Fossils and gems are back on Columbus Avenue, and a new restaurant will help you make muscles, if you’re into that sort of thing.
A new store called Astro West is set to open at 79th street and Columbus Avenue, the former home of a hair salon. The store sells gems and fossils and even meteorites, according to the awning. Astro also has a location on 5th avenue, a worker told Lauren, who took the photo above and a shot of the interior here. It’s a good location for a fossil and gem store, given the proximity of the Museum of Natural History. Longtime Upper West Siders, particularly those who grew up or raised kids here, will remember Maxilla & Mandible, the beloved fossil-bone-ephemera shop at 81st and Columbus that closed in 2011 after 27 years. Thanks to Melina for the tip.
Muscle Maker Grill is now open at 2735 Broadway near 105th street, the former home of Amla Indian restaurant. You can pick up wraps, salads, and “guiltless entrees” at the nationwide chain, among many other items on the menu.
WWD had some more info on why the Alexis Bittar jewelry store closed: “‘We closed our Columbus avenue store as it was an underperforming door compared to our other three NYC locations, all of which continue to do very well,’ a spokesperson for the jewelry label said in a statement to WWD.”
Trying to see the Trend:
Closings – hair salon, Indian restaurant, jeweler
Openings – “a new [national chain] restaurant will help you make muscles”, a fossil and gem store, and…?
There are already fossils here.
I must be one of them, since I remember shopping at Astro Gems & Minerals on East 34th St. in the early 1980s. Still have a couple of Peruvian clay statuettes and mineral rocks that I bought there. It was a fun place to browse, and the original owner (R.I.P.) was very nice and knowledgeable.
I do hope lynn is curating these.
I miss Maxilla & Mandible! I wish there was another store like that would open
Agree! UWS has been without a bone store for way too long.
YES! I walk by the real estate broker or eyeglass store that took over it and shake my fist at it once per week. What a great store for gifts and just a cool and fascinating, uws treasure.
“Meteorites land on UWS; certain WSR commenters blame de Blasio”
Astro has been around for ages (since the early 60s). Having also been around for ages, I remember going to their original shop as a kid.
It wouldn’t surprise me if this move is a reaction to their loss of satellite locations at FAO Schwarz and the Toys ‘R Us in Times Square.
Supposedly O’Connells Pub on 108th and Broadway closed down.
Yes – Tara Hall (as it’s been called recently) closed suddenly last week.
Tara Hill.
Not that suddenly. There was something about it here on the Rag back around June 10 or 12.
According to some workers who work in the main building where D’agostinos used to occupy the retail space on 110th & Broadway – a Korean conglomerate will be taking over the space which will have a restaurant, a supermarket & a fresh fish store.
H Mart?
I needed to google this. From wikipedia:
“H Mart is an American supermarket chain operated by the Hanahreum Group headquartered in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. The chain, with locations throughout the United States, Canada, and London, specializes in providing Asian foods.”
Glad to hear a Muscle Maker is coming to the neighborhood. It might not be a known brand to a lot of people, but they offer a healthy take on fast food…something that folks might find more useful than, say, a high end gourmet mustard shop (really?).