Life in Union Square is about to get a little tastier. The Real Deal reports that Dylan’s Candy Bar signed a long-term lease for 3,300 square feet at 33 Union Square West between Blue Water Grill and Heartland Brewery. Loosen you belts, because sweet addition joins Breads Bakery on the west side of Union Square, which has already become a neighborhood hit with its sweet baked goods.
This image looks southeast from the park toward the intersection of 14th St. and 4th Ave. in 1922, almost exactly 100 years ago. Note that at the time, the statue of George Washington stood at that corner.
The New York Times reports:
This season’s inclement weather affected farmers’ markets as much as their crops, and customers lost early on never really came back. Just ask Michael Hurwitz, director of greenmarkets for the Council on the Environment of New York City.
“God, this was a tough year,” Mr. Hurwitz said. Market problems snowballed from the spring, when less produce than usual was available because of rain, cool weather and late planting on vendors’ farms. “That impacted customers coming back to market,” he said. “Spring is not for making money; it’s for getting customers in. Fall is for making money — and less people all season came to the markets.”
Those all-important weekends, including the two biggest market weekends of the season in mid-October, were rainy, and that meant fewer shoppers, Mr. Hurwitz said. At the largest market, in Union Square, business was off by as much as 40 percent this season. The economic crisis compounded the low turnout, though on the bright side, he said, it generally kept vendors from raising prices.
But farmers like John Glebocki had little choice. Mr. Glebocki is an Orange County farmer who sells his produce exclusively at 22 farmers’ markets, most of them in the New York City system. He figures he lost nearly 50 percent of his 80 acres of mixed vegetables, but he has faith in his customers. “People understand it’s a low production year,” he said, “and if we have to tack on another quarter a pound.”
We still don’t know who’s behind the design of the upcoming and controversial Union Square restaurant, but we do know who’ll be cooking there: chef Don Pintabona of O-V Hospitality Group, formerly of Tribeca Grill. In exchange for running the restaurant, O-V Hospitality has to invest $1.1 million in its construction. The design will “integrate historic elements of Union Square,” be called City Farm Cafe, and open in spring 2012.
Gotham Bar & Grill, the longest-running high-end dining establishment in the neighborhood, is done.
According to Eater.com…
After 36 years — and one major, recent chef change — fine dining trailblazer Gotham Bar & Grill is closing. Saturday, March 14 will be its last night of service, according to an email sent to customers.
Restaurants across the city are closing temporarily as new measures to curb the coronavirus outbreak have led to declines in sales, but Gotham will not be reopening.
The closure follows a brief tenure from its new chef Victoria Blamey, who started leading the kitchen only last year — and was a significant change for the longtime regulars of the storied American fine dining restaurant. The previous chef, Alfred Portale, ran the kitchen for more than three decades and through its many accolades, including Michelin stars and James Beard Awards. He left to open his first solo restaurant, Portale, in Chelsea.
Blamey did not come into an easy situation. Much of the staff and the clientele were intensely loyal to Portale, who created dishes that became icons, like a riff on tuna tartare. He’d also been there for most of the restaurant’s tenure. Gotham opened in Greenwich Village in 1984, and he took over the large, white tablecloth establishment a year later.
Moreover, Gotham is a fine dining legend; its menu shaped what American fine dining looks like in New York. The pressure was on for Blamey, who was expected to bring a younger crowd to the restaurant. And under her, Gotham retained its three stars in the New York Times, with Pete Wells delighting in her additions to the menu.
From YIMBY:
Permits have been filed for an 11-story mixed-use building at 31 East 17th Street in Union Square, Manhattan. Located between Broadway and Park Avenue South, the through lot is steps from the 14th Street-Union Square subway hub, serviced by the 4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, and W trains. Ken Rosenblum under the Four Roses LLC is listed as the owner behind the applications.
The proposed 168-foot-tall development will yield 39,669 square feet, with 26,023 square feet designated for commercial space and 12,240 square feet for community facility space. The concrete-based structure will also have a cellar.
David Kubik of BKSK Architects is listed as the architect of record. The architectural firm is also responsible for the glass dome addition atop the neighboring 44 Union Square.
What was briefly Rulin hand-pulled noodles on our 13th St. block has suddenly transformed into Taco Lane. Here is the write-up: “Taco Lane, the Asian taco bistro from the couple behind Brooklyn’s beloved Noodle Lane, is officially open in Union Square in the space that was formerly known as Rulin. Taco Lane is owned and operated by Li and her husband, Chris Wang, who have backgrounds in finance and technology, respectively. However, they made a significant shift in their careers to pursue food full-time. Li’s story is one of remarkable resilience spanning from her childhood in China and Flatbush to her becoming a chef. After completing her training at the Institute of Culinary Education while simultaneously working in finance, the birth of her son, Jackson, served as a catalyst for her decision to dedicate her life to the culinary arts. This pivotal moment ultimately led to the successful establishment of Noodle Lane at Smorgasburg in 2011. Subsequently, a brick-and-mortar location was opened in Park Slope in 2023, and now, the latest of the “Lane” locations has arrived in the form of Taco Lane.”
