By Scott Etkin and Lisa Kava
Blue Marble, the ice cream and sorbet shop, is closing its location at the corner of 97th Street and Broadway on October 22nd. “We have decided to turn our focus in 2024 toward our thriving wholesale and private events divisions,” owner Jennie Dundas wrote in a message to West Side Rag. “After sixteen years establishing ourselves as NYC’s stand alone mission-driven ice cream company, we couldn’t be more thankful to our loyal customers who have made it possible.”
Blue Marble closed its other UWS location this summer, but going forward pints are available to purchase in the neighborhood at Whole Foods and Westside Market, among other local retailers, as well as on the menu at Bareburger, Harlem Shake, and other restaurants. Blue Marble opened its 97th Street location in 2021 and experienced a series of shoplifting incidents and vandalism in the fall of that year. At the time, Dundas told the Rag she was thankful for the outpouring of support from the community. For its remaining days in operation there is a sale on select flavors.
Flyspace Physical Therapy has opened at 252 West 81st Street, between Broadway and West End Avenue. Owned by physical therapist Marissa Schaeffer and personal trainers Andrew Schaeffer and Antoine Simmons, Flyspace offers physical therapy, personal training, strength and conditioning, as well as cognitive performance and mental-health counseling. Marissa Schaeffer, a former dancer, founded the practice in 2021 on West 72nd Street as a center to treat performing artists. The new space at 81st replaces that location and Schaeffer now offers PT services to anyone in need (although performing artists get a discounted rate). Flyspace has four physical therapists and two personal trainers on site. In addition to personal training, Andrew Schaeffer provides mental health counseling services as part of sports performance. “Together Flyspace is on a mission to be a one-stop-shop for health wellness and performance,” Simmons wrote to West Side Rag.
Sandwell, a “healthyish” toasted sandwich shop, is opening at 412 Amsterdam between 79th and 80th Streets on October 5th. “I’ve had some very healthy lunches, and I’ve had some quite unhealthy lunches. Both are great, occasionally, but [Sandwell is a middle ground] – something that you have three or four times a week, not just every once in a while,” said Andy Gottlieb, CEO and founder, on a call with WSR. He said that as many ingredients are made in-house as possible in order to ensure their quality. This means that Sandwell will bake its own bread, mix its own hot sauce, and cure its own deli meats. Gottlieb lives on the Upper West Side with his family and has a background in the hospitality industry, primarily at higher-end restaurants, like The Mary Lane and Little Owl. The sandwich shop will be open for lunch to start out and eventually its hours will expand to cover breakfast and dinner. The space used to be Bettola, the German-Italian restaurant that closed last year.
Glowbar, a salon that offers 30-minute facials, is opening this fall at 805 Columbus near 100th Street. The pricing for members is $55 and $75 for non-members. There are several other Glowbar locations in the city but this will be its first on the UWS. The space has been vacant for the past few years, but most recently it was a Petco.
Mughlai, a popular Indian restaurant, opened on September 27th at 489 Columbus between 83rd and 84th Streets. Ashoka, another Indian restaurant, was formerly in the space. Mughlai has locations on the Upper East Side, Kips Bay, Hell’s Kitchen, and the Financial District. They also had a location at 320 Columbus Avenue (75th Street) that closed in 2015.
QQ Nails & Spa is opening a new location at 2466 Broadway between 91st and 92nd Streets. The chain of salons has many locations in the city, including some on the UWS (at 75th and 85th Streets). The storefront used to be a showing office for The Westly, the luxury condo building on the other side of the avenue.
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continue to be baffled by all the nail, spa, facial etc places…..
is there truly so much business?
near me there are 6 such places within 3 blocks…
I had a manicure last night. People kept coming in at closing time.
It’s one if the few things you can’t do online. Soon there will be no retail storefronts, just services.
They vary substantially in quality, services offered, etc. It’s unlikely it’s sustainable for so many such places to exist in close proximity, but the market will dictate that.
Speaking as a small business owner a few blocks away, I KNOW that if Blue Marble was not having the multitudes of troubles we are having on Broadway, I would bet she would keep the store. She had to find another way to bring in revenue and having Broadway be the most difficult environment for businesses made the decision. If the store was doing well, then why close it? The things we go through trying to survive on Broadway would shock you.
When will people get it? When there is literally no more small stores in business? When will we go vote for Public Safety candidates who make an effort so we ALL can thrive and have a quality of life?
I sure hope it is this November 7th. I beg you. For now, add another vacant store to the already 25 vacant stores on Broadway from 90th – 99th street. As well as add another shelter going onto 95th street to add even more problems.
It is now or never to make a difference and fight for this neighborhood.
It could be. No offense to the owners. But I did not like their ice cream
Could it also be possible that the market for a $10 cup of ice cream was just not happening on the UWS?
Sure, but what is the excuse for the other 25 vacant stores on the 10 blocks from 90th – 99th streets? They were all not “high priced” items. If you want stores here that of course, have to pay high Manhattan rents, then it should be a livable enjoyable street to shop and not have someone terrorizing the store, its employees and customers.
Could WSR do a store detailing the situation facing stores (high rent, theft, ecommerce, other?) as well as profiles of stores to help remind people to shop there?
I feel for anyone trying to run any kind of business on the UWS. The amount of disturbed people or plain old criminals targeting them is out of control. I saw for myself someone come into the Duane Reade on 111th and Broadway with a large garbage bag, casually throw a shelf full of products in, and saunter out.
Agree. We need more openings on Broadway in the 90’s and 100’s. and the politicians need to help with this.
Is Mughlai owned by the same people that had the Mughlai that was across the street from Parpadella on Columbus in the 70’s
Yes! Very excited, as I miss the one nearest to me on 75th.
What is planned for the space on W75 and Columbus? I remember a previous WSR article about a different Indian restaurant moving into that space, and that announcement may have mentioned an elevator. Ongoing construction seems to have taken far longer than the typical extremely long length of time at that W75 St. site. I’m aware is very unlikly but I am longing for an IndoChinese restaurant similar to Chinese Mirch which closed many years ago near Kips Bay.
That storefront will house an Italian eatery opened by the same folks who own The Smith restaurants. One said earlier this year, “We just want to try our hand with Italian.”
Too bad to see Blue Marble go. I didn’t go there frequently, but it was a nice option. We can’t have nice things.
It wasn’t an appealing option. They wouldn’t give out samples to taste, and the prices were very high. Hard to compete selling a scoop of ice cream without even a sample when one can buy a pint of Ben & Jerry’s or Haagen-Daz for about the same price. If you want to support a true local shop, check out Trudy’s Ice Cream at the corner of 109 & Columbus.
Actually 108 & Columbus
Thanks, will do.
Bring back Blimpie’s to its old location where Blue Marble was!
Shut the front door! I thought the same thing as I was reading about Blue Marble. Get outta my head, Leon; you don’t pay rent in there!
There isn’t a single Blimpie’s left on the island of Manhattan since the one on East 106th closed a few yrs ago. I. MISS. BLIMPIE’S.
I’m with you Brett. And there was one near Borough Hall in Brooklyn and I think that is also gone. Blimpie’s subs are so good. So much better than Subway. Jersey Mike’s is kind of similar but much more expensive. And the one that was in midtown closed a while ago.
Is it too hard for a guy to get a good sub? I like Lenwich but their prices have gotten ridiculous.
Subway is horrendous. The deli on 96th & West End is pretty good, but it’s no Blimpie’s. I used to hit the Blimpie’s near Trinity Church down on Wall Street a number of yrs back before it too shut down. The 106th franchise (run by an older Cuban lady) was a hole in the wall that I would hit @ least once a month after 97th street closed. She was a hoot. There’s one up in the Bronx that I keep swearing I’m going to visit. Covid (train situation) be damned.
Yeah, it’s in the back of a store on Gun Hill Rd.
I have worked with Andrew Schaeffer for a long time and can say that he is patient with older adults like me, but won’t let us get away with shirking off. I am so much stronger and my bones are so much stronger working out with him. I found him via another trainers recommendation
I have heard only wonderful things about Marissa and would love to use her as my physical therapist, but my insurance won’t cover it
Let’s see how many fancyish, healthyish sandwich/salad places featuring nice white font on blue background we can support on 2 blocks
Sandwell has lots of gf options, which I’m so desperate for that my gluten free friends and I will single-handedly keep them around forever. 🙂
I’m all for healthy options BUT I would love to see a local salumeria with authentic Italian fare and sandwiches! Plus anyplace that would make a true New Orleans muffuletta like the famous Central Grocery down there would have a big winner!
If only. We’re drowing in pizza but there’s not a single salumeria that I know of in the area. Or a Middle Eastern grocery like Kalyustan’s. Or a good Italian bakery.
Not sure if this has hit the radar but Taim is opening a location in the old cleopatras needle. They started small and were amazing and have grown into a chain but the offerings are pretty good.
For Middle Eastern markets, I make a pilgrimage to Sahadi’s and surrounding shops on Atlantic Avenie in Brooklyn a few times a year.
Salumeria Rosi is at 73rd and Amsterdam. I haven’t been.
https://www.salumeriarosinyc.com/
That’s an upscale restaurant not a real old fashioned salumeria like in Little Italy where the scent of Nonna’s sauce permeates the air.
Like others, I did not go to Blue Marble often, but theirs is the best ice cream I’ve tried. Not infrequently I would be the only customer in the store.
What ever happened to Joshua Tirado? The article from Nov. 2021 says he robbed Blue Marble at least twice and was arrested. He was released on his own recognizance…
“Dundas called 911. Police arrived and arrested 31-year-old Joshua Tirado, charging him with robbery and petit larceny. A police spokesperson said he lives nearby. Tirado was released on his own recognizance after the district attorney asked that he be given supervised release. His next court date is December 16.”
Our system is broken, no punishment for robbery and larceny, wonder why so much theft at retail stores? Little or no consequences when caught !
(That is, when they haven’t BEEN CONVICTED of committing the crime yet–the site wouldn’t let me fix the mistake!)
He just hasn’t been tried yet. It’s weird to complain about someone not experiencing consequences for committing a crime when they haven’t committed the crime yet.
His next court appearance in this case will be next month. He’s currently at Rikers on a separate assault charge.
Old Mughlai location now empty for over 7 years. Guess the owners or leasing afents don’t give a sh#t less about renting it out.
If you mean the one at Columbus & 75th, an Italian restaurant has been taking shape there for a few months now — and my guess is they’ll be open by Thanksgiving.
Re Blue Marble – the only stores which we seem to have now in the upper 90s are drug dealers. Look I’m a proponent of legalization and all but these stores are total eyesores and continually have guys just lurking around in front blowing blunt smoke. Wasn’t there supposed to be a crackdown on landlords knowingly renting out these spots? Sure doesn’t seem like it.
Just bought two pints of ice cream at Blue Marble. Sad.
I’m sooo excited about Sandwell. They have tons of gluten free options (gf ciabatta AND breadcrumbs) and a Mac n Cheese side that comes gluten free already without a substitution. The gf version of the eggplant parm sandwich is $12, which is so rare for the city. So excited to try it.