Thai One On On University Place

The Union Square Partnership has proposed a wide-ranging collection of enhancement to remake Union Square Park, expanding its edges into the surrounding streets to make it a much bigger and more attractive pedestrian-oriented area. Click through the links in their letter below to see much more. 

They write:

The Union Square Partnership is proud to announce the release of the Union Square-14th Street District Vision Plan: a bold new vision for transforming Union Square-14th Street into New York’s most accessible space.

The Wall Street Journal ran an exclusive today showcasing the Vision Plan, stating “…the plan’s ultimate goal is for parkgoers to know they have ‘arrived at a place that is special.'” Read the full article here.  

Building upon USP’s past investments, including the renovation of Union Square Park’s north end, City initiatives like Parks Without Borders, the 14th Street Busway, and the pedestrianization of Broadway, along with the more than one million square feet of new private development underway, our Vision Plan focuses on five key improvements prioritizing accessibility, district-wide connectivity, and substantial increases in public open space.

Designed in collaboration with Marvel, the Vision Plan is the culmination of a two-year-long engagement process working with community members, local business leaders, urban designers, transportation experts, and City and State agency partners. With over a thousand individuals engaged at twenty separate engagement events, it was the largest outreach effort in the Partnership’s 45-year history.

We are sure you will have questions and feedback about the Vision Plan and there will be many opportunities to learn more. The first is our official Vision Plan: Launch Event hosted in collaboration with the Urban Design Forum on Tuesday, January 26th at 12:00 PM. Please RSVP here.

Next, we will be hosting a series of Vision Plan: Community Conversations via Zoom to facilitate more robust discussions and gather feedback. Dates + times will be announced soon but you can express interest in attending a session here.

To familiarize yourselves with the plan, we have launched a dedicated web page with a robust amount of detailed information about the Union Square-14th Street District Vision Plan. Click on the link below to download and read the full report, our info sheet, and press release, as well as view the annotated renderings. There is also an FAQ, which hopefully will address most of your initial questions. You can explore more via unionsquarenyc.org/vision.

We look forward to fostering dialogue in the coming months that will guide our investments and set future priorities. It is my hope that as you review the Vision Plan that you will feel the impact of our collaborative community process and continue to share feedback as we move forward to the next stage.

Next week (August 12 to August 16), material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors inside the building. New School Students will be moving into the building starting August 15th and will continue gradually through the end of August.

The following week (August 19 to August 23), material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors.

This weekend the site will be open on Saturday, August 10th for interior, and sidewalk activities between the work hours of 7AM and 5PM as permitted by the City.

The Hell’s Kitchen restaurant Taboon, which has charmed diners since 2004 with its breads, pizzas and small plates, will soon offer a taste of the Middle East to the NYU crowd.

The owners of the eatery on 10th Avenue and 52nd Street will open a still-unnamed “quick-service” Mediterranean joint at 30 E. 13th St. within the next two months, the realtor for the space announced this week.

The 1,000-square-foot space previously held the Korean restaurant DoSirak, which moved across the street in September and changed its name to BAK Korean Kitchen & Craft Beer Hall.

Fans of Taboon, which New York Times food critic Frank Bruni said put “a deft, sophisticated spin on Middle Eastern food,” will find its new sister restaurant has a similar atmosphere, Kelly Gedinsky of Winick Realty Group LLC said in a statement.

From Bedford + Bowery:

A Union Square institution, Coffee Shop, served its final brunch Sunday with one last samba performance by Maucha Adnet, her trio, and a pair of roving carnival dancers. Charles Milite and Eric Petterson– who own the restaurant with Karolyn Effer, wife of music producer Jellybean Benitez— were on hand for the farewell, and fondly remembered a New York magazine story about the Brazilian diner’s opening 28 years ago. It noted “the  late-nighters who’ve been thronging Coffee Shop and its secret room in the back–artists, actors and young models wearing black tights and gold medallions.” At the time, Patterson said he wanted the 23-hour diner to recreate the feeling of Brazil: “the sensuality, the music, the friendliness of the people.”

Since then, Coffee Shop has held on, despite never really being a foodie destination; its basement, once an after-hours party spot for ’90s cool kids, recently served as a chill-out zone for off-duty models during Fashion Week. And its outdoor tables were a dependable spot for leisurely people-watching. But back in July, it was announced that the restaurant would close. “The times have changed in our industry,” Milite, himself a former model, told the New York Post. “The rents are very high and now the minimum wage is going up and we have a huge number of employees.”

New to the neighborhood: Layers Bakeshop at 209 East 14th St., between 2nd and 3rd Aves.

Check out Lillie’s, a new bar on 17th St. between 5th and Broadway. Cool decor.