By Gus Saltonstall
A Japanese grocer appears to be opening in the former home of the Garden of Eden supermarket on Broadway between West 107th and 108th streets.
Over the weekend, signage for Hashi Market, along with the words “Coming Soon,” appeared on the facade of 2780 Broadway.
Garden of Eden shuttered its longtime Upper West Side outpost in March of 2024, after the owner decided not to renew their lease. It was a major neighborhood closure as it was one of the few grocery stores in the immediate area.
Hashi Market, which bills itself as a “fresh food supermarket, mini department store, and catering service,” now appears to be on the way to opening within the large storefront.
The opening would be a welcome sign for the Upper West Side Broadway block that recently saw Absolute Bagels permanently close.
Hashi Market did not immediately return West Side Rag’s request for confirmation, but we will update this article when the business responds.
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That site has been a food market for at least 55 years. It’s hard to believe that a decent store went out unless the owner was rent gouging.
I know someone who lives in that building. Unlike many commercial spaces, that space and the corner unit (once a children’s bookstore, now a laser spa) are owned by the coop. The coop tries hard to be sure the commercial tenants are solid and are a benefit to the building and the neighborhood. They worked with Garden of Eden through a long bankruptcy, but at some point, rent must be paid.
During the pandemic, the building ran a really wonderful local artist gallery in the store windows of the closed bookstore.
Lots of commercial landlords are terrible, and are hurting this city. This isn’t once of them.
Garden of Eden, for all its positives, is part of Fetullah Gulen’s Hizmet organization, which is also layered in with his schools and other business interests in the US. The fact that GoE went bankrupt indicates there are cash flow problems with Hizmet, that are almost certainly going to increase now that Gulen has passed away.
Can you explain how you think Garden of Eden is “part of Fetullah Gulen’s Hizmet organization”?
Baseless speculation
Baseless speculation? That’s ridiculous and rude. Lizzie said that she knows someone who lives in that building. I do, too, and heard the exact same story. Please be mindful of your comments, Boris.
Boris was responding to Paul’s comment that the landlord was rent gouging.
That Hashi Market website is surreal. It looks like it was created by deranged AI.
I went to Yelp and saw reviews and photos of the one downtown. It looks like a Japanese H Mart, but I didn’t see any fresh fruit and vegetables, only prepared food and packaged goods. Really hoping it has produce, but anything moving in there would be great news.
It does say it has produce on the admittedly stark website
They have a number of stores throughout Manhattan, the latest on 5th and 33rd. The selection is a bit odd…not nearly as good as Sunrise Mart or Dainobu. In this neighborhood, HMart is far superior IMHO.
I didn’t think it could possibly be that bad, but you are right the website is an AI mess lol. The google maps reviews of the Tribeca location are good though, excited for a new market!
This is great news. We need more markets and restaurants in the 100’s, 110’s.
Bring back Absolute Bagels!!! I really don’t care about a Japanese market unless their prices are less than the gouging Gristedes . I’ll stick with West Side Market. We really need an Aldi’s or Trader Joe’s; not a Japanese market.
It is funny to me that people compare the past to the present when it comes to retail – have you noticed that in the past 10 years everyone gets everything delivered– from groceries to pet food to pharmacy to clothing to everything. There are delivery bikes, packages and delivery people EVERYWHERE– the fact that a grocer was there for 50 years is comically irrelevant– UWS shop online. The stores are either empty, being looted or closing. Be honest.
Good for them and I’m pleased for the people up on 107th. I just wish someone would open a small grocer near 79th Street. We now have almost no place to buy groceries, even lacking the fruit stand which used to be on the corner of Bway and 78th. We still mourn the loss of West Side Market.
FAIRWAY IS A GREAT MARKET!
I’m sorry can we have a new business in this neighborhood that *isn’t* marketed specifically towards Asian clientele? H mart is three blocks away.
Garden of Eden was a good alternative to West Side market and brought a nice variety of Middle Eastern products as well. This is more of the same.
lj mimi wrote:
“It is funny to me that people compare the past to the present when it comes to retail – have you noticed that in the past 10 years everyone gets everything delivered– from groceries to pet food to pharmacy to clothing to everything.”
Meanwhile Whole Foods just opened a “grab and go” market place store on UES and it’s packed doing excellent business. Ditto for Wegmans on Astor Place and few other places. Thus it does seem to be the UWS that has to be worried.
All over city shops, restaurants and other retail are either opening or doing business, it’s just UWS that seems to have problems. We must ask ourselves what is that?