Three stores on one block of Amsterdam Avenue are closing, but they’re all hoping to reopen nearby soon. Plus, chocolate and sushi news.
Posie’s, the tiny flower shop that has stood for 15 years at 366 Amsterdam Avenue, between 77th and 78th Streets, will be moving. Owner Susan Holt isn’t sure when or where, just that it’s “inevitable,” and will be “as close to the current shop as possible,” she told WSR. “We’re not under the gun,” she said, because Posie’s occupies a small, stand-alone building next to the 16-story, pre-war elevator building at 201 West 77th Street (on the corner of Amsterdam) that the Olnick Organization bought in 2019 for $106.4 million. “They’re redoing the commercial spaces,” Holt explained, and have not renewed the former tenants’ leases. Holt said she sees the situation as “an opportunity,” because Posie’s is “bursting at the seams.” The Olnick organization did not respond to a request for comment.
One of them is Super Runners Shop, at 360 Amsterdam, which is feeling more pressure to move, according to an assistant manager who said they’ll be out by “late January, early February.” They are looking at spaces on Broadway and Amsterdam, he said.
The Vitamin Peddler, at 364 Amsterdam, also announced plans to move by the end of January. Jeff, who has been there for 13 years, said the new owner of the building has been extending three-month leases at a time. The owner posted a sign on his door saying “Store Moving 1/31/2022″. Thanks to Gavan for the tip.
Sunglasses company Solstice has closed its shop in the Time Warner Center. The company filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year. Thanks to JR for the tip. (initially, we mistakenly wrote that it was opening.)
By the Way Bakery has opened its new shop at 2440 Broadway at 90th Street. It’s just one door down from its prior location.
The Dermatology Specialists are opening in the former home of RCI at 98th Street and Broadway. Thanks to Naomi for the tip.
RA Sushi has replaced Haru Sushi on Amsterdam Avenue and 81st Street. Check out the menu here.
Italian chocolate and gelato shop Venchi has opened at corner of 69th and Columbus. Thanks to Skylar for the tip.
Noticed all stores closed Broadway and 84th St. NE corner and all down on 84th St., looks like beautiful buildings are being torn down, is this legal?
They are coming down shortly The Eagle Court is a mismash of several old warehouses
Isn’t that where Morris Brothers was, and then Game Stop? That space has been empty for years (apparently being used as office space by the construction site just north of it — also going on for years).
What are you seeing that’s new, let along “being torn down”??
I noticed last night that numerous windows had orange X’s painted on them, on the buildings going east on the north side of B’way at 84th St.
I noticed that too, looks like building will be torn down
I used to order from HARU frequently. Two days ago, the menu was as always. But the paper shopping bag, announced RA! What happened to HARU? Victim of rent???
Haru and RA are owned by the same company.
It looks like the other locations of Haru in the city have changed names too. Haru used to be owned by Benihana. I don’t know if or when it changed owners.
Same owners & just a new name
Venchi also opened on Columbus Circle as well. It’s incredible, Italian, handmade chocolate and gelato. This is serious chocolate!
Peddler has to be moving, not closing I hope. He is AMAZING.
Where’s The Vitamin Peddler moving to?
I don’t know about “Jeff”, but Dave, who IS the Vitamin Peddler, is quite the neighborhood resource.
I didn’t think he’d been there as long as 16 years… are you sure that’s correct? He was at The Health Nuts, on Broadway, until a gigantic increase in rent shuttered that useful establishment.
Hopefully the Vitamin Peddler will remain in the neighborhood. The owner David is a wealth of information when it comes to health remedies.
FYI – RA always owned Haru previously.
wont be any real changes
” RA ” as in Rocky Aoki .. Owners of Haru and founders of Benihana. Rocky was an inspiration and a man who lived a heck of a life.
— “RA always owned Haru previously.
wont be any real changes”
Just a completely different menu, that’s all.
I love Super Runners! Hoping they find a new spot soon!
Walked into Venchi the other night, and the sales help & manager were informative and courteous. There are also a couple of outside tables/chairs for a leisurely cup of hot chocolate.
You can try different pieces of chocolate with fillings, one or two each, and buy by weight.
There’s also ice cream. Great addition to neighborhood.
The Vitamin Peddler at one storefront or another has been keeping us healthy for decades. What a loss to our community. Please, everyone, support our local businesses so that we don’t lose them.
Solstice is actually closing not opening.
Thank you. Fixed!
I’d like to chime in with praises for David @The Vitamin Peddler. He’s always been extremely informed and generous with sharing his knowledge with customers.
I too, hope he’s able to move and not close!
Yes, excellent prices as well. We have lost so many vitamin shops, hope they survive.
Went into Venchi for the first time. They said I had to decide how many scoops I wanted before they would give me a sample. They were polite but insisted so I left because I didn’t know and was going to decide based on the samples. So odd. Who does theat? Better then Blue Marble who give no samples and are rude about it. But still…
Just noticed a sign that DSW shoes on Broadway and 79th Street is closing at the end of the month. I wonder if the lot is being sold.
THere is also a sign on Staples that it is closed temporarily for health concerns.
I believe the DSW closure is part of a larger, company-wide retrenchment. Earlier this year they announced they’ll be closing 65 stores. Too bad, I liked browsing the store on 79th.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/dsw-planning-to-close-65-of-its-shoe-stores/ar-BB1eLzHc
“browsing’ isn’t profitable for stores; committed buyers are.
— ““browsing’ isn’t profitable for stores; committed buyers are.”
How do you commit to buy before you’ve browsed?
The ability to browse actual merchandise is a main distinction between brick-and-mortar stores and on-line merchants. If I can’t browse, I might as well just order from Amazon. And find out *after* I’ve bought it whether I like the item. And, if I don’t, go to the bother of packaging it and so on, in order to return it. I’d rather know what I’m buying before I buy it.
I liked DSW too. I browsed, and when browsing showed me something I liked, I bought.
I guess too many people just don’t like the real world and instead depend on their computer screens for everything. That’s too bad.
Mmmm. Venchi. That stuff is so good I am ONLY allowed to have it in the house during the holiday season.
I’ll add my recommendation and gratitude to the others – Dave at Vitamin Peddler is an incredible health resource. (West Side Rag should do a profile piece on him.) The other staff there are great too. I hope the store stays in the neighborhood.
David Eng of the Vitamin Peddler is the BEST!
He is a favorite of ballet dancers, my family, and friends.
I’m glad he is staying in the neighborhood.
SCREME [when open], southeast corner 94th & Amsterdam, gives ice cream/gelato samples, with little (unfortunately) plastic spatulas.
Is there anything particularly ‘special’ at By the Way Bakery?
I just heard a rumor that the Duane Reade at 111th and Broadway will be closing in the new year. I wonder if there is any truth to this? It seems like a much more busy location, with its proximity to Columbia, than the one at 106th and Broadway.
Eagle Court on the corner of 84th and Bway is being torn down to make room for condos the building will be at least 20+ stories tall. The developer stated he felt that the UWS didn’t have enough condos therefore he was remedying that problem! The people who lived in the building were not sure what was happening and were individually approached with deals for their apartments as long as they signed NDAs! It was a hot mess! Also the Excelsior Hotel on West 81st right off Columbus Ave has been sold and is becoming more luxury apartments!
Is Marshall’s closing? The store is almost empty and looked like everything was on super sale.