By Scott Etkin and Lisa Kava

Stand Up NY, the longtime comedy club at 236 West 78th Street, is planning to move to two new locations, one in Times Square and one near Lincoln Center. Dani Zoldan, owner of Stand Up NY, said on a call with West Side Rag that he expects the new location at 46th Street and Broadway to open March 14th and that the timeframe is less defined for the new location at 66th and Broadway. In the meantime, the current club remains open and there is no set closing date. 

Stand Up NY was founded in 1986 and purchased by Zoldan and Gabriel Waldman in 2008. Zoldan said that the plans to relocate are primarily driven by a decrease in people staying out late at night on the Upper West Side since Covid. The existing 78th Street location is expected to be taken over by New York Comedy Club. A representative from that company, which also has locations in Midtown and the East Village, confirmed this but did have details yet on the timing of the changeover. Speaking at a recent Community Board 7 meeting, Emilio Savone of New York Comedy Club expressed a similar sentiment about how comedy clubs have struggled in recent years. “Since Covid, comedy has taken a hit. Three major clubs have left the city. […] Us and another club called the Comedy Cellar have really been the two that have thrived. We feel like it’s important to keep comedy going.” 

Play Street Museum, an indoor activity and educational space for children ages one through eight years old, opened at 805 Columbus Avenue (near 100th Street) on February 17th. Reservations can be made during the day or after school for drop-in play. It can also be booked for birthday parties and field trips. Play Street operates on a franchise model and the UWS location will be the first one in New York City. James Payne, general manager and owner of the UWS location, learned about Play Street a couple of years ago when on a trip to Texas with his family –- he and his wife took their kids to one to get out of the heat. Payne has lived in New York City for a decade, previously on the UWS and now in Harlem. His wife, who is a nurse, will also work at Play Street part-time. “There is an [indoor] play desert between the Children’s Museum of Manhattan and the Sugar Hill Museum up on 155th,” Payne said on a call with West Side Rag. “So to be able to provide this for families and caregivers of little ones uptown is a dream come true.”

Dragon 89, a Chinese restaurant, opened three weeks ago at 610 Amsterdam Avenue between 89th and 90th streets. Dragon 89 offers traditional Cantonese Chinese dishes for takeout and delivery and there are two tables inside. Simon, the manager, told WSR that there are a few other Dragon restaurants under the same ownership on the Upper East Side. This is the first full-menu Dragon on the Upper West Side, however there is Dragon Sushi (sushi only) on 123rd and Amsterdam, he said. The space used to be another Chinese takeout restaurant called Uncle Luoyang.

Le Labo, the fragrance and perfume brand, is opening at 205 Columbus (between 69th and 70th). It is replacing Marine Layer, the clothing brand which is moving a few blocks north to 420 Columbus (between 80th and 81st). Le Labo opened its first location in Nolita in 2006. It now has stores across the country – the UWS location will be its 10th in Manhattan. (Thanks to Kara and David for the tips.)  

L’Occitane, the French skin and body care store, has signage up at 416 Columbus (corner of 80th Street). Founded in 1976 in Provence, L’Occitane is a global brand selling soaps, moisturizing creams, and other skin, body and hair care products for women and men. The company is also a certified B Corp., which means it is held to a higher standard in terms of fair trade practices and sustainability. There are a few boutiques in Manhattan, including a pop-up at the Turnstyle concourse at Columbus Circle. L’Occitane had two longtime stores on the UWS at 69th and Columbus and 76th and Broadway, which closed in January 2021 when the parent company filed for bankruptcy and shuttered 23 stores. It appears that the company was able to reorganize and restructure its lease portfolio in August 2021. Scotch and Soda, a clothing store that closed in May 2023 was previously in the space. (Thanks to Billy for the tip.)

Consignment on 72nd, a luxury designer consignment boutique, is holding its grand opening on Saturday, February 24th from noon to 6 p.m., at 133 West 72nd Street (between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues). There will be “giveaways” and champagne. The boutique will feature luxury brands such as: Louis Vuitton, Dior, Gucci, Prada, Hermes, Armani, Elie Tahari, among others.

Consignment on 72nd had a “soft opening” on December 9th. “The soft opening allowed us to connect with consignors and stock the store with beautiful inventory,” Victoria Shaffer, designer and collaborator wrote to WSR in an email. “We were able to move racks around and work out kinks based on preliminary engagement with customers. We are so excited to officially open our doors.” Hours will be Tuesdays through Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 7 p.m. If you are interested in giving away luxury brands from your closet, you can make an appointment for consignment consideration, which takes place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The space was formerly an AT&T store.

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