Zen Palate Is Back

Niall will be away until Thursday October 15.

Backing him up is James, at 917-689-4884

Now open in the former D’Agostino’s location is Agata and Velentina, a high-end grocery store with an Italian flair. Lots of meats, cheeses, and prepared foods. Prices sort of on a par with Garden of Eden. One gripe: the store layout forces you to follow a single path and the result can be crowding and claustrophobia at certain times of the day. Try it out.

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

From the paper:

A new tech hub, which had its land use application approved on Feb. 27, is one step closer to coming to Union Square — between NYU’s Palladium Residence Hall and University Residence Hall. The new facility, currently branded as the Union Square Tech Hub, would replace the recently vacant 124 E. 14th St. address that P.C. Richard & Son formerly occupied.

Mayor Bill de Blasio advocated for the construction of the hub early last year, but approval has been met by opposition from local community groups concerned of overdevelopment.

On one hand, NYU supports the building addition but it has no part in the hub’s construction besides the neighboring walls of two of its residence halls.

“NYU hasn’t had any direct involvement in the project,” university spokesperson John Beckman wrote in an email. “However, we have supported the overall efforts to strengthen [New York City’s] science, tech and innovation economy, from the creation of our own Center for Urban Science and Progress to the development of 370 Jay St. as a tech hub in downtown Brooklyn to Tandon’s [Tandon School of Engineering’s] stewardship of several incubators. The Union Square Tech Hub is meant to advance NYC’s [New York City’s] tech economy, and that’s an objective NYU supports.”

The hub would generate 600 jobs and would feature office spaces for startup tech companies, according to the mayor’s office.

The 2021 Union Square Partnership annual report is full of interesting facts, figures, and insights about the neighborhood. Click to see.