W Train to Return to Union Square

It’s a bit of a hike, but the new Wegman’s supermarket at Astor Place is worth a visit because it is so huge and so suburban. Prices are competitive across the board, and the variety of items beats any other store in the area. The sad and tired Gristedes on University Place should be worried.

People are raving about the smoothie/fruit salad truck dispensing treats on Broadway just below 14th St., in front of the Virgin store. According to Internet critics, the flavors are fresh and the prices are right.

According to a report from Crain’s New York:

Foot traffic is stepping up in Union Square. The area now sees 11% more visitors on summer Fridays than it did in 2012, according to a recent survey conducted by the Union Square Partnership, the neighborhood’s business improvement district. After counting pedestrians and using data from subway turnstiles, the BID estimates that 383,000 people are in Union Square on a Greenmarket Friday.

“Union Square has it all,” crowed Jennifer Falk, executive director of the BID, in a statement, referring to the park, transit options, shops and the Greenmarket.

In recent months, the neighborhood has also drawn a variety of retailers—from Brooklyn doughnut shop Dough to classic outdoor-clothing brand Eddie Bauer. E-commerce brand Rent the Runway also set up a showroom in the area last fall. According to the BID, Union Square has a ground-floor retail vacancy rate of 2.9%, though several spaces are currently on the market.

Retail rents in the area are pricey and rising. Dylan’s Candy Bar signed a deal for 3,300 square feet at 33 Union Square West, a spot formerly held by Puma, for $545 a square foot in the fall, for example. Such rents have pushed out several longtime retailers, including Union Square Café. The Danny Meyer-owned restaurant announced over the summer it will be vacating its space on East 16th Street after three decades. When Mr. Meyer opened the eatery in 1985, he reportedly paid around $50,000 a year in rent—that price has jumped to $650,000.

What a surprise that Dean & Deluca on University has closed after more than 15 years. What will become of that prime location?

Today Goathamist reports that the city has picked Simon Oren’s Chef Driven Market, LLC to run the restaurant in the pavilion in the northern tip of Union Square. The company currently runs the 5 Napkin Burger chain, as well as a string of other restaurants throughout the city.

The current plan is to run an all-day seasonal American restaurant that will utilize produce from the Union Square Greenmarket, from April through October. The operators also want to annex part of the space just north of the pavilion for outdoor seating and a bar area. The city has reportedly agreed to a 15 year deal with the company. This comes a few months after news broke that OV-Hospitality’s plans for a restaurant in the space called City Farm Cafe fell through.

The newest Citibank branch, at 14th and Broadway, is supposed to be a “flagship” and a model for future bank brances, with hotel-lobby-like amenities and a clubby feeling. Enjoy.