By Scott Etkin and Lisa Kava
The Best Buy at 1880 Broadway on the corner of 62nd Street is closing October 29th. This sprawling retail space – occupying nearly 46,000 square feet across three floors – had some misfortunes over the past couple years: in 2020 it had a window broken during unrest around the Presidential election and last year its basement floor was flooded during Hurricane Ida. The chain’s closest locations are in Midtown at 531 5th Ave. and on the Upper East Side at 86th Street and Lexington. (Thanks to Gretchen for the tip.)
Morning Goods, a pop-up serving breakfast tacos, overnight oats and cold brew, has opened in Caledonia, the whiskey bar on Amsterdam between 80th and 81st Streets. The pop-up is a sibling company of Uptaco, the Harlem-based wholesale provider of breakfast tacos in cafes across NYC. “There are a lot of bars that don’t utilize their space until the evenings [so we decided] let’s try to form a partnership,” said Dan Nechamkin, co-founder of Morning Goods and Uptaco. Dan found a partner in Caledonia owner Michael Ferrie, who was open-minded about the venture. “We’re taking it slowly and testing out our menu items and asking for feedback,” said Dan. “But we’ll be here for the foreseeable future.” Morning Goods plans to build out the menu to include yogurt parfaits, croissants and Brazilian cheese bread. Morning Goods is open from 7:30am to 12:30pm on Monday to Wednesday, and 9:30 am to 2:00 pm on weekends. Everything on the menu is designed to be “grab-and-go,” but customers are also welcome to sit at the bar or use the outdoor seating.
A new veterinary chain, URvet Care, is coming to the Upper West Side. It has signage up at 169 Amsterdam on 68th Street, and on the website it lists a location opening at 541 Columbus on the corner of 86th Street (formerly Three Star Coffee Shop). The vet, which is rolling out several locations in NYC starting October 8th, will also have specialty care and telemedicine appointments available for “rechecks and simple problems.” According to the website, it will be open 8:00am to 8:00pm from Monday through Friday, have weekend hours, and will offer “on demand care” without an appointment necessary. (Thanks to Diane and Mindy for the tips.)
dntl Bar, a dentist office offering same-day appointments, has opened at 2169 Broadway between 76th and 77th Streets. Its $39/month membership gives discounts on their services, including: dental check ups, teeth whitening, crowns, fillings, bridges, implants, aligners and veneers. They also sell dental care products. DNTL Bar is open from 8:00am to 7:00pm on weekdays, and 9:00am to 3:00pm on weekends and has locations in Chelsea, Union Square and on the Upper East Side. It replaces a Variazioni clothing store.
SAPPS, a Japanese restaurant, opened on September 28th on Broadway between 112th and 113th Street. This is SAPPS’ second location – the first is in Long Island City – and staff at the new restaurant dressed in Columbia University blue in honor of their neighbor. SAPPS has a full sushi menu in addition to ramen, teriyaki, yakitori and noodle dishes. It replaces e’s restaurant.
Sushi of Gari, on Columbus between 77th and 78th Streets, is closed temporarily for construction. The restaurant is not accepting take-out or delivery orders during the renovation. Reservations on the website are available again starting October 19th. Sushi of Gari’s other locations (Upper East Side, Tribeca and West 46th Street) remain open.
Royal Opticians, which has been on the Upper West Side at 453 Columbus for more than 35 years, is moving to a new location nearby. The new store will have a new name, Royal Crown Optical, and will be in the recently constructed building at 466 Columbus between 82nd and 83rd Streets. The expected opening day will be in early October, a representative from Royal Crown Optical told WSR.
Dntl Bar gave out free ice cream from a Good Humor truck last Sunday. I guess to give us all cavities before they open.
That was free. Shoot. I walked passed it
I see at Petco on 92nd & Bway their is a large SPACE AVAILABLE sign on building .
That’s a shame about Petco. There are plenty of independent places left in the neighborhood for dog and cat supplies. But none for other pets (fish, hamsters, chinchillas, snakes, etc.). Where will people get their betas and crickets?
Petqua is wonderful for *anything* you just mentioned, and more – 98th & Broadway!
Good to know!
Why would I trust these folks to perform complex dental procedures on my teeth when they haven’t learned how to spell “dental”?
2005 called…it wants its droped-vowels trend back.
Why must everything these days be recurring, subscription based pricing models.?It’s infultrated every aspect of our lives . Enough already !
A growing number of businesses today are funded by investment trusts, and those trusts prefer a regular financial return over the fluctuating highs and lows caused by seasonal variation, or even just plain old consumer unpredictability. It’s why most car washes today want to sell you annual memberships. It has nothing to do with what you as a consumer prefer or need. It’s all about generating steady returns for the investors.
Mixed feelings about both “fast vet care” and “fast dental.” Are these like urgent care, but mostly for non-insured walk-ins? Does anyone have any info? (It usually makes a big difference to know and have a history with both your pets vet and/or your dentist. ) Have been without dental coverage for a couple years and putting things off…but unsure about this.
Nancy, here are a couple of starting points to assess DNTL Bar. The first link is Yelp reviews and the second is a story by Business Insider:
https://www.yelp.com/biz/dntl-bar-new-york
https://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-to-use-dntl-walk-in-dental-bar-in-new-york-review-2019-4
It will be interesting to see what ends up going into the Best Buy space.
The Best Buy was never the same after the flooding. I kind of got the sense that the the bottom floor became more or less unusable. I suspect there might have to be a bit of reno done before the next tenant can move in.
Will definitely miss Best Buy because:
1. that glass-door elevator ride into the sub-subterranean levels; and
2. the impulse-buying goodies strategically placed next to the check-out line; anddd
3. the amazing variety of things you never knew you wanted until you saw them!
And the one on 86th and Lexington is not nearly as good.
B&H Photo/Video/Electronics puts any Best Buy to shame… it is not even close.
Knowledgeable staff, wide range of product s including the higher grades (not just the low-grade items that make a big chain the most profit)
It is an institution and to me what an electronics store should be.
I know, not in the neighborhood, but not far to good experience to visit and typically free shipping within the city.
420 9th Ave
Encouraged by’s Morning Goods clever and openminded idea of a morning food service offering utilizing an unused afternoon/evening drink and food service kitchen.
I’m imagining the possibility of the return of an old fashioned breakfast special sit down like the kind that used to be served at Utopia for around $12—now around $20—and even with that price hike there are still cutbacks, like no juice.
I’m hoping for eggs, potatoes, sausage, coffee and orange juice (the real kind) for around $15.
Morning Goods is all about grab and go. Nothing cooked. Nothing actually prepared on site. So basically like all the other bakeries and coffee places in the area.
We’re all about grab and go for those who want to grab and go, as we know time is precious yet everyone still deserves high quality and savory food on the run.
We’re all about stay and chill for those who want to hang out with us, do a little work, or socialize in the morning 🙂
We’re so excited to be here and will keep gathering feedback from the community!
Uptaco breakfast tacos were delicious — had one when Blue Marble briefly offered breakfast at their 70th St location, so was happy to see the pop-up. Great to think about more multi-use collaborations popping up.
Another optician and vet?? How many does one neighborhood need?? So boring. Same old types of businesses.
I’m surprised Best Buy lasted this long after the riots and the recent robbery by a man who walked out with a laptop after brandishing a knife at one of the workers who tried to stop him.
That is terrible news about Best Buy!!! The Geek Squad has been my savior on countless occasions over the years, and I’m so sad to have to go to the nearest one on the East Side on 86th. In fact, I am panic-stricken. My ineptitude with computers cannot be overestimated.
What about the Best Buy on 23rd Street and 6th Ave? I used to work in that area and went there all the time. Nice selection, knowledgeable associates and clean store. Haven’t been there in a while, but if it’s still there, that’s the one I would go to instead of the one on East 86th. That location on the East Side has been going downhill for years.
Nothing will be able to occupy the best buy space and it will be an empty commercial space for years to come.