Say hello to MYKA, the newest addition to Union Square’s dining scene. Founded in Madrid, MYKA specializes in artisanal frozen Greek yogurt made with Greek yogurt and goat’s milk kefir. Rooted in a passion for quality, craftsmanship, and thoughtful design, MYKA offers a fresh take on frozen yogurt that celebrates simple, natural ingredients. MYKA is open at 119 E 15th St.
One great way to enjoy dining discounts all around town: Blackboard Eats. Sign up for free and you get occasional e-mails offering 30% off your *total* bill. No strings attached. It’s a great deal and a great way to try new places. Here in this neighborhood, Fredi Sandwich Shop and Low Country have been prior participants.
Here’s some interesting gossip: “A 50’s-era-themed supper club is slated to open mid-October on 9th Street between 5th and 6th. No live music, but all the Lobster Thermidor, Baked Alaska and old-school cocktails you and your hep date can handle.”
From the NY TIMES:
As bikes abound and roads grow narrower, New York can seem to be turning its back on cars. The rapid disappearance of gas stations may not be helping things either.
Parking garages are befalling similar fates, which may not be that surprising: Often humdrum, and built for function, they rarely seem to be the focus of preservation efforts, and developers have long eyed their sites for their potential.
But in Greenwich Village, two garages are being incorporated into condo developments, at 12 East 13th Street, with eight units, and 17 East 12th Street, with nine.
On East 13th, near Fifth Avenue, DHA Capital and Continental Properties are at work on a garage once used mainly by Hertz, the rental car company, which also had a ground-floor office. With eight floors, the garage was built in 1930, before modern zoning laws were imposed on the low-slung area, limiting height.
Indeed, had the developers torn down the garage and built new, it is doubtful that a new structure could have been as bulky as what is there now, which meant converting was a better option, said Dan Hollander, DHA’s managing principal.
Still, the developers could shift some things around; by shaving off the back of the building and adding that mass to the top, they were able to boost the height to 12 stories.
Other alternations are needed. The windows were not big enough for residential use, so they are being enlarged, as the building also gains a new facade, Mr. Hollander said. But starting with a foundation and walls cut some construction costs on the $75 million project, he added; similarly, the condo will take less time to complete, about 16 months, versus 24 months for ground-up construction.
DHA is also keeping a parking area, but for 11 cars, not 100 as before, and just on the second floor. Residents will drive into the original bay, then a robotic lift will pick up the vehicle and stow it.
Starting at $7.5 million for a three-bedroom, the units went on sale in April, although no contracts had been signed by late June.
An almost identical game plan is being followed on East 12th Street, where Rigby Asset Management is removing walls and floors from the back of the eight-story building to allow it to grow to 11 stories, giving apartments more light and air. There, too, a floor will be kept for parking, on the ground floor, for nine cars; and the same automated apparatus as at East 13th Street will serve as attendant. The nine condos, most of which have four bedrooms, are much pricier, however, starting at $14 million. Sales began at the end of June.
“You get column-free space and tall ceilings,” said Peter Armstrong, Rigby’s managing partner, who previously converted a garage at 73 Wooster Street into a six-unit condo. “You feel like an artist with a blank canvas.”
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.
Here’s the menu for the upcoming Nanoosh hummus joint on University Place. Healthy!
Our downstairs neighbor Corkbuzz is now open. Read about it here.