Though most local businesses continue to fight to stay open, some Upper West Side stores have begun to close permanently as the pandemic has forced them to reduce store hours and operations. Readers have pointed out several.
Lenwich is permanently closing its location on Broadway between 96th and 97th Streets, the store said with a sign on the door. Thanks to Greenie for the tip.
Andrade’s Shoe Repair on 73rd and Amsterdam plans to close for good on July 29 after 30 years. “I am grateful to each and every one of you for your business and your loyalty,” Andrade wrote.
Dot clothing store on Amsterdam between 82nd and 83rd has closed. Thanks to Jackie for the tip.
The GNC at 163 West 72nd between Columbus and Amsterdam also announced late last month it was closing with a liquidation sale. Thanks to Gretchen for the tip.
The Pokebab on Broadway between 70th and 71st Streets next to McDonald’s has closed with for rent signs on the wind. Thanks to Jon and Michael for the tips.
107 West on Broadway and 107th has closed its doors, but a reader tells us that the owner was looking to move into another spot nearby. 107 West was a longtime staple for Upper West Siders and Morningside Heights-ers. We emailed the owners, and will update this if we hear back. Thanks to Sara, Pete, William, Tracy, Kathleen and Kevin for the tips.
If you see openings and closings, snap a photo and send an email to westsiderag at gmail.
Amsterdam Gourmet Deli on the corner of 79th & Amsterdam closed last week. One afternoon there was a sign on the window that everything was 50% off & that was their last day open.
Wow, that has been a deli since at least the early 1970s. And now La Caridad??
Has La Caridad closed?????
The Unleashed by Petco between 67-68th and Columbus is closing as well, next to the GNC.
Sad to hear about 107 West, they were a go-to for me before the pandemic, and I’ve continued to order in from them for the last several months. I hope they’re able to reopen in a new location!
When was the last time you went into 107 West? Even before the pandemic, every time I walked by there in the evening since middle-is last year, it looked like they had almost no clientele.
I believe sunflower cafe on 93rd 7 Asterdam has closed. Sign in window says closed temporarily and goes on to thank everyone for their patronage,plus just called their # and its disconnected
most if not all of the orthodox jewish supervision restaurants are going to close, as too many orthodox jews have left the UWS since the start of the pandemic.
Holy Schnitzel was packed tonight!
I saw people opening up Talia’s and pulling chairs out yesterday…but don’t know anything more …. thought, since they had an outside cafe they might be re-opening…
Unaware that such phenomena are surveyed. Where did you find this reported?
Please READ carefully, not quickly; this is how rumors get started. the previous writer said: “Have you done a survey?” not there was a survey. Thank you.
Have you done a survey?
I will concur that many of the single barely twentysomethings who gravitated to the OZ Synagogue have gone back to mom and dad in the burbs. The rest of the demographic is very much around. Sunflower like many other small businesses was not doing well before this and the closure made things worse.
I have seen and know of many orthodox Jewish couples, some with no children, some with one or two kids, that have left. Not singles as you state, I don’t know any 20-somethings actually to assess this one way or another. It’s no coincidence that three kosher spots have closed in the last week. The customer base has shrunk, is continuing to shrink, and with back rent due August 1st, it’s going to be awful, for every business. I welcome your “survey” sarcasm as I would love to be wrong in this case.
LaCaridad on 78th street and Broadway was emptying the restaurant the last few weeks and is closed for good.
This is terrible news. La Caridad…. Been on the West Side longer than me. Very very sad. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s worth staying in the city with so much of value disappearing. What are we going to be left with? A load of fast food chains? Not my cup of tea at all.
oh no!!! not La Caridad!! the last good Cuban/Chinese place on the UWS.
sigh.
There are still good Dominican restaurants. Does anyone know if El Malecon on Amsterdam near 97th is open?
Malecon on Amsterdam between 97th-98th streets is open. Tables outside with nice umbrellas.
I hear you Bruce. Been going to this place since the ’80s.
An UWS institution. Que lastima!!
So sad, I remember when Caridad was a little space with 4 or five tables, before it expanded to the corner… and I moved further uptown.
Where there is another long time Cuban/Chinese restaurant,first known s Victoria/China on corner of 95th and Broadway
CMA, I don’t like to speak ill of restaurants, but La Nueva Victoria on Bway & 95th just isn’t in the same league as La Caridad. At least to my tastes. As they say, “your mileage may vary.”
I recall when there was a good Cuban/Chinese restaurant on almost every block on the UWS.
double sigh.
Have you forgotten about La Dinesta on the north side of W. 72 between Amsterdam & Columbus? It’s been there over 45 years and is absolutely terrific. Try it!
Arlene, thanks, I didn’t know about la Dinesta, I am rarely on that block. For a while La Caridad was ax regular Saturday afternoon late lunch for me. Delicious. I will make it a point to try La Dinesta.
Detroit anyone?
As for GNC…I read they filed for bankruptcy and their pretty much finished
Did La Caridad 78 St and Broadway close permanently?
GNC between 67/68th and Columbus is liquidating.
Another store next to it is also closing but I do not
name.
What’s happening with Sarabeth’s on 80th/Amsterdam and Crave Fishbar on Amsterdam? They are the only 2 without outdoor seating and have not been open at all.
Saw gutting of Sarabeth’s on east side a few weeks ago….or at least part of it. Didn’t ask any questions, so not sure.
That whole corner with Sara Beth’s and Paolo’s was set to go last year when the Hotel Wales decided to close. Paolo’s moved over to the spot where on Madison/89h where The Corner Bakery was (originally Petak’s). It’s happening everywhere, not just the UWS.
There’s a LOT of zombie businesses masquerading as living businesses, except for those sun-bleached signs still taped to the door, promising to reopen in March or April… a view through the plate glass leaves the impression that all of a sudden they dropped everything & abruptly left… like that beauty parlor on Broadway and 75th, Jean Louis David, is that one of them?
They’re closed every time I walk by, but admittedly, I tend to walk by at 6 or 7pm.
If you’re a fan of small family businesses, it’s scary out there.
I believe that Jean Louis David is supposed to reopen tomorrow (7/15).
I walked by JLD this morning and they are open.
I have it on good authority that Jean-Louis David has gone out of business. Also, if you go to their website, they no longer show any U.S. locations.
there’s an Andrade Shoe Repair on Bway between 99th and 100th (West Side). i hope that didn’t close too.
I’m so glad to know there’s another Andrade! They do a super-good job.
Agree! I just posted to say I actually dug through my closet to bring him as much repair work as I could right now– the neighborhood (those of us who can afford it) need to keep him open! And the rest of our beloved businesses, too. Now that I’m leaving my apartment I’m trying hard to support my favorite places. I’m so worried about them.
That Andrade has reopened.
I was going to say the same thing. That’s the one that I go to. Hope it stays afloat!
…can’t say that I’m sorry to see Lenwich shut its doors. Their sandwich prices far exceeded the small portions served up; better quality and value can be had at countless of other sandwich shops on the UWS.
I went in there 2 or 3 times to look and never bought anything, just walked out.
@Bruce Rutherford, you have the right to not eat there if it’s too expensive or if you don’t like the food. But it’s obnoxious to be happy that any business is closing in the wake of an economic crises brought on by a pandemic. I’d be interested to know how you’d feel if you were thrown out of work and someone else made that comment.
What an asinine take. What if you worked there?
bitter – party of one – your socially distanced table is ready.
Lenwich has greatly increased their prices in the last few years – every time I would go in, it would be higher. I asked once and got the impression that it was driven by the higher minimum wage.
Which proves the point, higher minimum wage helps employees in the short term, but in the long term they are worse off as now they don’t have jobs…
Leon, I don’t think your sample size of one proves any point.
Old Jewish joke:
Friend 1: I’ll never go there again, the food was like poison!
Friend 2: I wouldn’t give their food to my worst enemy.
Friend 1: And the portions are so small!
I don’t know if all of the Lenwich shops are the same but I stopped in to the one on Amsterdam and 74th today (at the recommendation of another WSR poster) and was happily surprised to see how spacious and clean it was, and the food was amazing! I thought the portions were very generous compared to the other deli/restaurants that I’ve been to on the UWS. What other places would you recommend?
wrong avenue?
Sorry, yes it was on Columbus and 74th. I forgot that I’d gone down to UPS. First time I’ve been off my own block in 3 months. Too much excitement, lol. 😉
I’m sad to see it go because it was an underrated breakfast spot. Sure there are others, but it was a good place to have in the rotation.
This is really sad. More and more empty storefronts. More and more people losing their livelihoods. Sad, hard times.
At this point we need to just call it what it is –
Upper Ghost Side
this neighborhood is a shell of what it was.
Amsterdam Avenue from 79th st up is pretty fun!
I wonder if Kayser and Recolte will ever re-open. I prefer Orwasher anyway but it’s interesting that the other two decided to not reopen so far.
About Maison Kayser – I emailed them & they replied (on 7/11) that they hoped to be back soon but did not have a set date yet.
Thanks! That’s really odd though. I would not be surprised if they leave the US market.
Sad to see Andrade go, he’s been repairing my shoes for 20 years. Nice man, great work. Enjoy retirement.
Lenwich was barely open for a hot second at that location. Definitely overpriced.
I think Lenwich on 97th was probably open for about 4 years. I liked it. It was clean and the food and coffee were good . That entire strip of retail attached to the Columbia Building is an eyesore with a scary cast of characters on the sidewalks . from TMobile to old Walgreens space .
Does anyone have any information about La Caridad Broadway and 78th? It looks pretty dead.
Oasis Nail Salon on Broadway b/t 97th and 98th (across from Westside)has reopened! They have shorter hours and are requesting appointments since they only have two women working. They have plexiglass separating the pedicure chairs.
Contrary to previous reports it appears that Mermaid Inn did not shut down for good. There’s a big tent in the street there and the door were open.
I think i got a reopening email from Mermaid
Being open does not mean being able to make a profit. If you can’t earn a profit, or just cover costs, there’s no reason to stay in business, especially if the city isn’t going to give you any cost relief or even a timeline for returning to normal. At some point you can’t pay workers to do nothing or rent for space you can’t use. This seems to be lost on the ruling class of lawyers and academics who think money just materializes even if you don’t or can’t have anything to sell. Many of us have to produce a product or service in order to get paid, otherwise have to cut off the spending.
should say, “if you see openings and closings, please snap a photo and send an email to westsiderag at gmail.
This article prompted me to bring a pile of shoe and handbag repairs to my terrific cobbler on Broadway between 99th and 100th. (I think it’s an Andrade shop.) I need him to stay in business–he’s saved so many of my favorite things! I actually dug through my closet to find things that could use work, from new soles to re-dyeing. If you need any shoes or bags repaired or refurbished, I highly recommend him!
does anyone know if and when Sal Minellas will re-open
We’re a small family owned business on the uws and we have two young boys, ages 1 and 3. This is really sad and scary. We have been open since 2012 and my husband and I are working harder during this pandemic than ever— to keep the business going and to survive. All your thoughts have been very encouraging! Xo
Personally, La Nueva Victoria’s was my place for Cuban Chinese fare, I wonder if today’s the day I order from them if they’re open…
Does anyone know about Pio Pio on 95th and Amsterdam?? Love that place and they’ve been shuttered since March.
The food industry in NYC has responded to COVID about as well as Kodak did to the digital camera.
First off you have a bunch of people that were used to getting lunch out everyday from their offices in midtown / downtown for around $12 to $15. Now we are stuck at home in the UWS. Sure a lot of us are making lunch at home now but they could have at least tried to change their menu and staffing hours to really go after this new lunch crowd.
Secondly to all the fake fine dining in the area (The Smith, Jacobs Pickles, Han Dynasty (you know the rest of this list…)) we used to be willing to pay $25 to $30++ per entree for your not very good food because it was something to do. It was part of a night out and we enjoyed being in your space and interacting with your staff. But expecting us to keep paying those prices for that so so food that now gets delivered cold and in a plastic container was a serious miss step. Or same for now sitting out on a dirty sidewalk / street. You should have changed the prices to reflect this new dinning reality and maybe you would have gotten more customs to order from you.
Does anyone know if Daitch Shopwell has re-opened
The Daitch was my go-to supermarket. Then it had the audacity to close and Crazy Eddie took the space.
Right now it seems like it’s a surviving game. Whoever can make it work until winter 2021 will make really good money. These restaurants close up, new restaurants will take their place come winter as the population and demand is still there and the new restaurants didn’t have to take the loss right now of only operating a small portion of their business.
I think ‘Cesca is closed too…
Very sad to see Pokebab go. 🙁
MODELLS in Columbus Square has posted a sign:THIS STORE WILL NOT BE RE OPENING. WE ARE SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.
TARGET HAS TAKEN THE LEASE ON THE FORMER DUANE READE.
CORRECTION: TARGET HAS TAKEN THE MODELLS SPACE
Any body know if Korvettes has re-opened