Now open in the former D’Agostino’s location is Agata and Velentina, a high-end grocery store with an Italian flair. Lots of meats, cheeses, and prepared foods. Prices sort of on a par with Garden of Eden. One gripe: the store layout forces you to follow a single path and the result can be crowding and claustrophobia at certain times of the day. Try it out.
From YIMBY.com:
Earlier this month, developer Ranger Properties paid $22,000,000 for two buildings at the corner of University Place and East 13th Street, in the heart of the Village near Union Square. Then EV Grieve reported that longtime stalwart University Place Gourmet had shuttered, along with a Chinese laundry around the corner on 13th Street.
Now plans have been filed to construct a seven-story apartment building on the site at 34 East 13th Street, and Adjmi Architects is designing. There will be six apartments spread across 15,550 square feet of residential space, for a very spacious average unit of 2,591 square feet. They’ll definitely be condos, with just one apartment per floor. Six stories of apartments will be stacked on top of 3,200 square feet of ground floor retail
Amenities listed on the Schedule A include a “private/public” roof deck (maybe there will be both!) and a gym in the cellar.
The 3,300-square-foot property is currently home to three buildings—a four-story apartment building on the corner that has University Gourmet on the ground floor, a single-story building housing a doggy day care, and a three-story apartment building with the laundromat.
Demolition permits have not yet been filed to knock them down.
Before Ranger Properties snapped up the assemblage for $1,100 per buildable square foot, the site hadn’t changed hands since 1980.
However, 34 East 13th Street will seem small compared to the 23-story tower planned one block south at 100 University Place. Harry Macklowe is developing the building, which will stand 309 feet tall and include 52 apartments. Other projects in the hood will also be high-end condos, including 17 East 12th Street and the nearly complete garage conversion at 12 East 13th Street.
Comparing 3rd quarter 2007 to 3rd quarter 2008, real estate prices around here have actually done pretty well, according to the Times.
Neighborhoods that experienced price drops include the Lower East Side and the East Village, where median prices fell 5.5 percent; and Carnegie Hill, where co-op prices decreased 7.2 percent. Median prices in Hamilton Heights and Morningside Heights dropped 30 percent, with sales decreasing to only 19 from 67 in 2007. In Washington Heights, median prices went down 6.3 percent, but the number of sales increased to 24 from 18 in 2007.
The neighborhoods that fared the best through the third quarter included Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue from 59th to 96th Streets, where median prices went up 35 percent. In Lincoln Square, an area between 57th and 72nd Streets from Central Park West to the Hudson River that is home to high-priced apartments in 15 Central Park West and the Time Warner Center, median co-op prices went up 18.6 percent and median condo prices went up 25 percent. Prices also rose in Lenox Hill, where median co-op prices went up 19 percent; and Chelsea, where median co-op and condo prices went up about 6 percent.
Other neighborhoods that experienced increases include Greenwich Village, where median prices for co-ops went up 3.9 percent; Union Square and the Gramercy area, where co-op prices went up 3.3 percent and condo prices went up 2.6 percent; and the Upper East Side, where median co-op prices went up 2.3 percent and condo prices went up 9.1 percent.
The upscaling of the neighborhood continues as Luke’s Lobster opens its doors on University between 13th and 14th, where Crumbs Bakery used to be. Tasty…but pricey.
First it was the mysterious India Pavillion, which survived for many years even though no one ever ate there. Then it was Mauricio for a couple of years. Now Da Andrea is thriving in the spot on West 13th formerly occupied by those two long gone establishments. People sure seem to like it.
How do you feel about Union Square. The Union Square Partnership does an annual opinion survey to find out. Some thoughts from the results:
FOSTERING A THRIVING ECONOMY IN USQ
USP asked respondents to share the types of businesses
they would like to see in Union Square. Half of respondents
would like to see more cultural institutions (50%),
followed by art galleries/exhibitions (48%), and cafés/
coffee shops (47%). Many respondents mentioned wanting
to see more local businesses — including small, curated
stores, non-chain coffee shops and eateries, and specialty
grocery stores. This feedback highlights a strong community
interest in maintaining a vibrant retail environment in
Union Square rooted in unique, local offerings.
ENHANCING LIVABILITY IN USQ
USP is committed to keeping Union Square clean, safe, and
beautiful. The majority of respondents are satisfied (very
satisfied and somewhat satisfied) across key metrics of
USP’s work enhancing livability. Respondents reported the
highest levels of satisfaction with the landscaping of Union
Square Park (87%), planter landscaping (87%), Broadway Plaza
maintenance (85%), and public seating areas (77%). While
most respondents remain pleased with the district’s upkeep,
some expressed a desire for extended hours and seasonality
for the public seating areas as well as improved lighting,
especially in Union Square Park and surrounding streets.
Following USP’s 2023 launch of the Public Safety Officer
(PSO) program, perceptions of public safety improved by
15 points in the 2024 survey. The 2025 survey results show
that this perception has largely stabilized, with 87% of
respondents noting that their perception of public safety
in USP’s Core Services Area (CSA) has improved or seen
no change over the past year. Moreover, the percent of
respondents reporting concerns around public safety within
the CSA decreased by 15% in 2025 compared to 2024.
Next week (June 25 to June 29), Mechanical equipment and work will continue at the 17th and 18th floor levels. The superstructure concrete work will be completed on the building by the end of the month. Deliveries for the internal systems of the building have been ongoing and will continue, although they should not greatly affect the flow of pedestrian and road traffic.
The following week (July 2 to July 6), we will be working on the machine room levels on the 17th and 18th floors. Deliveries for the internal systems of the building have been ongoing and will continue, although they should not greatly affect the flow of pedestrian and road traffic. The crane is scheduled for demobilization on Saturday the 7th.