By Scott Etkin and Lisa Kava
Poppie, a toy and children’s furniture brand that opened a pop-up store at the corner of 83rd Street and Broadway last fall, has extended its stay while scaffolding is up thanks to an informal agreement between owner Carlijn Joosten and the landlord. Originally the pop-up was supposed to close in early January, but the landlord is allowing Joosten to stay on temporarily to fill the space. When the scaffolding (which is on both Broadway and 83rd Street) comes down, the landlord plans to look for a permanent tenant to take over the lease. “He is being very generous,” Joosten told West Side Rag in a phone call, and I am happy to stay as long as I can, but will not be able to afford market rent once the scaffolding comes down.”Â
Joosten, an Upper West Side mom originally from the Netherlands, founded the brand in 2018 and sold her products to toy stores. “Poppie” means little doll in Dutch. Using the material rattan, a wooden weave, Joosten designs toys and children’s furniture that is handmade in Indonesia. She approached the landlord back in November 2023 when she noticed the empty storefront on the corner that used to be a Bank of America. The store sells rattan dolls, doll furniture, pretend play pieces, children’s chairs, shelves, hangers, and tables. On April 28th Joosten will host a special day of activities along with special sales, a face painter, and a visit from the owner of the kids’ organic clothing line Tree House.
Broadway Pest Services is moving from its longtime location at 782 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 98th and 99th streets) to 69 Saint Nicholas Avenue at 114th Street on Friday, April 19th. The first 50 customers at the new location, which opens at 3:00 p.m., will receive a free pest control item – no purchase necessary. Broadway Pest Services is also opening offices at 213 West 35th Street (Room 802A). A limited amount of items can be ordered online and then picked up at either location. Broadway Pest Services was founded in 1970 and has been at its 99th Street location for the past 25 years. It provides extermination services for commercial and residential spaces for cockroaches, bed bugs, moths, fleas, rodents, and other pests. The storefront on 114th Street was previously a hair salon.Â
Cafe Aroma, an organic coffee and espresso bar that serves breakfast, opened on Friday, April 12th at 1875 Broadway (at West 62nd Street). This will be the third location for the cafe, which has one at 502 Ninth Avenue and another at 839 Seventh Avenue. Cafe Aroma serves waffles, eggs, pancakes, muffins, pastries, bagels, and açaà bowls. They also serve lattes, matcha, and cappuccino, in addition to drip coffee. The space used to be Melissa’s Gourmet Deli, which closed in spring 2022.
Green Lane Coffee is planning to open a cafĂ© at 204 West 96th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue in mid-May. It will take over the small storefront currently occupied by Gertrude, the coffee shop that’s closing this month. Green Lane has a location on the Upper East Side and previously had one in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. We’ll provide more information on Green Lane nearer to their opening date. Â
The Starbucks at 1889 Broadway (corner of West 63rd Street) has re-opened after being temporarily closed for renovation earlier this year. Hours are listed as 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily.
Kossar’s Watch Update: Signage is up announcing that the long-awaited Upper West Side edition of Kossar’s, the bagel and bialy shop, will open on May 1st at West End Avenue on the corner of West 72nd Street. Rumors of the bakery opening on the Upper West Side have circulated since 2015. The UWS location will make four Kossar’s in NYC – there are already locations on the Upper East Side, Lower East Side, and in Hudson Yards. Thanks to Phyllis T. for the tip.
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We love to see Poppie, but the bigger question is why this building has scaffolding up for over 5 years with no sign of work being done. It is a blight on the block. There are random bikes chained up and the landlord has done nothing to move things along.
And to add insult, as soon as the scaffolding does come down, out goes the unique retail store! A non- blighted storefront is far too good for a small independent business, we must have a chain, a bank or a weed shop!
Unfortunately, that landlord has ruined this block. It’s filthy. has vacancies attracts nefarious activity. The fact there’s no time limit on scaffolding is one of the worst things impacting quality of life in the city.
Anyone have word on the openings of Pop Up Bagels or H Mart
I messaged Pop Up Bagels on Instagram a few weeks ago and they said late April, but nothing more specific or any updates since then.
I walk by the planned H Mart location almost daily. Progress is being made but it’s painfully slow which is not a surprise since I usually see only two workmen on the premises. No one seems to be in a hurry.
What happens to NY Icery that is next to that Pest Control location?
One of the oddest combos – extermination and ices.
For sure is, but they’re good!
The Icery is on hiatus. The common thread is that I own both of them. We brought the Icery’s Manhattan store in to try to help pay some of the rent of having a storefront in NYC. Sadly too many people thought it was an odd combo too I guess. Look for a comeback of the Icery in the next few years.
Will the Icery ever actually offer the soft-serve ice cream advertised in the window? For two solid years the staff there said the machine had just went out and was getting repaired “any day now”. It was bit of a running joke when I kept asking.
The Starbucks at 63/Bway has a “C” health score. A google search says it was earned after evidence of live mice was found. Bon appetit!
Kossar’s bagel place has a May 1 opening sign on the windows at 72nd Street and West End Avenue, on the site that used to be Pier 72. It appears that they have expanded it into a larger space than Pier 72 occupied.
I saw a banquette outside Kossars waiting to be installed about 10 AM today, Wednesday 17 April. Very exciting
This proves that scaffolding just slaughters businesses. No one can see them. Please remove all the scaffolding on the UWS.
I know why we need to have sidewalk sheds but landlords should have to get the nice ones that are taller and let in light instead of turning blocks into nasty eyesores.
Okay, let’s eliminate all the laws that require them and make construction take forever.
Anyone hearing anything about the timeline for Village Square Pizza on Bway and W92 reopening, or the Mediterranean place next door or a renter for CVS on Bway and W93? Stretch between W92 and 94 starting to look like a wasteland.