Union Square: What Matters Most?

Allbirds, the shoes that Silicon Valley loves, signed an 8,000-square-foot lease deal with The Bromley Companies at 120-122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District. The clothing and shoe company will be moving into the two-floor space at the Bromley building after The Gap moved out in the summer of 2021 after nearly 30 years. The retail space on West 17th Street and Fifth Avenue will serve as Allbirds’ U.S. flagship store. The sudden vacancy left by The Gap marked the first time in four decades that the retail location had been empty, having been home to the first Barnes & Noble superstore in the nation prior to the clothing store coming to the Flatiron.

Truth be told, the pandemic will likely wipe hundreds or even thousands of NYC restaurants off the map, but in the meantime, a new one has just arrived at 24 East 12th St. Meet Fields Good Chicken.

Nostalgic dessert chain Milk Bar is opening its 10th New York City location Saturday, but this time with new menu items only available at this store near Union Square.

Located at 110 Fifth Ave. and 16th Street, this latest Milk Bar is a part of a new store called Camp, created to be “immersive” shopping for families. The 10,000-square-foot space has a camp theme that will change every eight to 12 weeks, with “base camp,” modeled after children’s summer camps, first up.

To fit into the camp theme, Milk Bar will have a sundae bar with a rotating special — starting off, appropriately, with a s’mores sundae of cereal milk soft serve topped with compost cookie crumbs, charred marshmallows, fudge sauce, and marshmallow sauce. The sundae bar also has very Milk Bar-esque topping options such has cornflake crunch, confetti cookie crumb, and blueberry corn. And Milk Bar classics — crack pie, corn cookie, birthday cake truffles — fill out the rest of the menu, in full below. There’s also Counter Culture coffee.

Read all about the sales difficulties of 61 5th Avenue and see lots of pictures here.

Now upstairs at Chard, formerly Le Croque Monsieur, on 13th St., is Singlish, a Singapore-flavored high-end speakeasy with delicious and breathtakingly expensive drinks. Save it for special occasions. Reservations recommended.

If you get the chance, walk by the former location of The Adore at 17 East 13th St. where renovations have uncovered an antique sign advertising childrens’ haircuts. Sad to say, it’s likely that it will be gone soon.