The Van Leeuwen store in Brooklyn.
Artisanal ice cream and high-end coffee are coming to the Upper West Side.
Popular Brooklyn ice cream shop Van Leeuwen is set to open at 448 Amsterdam Avenue (81st-82nd), which once housed a cozy cuts, the Post reports. Van Leeuwen is known for innovative — and pricey — flavors, including some vegan offerings. Its Earl Grey Tea flavor, for instance comes from the “Rishi Ancient Tree Tea, which is hand harvested in the centuries old tea tree forests of Yunnan.” See the menu here.
Blue Bottle Coffee, an Oakland-based company also known for creating a “lifestyle brand”, has signed a lease to open in the old Gina la Fornarina space in the Verdi Co-op (at 175 W 73), according to a well-placed source.
We apologize for the improper use of a contraction in our initial version of this post. It clearly caused much anger, and it has been fixed. Everyone involved in the printing of the incorrect contraction has been disciplined and placed on probation.
I’m still holding out for a Bluestone Lane, my favorite Aussie coffee shop 🙂
I second that!
I love that Aussie coffee house which serves very healthy smoothies and sandwiches. Sometimes Ileave the UWS and go over to 89th and Fifth and indulge!
Van leeuwen has a very large dairy free selection, which is appreciated.
Great packaging and interesting flavors, unfortunately this is pedestrian ice cream at best. I personally think that the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory under the Brooklyn Bridge has the best ice cream in NYC. Ample Hills is also great.
What a relief! I’ve been looking for a place to get a cup of coffee in the area! 😉
Ha ha ha. And I wish they’d put up a cafe or restaurant (with artisanal tables and chairs). There’s no where to eat around here on the UWS.
The Bagel Nosh, they are not.
An ice cream shop, they are. Why would they sell bagels?
think Sean was responding broadly to shishi factor of Van Leeuwen, I mean how do you even pronounce it?
Van Leeuwen is opening on practically the same block as Amarino Gelato? Great business decision there (not).
Witch one do you go to and whine at? Tell me so I can go to the other one.
Just what we need: another coffee outlet.
We do – at least one that serves decent coffee and is not overtaken by homeless people thinking it’s a homeless shelter from the Deblasio admin.
Love Blue Bottle, one of the few places that can make a single origin espresso shot that doesn’t taste sour. Psyched that they are coming to the neighborhood!
What great news about blue bottle!!! Isn’t joe still being planned to open on that block too?
Artisanal —> expensive. A few years ago frozen yogurt was the fad. Now there’s a salad shop every other block. Now it’s “artisanal” ice cream? Amorino has a MUCH better selection than Van Leeuwen, and it’s only 2 blocks away. “Known for innovative flavors”?? Like chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, pistachio, peanut butter, or mint chip? Not sure if “innovative” is the most accurate word. 🙂
The descriptions on the Van Leeuwen website are really something for the ages.
Wow people in this comment section always have something to complain about. I’m excited about these new businesses. Bring on more ice cream and coffee!
Agreed! Blue Bottle is amazing, and I’m happy that we’ll have a location closer than Rockefeller Center. I love Joe as well, but the line is always so long. Since Oren’s is gone, it will be nice to have some more non-Starbucks options. Fingers crossed that we’ll get a Gregory’s at some point, too!
I scream
You scream
We all scream
For ice cream!
High end ice cream is not exactly what the neighborhood needs but I would rather have the space occupied by something like this than something extremely downmarket or not occupied at all.
Leon, are you serious! You would rather this space not be occupied at all because you don’t rate a fancy coffee shop???
It is said upthread, but commentators on here are the biggest whiners. I cannot believe you would not want to see a new store open in a vacant storefront.
Please re-read what I wrote. I said that I am happy that the space is occupied, even if it is not the ideal occupant. And I also said though this is not my preferred occupant, we could also do a lot worse, so I am not complaining at all.
VL is VERY different than Amorino, and HALLELUJAH for Blue Bottle! I don’t think we have enough solid coffee places on the UWS in the 70s — that’s why Irving Farm is always packed, and Joe’s is meh. Happy day!!!
The ice-cream version of Farinella.
Oh, save us from these high-end, artisanal shops: beer, coffee, cheese, breads and now ICECREAM! As if the Upper West Side needs yet another icecream shop – while we lose our basic UWS icons like the Lincoln Plaza movie theatre!
Artisanal or not, bread, beer, cheeses and ice cream – all add tons of calories and unnecessary pounds to our Upper West Side bodies. Help, save us New Yorkers!
I hope this is bad sarcasm and not the typical WestSideRag fuddy-duffyism.
Blue Bottle is great. The beans are pricey but worth it if you are a coffee snob.
For me, it starts and ends with GROM.
And we’re supposed to dance in the streets over this stuff?
How small can we go?
Hand crafted for centuries from the tree forests of Yunnan, are they ^#&@ serious?!? An artisanal ice-cream shop, really?!?
What’s next…lifestyle brand coffee….oh hell…and there it is….damn!
I think J. Peterman writes their copy. 😀
Artisinal ice cream? No thanks. Same with artisinal donuts. Whenever hipster neckbeards get their hands on something, expect the worst.
Psssst. It should be “Its,” not “It’s,” before “Earl Grey”. Come on.
It should be “Its'” not “Its”.
And Emack and Bolio’s is at 79th and Amsterdam, two blocks away. Someone really wants UWSers to eat ice cream (and gelato)
And to that, I say: Cool 🍦
Nothing useful left on UWS. 72 could use a good old fashion Chinatown style restaurant— I know I am dreaming. Miss the Burger Joint. Utopia needs competition. Oh please, Wasabi Sushi & Bento come on up, Little stupid cupcakes go away, BTW, tell everyone what Fairway does not want you to know— they must give you the 6% discount on Tuesday& Wednesday if you are at least 60, Unless you are hell bent on wasting money eggs are cheapest at TJ and Pioneer has specials every week, Housing works for housewares, Marshall’s for select food storage dishes…. ok ya gotta search
Chinese restaurant? There is a Jing Fong on the UWS. Prices are not the same as Chinatown, but nor are rents up here.
Actually the Fairway Senior Discount is only in their suburban stores. They do not offer it in Manhattan.
They started giving the discount on Tues & Wed in Manhattan about 2 months ago. Not all the cashiers know so let them check with a manager.
The Goop of ice creams.
An irony….as the West Side demographic becomes slicker and wealthier – the SoulCycle folks – there has also been a bakery proliferation…
I know some folks will think these two stores are positive additions to the neighborhood. I’m not one of them.
I’m sure that the super health conscious UPWsiders will be flocking to a high cholesterol, high sugar, high calories establishment. One wonders what is going on in their heads.
More coffee on the UWS, just what we needed. Although there is a new coffee place in the neighborhood (Columbus/76) called Da Capo which I recently grabbed a cappuccino at and it was as smooth and rich flavored as the ones I got in Italy. The gentlemen working there said that they only use a special blend of Italian beans. If you like really smooth and strong coffee with no bitter aftertaste give it a try.
Blue bottle is owned by the bastards Nestle!!!
Nestle steals water. Amoung a million other horrific things!
How does one steal water?
The negative comments in here are so bizarre. Im not sure what else ppl want these days. More Duane Reades? More Starbucks? More Banks? Blue Bottle serves really good coffee. They are a chain these days, but their stores are always pleasant and the coffee is mostly very good and a notch above any Starbucks or bodega brew. As for VL – this is a local business. And while their more creative flavors are not their forte, the classics like vanilla and chocolate are very well done. High quality ingredients are used. Amorino may be nearby, but their product is commercial gelato. It’s good to have choices. One can take the overflow of the other.
We will not rest until Bagel Nosh and Teachers Too return, Fairway lowers their prices, and the junkies return to Needle Park aka Sherman Square!
Bonus points for Levy Brothers and Morris Brothers too..
To the barricades!
Not it’s (contraction) its (possessive e.g., his). Shame on you.
I can’t understand. It doesn’t make sense. I would’ve lost my mind. I daren’t think about it. Who call’st me villian. A contraction I’ll placed is a contraction of damn’d!