Soon to arrive on University Place: Mimi’s Frozen Yogurt. It’s Australian, and it’s fancy.

An update from the Farmer’s Market:

The time has come to flex your Winter Warrior muscles! Each year, from January through March, Greenmarkets across the city participate in the Winter Warrior Challenge. If you shop at the market during the coldest months of the year, you can win a prize (and Winter Warrior bragging rights!)!

It’s simple to participate and fun for the whole family! All you need to do is stop by any Greenmarket Market Info Tent to pick up your Winter Warrior card. Then, every time you shop at the Greenmarket between January and March, visit the Info Tent to get your card stamped.

Shop ten times before March 31st and win a small Greenmarket prize plus an entry into our raffle for one of our grand prizes. For details, grand prize announcements, and more, follow us at @unsqgreenmarket on Instagram!

Restaurant Week starts January 20 and includes nine Union Square restaurants, including Reyna in our building.

From January 16-February 16, the north end of Union Square will light up with a nightly light show called Bright Nights Out, and many vendors are offering fun deals to accompany it.

How do you feel about Union Square. The Union Square Partnership does an annual opinion survey to find out. Some thoughts from the results:

FOSTERING A THRIVING ECONOMY IN USQ
USP asked respondents to share the types of businesses
they would like to see in Union Square. Half of respondents
would like to see more cultural institutions (50%),
followed by art galleries/exhibitions (48%), and cafés/
coffee shops (47%). Many respondents mentioned wanting
to see more local businesses — including small, curated
stores, non-chain coffee shops and eateries, and specialty
grocery stores. This feedback highlights a strong community
interest in maintaining a vibrant retail environment in
Union Square rooted in unique, local offerings.

ENHANCING LIVABILITY IN USQ
USP is committed to keeping Union Square clean, safe, and
beautiful. The majority of respondents are satisfied (very
satisfied and somewhat satisfied) across key metrics of
USP’s work enhancing livability. Respondents reported the
highest levels of satisfaction with the landscaping of Union
Square Park (87%), planter landscaping (87%), Broadway Plaza
maintenance (85%), and public seating areas (77%). While
most respondents remain pleased with the district’s upkeep,
some expressed a desire for extended hours and seasonality
for the public seating areas as well as improved lighting,
especially in Union Square Park and surrounding streets.
Following USP’s 2023 launch of the Public Safety Officer
(PSO) program, perceptions of public safety improved by
15 points in the 2024 survey. The 2025 survey results show
that this perception has largely stabilized, with 87% of
respondents noting that their perception of public safety
in USP’s Core Services Area (CSA) has improved or seen
no change over the past year. Moreover, the percent of
respondents reporting concerns around public safety within
the CSA decreased by 15% in 2025 compared to 2024.

Explore 185 vendors!

Hours:
Mon to Fri: 11am to 9pm
Sat: 10am to 9pm
Sun: 11am to 7pm

Market closes at 12/24 at 4 p.m
Closed Thanksgiving Day

Union Square themed clothing is available from the Union Square Partnership.

We’ve had Thai restaurants as downstairs neighbors before, and now a new one may be coming to replace Corkbuzz at 13 East 13th. A liquor license application has been filed by Varith, a “family-run” Thai restaurant that has a highly regarded sister operation called Valla Table in Hell’s Kitchen run by Chuck Valla, who was a private chef prior to opening this first place in 2021. Looks good.

Our new downstairs neighbor, The Drop House, seems to be some kind of short-term music pop-up experience. It’s a bit hard to decode.