Certified Closed: Piola

Earlier we reported that the decidedly low-midmarket Burlington Coat Factory, a leading national off-price retail chain, had announced it would open a new flagship store in the space formerly occupied by Filene’s on 14th St. Two months later, no sign of activity and no word when the store will actually arrive.

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation has been doing some reconnaissance to find out what exactly developer Billy Macklowe has planned for his new condo building that will replace Village icon Bowlmor Lanes, and what they’ve found has not heartened them: “[The building] will take the form of a short base with retail uses coming out to the streetwall, and a very tall, narrow, residential tower rising above it. At approximately 308 feet in height, this will be one of the tallest, if not the tallest, buildings in the Village. Apparently Mr. Macklowe has told elected officials that the building will be limestone rather than glass or steel

It was huge hit when it arrived a year ago, but it looks like the Nutella Cafe has become another victim of COVID.

Check out the new Time Out food hall when it opens at 14th. St east of the park on September 26. Will a new food hall succeed in a location where the previous food hall failed? We’ll see.

The stubby little building at 31 East 17th St. on the northern border of Union Square Park next to Barnes and Noble sits on a plot of land that has a very interesting history. Read all about it here.

Ikea opens in Red Hook on June 18 and promoted that fact with pop-up apartment in Union Square. How do you feel about promotions such as this that sometimes take over the south end of the park. Do these advertisers pay for the privilege? And if so, who gets the money?