By Scott Etkin and Lisa Kava
Taco Tavern at 480 Amsterdam Avenue (between 83rd and 84th Streets) has closed and an Irish pub called The Avenue will be moving into the space. Colum Flattery, one of the owners, told West Side Rag that the pub’s menu will have a southern influence, serving Cajun stuffed prime rib, vegan and standard jambalaya, baby ribs, and tequila lime wings. The Avenue will also serve cocktails on tap, frozen margaritas, and Irish coffee. He is hoping to open on May 2nd and renovations on the space are already underway. (Thanks to Caroline for the tip.)
A gastropub (name not yet announced) is planning to open at 174 W. 72nd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam by the end of the year. The space has been vacant for a decade but has been home to Irish pubs dating back to the 1950s (previously P.D. O’Hurley’s and prior to that, Donohue’s). The new establishment will have four principal owners, including Michael Nash and Carmel Galvin, who run the bars Faces & Names and Rumors in Midtown, “Our focus is going to be on a good kitchen,” said Galvin, speaking at a Community Board 7 meeting. She said that they will serve food until 3am to cater to late-night workers in the service industry who have little alternatives to fast food at that hour. “We’re going to light up that corner,” said Nash, who noted that the area has become less busy since the pandemic. “A little foot traffic will add to the safety of the neighborhood.”
Variazioni, the discount women’s clothing store, has moved into the long-vacant Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf at 532 Amsterdam (corner of 86th Street) as of last week. A store clerk told the Rag that it is a permanent location, not a pop-up. Variazioni has a few other locations in NYC, including the Upper West Side, that frequently run sales. (Thanks to Jamie for the tip.)
Broadway Pizza, the longtime restaurant at 2709 Broadway between 103rd and 104th Streets has reopened after a renovation. The updated space includes a new cappuccino bar, wrote tipster Ava. Broadway Pizza was established in 1992 and changed management in September 2020.
The Starbucks on Columbus and 86th Street is closed temporarily for renovations. A sign on the window apologizes to customers for any inconvenience and says they are working to re-open the store on Monday, April 17th. (Thanks to Joanna for the tip.)
Spectrum has opened a large store at 2829 Broadway (at 109th Street), the 40th location in the NYC region for the internet and telecom company. It will feature “the latest devices and accessories for Spectrum Mobile,” according to a press release. “Along with ordering and sampling Spectrum services, customers also can complete a variety of transactions at the store, including account paymounts and upgrading or exchanging equipment.” Store hours are Monday through Saturday from 10am to 8pm and Sunday from noon to 5pm.
Zurna, a falafel, hummus, and burger restaurant, has signage up at 2715 Broadway between 103rd and 104th Streets, at the former home of the long-time restaurant Jerusalem. Zurna refers to a woodwind instrument used to play folk music. (Thanks to Ken, Julie and Linda for the tips.)
Can’t believe the old P.D. O’Hurley’s on W 72nd has been vacant for a decade. I walk by it all the time and always think, why is this spot still vacant? Great location. Wonder why it sat empty for ten years?
was empty cause the owner considers tearing down the builds and construction a large condo.
Actually that large mentally ill woman who slept in front of the entrance for a year and a half destroyed any plans the owners had to re-open. I spoke to the owners and they are just done with the Upper West Side. The building is landmarked and so can’t be torn down.
72nd between Broadway and Amsterdam doesn’t exist. You mean between Amsterdam and Columbus.
Oops
I recognize the reference to a Philly cheesesteak place I never got to visit in Philly. Love the name
Thanks
It’s great to see something finally going into the 72nd/Amsterdam space. But,Isn’t a bar serving Southern food a Southern bar and not an Irish bar?
That puzzled me, too. The only thing Irish about it seems to be the owner’s name.
Is Vazioni a discount store? I see very high prices then a markdown but certainly not low enough to be called a discount. Others?
whatever became of kossars and friend of a farmer?
Friend of a farmer…. Overheard someone today Infront today say they were planning to open last Sept but they had delays. Still on track for opening, just don’t in know when.
I looked in the window of Kossars and saw just the debris from the old place.
Why was the building in such a mad rush to close the restaurant just to leave another empty space? I was really looking forward to Kossars but it doesn’t seem like any progress is being made there. : (
This is simply untrue. The building didn’t close the restaurant. The Pier 72 guy didn’t want to renew his lease. As for Kossar’s, they need to renovate that space to bring it up to code. And that takes time…
As reported at the time, the diner owner wanted to retire. The building tried to keep him.
I saw on Nextdoor someone who lives in the building said there was another tenant who spent a year doing nothing and then Kossar’s took over the lease.
It takes time to renovate and get started on these big projects. I’m looking forward to a shorter walk than Zucker’s for my bagels.
West End Super on 65th/WEA has closed up shop. Now it is just another vacant storefront on the UWS.
It has been closed for about one month.
I’m thinking and hoping that the folks bringing restaurants to West End Avenue — a bit of a desert — like El Fish, Friedman’s, etc, bring it to life. Meantime, I’m grateful for Gracefully, Brooklyn Fare, and the few eateries we do have.,
Does anyone know what’s going in at the corner of 84 & Columbus? The worker said a nail salon. Please say that was a joke. I wish we had a gift/card shop on the UWS. Not a gazillion dollar one. A place you could grab a little something nice. For example. A place where cards are not 7/8/9 dollars. A candle is not $40. Anybody remember Son of a Card?
Loved cardeology…..
People support higher minimum wages, paid sick leave, etc and then complain about the prices.
Try Gold Leaf Stationers (https://www.goldleafstationersnyc.com) at 608 Amsterdam (between 89th & 90th). It has a good selection of cards under $5, office supplies and lots of other cool stuff you didn’t know you needed. Plus the owner is a lovely fellow and you can get pictures custom framed there.
Agreed. I’ll pay higher prices here (vs. Staples/Amazon) to support this local business. The owner is really nice/helpful
and has excellent taste in the items he stocks. For a small space, it has surprisingly good art supplies as well. So glad COVID didn’t kill the store, but I’m sure it was tough.
Covid didn’t kill stores. Govt restrictions did. Restrictions implemented by city officials.
Have you been to Magpie, on Amsterdam near 84th? I don’t recall seeing cards there, but they have a ton of interesting, original small gifts, generally well-priced. It’s the kind of quirky shop that the UWS used to have lots of before we became inundated with nail salons, eyebrow emporia, and smoke shops.
they have lots of great cards at Magpie, a big selection.
There’s always the Paper House. They moved a block away to a smaller location on Amsterdam btwn 73-74. Not sure about candles, but they have a good selection of cards and party supplies.
So glad that B’Way Pizza is back – stopped in there the other night for a slice on my way home. There are people who say that it’s not as good as Sal & Carmine’s (and it isn’t) or Mama II (which I’ll admit is incredible), but its location is primo.
Glad to see that Zurna is moving in to Jerusalem’s slot – I loved the old place, banging shwarma (and since Bereket closed there’s really no good doner-facsimile in the city), looking forward to visiting Zurna when it opens.
I read Bereket has reopened! (Would love an outpost on the UWS)
Spectrum is a blight on the neighborhood and the city. Dreadful.
Upper West Side has a oversupply of store space. I am grateful to any business which will generate foot traffic., thereby making streets safer and more pleasant to walk.
Why do you have that opinion?
The have attractive store front, provide a valuable service, pay rent, take a large real estate footprint, and have provide employment.
I’m pretty sure they’re of the opinion that Spectrum’s coverage/service is dreadful, rather than the existence of their storefronts. But hey, I could be wrong.
Does anyone know what’s going in to the two storefronts at 97th and Broadway?
I believe a Chipotle if I’m not mistaken.
Does anyone know if the Ballfields cafe in Central Park will ever reopen?
Good cards at Dwayne Reade 609 Columbus /89th Columbus, even for special birthdays. Hard to find.
Yes and thanks to Alvin Bragg payment is optional. What a time to be alive.
DiDi Dumplings on Amsterdam closed. It wasn’t opened very long but I thought it was great!
What has happened to the space where Victoria’s Secret was on 85th and Broadway. Your column announced a Panera months ago but there is nothing there but a garbage dump.
It is still subject to debate whether that will be a Panera or if that was just a generic covering on the windows that happened to have Panera on it. They seemed to be working on it for a while but lately it has been very quiet.
Though the guy who has been living outside of it for ages is still there and giving nasty glares to anyone who looks his way. I wish the new tenant good luck getting rid of him. But heaven forbid we violate his right to choose to live on the street and rot away while bothering innocent pedestrians (particularly children) who are minding their own business.
Taco Tavern replaced J.G. Melon, but I never understood why the latter went out of business at all: they were a fabulous addition to the neighborhood, and they were always busy. They last for several years, almost up to the pandemic. I am betting (sadly) that this will become another location that will change hands yearly, if not even more frequently.
Re the “temporary” closing of Starbucks on 86th/Columbus, I wonder if this has anything to do with the announcement that they just took over the huge empty location at the NE corner of 86th/Broadway. BTW, when Starbucks “upgrades” or “renovates,” one of the things you can be sure of is that they will be eliminating the bathroom. They have been doing this consistently throughout their Manhattan locations. 🙁
For better or worse Starbucks has been known for providing public restrooms since they arrived. Over past few decades things have just gotten too much out of hand so it appears SB is withdrawing that space.
Homeless, drug dealers and users, taxi/car share drivers, delivery persons and rest treat SB’s bathrooms as public restrooms. It is the staff you feel sorry for that have to go in there and clean up what often best described as filth.
More to point SB makes no revenue from providing said public benefit. People who don’t even bother ordering a drink or even leaving a small tip to staff just walk in any SB and expect to use the bathroom.
Even worse street fairs and other events frequently tell vendors and others that any local SB location is free for use of bathrooms. So you have a line of people from street fair queuing up for bathroom while those who actually purchased something are made to wait.
If there’s one corporation whose profits we need not lament, it’s Starbucks. They’re a company who have repeatedly denied unionizing for its baristas and cashiers, while also being known for taking over areas with independent businesses and driving them out by saturating the area with locations until the competition is forced to close. The issue isn’t that people overuse their bathrooms, the issue is there’s a glut of public restrooms available to the general public leaving everyone to work with what they can find.
I think you mean “LACK of public bathrooms.” Agree.
When is Panera’s opening up or is that just a cruel rumor?
Two Boots Pizza sign is back up, *fingers crossed* they still plan on opening up
When is the movie theater/restaurants opening on Broadway and 99th?
supposedly sometime this year: https://friendsofmetrotheater.org/news/our-hard-work-has-paid-off
That is the zillion dollar question
So glad someone is opening another falafel stop where Jerusalem was. Hopefully it’ll be just as excellent
Oasis nails has been closed all weekend-. Anyone know what’s going on?