A Sad Sayonara to Japonica

Just what the neighborhood didn’t need: another place to spend $6 on coffee. Joe and the Juice will open a new location at the corner of University and 13th St., the site formerly occupied by the defunct Nutella Cafe.

Au Bon Pain on 5th Avenue….dunzo.

Here’s an update on Union Square reconstruction:

Work is progressing quickly to repave the 16th Street transverse. Crews are laying a new concrete base to better support the asphalt pavers for this heavily-trafficked portion of the park. Special care is being taken to preserve the root systems of the elm trees that bisect the pathway, and access to the center lawn for the disabled will be part of the final design. Repaving is expected to be completed by Labor Day.
The center and east play areas are also moving along, with equipment installation nearly complete for both sections. The enormous Big Mountain play feature, fabricated by a silo manufacturer on Long Island, was welded together on site last week. The bulk of the remaining work will encompass retaining wall, decorative fence and bench installation, and final landscaping. In other construction news, Pavilion roof waterproofing, flashing and cornice work continues, as does new plaster work on the interior ceiling. Concrete and paver installation on the east plaza was recently finished, and excavation will soon begin on the east sidewalk south of the 16th Street transverse.

BobaBox, located in our building, didn’t last too long.

This time it’s for real. Maybe. On Thursday, the 14th St. Busway will go live, bringing with it an unknown amount of change and perhaps chaos the neighborhood. Once it’s in effect, the Busway will mean that the only way to get crosstown westbound without interruption will be on 13th St. since neither 11th St. nor 15th St. cut across town uninterrupted. Will 13th St. become a nightmare? We shall soon see.

Word is that the neighborhood’s first 7-11 convenience store will move in on 14th St. near 6th Ave.