By Scott Etkin and Lisa Kava
The Secret Garden, a florist at 621 Amsterdam Ave. (between West 90th and 91st streets), closed on July 21st. The owner, Monique Lee, decided to retire after more than 30 years in the business, she told West Side Rag on a phone call. The Secret Garden moved to the Amsterdam Avenue location in 2016. Prior to that, the shop was at 574 Columbus Ave. (at West 88th Street), for more than 20 years. The Secret Garden has many five-star reviews on Yelp for their floral arrangements, which they made for weddings, birthday parties, anniversaries, and other events. They also had weekly arrangement commitments at various Upper West Side building lobbies. They carried lilies, roses, orchids, lisianthus, and all kinds of house plants.
“I was getting ready to retire; I am getting old, and have been doing this for many years,” Lee told the Rag. “There was also ongoing construction in the basement of the building, with drilling all day long from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the last few months. It gave me a headache and that was the final straw,” said Lee, who plans to continue to work as a freelance florist. (Thanks to Judith for the tip.)
Zoma Express, an Ethiopian take-out and delivery restaurant, is planning to open at 973 Columbus Ave. (between West 107th and 108th streets) the week of August 4th, owner Henock Kejela told the Rag on a phone call. Zoma Express will offer vegan options as well as beef, chicken, and fish dishes. Kejela previously owned Zoma, a full-service restaurant located at 2084 Frederick Douglass Blvd. (at West 113th Street). He closed that location in 2020 during COVID, after 16 years in business. His current venture uses a take-out and delivery model. “This allows us to keep the prices reasonable,” he said.
For people unfamiliar with Ethiopian food, “the closest relative is Indian food,” Kejela told the Rag. “Braised vegetables and a sourdough flatbread called injera are staples on the menu, which is entirely gluten-free.” Zoma means “beautiful” in Amharic, the primary language of Ethiopia. Demitasse, a coffee and tea shop was previously in the space and has since relocated to 949 Columbus Ave. (between West 106th and 107th streets), where it shares a location with The Calaveras, a Mexican restaurant. (Thanks to Kelly for the tip.)
Naya, a Middle Eastern counter-service restaurant, opened July 23rd at 750 Columbus Ave. (between West 96th and 97th streets). The menu includes bowls, rolls, and salads with meat and vegetarian options, such as falafel, that can be customized. It’s open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Founded in 2008, Naya has many locations in NYC, including one on the UWS at 2339 Broadway (West 85th Street), which opened in February 2024. The space used to be a Capital One bank. (Thanks to Matt for the tip.)
J&E Hair Salon at 265 Columbus Ave. (between West 72nd and 73rd streets) is closing on August 25th, after 10 years at this location. Jun Wu and Elaine Zhang, the owners, are consolidating by moving into Beauty Life Hair Color Studio, the salon they run at 2242 Broadway (between West 80th and 81st streets). The first day at the new location will be August 26th, Zhang told WSR on a phone call. “The lease is up and the rent at the Columbus Avenue location keeps increasing and it is now too high for me,” Zhang told the Rag. “Also another barber shop, The Cutting District, recently opened right next door to us,” she said. The stylists opened Beauty Life in 2023. “The rent is more reasonable over there,” Zhang said. Beauty Life Hair Color Studio is a full-service salon, offering haircuts, keratin treatments, highlights, blow outs, and conditioning treatments.
Cafe Fred, a cafe inside of the new Strand Bookstore at 2020 Broadway (between West 69th and 70th streets), opened last week. The menu includes espresso drinks, matcha, hot chocolate, and lemonade, as well as pastries (cookies, croissants, scones) and sandwiches. There is seating for six people, with stools positioned along the windows facing the street, and there are plans to add outdoor seating. The cafe is named after Fred Bass, son of the Strand’s founder, who helped grow the business into the iconic shop that it is today. The cafe’s hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. This location of the Strand, which opened in early July, replaces Shakespeare & Co., a bookstore that also used to have a cafe. Strand’s existing UWS location, on Columbus Avenue between West 81st and 82nd streets, does not have a cafe.
Ciao Paisan, an Italian restaurant formerly known as Coppola’s at 206 West 79th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue), is listed as “temporarily closed” on Google. In the window of the storefront, there’s a paper sign announcing “Sorry! We are closed” but no explanation is given. (The restaurant did not respond to the Rag’s outreach.) Coppola’s was founded in 1986 and Ciao Paisan opened in 2023 following a renovation of the space. It offers a “fresh take on the classic Southern Italian experience you’ve always loved,” the restaurant writes in its description on Google. “While our name and atmosphere have evolved, the heart of our kitchen remains the same: cherished family recipes passed down through generations, rooted in the rich traditions of Southern Italy.” We’ll follow up with an update when possible. (Thanks to Jose for the tip.)
ICYMI: The bakery replacing Silver Moon, which is yet to be named, opened on July 25th at 2664 Broadway (between West 101st and 102nd streets), just a few blocks south of Silver Moon’s longtime location. The bakery is led by Hazem Elgohary, owner of Buttercup Bake Shop, with Judith Norell, Silver Moon’s owner, serving as a consultant. The menu includes many longtime favorites using Silver Moon’s recipes, including breads, cookies, bagels, pretzels, cakes, and more. There will also be some new offerings being added.
ICYMI: The last day to shop at West Side Kids is Thursday; the store is closing its doors at 201 West 84th St. (just off Amsterdam Avenue) after more than four decades on the Upper West Side. Inventory is being discounted, with sales on books (25 percent off), holiday items (50 percent off), and items from Mrs. McCarthy’s Mercantile (50 percent off). Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The rise of online shopping is a primary reason for the closing. To read an article in the Rag about shopping local, click – HERE.
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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Depressing, more closings than openings.
Have to say that West Side Kids did leave people disappointed over the years, just look at some of the low Yelp reviews.
Thanks for mentioning the Yelp reviews. I just read through them and had a good laugh. I can’t imagine what kind of person has the need to post endless public rants over a perceived slight. Several of the reviews appear to have been written by the same person (same style/same complaint) so I wouldn’t give them much credence.
I loved West Side Kids. It’s a huge loss to the neighborhood.
Wow. Debbie Downer. Store beloved by many is closing and you feel the need to be so negative. No one is perfect, but I (and many others) thought it was a wonderful store and will be greatly missed. I’m all for constructive criticism but that is not what this is. It is just being rude and mean-spirited.
Welcome to America in 2025. The lousy attitude comes from the top.
Broadway Restaurant Bakery!
Broadway Aura Bakeshop (aura from rest-aura-nt) to use sign…?
Then they could save the sign, which, while it’s not exactly to my taste, certainly stands for its era.
That’s what I was thinking — except the sign is *exactly* my taste!
The front door was open at Ciao Paisan last week, and the inside looked as though it was being gutted, at least in the front bar area. I couldn’t see any further than that. I have a feeling the establishment is kaput.
Coppola’s had incredible chicken parm. I have had chicken parm all over the world and it was up there with the best. Sorry they are gone. And I will apologize for not going there as frequently lately. Oh well.
Sad. My go-to takeout. The food was tasty and generously portioned for the price, but perhaps that was part of the problem 🙁
This is sad. I had been ordering in from them and the food was delicious.
No Name Bakery has been getting the lines and the general busyness and the folks occupying tables outside, you love to see it. Also, their iced coffee is reasonably priced at about $4. I do wish they’d de-emphasize the 1990s style, frou frou fruit tarts and cakes in favor of more modern offerings that are individually sized and don’t require an occasion (e.g., cardamom buns, cinnamon buns, crazy muffins, etc.). Good luck to them!
Thanks for adding businesses in the upper 90s and 100s!! Please keep that up!
So pleased to see the gang back at Silver Moon – nice things do still happen in the world from time to time!
Someone should alert the New York Sign Museum guys about the Broadway Restaurant sign.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/25/realestate/neon-sign-museum-new-york.html
Even better, it should stay where it is! Many newer businesses keep emblematic signs. Its a beauty.
I agree! Like the French cleaners at the southeast corner of 70th and Columbus.
I *loved* the sign at 3 Star Restaurant (for the life of me, I can’t remember if that’s the exact name of the place), on a northeast corner at or near 86th Street, and always hoped that whatever business took over that space would just call itself the same name regardless of what the business was.
Lizzie, I did! I sent them a message via Instagram in April about this! They didn’t respond, but it indicates that my message was “Seen,” so at least they’re aware of it.
Went to No Name on Monday morning. Everything was delicious, can’t wait to try their quiches. The staff is primarily Silver Moon and they’re excited to find ways to collaborate with Hazem and the Buttercup team.
This kind of joy really just helps during these unpredictable days.
Also, re: name…maybe Buttermoon Bakery? Silvercup Bakery?? J & H Delights???
I’m eager to try the new Naya. I love middle eastern food. The service at the Naya on Broadway, close to my apt., is a bit off-putting. The servers do not seem willing to answer questions and they seem a bit withdrawn. Ive wondered if it’s something about me they are responding to: age or gender or ethnicity. Any others receive tepid service there?
Interesting. I’ve noticed that robotic attitude there as well as at other chain take-out places like Just Salad, Sweetgreen and Panera. They seen to hire young people who couldn’t care less about the customers they are (not) interacting with. Or perhaps they are trained to be impersonal and remote? Maybe it’s part of the corporate culture? Whatever: A little warmth, a little patience with customers unfamiliar with the menus, a pleasant “Hello”, would make the experience more pleasant for all concerned.
similar feeling at Trader Joe’s – They walk around like robots, never eye contact with customers.
Yes, but the associates at Trader Joe’s are unfailingly helpful. Out of stock? “Let me check in back.” Forgot an item at the check out? “Not a problem, we’ll run and get it for you.”
I’ve also had service issues there. When they opened they had a senior manager who seemed to keep things moving. Once he left it has been downhill. My orders are frequently incorrect, and no one generally seems to care. But the food is good and the prices are not bad (plus they have a pretty good loyalty program!)
I miss Coppolas. So many good times over the years. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they could manage a comeback!?
“cherished family recipes passed down through generations, rooted in the rich traditions of Southern Italy.” LOL!!!!
Coppola’s/Ciao Paisan has been a beloved staple in our neighborhood for decades. LOL??? Your snarky post aside, the food is solid and no nonsense, well-priced, and served with professionalism.
It will be our loss if it permanently closes.
Beloved by those who didn’t know any better.
The Strand Bookstore sign and sheet metal look is rather horrid. The curb appeal was much better when it was Shakespeare and Co. I’ve heard nothing but negative things about The Strand management from several employees who were happy to leave there.
The red lettering and font is instantly recognizable as their brand,
Right on. Gaudy and tasteless.
I don’t recall any comments on the signage last year for the new location of PC Richard’s on Bwdy/79th. It is hideous/ like a slap across your face. If they made it any bigger they would have to increase the size of the building.
There was a lot of discussion about it, but that ‘is’ their signage anywhere you go, so I’m not sure why it would/should be changed for the UWS.
I was just about to say! The blocky red lettering isn’t aesthetically pleasing. Shakespeare & Co. had a classier look to it from the street.