Weird Walgreens Gets Weirder

This is S. Klein, the famous discount clothing store that did business on the east side of Union Square for decades.

Our newest neighborhood business, Crumbs Cupcakes, opens on Friday on University between 13th and 14th. The big news: they’ll give away 1,000 cupcakes. No word yet on the opening time, but line up early.

Curbed reports: The curvy low-rise building at 61 Fifth Avenue, devastated by fire in 2006, has been marked for death ever since the structure—a former Scrafft’s luncheonette (see photo at top left circa 1940)—was sold to a developer in early 2008. An architect was quickly enlisted to draw up plans for a 10-story building with apartments and ground-floor retail, and it was made clear that the current 61 Fifth Avenue was too far gone to be preserved in any manner. Has the economy put a pause on those plans? Perhaps, but broker-blogger Andrew Fine reports that demolition permit was issued for the property in December, so the wrecking ball could come calling any day now.

So long, old friend.

The New York Post offers this brief history of Union Square. It’s interesting to note that before the subway was built, the park was at street level. When the subway came through, the whole park was torn up and elevated several feet, which why you enter it via stairs today.

Did you catch the NY Times raving about Union Square? Good for real estate values.