By Scott Etkin and Lisa Kava
Gerard Anthony Salon at 580 Amsterdam Ave. (between West 88th and 89th streets) closed on May 24th. While the physical salon is closed, Joe Vitale and Joseph Patti, the owners, will continue to operate as Gerard Anthony Salon but will work out of Salli B Salon (250 West 88th Street) as of June 3rd. Vitale and Patti will work Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Their phone number remains the same (212-932-8531).
Vitale and Patti also previously owned Salon 84 on West 84th Street from 2010 to 2020. “After 14 wonderful years of having the privilege of operating two salons on the Upper West Side, economic challenges have made it no longer feasible for us to remain in business independently,” the pair wrote in a letter to clients.
“We have had a long-standing professional relationship with Salli and we thought our two businesses would be a good fit,” Vitale told West Side Rag. (Thanks to Tracy for the tip.)
Future Face & Body, a medspa for aesthetic treatments, opened three weeks ago at 42 West 72nd St. (between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West). Services include Botox, fillers, facials, and IV therapy. “People are starting to do [Botox] at a much younger age as a preventative way from getting wrinkles,” Russ Aminov, the owner, said on a call with the Rag. Aminov has a background as a nurse practitioner. He chose to open his practice on the Upper West Side because he worked here earlier in his career and had fond memories of the neighborhood. “It’s calmer, which I enjoy better,” Aminov said of the neighborhood. The office is open Monday through Thursday, and Sunday.
108 Food Dried Hot Pot, a Chinese restaurant at 2794 Broadway (southeast corner of West 108th Street) appears to be closed. There is a “Closed” sign posted on the storefront and it is listed as “Permanently Closed” on Google. The restaurant, which opened in 2017 and received a four-star review from Eater, did not respond to West Side Rag’s outreach. “Thank you for your long-term support,” reads a posting on the restaurant’s website. (Thanks to Dan for the tip.)
Lift NYC, a personal strength training studio, has relocated to 2212 Broadway (between West 78th and 79th streets) from 171 West 80th St. The new gym is larger – with space for five personal training sessions at a time, instead of two at the previous space – and features new equipment, including new weights, a treadmill, and an air bike.
The space at West 80th Street has been converted into Lift NYC – Pilates, a boutique Pilates studio with four reformer machines. Ashley Culver, the owner of both businesses, took classes at Pilates studios across the city to recruit her favorite teachers, she told the Rag. Many of her clients enjoy working out at both places. “I think strength training is very, very important, but Pilates is a really nice complement because it works a lot on core, a lot on stability and then mobility and flexibility,” she said. There is a discounted “founding membership” available at the Pilates studio for the first 50 members. Individual classes and class packs can also be purchased. (Thanks to Diane for the tip.)
Spear, a physical therapy clinic, is planning to open on June 30th at 2708 Broadway (between West 103rd and 104th streets), a representative confirmed to the Rag. Spear has dozens of locations across New York City, New Jersey, and Westchester. Its rehab centers have physical therapists, occupational therapists, hand therapists, and other specialists on staff to help patients recover from injuries. In Manhattan, this will be Spear’s farthest-uptown location. There are already several locations on the UWS: 59th Street, 67th Street, 75th Street, 82nd Street, and 92nd Street. The space used to be Discount Mart, which closed in January.
ICYMI: Mama’s Pizza at 941 Amsterdam Ave. (northeast corner of West 106th Street) closed on May 28th after more than 20 years at this location. The lease was ending and an extensive renovation was needed, owner Frank Tuttolomondo told West Side Rag. The plan is to relocate nearby, though nothing’s official yet. Tuttolomondo, who also runs the popular pizza shop Mama’s Too at 2750 Broadway, is the grandson of Marianinna, who was the namesake of “Mama’s”. She founded it with Tuttolomondo’s grandfather and ran it with his uncles. Frank Tuttolomondo took over the business in 2008. Staff members from Mama’s Pizza will be temporarily working at Mama’s Too until the new location opens. The Tuttolomondo family has a 60-year history of operating pizza businesses on the Upper West Side.
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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Spear is growing like crazy. I have been and had mixed experiences. Some of the therapists are very helpful. But some spend the whole time chatting and planning their next happy hour. They are often working with multiple people at a time, which works better for some issues than others.
I go to PT, not to this place, but I’ve heard that as well. There’s no one super managing them, A lot of them don’t really know your problem to help you out on what you really should be doing nor do they watch you to make sure you’re doing it right.
“Mixed” is putting it kindly, at least in my experience. You’re kind of on your own there. Much better options, in my opinion.
Yes, you’re very much on your own at many of these PT places, which is fine with me. It’s better than doing it in Central Park, stretching is my goal, I know what to do and I just do a little bit at a time.
As long as they show me new types of stretching, I’m just fine.
I also had issues with Spear. I called ahead and gave them my info, I needed 2 sessions a week for 8 weeks due to a back injury. When I arrived I literally had to stand at the front desk for 30 minutes while they made copies of everything and took phone calls at the same time. Then I was told that there were no appts available for 2 MONTHS, but they wanted me to book my 8 sessions and commit to those future dates, lol.
I found Recovery PT, near 86th and Lexington, and they took me the next day. They’re very professional and fully focused on my progress, plus they give you flexibility with appointments.
Recovery Physical Therapy is first-rate. Highly recommended.
I went to Spear on 75th St when it first opened around 2019. I had a great PT who was focused on helping me to work through my frozen shoulder ailment. He juggled another client at the same time very efficiently and I never felt ignored or part of an assembly line. However, last year in 2024 it was a totally different experience. The PT assigned to me was indifferent, didn’t maximize my time with her and in the end I told her I’d just do the exercises via the Spear video at home. Seemed like a waste of time to wait around for her to get back to me after I did the exercises she instructed while she had 2 other clients simultaneously. It has turned into a factory with incompetent, poorly trained staff. I’m not returning.
My Spear experience was more than disappointing. Having a therapist working on multiple clients at one time just doesn’t work. A waste of time and money.
There are other places on the UWS where you have a dedicated therapist. It costs the same and the results are infinitely better..
A chain is a chain is a chain.
It’s a private equity venture. Don’t expect it to be good at providing the actual service you’re paying for.
That’s an excuse for inadequate healthcare? Do you accept that? I say, move on…
I thought I said that.
No, only implied it clearly enough for the half of the world that can make inferences.
Mmmmm…maybe not.
Does anyone know when Wegmans is going to open?
Christmastime *2026* I know, unreal to wait that long.
They are still doing demotion work.
So sad all the closings in the 100’s. Politicians need to help with bringing businesses to the area.
They can start by the following:
1. Rollback Bail Reform
2. Lock up shoplifters.
3. Enforce quality of life crimes.
So simple.
Right on the mark. Who in their right mind would open a business in that area
Um. Restaurant theft?
People order online, scaffolding is gross and trash is out of control.
Wait so uncontrollable retail theft is bad for business??
Who would have thought it ?
We can all help by going to places in person and taking fewer things via delivery.
Agree, could not hurt.
Notice that all the openings are things that can’t be done online like salon, physical therapy, pilates, etc. That’s also why we have so many vets around, you can’t do that online.
Hey Frank, PLEASE open a Mama’s Too on the UWS below 72nd Street!!! Your Fans!
They opened a second one further south, in the West Village. The pizza looked the same and its decor is fancier, with things that looked like chairs that you can sit in, tables, maybe even plastic forks idk. No long lines like another place a block away on Christopher Street.
Losing 108 Hot Pot is a tragedy. I spoke with the manager awhile back who stated that the restaurant was looking into moving (she had said they weren’t planning to close until August) because the landlord was raising the rent astronomically. Sad. This was one of the best dry pot purveyors in the entire city.
The 100s are beginning to feel blighted.
108 Hot Pot felt like a pioneer in getting better Asian food up closer to Columbia. Too bad about the closing.
Blame Columbia and their six figure tuition. EVERYTHING in the neighborhood that’s opened recently caters to overseas students. Who won’t be coming back in anywhere near the numbers.
Also – the closure of Canon’s for Hot Pot to begin with was a disgrace. Full stop.
Columbias diversity is what attracts so many businesses to the area.
Well, the hot pot restaurant WAS a fave for overseas students — so much for your racist immigrant theories driving business closures!
Perhaps a story on what actually constitutes a reasonable rent increase would be helpful from The Rag
I love that place
And the loss of Cannon’s, the great, dog friendly, Irish dive bar that existed forever in that spot prior to the hot pot, was an even greater tragedy.
The loss of one hot pot spot is a tragedy, the loss of a hot pot spot and a dive bar is a statistic.
I agree!
Agreed — I was really sorry to lose Cannon’s. My wife sent the dog in to fetch me off the bar stool more than once. I wonder where all the firefighters go to drink now.
My husband used to play Space Invaders at Cannon’s when we lived a block down in the late 70s/early 80s.
There’s a sign up at The Throwback on Amsterdam where Chelsea House used to be. Should be opening soon.
Would be nice to see the Hot Pot location become a bar again. Especially an Abbey Pub style English bar with food.
PLEASE reach out to the city councilman Shaun Abreau people. He’s a smart guy and cares. Tell him the businesses and quality of life issues in the 100’s on Broadway need help (vacant stores, closing businesses) trash, petty crime ( etc). Mix in what’s going on at Columbia (in a few different ways) AND the over saturation and total ignoring of “Fair Share” housing laws that happens in the area things could get worse…
Complaining on-line doesn’t help the situation. Reach out and ask him (or others) for help!
Let’s get a slice at momma’s too and stand around and eat! Because there are no seats. The city that never seats.