Have you noticed that many dry cleaners, including the one on 13th closest to our building, are now billing themselves as “organic?” What does that really mean. Not much in reality. Click here to read an article and watch a video report.
What happened to the brisk flower business at the corner deli on University and 13th? It’s been swept away. No explanation.
The renaissance of the Jefferson Market on 6th near 11th is a letdown. While the prepared foods section is still OK, the rest of the store has been transformed into a humdrum Gristedes. All the local flavor is pretty much obliterated.
Amazingly enough in these tough times, work is going ahead on the construction of ten floors of luxury duplex condos on the corner of 5th Ave. and 13th St, where the burned out deli once stood. To read more about the history of this spot, click here.
Anyone curious about what is happening to real estate values in our neighborhood (hint: they’re going down) should know about StreetEasy, currently the best available resource for block-by-block and apartment-by-apartment comparisons of current listings, including recent prices. An invaluable resource as we navigate these interesting economic times.
“Love Armor”, a nationwide collaborative art project, will be on exhibition at the Brenda Taylor Gallery, 511 W. 25th St., NYC from May 14 until June 30th.
The Opening Reception is on Thursday, May 14th from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. I would love to greet my neighbors there that evening. All are welcome!
David Chang’s impressive restaurant empire is a joy to have in the neigborhood. His latest accomplishment is the weird and wonderful Momofuku Milk Bar on 13th near 2nd Ave. Try it out for some wild and tasty takeaway desserts. A little pricey, but it’s one of those “only in New York” things. We’re lucky to have it. Get the crack pie or the compost cookies.
The Strand has made it a lot easier to get what you need without having to dig for it in the store. Just order what you want online and pick it up at the store a couple of days later. You’ll save the shipping fee and all the time it takes to poke through the stacks. Of course, if you’re an inveterate browser, as many of us are, feel free to keep exploring. That’s what makes the Strand so much fun.
There was a rumor that leading restauranteur Danny Meyer wanted to run the new restaurant to be established in the Union Square Park pavilion. Not true, says Meyer, but he will be taking over the cursed Wakiya space in the Gramercy Park Hotel and establishing an Italian restaurant there.
Thai restaurant Spice, which recently relocated from University and 10th to University and 13th now has a new branch at 4th Ave. and 10th. Plenty of pad thai in the neigborhood for everyone.