Certified Open: Pop Pub

Walk through Union Square to learn more about spending your summer down the shore. The New Jersey Tourism Board has opened a promotional office, complete with sand,  just south of Union Square on Broadway.

Mt. Sinai is a hosting a free flu shot clinic at Paragon Sports. Sign up here.

Soon to arrive in the former location of Xu’s Public House in the lavish condo at 15 Union Square West will be Le Basque, a kosher and vegan take on northeastern Spanish cuisine. Interesting.

Next week (April 22 to April 26), material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors inside the building. We will be work on the new sidewalks around the building as well.

The following week (April 29 to May 3), material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors.

This weekend the site will be open on Saturday, April 20th for interior and sidewalk activities between the work hours of 7AM and 5PM as permitted by the City.

Crain’s reports:

Time may be running out for brides to dash to Filene’s Basement. The off-price retailer, famous for its Running of the Brides discount wedding dress events, is on the block. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission Friday, the chain’s Columbus, Ohio-based parent Retail Ventures Inc. said efforts to cut costs “is not likely to lead to sustainable operations for Filene’s basement.”

In January, Retail Ventures had announced the closing of 11 underperforming Filene’s stores, including one in Levittown, N.Y. Yet performance at the remaining 25 locations, which include four in New York City, “has continued to deteriorate significantly since that time,” according to the filing. Retail Ventures, which also owns footwear chain DSW Inc., said it will delay the filing of its annual results with the SEC.

First Au Bon Pain kicks the bucket, and now Tisserie at corner of Union Sq. West and 17th is gone as well.