By Scott Etkin and Lisa Kava
Lil Sweet Treat, a candy store that’s popular on social media, is planning to open in mid-July at 416 Amsterdam Ave. (between West 79th and 80th streets). The shop sells candy sourced from around the world, including Sweden, Spain, Germany, Belgium, France, and Australia, among other places. It was founded in 2024 by Elly Ross, who was inspired by the sweets she found while traveling abroad and brought back home. “Lil Sweet Treat is a destination for sweets with a unique variety of textures and flavors you won’t find anywhere else,” a representative wrote to West Side Rag in an email. “Our mission is to spread joy and excitement to our community of candy connoisseurs.”
The candy selection is updated regularly, and includes a number of gluten-, dairy-, and gelatin-free options. There are three other Lil Sweet Treat shops in Manhattan – in the West Village, East Village, and at Rockefeller Plaza – and also in Boston and Philadelphia. The new UWS space used to be Laina Jane, a lingerie and sleepwear store that closed in February. (Thanks to Ravi and Melissa for the tips.)
Broadway Hardware & Locksmith, also listed online as Casa Hardware & Locksmith, appears to have closed its longtime shop at 2748 Broadway (between West 105th and West 106th streets). Tipster Adam wrote that he saw the space being cleared out of its inventory over the weekend. The store did not respond to the Rag’s outreach. A listing for the store states that it was established in 1987. (Thanks to Adam for the tip.)
Solidcore, a Pilates and strength training studio, officially opened on June 14th at 2201 Broadway (northwest corner of West 78th Street), in the Apthorp Building. Its 50-minute classes are geared toward a “high-intensity, low-impact, full-body workout,” according to the company’s description on Instagram. The new studio accommodates up to 16 people at a time. Solidcore has many locations in New York City, but this is its first on the Upper West Side; the closest existing one is on West 57th Street. The space used to be Apthorp Pharmacy, which relocated a block south in 2019.
Porter House Bar and Grill, an American steakhouse and seafood restaurant on the fourth floor of the Deutsche Bank Center at Columbus Circle (West 59th Street and Broadway), will close in September after 19 years, The New York Times reported. There are prix-fixe and á la carte lunch menus. Its dinner menu features a raw bar, aged cuts of meat, a prime rib trolley service, and more. “Through this Labor Day, join us to celebrate the time we’ve had together, and to raise a glass once more to everyone who helped to make it possible,” chef Michael Lomonaco posted on Instagram.
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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Work is being done inside the ground-floor location that once was Associated supermarket on 97th and Amsterdam.
Why so many closings on that block between 105/106? Are they preparing to tear down the small buildings and build another monstrous high rise?
Sometimes that’s the reason. But sometimes it’s simply because all the original leases were all signed the same year 10 or 20 years ago … and expired at the same time. And the tenants or commercial sublease tenants said, “You want HOW MUCH to renew?!? No thanks.”
That was my thought too. Though there are a couple of going concerns…the wine shop and martial arts studio above.
Also Supermud Pottery – a wonderful place that’s been part of the UWS community for 40 years.
So bummed about the hardware store. In recent years so many stores have closed between 108th and 105th: Garden of Eden, Bank Street Bookstore, Silver Moon, Szechuan Garden, Shakespeare & Co (only lasted a year,) 108 Hot Pot, Absolute Bagels… I may be forgetting some. And that’s just on Broadway.
Does anyone know when the “new” Silver Moon will open? There has been no development to the retail space between W 101 and W 102 (old Broadway Diner space) that they said they would occupy.
Maybe Columbia students don’t go down that way anymore with the new campus further north.
We still miss the original Apthorp Pharmacy with high end cosmetics, lotions, accessories etc. This neighborhood is a wasteland of interesting stores.
The main reason I moved to NYC was the shopping. Now you have to live in the suburbs to shop. Devastating..
Oh please, there is still plenty of shopping. Scarsdale or whatever is not better.
Who is the “Lil” of the new candy store?
It’s a popular slang phrase among gen z, “get yourself a little sweet treat”…lil is a contraction for little, little sweet treat
Can’t be. If it were a contraction it would have an apostrophe to indicate the ellipsis: “li’l”. But it doesn’t, so it isn’t.
There’s gotta be a better thing to be upset about than that.
you’re expecting perfect grammar from a generation raised on thirty second social media clips…of course it *can* be a contraction, it’s just an incorrectly scripted one…this store is founded by a young gen z woman…
If anyone cares, the Oxford English Dictionary lists both li’l and the apostrophe-free version as acceptable.
Guessing that Lil is just an apostrophe-deficient abbreviation for “little,” influenced by the names of a popular rappers.
It just opened a shop here in the East Village on 2nd Avenue between 9th and 10th.
What is going on between W 100 and W110th Street on Broadway that everything is closing? Every other store front is vacant. I don’t care if there is new construction and high rises, something desperately needs to be done to bring in business.
High rises usually do the opposite, most of the new buildings on Broadway are dead zones on the street with stores no one ever goes in. 1O3rd street and Broadway is a good example of that.
Opening the Metro Theater would really bring some life back to the area.
The scaffolding at Broadway and 104th is in the process of coming down right now.
Treat yourself to the Porter House lunch prix-fixe.
Yes it’s a splurge at $39.99 but the quality of the food, service, and view, makes it worth doing once before they close.
https://www.porterhousenyc.com/menu/park-view-prix-fixe-lunch/
I’m excited for lil sweet treat! They have some really yummy candies, This is a recent invention of a young gen z woman and the first one was opened up in a very small shop in the west village.
I’m happy about solidcore but I’m still depressed about NexaPilates having moved, I really want a more traditional pilates studio around the corner
I’m devastated about the hardware store. It was expensive but they really had everything.
I think it’s interesting that the Upper West Side now has an interesting mix of gelaterias and sweet shops alongside boutique fitness establishments.