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LONG-DERELICT BLOCK TO GET SALAD SPOT, AND POSSIBLY MORE STORES

November 19, 2014 | 9:03 AM
in FOOD, NEWS, OPEN/CLOSED
37

77th vacant

The block between 76th and 77th street on Amsterdam Avenue is surrounded by affluence. The Harrison condo is on one side of the street, along with high-end fitness spots like Equinox and Soul Cycle. Tessa, a fancy restaurant also recently opened in the former home of Time Out bar. That makes it all the more puzzling that the East side of the block looks like Detroit, with more than half the block completely vacant. Burrata, a bakery and pizza bar on the Northeast corner of 76th and Amsterdam, has been closed and papered-over for years.

That could be changing, however. Chop’t has signed a lease for one of the three vacant stores closer to 76th street, and real estate agents are marketing the other two spaces, according to Real Estate Weekly. Chop’t makes “creative salads.” Check out the menu here (pdf). The real estate agents are reportedly looking for fitness and kid’s stores, among others.

“It’s a neighborhood spot, so we’re targeting children’s clothing (retailers) or maybe not a Lululemon, but something like that.”

We’ve also seen some activity in the former optometrist’s office next to Tessa. And who know, maybe the vacant Crumbs across the street will eventually reopen like its cousin uptown.

77 vacant2

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37 Comments
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Katherine
Katherine
8 years ago

This is fabulous news! It has always boggled my mind that the east side of this block has largely vacant for months/years. And the neighborhood will benefit greatly from a “make your own” salad place like Chop’t.

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Sassy Lou
Sassy Lou
8 years ago
Reply to  Katherine

Not surprised. Most landlords who let their communities look like Detroit are greedy and just wait for the huge corporate chains or banks come in and are able to pay the ransom.

I do find it very funny that The Harrison condo is still 80% empty after 6 years! Just walk by there at night. You will see about 5 windows with the lights on. Same goes for Trump Towers on the Hudson.

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Cato
Cato
8 years ago
Reply to  Sassy Lou

That doesn’t mean it’s empty. It could be that it — like so many NYC “luxury” condominiums at the moment — was bought up by foreign investors as a place to park assets they would rather their home governments not know about.

The new building on West End at 86th was known to be targeting that market since shovel hit dirt, and it’s usually nearly all dark. Doesn’t mean it hasn’t been bought up — only that the owners don’t live there.

Only in New York.

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Chris
Chris
8 years ago

The proximity to the funeral home may not help. Really kills business, no pun intended.

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Cato
Cato
8 years ago
Reply to  Chris

I believe the Riverside Chapel brings a lot of good business to the neighborhood. It is a high-end business which brings many “visitors” to the area — many of whom look for a place for lunch, or coffee, or some other libation after the event that brought them to the neighborhood.

That block used to do well, but once it was allowed to deteriorate it went all the way. Installing some stable “anchors” ought to bring it back. We may be seeing the beginning of that process now.

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Diego
Diego
8 years ago

i dont think the author has ever been to Detroit

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Sassy Lou
Sassy Lou
8 years ago
Reply to  Diego

Grew up around Detroit.

Yep! the stores were empty….whether the walls are cleaner here in NYC…..still makes them empty!

But compared to Colorado….All of NYC and it’s boroughs are a cesspool dump…soooo.

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webot
webot
8 years ago

the landlord is an absolute greedy shortsighted idiot.

Not giving a cr*p about the area that made you a success is just as wrong as the other end of the spectrum that cries all landlords are evil and demands commercial rent control.

rent it up AND get that scaffolding down.

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Heather
Heather
8 years ago

It is great we are getting some healthy make your own salad places. Between Chopt and Just Salad opening in the area it will definitely be a plus. BTW does anyone know what is happening with the Just Salad on Broadway? They are really taking their time.

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Mark
Mark
8 years ago

It’s blocks like this that balance the upper west side out. I’m sick of hearing about this “affluence”, this isn’t the east side. What makes the west side different is a nice melting pot of all kinds of people. Not too many yuppies, not too many crack heads. Rich people are their own quality of life problem, they ad nothing but affluent blight to an otherwise balanced and liberal landscape.

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JR
JR
8 years ago
Reply to  Mark

Mark, “Rich people” pay almost all of the taxes in NYC and the city would be a pit without them. Thank god for “rich people.”

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Sassy Lou
Sassy Lou
8 years ago
Reply to  JR

Last time I looked at my paystub..the feds along with the State and City eat up 25% of my income.

So I don’t see the wealthy paying that high in taxes!

And since the Verrazano is raping people at $16 a day…which WAS supposed to be a toll that should’ve gone away after it was built…Hmmmm..I think the city is getting millions a day from bridges, MTA, lotteries and sales taxes….. ALL from the common man.

The wealthy are getting all the tax breaks and cuts.

Sooooo…..Tell me how the wealthy are paying for all the nice things?

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Nathan
Nathan
8 years ago
Reply to  Sassy Lou

How nice for you. They’re eating up 46% of my income (marginal rate, not effective).

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Cato
Cato
8 years ago
Reply to  Nathan

If you’re in a 46% marginal bracket, then the governments are taking 46% only of the last dollar you earned (or at least only the dollars you earned over the high-point of the last bracket before that), not your entire income.

Your effective tax rate — the proportion you pay of your *total* income in taxes — will be significantly less.

If your income is high enough that you are in a 46% marginal bracket, you ought to have a tax advisor who can explain these fundamental notions to you.

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Marie
Marie
8 years ago
Reply to  Mark

I would far prefer to live within/walk at night down the streetscapes suffering from “affluent blight” like the West Village/Tribeca/UES/UWS than the streetscapes suffering from liberal blight like, say, Detroit 😉 Chop’t will be a great new addition to the neighborhood and I’m excited to add it to my already regular dinner trips to Chipotle!

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Cato
Cato
8 years ago
Reply to  Marie

Oy. The Upper West Side is now known for (oh boy!!) Chop’t and Chipotle.

Can *you* spell “generic suburban mall anywhere in the US of A”?

Oy.

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Marie
Marie
8 years ago
Reply to  Cato

Known for Chop’t and Chipotle? I doubt that – plus, if you ever travel outside f the city you’ll quickly realize there are way worse things than Chipotle to be known for haha. For many of us who work late and don’t have energy/time to cook both companies offer great $8-10 options. You can load up on veggies and get calorie information. Much better than some diner where the food will likely be more expensive/less healthful.

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92nd Street
92nd Street
8 years ago
Reply to  Cato

Agreed, so long NY, hello generic lame anywhere usa.
A savvy landlord should be able to attract some better ground floor tenants. oh well

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Nathan
Nathan
8 years ago
Reply to  Mark

Rich people pay for basically everything in New York and are the reason we have nice things. Also, they tend not to commit violent crimes.

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Sassy Lou
Sassy Lou
8 years ago
Reply to  Nathan

Last time I looke at my paystub..the feds along with the State and City eat up 25% of my income.

So I don’t see the wealthy paying that high in taxes!

And since the Verrazano is raping people at $16 a day…which WAS supposed to be a toll that should’ve gone away after it was built…Hmmmm..I think the city is getting millions a day from bridges, MTA, lotteries and sales taxes….. ALL from the common man.

The wealthy are getting all the tax breaks and cuts.

Sooooo…..Tell me how the wealthy are paying for all the nice things?

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david
david
8 years ago
Reply to  Mark

Crack heads ? What decade is this ?

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elisa
elisa
8 years ago

good news the space will no longer be vacant.
Sadly, Chop’t is a chain fast food salad spot, commonly seen in midtown, and other busy, fast-paced neighborhoods.

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james
james
8 years ago
Reply to  elisa

Chop’t started in Union Square and has expanded throughout New York due to their success. It’s the kind of “chain” we should hope for, not disparage for their growth. They offer a fresh, healthy option to fast food at affordable prices. I fail to see the negative in them having multiple locations.

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Jerry
Jerry
8 years ago
Reply to  elisa

so what if it’s a chain?

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Nancy
Nancy
8 years ago

Worked here in the 70s but only living in the UWS for three years, and I’m disappointed in the closing of independent stores of all kinds, and the opening of a giant Marshall’s and CVS. I say grit is welcome. I live on 76th and often wondered about that corner. It never bothered me as it is, but the neighborhood needs neither more sneakers or strollers.

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UWSEd
UWSEd
8 years ago

Salads aren’t healthy; they’re HEALTHFUL (unless you’re trying to comment on the physical condition of the salad)!!!

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webot
webot
8 years ago

I am thinking of opening my own store here called:

“THE AFFLUENT INFANT”

specializing in double strollers.

to quote New York’s city new era brand ambassador: “Haters gonna hate, hate, hate” – Taylor Swift

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yoyomama
yoyomama
8 years ago

I wish Mangia would rent a spot, so there would be an amazing salad bar where you could actually control the proportions (instead of getting an enormous bowl of lettuce for 1000 times what lettuce costs, like at Chop’t). $8 for a bowl of Romaine? Ugh

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LK
LK
8 years ago

“and Realtors are marketing the other two spaces”

Are you referring to real-estate sales people ( or brokers as they are called in NY )? This is not the same as Realtors. From Wikipedia, “Realtor (capitalized) is a registered trademark of the National Association of Realtors (NAR).” There is *very* few Realtors in NYC mostly due to the issue with not having MLS in NYC. Not having MLS in NYC is a subject for a different story.

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Cato
Cato
8 years ago
Reply to  LK

“There is *very* few Realtors in NYC”…

Actually, as long as you’ve chosen to be pedantic, it’s “There *are* very few realtors [oops, sorry, you might not know what I meant, “Realtors”] in nyc”…

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West Sider
Author
West Sider
8 years ago
Reply to  LK

Good point. Agents is probably more accurate. We’ll change it. WSR

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kelly
kelly
8 years ago

nice! now can you tell us what is going on with the east side of Columbus between 86th and 87th??

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Christine E
Christine E
8 years ago
Reply to  kelly

Rumor has it that the Starbucks at NW 86 & Columbus will move across the street to NE 86th & Columbus. Rent on the NW corner is too high.

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Sassy Lou
Sassy Lou
8 years ago
Reply to  kelly

It’s a condemned spot!!!
Last I heard flies and maggots were inside.

Disgusting…plus the corner building is just ugly.

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Alessa
Alessa
8 years ago
Reply to  kelly

Hahaha, the Affluent Infant. I love it. Some people here would probably think shirts displaying the name are just adorable.

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Liz
Liz
8 years ago

I’m glad that block will finally have some new stores. A salad shop would be great, but can they really survive in this neighborhood only selling salads.

Also, how will they compete with the other new salad place that is going to open on Broadway between 70th and 71st streets in the place that used to be the Yapple store?

It would be really great if some new Mom and Pop shops or cafes could open in those spots.
Highly unlikely though with rents being what they are on the UWS.

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m.pipik
m.pipik
8 years ago
Reply to  Liz

Have you noticed that most of the new eateries south of 86th Street that a not expensive are not really places to sit and have a meal. They are “fast food” or takeout places that are in narrow storefronts.

Trying to find a place to sit comfortably, have a nice meal and not pay $35 w/o drinks is almost impossible now.

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