Openings & Closings: The Lotus Method; PUREWAXNYC; A-Ves Chinese Cuisine; Oakberry; Honeybrains; Senn; Bagel Talk

By Scott Etkin and Lisa Kava

The Lotus Method, a pre and postnatal fitness studio, is opening in December at 408 Columbus Avenue (at West 79th Street) inside of Cocoon, the membership-based club for families with young children, which opened earlier this month. The Lotus Method offers one-on-one personal training and small group classes taught by pre/postnatal experts with an emphasis on pelvic floor and core awareness. The studio is open to the public, it is not necessary to be a Cocoon member. 

This is the second location in NYC for The Lotus Method, founded near San Francisco in 2014 by Caitlin Ritt, a former professional ballet dancer. After a career shift to personal training, Ritt began certifying trainers to work with the pre and postnatal demographic. “I began exclusively training pre and postnatal women and set out to open a space where women could feel safe, supported, and know they were working with experts,” she wrote to West Side Rag. “Through my clients’ experiences, I realized how little guidance and support mothers and mothers-to-be were given. So I created a methodology that supported women through this phase of life, to help them feel strong and confident as they navigate pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period.” The Lotus Method has four studios in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Ritt opened her first NYC location in Tribeca in 2022. “We have an incredible team of pre/postnatal experts and are so excited to support the mothers of the Upper West Side,” she said.

PUREWAXNYC, a waxing studio, has opened at 53 West 72nd Street (2nd floor) just off of Columbus Avenue. It’s located inside of Portofino, a tanning salon and spa that provides aesthetic treatments. The owner of PUREWAXNYC, Heena, previously worked for nearly two decades at Max Wax, the longtime waxing salon on West 74th Street that closed in September. At first, Heena didn’t know what to do following the closing. “It was very nerve-wracking,” she said on a call with the Rag. For a few weeks she visited or contacted nearly every salon on the Upper West Side in search of a room for her own waxing business. Eventually, she found a private room to rent inside of Portofino, which coincidentally is just a couple blocks away from where Max Wax used to be. “I got really lucky. I thought, ‘Okay, God is with me,” she said. Heena does full body waxing for women and men, including many loyal Max Wax clients. The previous Max Wax space, located above the original Levain Bakery on West 74th Street, is being used by the bakery’s staff for “storage and other behind-the-scenes needs,” a representative confirmed to the Rag. 

A-Ves Chinese Cuisine, a high-end Chinese restaurant, has signage up at 102 West 86th Street (between Columbus and Amsterdam). Owner Leon Liu has 10 years of experience in the restaurant industry, including Tangy Noodle in Chelsea. La Mirabelle, a French restaurant that closed in 2021 was the last tenant in the space. We’ll provide an update when we have more information. (Thanks to Robin, Michael, and Marsha for the tips.) 

Oakberry, an açaí shop at 166 West 72nd Street (between Columbus and Amsterdam), has closed, a representative from the company confirmed to the Rag. A notice posted on the storefront states that the “The landlord has taken possession of the premises.” Oakberry operates on a franchise model and has dozens of locations across California, Florida, and New York City. The UWS shop opened in spring 2023.

Honeybrains, a casual restaurant serving food that promotes brain health, has signage up at 495 Amsterdam Avenue (corner of West 84th Street), which used to be CPW, the longtime women’s clothing boutique that closed in January. An opening date hasn’t been set since the renovation still has to be completed, Marisa Seifan, the company’s founder, confirmed in a message to the Rag. Seifan, an Upper West Sider, started the business in 2016 following a legal career (she was previously a federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York). There are now locations in midtown (inside of Saks on the 5th floor), Noho, and Flatiron. The menu includes breakfast dishes, bowls, sandwiches, salads, and specialty drinks and juices. 

Senn, the Thai restaurant at 452 Amsterdam Avenue (between 81st and 82nd streets), is temporarily closed. A sign on the door says they are “closed this week for staff vacations. We will be back.” Senn opened in 2014. In Thai, “senn” means noodle, and the menu features a wide range of “Thai comfort food” dishes. 

ICYMI: Bagel Talk at 368 Amsterdam Avenue (West 78th Street) reopened on November 5th. The shop was closed temporarily in late October by the New York CIty Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for health violations, which have since been corrected according to owner Abid Islam. In a phone call, Islam told West Side Rag that the health department returned to inspect on November 5th and gave him the green light to re-open. ”I value my customers and take these issues seriously,” he said. Islam also told the Rag he is planning to close in January for a few weeks to do renovations. “I am going to upgrade the kitchen, install new furniture, install a new air conditioning unit, put down new floors, and paint walls. My customers deserve this.”  

Bagel Talk has been in the space under Islam’s ownership since 1998 and he says this is the first time he has been shut down for any reason. “I remained open throughout the pandemic when the UWS became a ghost town. I offered free food during Hurricane Sandy. I kept my team on the payroll during the pandemic using my own safety net. I want my customers to know that I appreciate their loyalty.” Islam has lived on UWS most of his adult life.

The Openings & Closings column wouldn’t be possible without our many tipsters: thank you! Anyone can send tips about openings and closings in the neighborhood to info@westsiderag.com.

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