A cat keeps watch at the new exotic pet store, Fauna. Photo via Fauna.
Do you need to board your reptile this winter? Well, you’re in luck. You’re also in luck if you like salads, or want to try fencing.
Fauna, an exotic pet store that sells everything from to snakes to scaly breasted lorikeets (a kind of bird), opened at 570 Columbus Avenue between 87th and 88th, the former home of Penny Harvest. You can also board your reptile there, in case you’re staying at hotel that isn’t reptile-friendly.
sweetgreen, a health food chain (or as they call it “a culinary lifestyle brand dedicated to smartly-sourced, seasonal food, and to the commitment of living the sweetlife!”), opened a store at 2937 Broadway at 115th street on Monday. They’re also gearing up to open on 75th and Amsterdam, as we reported a few months ago. They put up a craigslist ad looking for employees there. Apparently it’s owned by 3 Georgetown grads who have attracted a ton of venture capital money — like $95 million.
Farinella is finally open on Amsterdam between 72nd and 73rd and serving its signature rectangular slices. Thanks to Marie for the photo.
Upper West Side resident Tim Morehouse is opening a new fencing club on 210 West 91st between Broadway and Amsterdam at the Young Israel West Side Community Center. The club is offering a free introductory class and works with both children and adults. “I’m excited to bring more Olympic fencing to the upper west side,” he tells us. Morehouse also runs the non-profit foundation Fencing In The Schools.
Franky D’s Salon opened at 175 West 90th Street. Franky’s is owned by Frank DeCrescenzo, who also owns Salon Above at 2670 Broadway.
Salon G83 just opened at 100 West 83rd street. “We provide all services. Haircuts, Color, Keratin, Manicures, Pedicures, Full Body Wax, Back Massage, eyebrow threading and Makeup,” writes owner Gzime Leka.
The 7-Eleven on 100th and Amsterdam is getting closer to opening The trademark stripes have gone up in the window. Thanks to Morgan for the photo.
Fauna’s been around for years. It just moved from 87th between West End and Bway to a new location.
Fauna’s place on 87th was kooky but fascinating. Surely something nefarious went on in the basement aquarium space. I was concerned for them when the For Rent signs went up–happy to see they’ve stayed open and in the neighborhood.
sweetgreen is a twerpy disaster
2375 Broadway is not at 115th Street. It’s near 87th Street.
Right, we changed it thanks. WSR
8 years ago Fauna was known as Uptown Bird, on Amsterdam between 85 and 86. That space still has their awning and is still vacant.
It was briefly a frozen yoghurt place that bit the dust last year.
(They just never changed the awning, which is strange.)
There is a 7-11 on B/way btw 96th -97th. Thats already one too many for NYC.
The 7-11’s in the city are a joke. They are dirty , sticky and unappealing in every way. Bring in Wawa !
Agree 100%. If we’re going to have chain convenience stores, we should have the best: Wawa.
Any intel on if Fusha is in fact going to reopen in the old ditch plains space? I am not sure that sweetgreen will be a good fit for the old space. I was never impressed with the food at Fusha, but it was one of the few places where you got to know the folks who worked there and enjoyed having a drink at the bar.
I loved Fusha, and still do! Their steamed pork dumplings are the best in the neighborhood. (Ollie’s are commercially produced, with thick, flavorless dough — a total waste. Most others I’ve tried also just do not compare favorably.) Fusha still has the same phone numbers, and their delivery is fast & courteous.
They’re already doing delivery out of the old Ditch Plains space as Columbus Flame (or just Flame, on Seamless). Same old Fusha delivery bags, slightly modified menu. Doesn’t look like they’ve really started doing work on the space, though — you can look in when the door is open and delivery guys are coming out.
Does anyone know what is opening at the former Dallas BBQ location on 27 West 72nd Street? I know the space was purchased earlier this year and I see its all cleared out.
Had a pepperoni “slice” at Farinella because the plain pizza wasn’t ready yet and I was in a hurry. First thing, it cost 6 bucks!!! Actually 6,25. I asked what the plain cost and that is $4.25!. These are smallish square slices.
Second, it had NO FLAVOR! Really.
There are so many good to decent to great pizza in our neighborhood, who needs this expensive garbage?
Please don’t waste your $$ even trying it, like I did.
(6 bucks, ARE THEY KIDDING ME??!)
Why are all of you going to these bougie pizzerias which charge ridiculous prices for “atmosphere”. Those places are not about quality pizza, they’re just a place people can feel superior about eating in since it’s not coming from a slicery. Save yourself a few bucks and some dignity and just get a regular street slice. My vote has always been chicken pizza from Mamas on Amsterdam. Been loyal since they were on Broadway when the towers were still standing. Go to the east side for bougie pizza, the west side is different.
The best pizza in the southern part of the UWS, IMO, is at La Traviata, West 68th St.
There isn’t a better slice in any part of the UWS than La Traviata. It’s not even close.
I think that I like V&T’s the best for pizza. But I have never been to Carmine’s.
So, second-best for me (and in my neighborhood) is La Traviata. I like their mushroom.
Maybe Staten Island is where you get the best. So many Italians still there. So many firefighters there too, with their families.
Sometimes we take the ferry just to inhabit with the real middle-class again — good, warm, salt-of-the-earth type folks. We eat at Ruddy & Dean’s and cross the road back to the ferry.
Correction: there is *no* good pizza in the UWS. No offense, but la traviata is almost as tasteless as farinellas.
For some unfortunate reason, the east side location of farinellas seems to have significantly better quality pizza than their newest outpost in UWS. Hopefully the owners take note and fix the issues.
you complain,but you paid it.
Yeah joe we all have our moment of sticker shock weakness, but I bet you a $10 cold-pressed-superjuice that Cozmocharlie won’t cross that threshold again.
If I am going out for $16 mixed drinks, you bet I am going to have a few $6 slices on the way home. Next up: custom-sized gourmet frankfurters down the block from Gray’s. I’m thinking maybe a buck an inch? Buck and a quarter?
I was sad to see Fauna leave 87th between B’dway and WEA. But, the neighborhood does need another large, ugly, over-priced apartment complex instead of a garage or interesting small business, so as a life long UWSer, I totally understand. Anyone remember Murder, Inc. which was on that block?
I remember Murder Inc. very well, especially the time they were selling replicas of the Maltese falcon (from The Maltese Falcon, for those who might otherwise miss the reference).
^^ Murder INK. Get it?
When is Juice Press opening at 350 Amsterdam???? It’s taken forever..
The one block of Columbus now has Fauna, the exotic pet vet, and the Wild Bird Fund. Need to honorarily rename it Avian Avenue…