Openings & Closings: Radio Amsterdam Bar, Solid State Coffee, Hunan Park, Sheer Beauty & Lashes
Radio Amsterdam bar, which replaced Bourbon Street Bar at 407 Amsterdam Avenue near 79th, appears to have closed for good. The phone is disconnected and there are for rent signs on the window. Radio Amsterdam had opened in 2018. Thanks to Jenn for the tip.
Solid State Coffee has soft-opened at 104 West 71st Street, serving all the standard coffee shop varieties, as well as pastries from Colson Patisserie. They’re planning to do a more official opening “in the coming weeks,” they tell us.
Hunan Park on the corner of Columbus and 95th Street appears to be permanently closed. There’s been no activity there for 6 months, Google lists it as closed, the number isn’t in service, and “we are told that they turned in their keys after over 35 years,” tipster Brenda tells us (her landlord owns the space). She says they’ve been there for more than 35 years.
Sheer Beauty & Lashes has leased the long-vacant space at 2659 Broadway at 101st Street. Thanks to Upper West Sider for the tip.
Bye-bye Hunan Park you were a beloved local restaurant for so many years under the previous ownership . I noticed you were struggling for the past couple years the new ownership.
Sad when anything closes, but actually, “Hunan Park” wasn’t there for 35 years; yes, it had once been Hunan Park II back in the 90s but the great original owners of that, Hunan Park on Columbus at 71st, and Hunan Balcony on Bway got out of the business years ago, and sold this place, and for a while it kept its name, then become “Big Apple” or something like that. They took the sign down to reveal the old Hunan Park underneath. It had really become awful; had not been the beloved neighborhood fixture in years!
I tried Hunan Park nine years ago. I never went back.
Yes, Hunan Park was short-lived and the food was gross not to mention there menus all over your doorstep‘s….I never ate there. Personally, I miss the late 1960s and early 1970s Cuban Chinese restaurants here on the west side. A full dinner would go for $12.50.
I believe that the Dominican places might help fill the gap left by Cuban Chinese places, though they don’t have the Chinese side of the menu. I like El Malecon (is it open?) on Amsterdam near 97th. Or either Flor de Mayo (are THEY open?) which does have some Chinese-by-way-of-Peru.
you asked for it:
Elsa La Reina Del Chicharron, on St Nicholas (171/172) serves pork crackling, Dominican style, and is pretty impressive, if not wonderful.
‘A’ rated kitchen, a few stools and the best Chicharron i’ve ever tasted.
i think they also have an outlet somewhere in Jersey.
Hunan Balcony!!! Very very good. The Chinese food of my childhood
Anyone hear anything about Shun Lee?
Is Shun Lee closed? They still appeared on seamless last week.
Did you try to order from Shun Lee West? The website shows ‘temporarily closed’ and when I hit the reorder button it also showed ‘restaurant closed.’ I think Shun Lee Palace is open though.
Yep, The Westside branch has been having problems here on the west side for sometime with Health department violations and closings and bad management…yes, they have officially closed after the coronavirus set in.
Sforno just opened on west side of Broadway between 87 and 88 Streets in the old Hot&Crusty site. Sforno sells a variety of pizzas, pastas, and salads. We had a slice of the eggplant pizza–tasted like eggplant parmigiana on pizza–very good. Happy to see an opening in these tough times.
Curious….have noticed several new nail salons have opened/will be opening.
Why nail salons?
What’s up?
Believe it or not…. many owners of the nail salons used to have Chinese restaurants and laundromats. Try to understand the American Asians have a hard way of understanding the American commercial market and have limitations what they can do.
I remember when there were many Korean-owned produce stores, of which only Han remains, on Broadway & 93rd.
“American Asians have a hard way of understanding the American commercial market and have limitations what they can do.”
Please explain this “statement” if you can
I can explain it. It’s racist. Why did WSR print it?
A phenomenon I just don’t understand. Around here, I am floored by the number of cars outside the nearby nail salon. I suppose everyone figures all those chemicals kill anything even with the very close contact. But it’s also not cheap, and requires frequent visits. Completely escapes me.
come on folks. read this old NYTimes article, put on your thinking caps and open your eyes.
it’s all about cash, cash and more cash.
and here is the missing link:
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/10/nyregion/at-nail-salons-in-nyc-manicurists-are-underpaid-and-unprotected.html
Nail salons and barbershops can never be on line businesses even in a hundred years.
Too bad on Radio Amsterdam, but can’t say I’m surprised. I never saw many people in there. I used to go to Bourbon Street in my younger days, but never felt compelled to go to Radio Amsterdam.
Any loss right now is not good though.
Radio Amsterdam was creepy. As a woman, there are places where you instantly don’t feel safe the moment you walk in and that was one. The men all looked at you with this college Phi Delt fraternity basement creeper vibe and it simply wasn’t cool.
Yikes, sorry to hear that. I guess it won’t be missed then haha.
I loved Radio Amsterdam but it closed awhile ago. I’m a woman and I went there often and always felt safe. I loved the music and the bartenders became friends. It was more of an older crowd, which I liked because I’m NOT in my 20’s anymore. I never felt a creepy vibe at all. I will really miss that bar.
Man I miss Bourbon Street!!
Hear hear!
Always had great specials and just a cool place to hang with friends.
Bourbon Street?
It was a drug store in there and busted many times.
The 20Th Precinct was always in that place busting up fights and always arresting someone for something.
That place was a disaster watering hole!
Drug store, huh??
Wish I would have known back then. Could’ve saved a bunch of trips downtown.:)
+1
To UWS_lifer…. You just step right into it!
Nooooo, not Hunan Park! They were a reliable source of cheap Chinese food, and they served real pancakes with their mu shu. If I ever go back to work at my office on a regular basis I will miss them.
Get ready for a brand new building to be built on the Hunan Park corner.
One time I walked into Hunan Park about 20 minutes before closing to get an order to go and the girl behind the counter said no, we’re closed when I knew they weren’t. So I went outside, called the phone number from the street and got someone else on the phone and placed my order. Then I walked in and smiled at the girl and paid her. That’s my Hunan Park story.
That being said, they had decent inexpensive sushi.
FYI – Radio Amsterdam bar, which replaced Bourbon Street never got to open. The owner had financial problems from the beginning.
Radio Amsterdam was open for two years. It just didn’t have much going for it and, as one of the earlier commenters mentioned, it didn’t feel at all welcoming for women.
Sirenetta is also closed, unfortunately. Confirmed on a call yesterday that got redirected to Mermaid Inn.
Mermaid Inn is the same ownership as La Sirinetta. I imagine that is a business decision. Mermaid seems to have no difficulty filling their comparatively large outdoor seating capacity which includes the area in front of Sirinetta. They can serve all these tables from one streamlined strategy sourced from Mermaid, so it probably doesn’t make much overhead sense to try and include the Sirinetta menu into the equation. I suspect they have not given up on the space and concept of Sirinetta but are waiting until things get back to normal.
This certainly makes sense. I hope they come back because I miss that epic roasted chicken!
I will fully admit Hunan Park wasn’t great, but it was a block away from us and when we needed something quick and inexpensive, it served a purpose. We only carried out as the restaurant badly needed a makeover. Some of their dishes were actually pretty good. I found it much better than the pure carry-out places in the neighborhood.
By the way, is there good carry-out/delivery Chinese food on the UWS any more? I’m talking about the cheap places where the food is at your door in 20 minutes. Between 80th and 110th? Pearls I think is decent. Any better ones?
I know this sounds like a cliche or overly sensationalist, but I found a roach in a dish I ordered take-out from Hunan Park. You might try Happy Hot Hunan…they are a bit far away from 95 Street, but its pretty quick and quite tasty.
Empire garden is really good chinese take out!
106 and Columbus I believe
What about Han Dynasty on 85th? We’ve eaten there a couple of times and it was ok — maybe we just don’t know how to order there. Anyone else have thoughts about Han Dynasty?
Han Dynasty is good. But you are paying a bit of a premium because it is slightly better, more interesting food. They don’t have the typical Chinese menu with all of the basics. So if you have very traditional Chinese food eaters who want an egg roll, lo mein, General Tso’s chicken and wonton soup, it might not be your best bet.
I should give them another try…had delivery from then over the summer and it was way too heavy on the garlic and kinda greasy. Its not classic Chinese-American food, a bit different, so I may have ordered wrong.
Han Dynasty is great. But it’s a bit pricey. I’m asking about cheap, fast carry-out type places.
@tostonesfix Our favorite neighborhood Asian restaurant is Malaysia Grill on 103rd. They are good and usually quick.
New Kam Lai at Amsterdam and 85th fits the bill for me. Everything is fairly inexpensive, the food is tasty, and delivery is quick.
You have the Chinese take out place on the east side of Amsterdam between I guess 81st and 82nd. I know this is faint praise, but I have eaten their food a dozen times and never gotten sick.
Legends 72’s has the best mapo tofu in town!
I never went to Hunan Park. But I use to work as a cook and waiter in many Asian restaurants. I can tell that most Asian restaurants have hygiene problems. The list is too gross to post here. If you notice alot of the Asian restaurants have a B rating.
I hate to kick dirt on the grave but…the food at Hunan Park was awful. Never trust an establishment that serves “all you can eat sushi” Yuck.
That run-down standalone building that used to be a Chinese restaurant…..they’re going to be trying to find a tenant for that spot for YEARS, just like the run-down standalone building that used to be Food City. Nobody’s going to want to move into that dumpy building at that location.
Hunan Park was just ok, then it went downhill. I’ll miss the convenience but not the food. Why is that part of the UWS such a food desert?
Radio Amsterdam was a great addition to the neighborhood. Their landlord wanted 100% of the rent during the Pandemic. They wouldn’t negotiate so the bar owners closed for good.
Paris Baguette on Broadway (between 70th and 71st) has also closed
I am so excited about solid state coffee opening up! I’m sure they will do better than that disgrace of a coffee shop up the street. (Black Press Coffee)