to $50,000 from $30,000,” owner Nicholas Gray said in a statement. “We’re always looking for corners, but they’re hard to find.” Cold world!