Gone: New York Health and Racquet Club

Women’s Wear Daily recently wrote about trends in real estate, shopping, and dining in the Union Square area.
Read all about it here. 

Now, of course, it is apartments, but it was built as the home of Fairchild Publishing.

It looks like shuttered Indian restaurant Babu Ji may be rising from its wage theft lawsuit ashes into the old All’onda space at 22 East 13th Street. A neighbor happened upon the space at an opportune moment, when a garbage bag hanging over a brand-new sign at the address fell down, revealing the words “Babu Ji” for all to see. It’s an unexpected changeover for the space — up until very recently, Red Farm restaurateur Ed Schoenfeld was planning to take the space for a new restaurant called The Mess. The restaurant with chef Zod Arifai was completely built out and had even hired staff and hosted friends and family in February when all work came to a halt in March. Schoenfeld previously told Eater the hold-up was initially a result of issues with the Community Board, who recommended a denial of the space’s liquor license. Schoenfeld did not immediately respond to inquiries, and Babu Ji owners Jennifer and Jessi Singh declined to comment.

Looking east from across 5th Avenue down 13th St. All those lovely buildings are now the gaping pit of the New School construction site.

From YIMBY:

Permits have been filed for an 11-story mixed-use building at 31 East 17th Street in Union Square, Manhattan. Located between Broadway and Park Avenue South, the through lot is steps from the 14th Street-Union Square subway hub, serviced by the 4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, and W trains. Ken Rosenblum under the Four Roses LLC is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 168-foot-tall development will yield 39,669 square feet, with 26,023 square feet designated for commercial space and 12,240 square feet for community facility space. The concrete-based structure will also have a cellar.

David Kubik of BKSK Architects is listed as the architect of record. The architectural firm is also responsible for the glass dome addition atop the neighboring 44 Union Square.

The Union Square Partnership reports:

Amid the broader success of the Union Square area in 2024, the performance of 14th Street between 1st and 6th Avenues stands out as exceptional. This segment alone welcomed 18 new businesses in 2024, including Q4 openings such as Adonis Barbershop, Upperz Café & Bar, Kamisama, and Harlem’s famous soul food restaurant Amy Ruth’s. These family-owned establishments enhance Union Square’s vibrant and diverse retail and food scene.

Thanks to strong leasing activity this quarter, the storefront vacancy rate along 14th Street between 1st and 6th Avenues has dropped to 9%, with just one available ground-floor listing east of Broadway.

According to LiveXYZ, this is below the average vacancy rate for Manhattan Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) (16%) and the vacancy rate for the Union Square Partnership BID as a whole (16%).

Beyond retail growth, investments in residential developments and transit upgrades have modernized 14th Street’s appearance and accessibility at Union Square’s western gateway. The completion of upgrades to the F/L/M/1/2/3 subway station at 6th Avenue has made the station fully accessible, complementing new residential landmarks like FÖRENA (540 6th Avenue) and 101 West 14th Street at the intersection’s northern corners. Meanwhile, construction is underway on a 71-unit condominium at 525 6th Avenue on the southwest corner, poised to complete the transformation of this important intersection.