Harvest ’24

On October 26, the owners of the upcoming Reyna restaurant, which is taking over the Le Midi space on 13th St., held an introductory Zoom call. Attendance was sparse, but it was interesting to hear their plans and to have the chance to voice concerns pre-emptively.

The restaurant will likely be open until 11 on weekdays and midnight on weekends. It is meant to be an upscale drinking/dining experience, not a noisy bar. They will also be using the Karaoke Cave space as a site for “French Karaoke” as well as sort of a holding space for people who may be waiting for a table (a problem Le Midi certainly never had).

They also plan to build a street-side dining shed, most of which will occupy the space now being used by Corkbuzz.

In general, they seemed quite eager to hear about any issues that nervous neighbors like us might have ahead of time, rather than deal with our anger later. They hope to open in the March/April time frame.

You can get an idea of what Reyna will be like by visiting the Web site for their two locations in Toronto:  www.barreyna.com 
If you have any questions, you can contact them directly:

Nicki at nicki@barreyna.com
Etienne at 646-421-4242.

Interesting fact. The new Best Buy at the corner of 14th and 4th will be open all night.

A state Supreme Court judge has lifted a temporary order blocking the city from rolling out its bedeviled 14th Street busway pilot. Justice Eileen Rakoff ruled that the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) complied with state law that mandates the agency study the impact of banning private cars on the surrounding residential streets.

After reviewing documents from the city and the coalition of Manhattan residents petitioning the busway, Rankoff lifted the temporary restraining order that blocked the pilot’s July launch on Tuesday. DOT spokesperson Alana Morales says the agency is beginning work “immediately” and will launch the busway on Monday, August 12.

Transit advocates who have long called for the pilot program, which was originally timed to launch with work on the L train’s Canarsie Tunnel, praised the ruling as a “huge victory.”

“When riders organize, the whole city wins,” says Danny Pearlstein with the Riders Alliance. “The 14th Street busway will provide faster and more reliable bus trips, saving precious time for tens of thousands of people who badly need it.”

Others charge that the ruling sets a key precedent for other streets where residents seek to use the courts to “circumvent the democratic process in order to preserve the car-dominant status quo”— such as Central Park West where members of an Upper West Side condo board are suing to block a bike lane, says Marco Conner, the deputy director of Transportation Alternatives.

Andrade Shoe Repair, on University between 12th and 13th, will be dunzo on April 25. It’s a shame.

Brandy Melville has arrived at the corner of 13th and 5th to sell high-end fashion to the neighborhood. It’s a far cry from the old deli or Lonestar Cafe.

Wondering what happened to the cute green building on 13th between 5th and 6th that housed Taste of Tokyo and La Dolce Vita? It’s gone. In its place will rise a small boutique hotel.