Canadian Invasion

Looking west on 13th St. at the corner of 5th Ave., 1915

From the press release:

Soon New Yorkers, known for their culinary palettes, will be able to enjoy the taste of Nutella® in a variety of unique dishes tailored especially for them. Ferrero, a global confectionery company and the maker of Nutella® The Original Hazelnut Spread®, today announced it will be opening a Nutella Cafe at 13th Street and University Place, near Union Square, by the end of the year. Nutella Cafe New York will feature a Nutella-inspired cafe menu and specialty espresso beverages. The first Nutella Cafe opened on May 31, 2017 in Chicago.

“There truly is nothing like the taste of Nutella® hazelnut spread, and with the overwhelmingly positive reaction to Nutella Cafe Chicago, we know our fans feel the same way. It’s their excitement that propelled us to open another Nutella Cafe and continue to showcase the uniqueness and versatility of this beloved product,” said Rick Fossali, vice president of operations, Nutella Cafe.

“Nutella is global power brand and the popularity of the spread is built on Ferrero’s uncompromising focus on quality ingredients. As a multicultural epi-center, New York gives us the opportunity to explore and offer new ways for our local fans to enjoy Nutella, while reaching millions of tourists visiting the city,” added Fossali.

For more information and updates on the Nutella Cafe New York, please check out the Nutella USA Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

Next week (June 4 to June 5), Superstructure work will continue at the 18th floor level. The superstructure concrete work will be completed on the building buy the end of the month. Deliveries for the internal systems of the building have been ongoing and will continue, although they should not greatly affect the flow of pedestrian and road traffic.

The following week (June 11 to June 15), we will be working on the machine room levels on the 18th floor. Deliveries for the internal systems of the building have been ongoing and will continue, although they should not greatly affect the flow of pedestrian and road traffic. The crane on site will be demobilized and removed from site at the end of June.

This weekend the site will be open on Saturday, June 2nd for superstructure related activities between the work hours of 7AM and 5PM as permitted by the City. To control noise levels within the site, work activities will be limited to the placement of formwork and concrete, plumbing and electrical work, rebar for concrete placement, using the crane and equipment to support all activities. Safety horns are used, and required by law, to coordinate lifting with the crane and to alert the workers of the danger overhead. We have directed the operators to limit the use of horns to one short sounding and to use the crane later in the day so as to avoid any excess noise.

Here’s the news: “The New York City Water Board voted on Friday morning to approve a 14.5 percent increase for water and sewer rates, the largest increase since 1992. When the new rate is in place on July 1, according to the city’s Independent Budget Office, water rates will have risen a cumulative 77 percent since 2001, and double-digit increases are expected to keep coming for at least a few more years.”

This is one of those uncontrollable costs that bedevil the co-op’s budget every year. The only thing we can do about it: use less water. We’ve already taken steps to examine our infrastructure and make sure we have discovered any sources of waste and leaks. Other than that, it’s all about less consumption.

Stop by apartment 5E (Peter and Ellis) this coming Thursday at 6-7 PM to see their renovation underway and get a unique chance to see the guts of the building exposed.

Here’s a 1910 view of the south side of 14 St. looking east from 6th Ave. from what was then the platform of the elevated train. As you can see, Macy’s was headquartered there (where Urban Outfitters is now) and expanded along the block over time as it grew. Eventually, the cobbled-together space got too complicated and the store decamped for its massive new digs in Herald Square. If you look closely at this building today, you can still see vestiges of Macy’s red star icon in a few places.