By Lisa Kava and Scott Etkin
Hospital for Veterinary Surgery (HVS) opened at 150 Amsterdam (67th Street), on July 31st. The hospital comprises a 10,000-square-foot space in the AIRE building, a glass residential tower. HVS is the first “surgery-exclusive” veterinary hospital in Manhattan and features four operating suites, radiology imaging suites, and CT scan machines. The surgeons at HVS specialize in orthopedics, soft tissue/oncologic surgery, and minimally invasive surgery. HVS is currently scheduling appointments for surgical procedures which will begin in September. The veterinary hospital was founded by Medical Director Dr. Matthew Raske, a board certified veterinary surgeon, who worked at other specialty veterinary hospitals in the New York-Metropolitan area. He is joined by Dr. Andrew Kyles, also a board certified veterinary surgeon, who formerly worked at other New York City and Long Island specialty hospitals. HVS was founded to meet the “very high demands that come with an increased pet population in New York City.”
Columbus Natural Foods, a health food store at 725 Columbus Avenue at 96th Street, is closing at the end of September. The store serves healthy prepared foods, organic food and grocery items, bakery goods, vitamins, and supplements. Everything in the store will be on sale beginning the first week of September, starting at 25% and eventually 50% off, owner Chad Patel told West Side Rag. “The customer base has been slowing down since Covid,” Patel said. “Many longtime regular customers have moved away and it has really affected our business. The rent has become difficult and we cannot keep up with the space that we have.” Columbus Natural Foods has been there for almost 30 years according to Patel who bought the store from the previous owner in 2017. “I am going to miss it,” he said. “This store embodies everything that makes the Upper West Side a community,” wrote tipster Shari. “They know their customers by name and let regulars keep a tab. The staff are long time employees who watched our kids grow up.”
Ansonia Cleaners, which closed in May 2023 after 22 years at 230 West 74th Street in the Ansonia building, will be reopening nearby in the Schwab House apartment building at 285 West End Avenue between 73rd and 74th Streets. Owner Brian Chu told the Rag that the cleaners will also have pickup and drop-off laundry service. “After I closed, a lot of my customers called and sent me emails asking me to stay in the neighborhood. I knew people in the Schwab House who offered me the space,” Chu told WSR on a phone call. Chu expects to reopen in the new space in either late August or early September. “I was trying to take a break, but I don’t want to disappoint my customers,” he said. “I am personally thrilled because I’ve been using them for eons and I’m also happy that Brian found a new home,” wrote tipster Gretchen.
New Amsterdam Burger has moved from 680 Columbus Avenue ( 93rd Street), to 100 West 83rd Street, between Columbus and Amsterdam, where it will be sharing space with Carlos & Gabby’s, a Mexican Kosher restaurant. The two food establishments are under the same ownership, but have different menus. New Amsterdam Burger is now called Amsterdam Burger NYC and offers burgers, salads, and sandwiches for pickup and delivery only. “The name has changed but the burgers have not,” the manager told West Side Rag. (Thanks to Gustavo for the tip.)
Trek, the bicycle shop at 231 West 96th Street will close on August 27, and consolidate with Trek’s shop at 156 West 72nd Street (between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues). All parts and accessories are 50% off, and bikes are 20% off until the store closes. According to a store clerk from the 72nd shop, the company is currently searching for a larger location on the Upper West Side, but a space has not yet been identified. “We will eventually move to a bigger space, that is the plan,” the clerk said. (Thanks to Seth and Robert for the tip.)
New Balance, the athletic footwear and apparel store has signage up on Columbus Avenue between 69th and 70th Streets. The space was formerly occupied by Intermix, the trendy women’s clothing store that closed in November 2022. New Balance has three other stores in Manhattan; on the Upper East Side, Flatiron and in Midtown. (Thanks to Nancy for the tip.)
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The building on the corner next to Columbus Natural Foods is falling apart so bad that they’ve sealed it up and painted the entire thing white, windows and all. I wouldn’t be surprised to see both structures torn down soon to make room for something else.
Clearly so. Plans must be known somewhere. Does anyone have any idea of what kind of construction/building will be taking pace?
Structure will be demolished for building expansion. Sounds like plans will be to create shops around like in Columbus Square.
re: Columbus Natural Foods closing…does anyone know what happened with the old Hunan Park/Big Apple Chinese Restaurant being painted all white? Are they tearing down that entire corner and building a high rise? Strange happenings on that corner.
Dog lover here. How many vet offices have opened in the last few years? Seems like at least a half-dozen. Demand is high, sure, but can they all prosper and hopefully drive prices a bit lower?
Most are private equity owned so always know before going. Bond, Small Door, the one on 86 & Columbus. The smaller vets will not be able to compete
And another one coming, I understand, at the northeast corner of 86th & Columbus. Lots of people with new pets acquired during the pandemic?
It doesn’t surprise me at all that New Amsterdam Burger is closing (or closed) at the Columbus Avenue/W. 93rd Street location.
It’s schedule of opening and closing was nothing short of bizarre. Being a Kosher restaurant it would be understandable if it closed before sundown on Fridays and on Saturdays. But I’ve walked by on a Thursday or Tuesday around 6PM, and they’d be closed.
People can’t choose to go to a restaurant and find that they’re closed when you get there, for no apparent reason.
Truly hope a good, business savvy management or ownership takes over this prime location on the Upper Westside.
Perhaps a good steakhouse or a restaurant that used to be here on Amsterdam and 91st, Scarlatto, would consider this location. They were fabulous, and their prices extremely reasonable.
Most of the burgers are also nearly $30 (a plain burger, no frills, is still $23). Personally, that immediately put it in the “no consideration” category when I’d go to eat out.
Kosher restaurants will also be closed on many Jewish holidays, which may occur at what May otherwise seem random times.
I have checked to make sure it is not some little known holiday; often times they are closed and it is not a holiday…odd…
That spot has never had much luck for some reason and is now buried under scaffolding
Yes, I liked the food at Scarlatto. I thought their carbonara was like that in Rome.
I’ve been there evenings–maybe you thought they were closed because nobody was seated out front?
Would be nice if New Balance’s stores sold more than running shoes, eg light hiking boots, which one usually has to order from the company.
I already asked this in the comments on the separate 2231 Broadway story, but the Trek store is allegedly closing because that whole Ancott building on the NW corner of 96/Broadway is going to be torn down. Does anyone know any details about this?
I think you mean the NE corner of 96 & Broadway.
Yes, apologies, NE—but still the same question in regard to plans for this corner–any intel or just corrections for my mis-labeling of the corner?
That would make sense given the Citi move, and the former Plant Shed building seems to have been gutted. Looking at Street Easy, there have been no active listings in 2560 Broadway since October of 2021.
I would like a more thorough bio on Drs. Raske and Kyles. There is nothing substantial regarding either one that I can find on the internets.
Hiw does a surgery exclusive veterinary hospital work? Does my primary vet say the dog needs surgery but they can’t or won’t do it thenselves and send me to this new facility?
I don’t know Dr. Raske but Dr. Kyles was our surgeon at Blue Pearl several years ago. We had snub nosed dogs and our vet referred us to him and he did their ENT surgery. He was very personable and it was a good experience overall. Good luck in the new practice!
Re: Ansonia Cleaners. There are no commercial storefronts on West End Ave. Will they be inside Schwab House?
That was my question, too. Schwab House has no space on the ground floor that would serve as a storefront. And if the cleaners are going to be inside the building (presumably somewhere around the lobby?), how much business will they get if no one sees that they are there? Other than the tenants, that is.
Sorry to hear about Trek. Between them and the former bike shop, they were there like 30 years.
So glad to read that Brian, and his business (Ansonia Cleaners) will be back in the neighborhood!
Confused though, as the Schwab House has no storefront retail spaces…where will this business be located?
There is also a New Balance in Harlem
A bike store (and air hose) on 96th with one owner or another has been a mainstay since the 80s at least. Sad to see the current one leave.
The owners of New Amsterdam Burger are the hardest workers and put so much into their restaurant. Being Kosher and making sure their meat was the freshest made it worth it. I am glad they will still be in business in a different way.
People talk about closings like it’s no big deal. It is A HUGE DEAL for small business owners who put everything into their stores, including their souls and not only their savings. I wish people would remember that when some people sound so flippant.
And to be under scaffolding just ruins businesses and our neighborhood that we should all be screaming at our elected officials for not doing anything tangible about it. All they do is TALK, no action – especially with our safety. But please feel for these small businesses that close.