Openings and Closings: Nest NYC; 293 Amsterdam Ave. Laundry; Vegan Night Market; Santander Bank; Two Boots; Moon Kee; Pizza Hut

By Scott Etkin and Lisa Kava

Nest NYC, a mindfulness center offering yoga, massage, reiki healing, doula services, and lactation support has recently opened two studios on the Upper West Side. Owner Sarah Guffey opened locations at 162 West 72nd Street (5th floor) in May and at 25 Central Park West (63rd, Suite 1) in April. Prior to this she worked from her Upper West Side home, and from Momentum Fitness on Columbus Avenue. Yoga classes are held at the 72nd Street location. 

Guffey, who grew up in Kentucky, says her family history guided her on this path. Her maternal grandmother and sister were “healers” she describes, and her paternal grandmother “birthed her children in the hills of Kentucky with only a midwife by her side.” Guffey has trained for 16 years in various yoga, massage, reiki and prenatal postpartum yoga/doula programs, she told the Rag. “What inspires me is tuning into people,” she said. “Feeling out what their inner self is asking for and guiding them to discover the answers, which we do alongside each other.”

293 Amsterdam Ave. Laundry, the dry cleaner and tailor between 73rd and 74th Streets, is closing on July 31st. The owner is retiring after 50 years in business, an employee who answered the phone told WSR.

A Vegan Night Market is running in Wollman Rink in Central Park (near 62nd Street) on Tuesdays from 4pm to 10pm through October 10th. The open-air market is free to enter (no reservation required) and will be the first of its kind in NYC, according to MHG Events, the hospitality group organizing it. There are 20 to 25 vendors per event, and the roster changes per week depending on availability. Some examples include: Nadas, Colombian rainbow empanadas; Vegan on the Fly, comfort food; and Culiraw, gluten-free desserts. During the day in the summer Wollman Rink is converted into a pickleball center. (Thanks to Tierney for the tip.)

Santander Bank is relocating its existing branch at 2275 Broadway on the corner of 82nd Street to 2230 Broadway between 79th and 80th Streets. The move is taking place in July. The space has been vacant for a few years since the apartment building was constructed. 

Two Boots, the pizzeria with creative topping combinations, is opening at 70 West 71st Street between Columbus and Central Park West in a couple weeks. Tipster Susan Schwartz wrote: “What do Louisiana and Italy have in common? They are both boot-shaped, and honored in the name of a beloved restaurant about to open on the Upper West Side – Two Boots Pizza!! We were thrilled to meet owner/co-founder Phil Hartman in front of the restaurant, which is taking over the location previously home to Big Nick’s. This will be the eighth location for Two Boots, which first opened in the East Village on June 24, 1987.”

Moon Kee, a Cantonese restaurant, is opening at 2642 Broadway between 100th and 101st Streets. Its recipes date back 40 years to street restaurants in Hong Kong, according to the company’s website. The space used to be Empire, a Chinese food restaurant. (Thanks to Lisa for the tip.)  

Pizza Hut is opening at 940 Columbus on the corner of 106th Street. The space was formerly Mighty Catch, a Cajun seafood restaurant. (Thanks to Sal for the tip.)