Union Square, 1926

Last year the local business improvement district did a survey about what people really think about Union Square. You can check out some results here.

On October 26, the owners of the upcoming Reyna restaurant, which is taking over the Le Midi space on 13th St., held an introductory Zoom call. Attendance was sparse, but it was interesting to hear their plans and to have the chance to voice concerns pre-emptively.

The restaurant will likely be open until 11 on weekdays and midnight on weekends. It is meant to be an upscale drinking/dining experience, not a noisy bar. They will also be using the Karaoke Cave space as a site for “French Karaoke” as well as sort of a holding space for people who may be waiting for a table (a problem Le Midi certainly never had).

They also plan to build a street-side dining shed, most of which will occupy the space now being used by Corkbuzz.

In general, they seemed quite eager to hear about any issues that nervous neighbors like us might have ahead of time, rather than deal with our anger later. They hope to open in the March/April time frame.

You can get an idea of what Reyna will be like by visiting the Web site for their two locations in Toronto:  www.barreyna.com 
If you have any questions, you can contact them directly:

Nicki at nicki@barreyna.com
Etienne at 646-421-4242.

Here’s this fall’s guide to theater in the neighborhood. 

In case you happen to be on Faceook, there’s a Union Square group that is having a sort of networking mixer party on May 6 from 3:30 to 5:30 at the corner of University and 14th. Details here.

Here’s a 1910 view of the south side of 14 St. looking east from 6th Ave. from what was then the platform of the elevated train. As you can see, Macy’s was headquartered there (where Urban Outfitters is now) and expanded along the block over time as it grew. Eventually, the cobbled-together space got too complicated and the store decamped for its massive new digs in Herald Square. If you look closely at this building today, you can still see vestiges of Macy’s red star icon in a few places.

The 2011 “Summer in the Square,” at Union Square, provides early morning fitness, family fun for kids and parents, and live music every Thursday until Aug. 11.  In the evening, live music is presented, beginning at 6 p.m., from a diverse mix of genres like latin, rock, jazz, and folk and a mix of local and touring bands. The exception was June 30, when three groups performed. One of them, “Million Dollar Quartet,” is based on the grand recording session where legends Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis were brought together.