By Scott Etkin and Lisa Kava
Body Mechanics, an acupuncture studio, is opening at 2807 Broadway between 108th and 109th Streets in August. “We are a black-owned, women-owned family practice focusing on pain relief and stress management through acupuncture, dry needling, cupping and coaching,” wrote Tabitha Silver, the owner and acupuncturist, in a message to WSR. Sessions range from $65 to $250 and Silver has advocated in the State Legislature for increased access to acupuncture to help New Yorkers with addiction recovery and pain management. Silver is herself a lifelong New Yorker whose grandparents moved to Morningside Heights in the late 1970s. “I opened my practice here because I grew up here,” she said. Previously the practice was located a little farther uptown on 113th Street. (Thanks to Tracy for the tip.)
Storico, the rustic Italian restaurant in the New-York Historical Society at 170 Central Park West (77th Street) closed on July 14th, according to a post on their instagram. Storico was known for its bright airy space with high ceilings, chandeliers, and decorative candles on the walls. The restaurant opened in 2011 and was operated by Constellation Culinary Group, which also runs restaurants in Carnegie Hall, the New York Botanical Garden, and a variety of museums and venues throughout the United States.
Parliament Espresso and Coffee Bar, operated by the same vendor as Storico and also in the NY Historical Society closed on July 14th as well. “We’ll have details about the future of the restaurant and cafe in the coming weeks, and we thank the teams at Storico and Parliament for their service,” a representative from the NY Historical Society wrote to the Rag in an email. Storico’s website is no longer operational.
Canine Styles, the dog grooming salon, is moving from 2231 Broadway between 79th and 80th Streets to 2200 Broadway on the corner of 78th Street, the former location of Cocomat, the natural mattress company that closed their Upper West Side store in December. All tenants must vacate the building where Canine Styles is currently located because it will be demolished, owner Mark Drendel told West Side Rag in an email. (When asked about the plans for the building, a representative from Friedland Properties declined to comment.) “After 13 years at 2231 Broadway, we didn’t want to desert our loyal following on the Upper West Side,” Drendel said. They plan to move by October 1st, if not sooner. “We started construction this past week and are very excited about the new space.” Canine Styles also has a couple of locations on the Upper East Side.
Photograph by Scott Etkin.Framebridge, the custom picture-framing company, is opening a store at 452A Columbus Avenue, between 81st and 82nd Streets. Framebridge started as an online-only business in 2014. Five years later, they began opening their own retail locations. The space used to be Luxcucina, a kitchen and bath design store.
Uptown Dermatology, part of the Infinity Dermatology network, is opening at 981 Amsterdam Avenue (the corner of 108th Street). Dr. Jeffrey Weinberg, the founder and owner of the company as well as the main provider, has lived on the Upper West Side with his family for more than 20 years. A Columbia graduate, Dr. Weinberg started the practice in 2012 and now splits his time between it and Beth Israel hospital in Union Square. Infinity has several dermatology offices in upper Manhattan and across the city. Construction at the new Upper West Side space will continue for the next few months. It has been vacant for several years and prior to its renovation was a karate studio.
I, for one, won’t miss Storico. It always seemed odd in the context of the New-York Historical Society, with its wonderful exhibitions, lecture series, publications, and great gift shop — all geared to NYC history. The generic, vaguely Italian restaurant presented museum-goers with mediocre food and disinterested service, neither of which had much to do with the Society’s mission or ambience. The history of food in NYC is fascinating, and I’m looking forward to seeing whether the Society will integrate it into its new cafe offering.
walked in for a late lunch and was ignored.
I had lunch at Storico last fall and found it the food exceptionally good. Don’t remember any problems with the service, but now its all a moot point…
Yes….incredibly expensive and VERY noisy. How about buffering the walls or carpeting and introducing NYC cuisine (from Lower East Side to NY hot dogs to NY style pizza and other ethnic foods that typify our city’s diversity.!
Storico was also very noisy. To have a conversation below a shout was a struggle.
I thought Storico was terrific when it first opened. Over the years, the menu shrank and it became much less good. I always assumed it struggled because it was inside a museum and no one really seemed to know it was there.
“Building is being demolished” – is NY Sports Club vacating as well?
Wait, 2231 Broadway is going to be demolished? Anyone know what the plan is? This building takes up about half the block and also has a NY Sports Club in it. And here’s a nice blog post about the building’s history: http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-broadway-studio-building-2231-2239.html
Property in question (2231 Broadway) was (or is still) jointly owned by Zabar family and Friedland Properties.
A few years ago latter hauled former into court claiming Stanley Zabar “steadfastly refused to engage in meaningful discussions” about redeveloping the five-story multifamily property which sits between 79th and 80th on Broadway across from Zabar’s store.
Guess matter was settled if businesses are seeing their leases terminated.
Thanks for the link, Kelle. I once took a few classes at Kulicke-Stark — enough to realize I had no future in jewelry design. Whatever boring monstrosity they’ll throw up on the site will never replace the life and art and hopes that filled the studios at 2231 Broadway.
I hear Russ and Daugthers is opening another restaurant on 34th Street. Maybe they’d consider an outpost at NYHist.
Wait, there’s a big story buried here.
The building housing Canine Styles is being demolished? Doesn’t that building run from behind the church north to where H&H used to be? Did the church sell air rights to a developer? Inquiring minds want to know more.
Framebridge is another private equity funded company. How can small frame shops compete? The same goes for so many other businesses that are opening like a veterinarian on every street corner.
OH NO!!! This means that the building on the corner of Wet 80th and Broadway – next to Zabars and owned by ZABARS and someone else – is being demolished????!!!!!! I know from a previous article in WSR that Zabars opposed demolishing this building and were in court with the co-owners to stop itl.l. Looks like they lost! Is it going to be another luxury high rise?
No. This is the building on the next block south, between 79th and 80th. Where Verizon was and H&H Bagels before that. Just north of the church.
The store that is moving is in a small space that used to be a diner, if you go back that far.
While I agree wholeheartedly that I do not want to see an expensive, modern high-rise on that property, I do think the building that is currently there is rather unsightly. I couldn’t imagine that it would be allowed to continue to stand on such a desirable (for developers) lot. I think it would be great if it could be senior housing could be built there, but the neighborhood does not need another ugly modern high-rise.
I believe you are both talking about the same building. However, the dog store is moving to the opposite side of Broadway on the corner of 78th That space (going back 42 years) was at various times an Indian restaurant, an antiques store (well, old things), a small Duane Reade, and most recently an organic bedding store.
2231 Broadway being demolished is a big deal!
Is this information correct? I read last year that Friesland Properties was suing Zabars (joint owners of 2231 Broadway) to sell. However, I never saw what the resolution was.
I’ve gone to NYSC at that location for 25 years…they recently announced renovations to the facilities.
God, we don’t need another high-rise apartment building in the neighborhood with astronomical prices and empty retail space on the ground floor (and basement).
FrieDland properties, not FrieSland. Sorry.
And on Broadway 72 to 96…..nothing.
Jesus H. Christ, ANOTHER high rise building that NO ONE can afford to live in unless your filthy rich?!?!? We need affordable housing, not another expensive monstrosity!
Does anyone know what’s going on with the HMart that’s supposed to open at the end of the summer on Broadway between 68 and 69 Streets, where a Rite Aid formerly stood?? It was announced in March. I live around the corner and there is no activity.