By Scott Etkin and Lisa Kava
Asset, the bar and restaurant at 329 Columbus Avenue between 75th and 76th Streets, is closed temporarily and will have an updated menu with new “Asian-inspired” dishes when it reopens in early September. “We were hoping to do something different and we have a lot of team members who enjoy Asian-style cuisine,” said Patrick Duxbury, who works in operations at Asset. Currently serving modern-American fare with Mediterranean influences, Asset’s updated menu will feature dim sum, sushi, skewers, sharing plates, and “more options for people sitting at the bar,” he said. The reopening is expected to take place soon after Labor Day. (Thanks to Yvonne for the tip.)
Chipotle, the Mexican fast-food chain, is coming to 2575 Broadway at the corner of 97th Street. The space was formerly a Walgreens, but has been vacant since at least 2019. The opening is planned for this fall, a spokesperson for the company confirmed with WSR. Other Chipotle locations on the UWS include: 110th and Broadway, 100th and Columbus, 83rd and Broadway, and 73rd and Amsterdam. (Thanks to Dan for the tip.)
Madison Reed, a hair color salon, has opened at 2315 Broadway (between 83rd and 84th Streets). The location was previously Harry’s Shoes for Kids, which was consolidated into the larger Harry’s Shoes store nearby. The salon uses their own color brand which became popular with online orders in 2020 during the pandemic. Services include root touch ups, single process, highlights, gloss, and blowouts. Madison Reed has approximately 50 salons throughout the United States, including NYC salons in Tribeca, Flatiron, Brooklyn, and the Upper East Side. This will be the second Upper West Side location for the company, which opened one on Columbus Avenue at 72nd Street, in the former location of a Covid testing center and, before that, Olive & Bettes, a women’s clothing store for many years. (Thanks to Joy for the tip.)
The Starbucks at 444 Columbus between 81st and 82nd Streets is closed temporarily. A sign on the storefront window apologizes for the inconvenience, but does not give a reason for the closing. Last year this location was shut down temporarily for repairs and remodeling. (Thanks to Hannah for the tip.)
To receive WSR’s free email newsletter, click here.
Correction: The photo for Chipotle was originally incorrect. It has been corrected.
It appears you have the Citibank on 96th instead of the photo for the Walgreens at 97th, for the Chipotle listing.
Starbucks 86th & B’Way. Former Banana Republic. Partial space.
Interesting. Across the street from the Starbucks that used to be at 86th / 87th and Broadway, at 2373 B’way. My understanding is that was the original NYC Starbucks location.
Indeed, it was, opening in the early 90s on the SW corner of. 87th & B-way., in what was most recently a Capital One bank branch. The coffee was consistently outstanding then, served in a porcelain cup and saucer, unless requested otherwise. Either relaxing in a large carpeted area with several tables and leather arm chairs, or perched on stools at the bar in the window with light jazz being played in the background, it was a great place for people watching with some celebrity regulars dropping by. My, how things have changed. I’ve often joked that you could run from the Battery to the UWS holding your breath between Starbucks locations and never finding a decent cup of coffee.
The good old days… 🙂
The location that is temporarily closed was made famous by the movie You’ve Got Mail with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Classic romcom from 1998.
It is true that the first Manhattan Starbucks at 87 and Broadway opened in 1994, but it was the Starbucks at 81 and Broadway that was used as a location in You’ve Got Mail.
This was previously reported as a future opening back in March (https://www.westsiderag.com/2023/03/02/openings-and-closings-warby-parker-jerusalem-restaurant-cafe-paradiso-starbucks-brown-harris-stevens). Has this store opened?
Yes the Starbucks at the Belnord on 86th and Broadway has opened and the Starbucks a block north on Broadway between 87th and 88th has closed and been totally wiped out inside.
The Chipotle at 83rd & B’way is closed for renovations, too.
Oh, Gee!
Instead of Walgreen’s, we get another chain–a Mexican food chain restaurant from McDonald’s.
I can’t wait! 🙁
We really need a good medium priced vegetarian food restaurant on the UW.S
Enough with the fast food places.
What do you consider medium priced? The cost of doing business especially for restaurants is very high . Don’t hold your breath.
Chipotle was founded by an entrepreneurial young man (who is a friend of a friend of mine). He worked his tail off to grow it to become a much bigger entity. Shame on him for living the American dream, creating a lot of jobs and serving somewhat healthy food.
The anti-chain drama around here is absolutely ridiculous. Every chain once started out as something a lot smaller.
As I have said frequently before, this craziness is why America hates us and thinks we are nuts. The virtue-signaling and holier-than-thou attitude is out of control.
Please tell you friend that this Westsider LOVES Chipotle. And for those who think it’s just another fast food place, it isn’t. There are many healthy, tasty options.
I like Chipotle but tbh they have not been the shining star in employee treatment or the way they deal with workers trying to unionize.
So Color Bar is on the same block that Madison Reed opens on? Not ok and I hope they don’t make it. They couldn’t find another block? Who needs them?
Big shout out for Madison Reed.
After a disastrous coloring mistake by an expensive hair salon in midtown, Madison Reed was able to fix it, and in addition, made my hair really soft.
Very nice folks, and I’m thrilled that there is another location.!
I understand that the Madison Reed hair color does not contain harmful chemicals that other salons use.
That’s a big space for Chipotle to fill (though I don’t think that’s the right picture?), but better to have it filled, even with a chain, than empty for another four years!
Is Chipotle taking up the whole Walgreen’s space? That is a huge store with a full downstairs. Chipotle’s tend to be very small and compact.
I’m sure that the anti-chain brigade will complain but a) I like Chipotle, b) it is a lot better than an empty storefront, and c) it too was once a small, neighborhood place that has grown. But haters gonna hate.
Speaking of Citibank, can anyone say when (and why) Citibank vacated the location?
They moved diagonally across the street. I’m unsure, but it’s likely preferential rent, since they’re a stable tenant that will reliably pay rent, and they moved into a brand new building. Also, the old Citibank location is in the same building as Trek, which is closing soon, leaving the building with zero business tenants. Perhaps they’re planning a major renovation, don’t care about vacancies (as is true for many landlords in the area), or even want to demolish, but there’s no public info.
The building on the NE Corner of 96 and BWay is scheduled for demolition. One would assume another higher building is going up in its place.
The photo is of the north east corner of 96th/bway. Chipotle is going into the south west corner of 97th/bway. The building pictured is going to be torn down for another high rise development. Citi moved across the street to the new tower on the southwest corner. Trek Bike Shop, the nail salon, and Citi all vacated to make way for the new development. The old Plant Shed building looks to be part of the assemblage as well.
And before anyone complains about another new building going up on the corner of 96th and Broadway, if you care anything about the small businesses, the new buildings HELP us. We need more people, we need more pedestrians, we need more apartments full of people who walk and shop. It is the TRUTH, especially during these difficult NYC times.
these difficult times are temporary. a new high rise that changes a beloved neighborhood and promotes further gentrification is permanent.
96th and broadway is hardly lacking the foot-traffic you are begging for. besides, and does your small business really want to pay the commercial rents of these new luxury towers. good luck with that.
Plus 96th Street is already a busy and complicated vehicle area especially given the West Side Highway access
Something is wrong when NYC needs more people.
Do you have any documentation for the high-rise plans? I’m very interested, and many folks have inquired about this possibility at that location.
according to https://www.pincusco.com/abs-partners-real-estate-files-to-demolish-uws-rental/ Only a demolition permit has been filed. No new building plans filed apparently
Wow – thanks for the link!
I’m not a fan of Chipotle, but I’m very happy about this opening. It is popular, inexpensive, brings jobs and it is way better than a smoke shop, nail salon or just an empty storefront.
Fairway just posted that they will reopen the Cafe upstairs soon.
Does anyone know when ?
The Fairway cafe was actually very pleasant. I hope it doesn’t change.