There are three new restaurants planned for the West 90’s.
The Halal Guys, which began as a midtown food cart, has begun to open restaurants, launching their first a few weeks ago on 14th street. A sign at a corner storefront on 95th street and Amsterdam indicates that they’ll be opening soon here too. That spot was formerly a bodega. Says the Daily News:
It’s the ultimate New York story: Abouelenein was a veterinarian, and Elsayed was a business student when they emigrated from Egypt “looking for a dream,” Abouelenein says.
For the first few years, the “dream” consisted of jobs as kitchen helpers and cab drivers. Then they began running a cart at Sixth Ave. and 53rd St. — now known as “the original location.”
A new Kosher spot called Crafted is expected to open soon at 93rd street and Amsterdam in the former home of 7-Eleven. We had heard a couple of months ago that a Kosher dairy spot with a large salad bar was on its way. Crafted apparently will sell bagels and other items.
A restaurant run by an LLC known as Whispers Bar, Lounge & Restaurant is planning to open in the current home of Tandoori Indian restaurant on West 94th street. At a community board committee meeting, the owners asked to stay open until 4 a.m., but the community board said they would only allow it to be open until 2 a.m. A neighbor who attended said the owners claim they want to run a family-friendly spot without loud music.
They say they’re not associated with any other “Whispers” franchise in New York (there are Whispers lounges with racier reputations). The tipster added:
“They were approved for their 2 year liquor license as long as they keep the noise down and agree to get sound-proofing if there are complaints and the potential owners requested that they be able to come back in 6 months to revisit the 4am closing time. Not sure when they would be opening the new restaurant though.
Thanks to several tipsters.
A 7-Eleven closing and being replaced by a bagel shop. I don’t want to get too excited but that really makes it feel like morning again in New York City.
All good news here! But I wish our Community Board would relax a bit. They act like a bunch of old Grandmas. If a business wants to stay open until 4AM – let ’em! They should be encouraging businesses to open on the Upper West Side, not restricting them.
Well the Upper West Side has been a solidly residential neighborhood for decades (rather than an entertainment/destination neighborhood)so it is not surprising that there would be concern from people of all ages/genders/demographics etc about possible noise, being able to sleep, etc. which are often at issue with bars.
It is worth noting, as one example, that on the Lower East Side, with the upsurge in bars etc over the past 10-15 years, there has been increased noise, drunk people vomiting in the streets, etc.
Webot remembers the 80s when there was nightlife on the UWS:
China Club, Cafe Central, Ruelles, Hurrah, Lucys.
All late night, fun, sometimes crazy places.
No one complained.
Of course no one complained. We were all cowering in our graffiti-covered buildings hiding from the muggers. The police couldn’t do anything about *them*, so why should we have bothered complaining about noise and rowdy drunks?
To Webot’s point,, we have far worse problems to worry about in the West ’90’s than a lounge being open until 4 AM. I agree that the noise level should be policed but at least give them a chance to prove themselves a good neighbor. I don’t think any establishment in in this part of town will be attracting the vomit-in-the-streets crowd. But even if it did, I would rather have those people coming here to spend money to do it rather than the homeless people that are already sleeping, throwing up and defecating on our sidewalks for free!
The 24th Precinct could not care less about policing noise.
Agree Paul.
New York State law allows bars to stay open to 4 AM, but NYC community boards (who the SLA looks for approval) have ignored that fact. In my opinion, the CBs headed by busy bodies who are generally anti-business. What happened to the City that doesnt sleep? – any wonder why we have so many Sleepys mattress stores in the neighborhood…
Why not have the CBs do something about true quality of life issues , like the annual summer invasion of heroin addicted crusts and their dogs and cats that make our sidewalks their home?
Whispers? What year is it, 1983?
@Jackson
Ha! My thought exactly too!!!! Haha. “Whispers” yes! Totally an 80s ridiculous name.
When do we finally get a strip club? All the college students around here have to pay down their busy body government inflated debt somehow, preferably in safer neighborhoods closer to home. The colleges in NYC are the most expensive in the nation. All have is belly dancing at a Turkish restaurant that doesn’t dare advertise it since the fossil hippie crowd banned dancing. It’s so funny to watch their own neighborhood turn into a shopping mall exactly because of their own Marxist hatred of entrepreneurship and adoption of the same old fine art scam that despises real talent. Wait for the youthful revolt against their junk science global warming scam that they indoctrinated their kids with like a cult religion does. It’s amusing to see whole stone facade buildings turned into homeless shelters instead of artists colonies and business incubators, by design.
They should be allowed to be opened till 4 AM – if anything, it will serve as ‘eyes and ears’ and help fight crime. Opening till then means more lights, more people, more witnesses – all deterrents to crime!
VERY EXCITED about the Halal Guys – they are the owners of the most famous Food Cart in the World (okay… in midtown Manhattan). Read about them expanding a few months ago, but didn’t know they were coming into the neighborhood.
Very, very cool…. Here’s their site (who knew Food carts had web sites??) https://53rdand6th.com
Food cart to food chain. The “American Dream” is alive and well!
David is right. I used to work in Midtown in Halal’s area. Lines at their cart extending half a block from 4pm till 11pm, every weekday.
Is the Tandoori Indian restaurant closing ?
What happened?
I gather from above item that Tandoori is finally closing. Any idea why? Thanks.
The owner of Tandoori Restaurant told me today (7/21) that they will remain open, no Whispers coming in there after all.
Gene, thanks for info. That’s good news to me. Happy to hear tandooriIs not closing.
It’s almost thanksgiving and crafted still has still not opened! What gives!?
It’s almost thanksgiving and crafted still has still not opened! What gives!