By Lisa Kava
Olde City Cheesesteaks and Brew is opening a “take out and delivery” location at 201 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 69th and West 70th streets), in mid October. Olde City specializes in Philadelphia cheesesteaks, wings, chicken tenders, and french fries. The restaurant currently has four other locations in Manhattan (on the Upper East Side, Flatiron, and Chelsea.) These spots are all sports bars, owner Evan Stein told West Side Rag on a phone call. The Upper West Side location will be the first that focuses specifically on take out and delivery; it will not have a bar but rather, it will have a small countertop that seats 10 to 15 people. “When I saw the space, I thought it would be the perfect little nook to do take out and delivery for the entire Upper West Side,” Stein said. “We have gotten a lot of requests for an Upper West Side location on Instagram and the timing and space was finally right.” The menu will be slimmed down, Stein added, and will focus on the “Philly classics,” such as cheesesteaks, wings and fries. All bread will be baked fresh daily by Calandras Bakery in Newark, N.J.
Stein was born in Manhattan, grew up outside Philadelphia and has lived in NYC since 1993. “I have lived in every neighborhood and I love the Upper West Side. I think we will fit in nicely there,” he said. Stein previously worked in finance and ran an internet advertising company. “I always loved the NYC dining scene, and wanted to be in the restaurant business,” he said. Stein opened Shorty’s in 2006 and left that restaurant in 2019. Using the same concept, he founded Olde City in 2022; the first location was at 66 Madison Avenue. The Upper West Side space used to be Didi Dumpling which closed in April 2023. (Thanks to the Lincoln Square Business Improvement District for the tip.)
Unglo, a Thai restaurant, is opening on September 5th at 35 West 64th Street (between Central Park West and Broadway). Unglo is a collaboration between Chidensee Watthanawongwat, Kitiya Mokkarat, and Supatta Banklouy, the partners behind Thai noodle bar Soothr on East 13th Street, and the Thai restaurant Sappe in the West Village, along with Nate Limwong, chef from the Southern Thai restaurant Chalong at 749 Ninth Avenue, Eater reported.
Unglo will specialize in moo krata, which means “pork pan,” in Thai. It is a combination of Chinese style hot-pot and communal style Thai barbecue. Both Soothr and Chalong have been included in the Michelin Guide:. “As for [Soothr’s] menu, it’s a sizable one so bring a crew to make the most of many excellent regional specialties,” advises the guide. “Traditional Southern Thai flavors [at Chalong] are celebrated and on display in the kitchen’s selection of curries, rice and noodle dishes, and seafood plates.” Picholine, the French restaurant that closed in 2015, was formerly in the space. (Thanks to David for the tip.)
Patisserie Chanson, a European cafe and bakery at 2040 Broadway (at West 70th Street), is listed as “temporarily closed” with a note on Instagram saying “we’ll be back soon.” There is also a note on the window of the cafe which reads, “Due to necessary adjustments and upgrades, Patisserie Chanson’s 2040 store will be temporarily closed starting August 20th 2025. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. Please stay tuned for our reopening date.” The cafe which serves sandwiches, salads, and numerous bakery items, also has locations in Flatiron and the Upper East Side; those locations are listed as “closed” online, and all telephone lines seem to be disconnected. Patisserie Chanson has not responded to West Side Rag’s additional outreach. We will update when we have more information. ( Thanks to Wendy for the tip.)
Northwell’s GO HEALTH Urgent Care, the walk-in medical clinic at 2689 Broadway (at West 103rd Street), closed permanently in early August. This follows the closing of another Upper West Side Northwell GO HEALTH Urgent Care at 2628 Broadway (at West 100th Street). The only remaining location on the Upper West Side is at 199 Amsterdam Avenue (at West 69th Street). A representative from that location told West Side Rag that the closings were “a corporate decision.” There are two locations on the Upper East Side and one in Greenwich Village. (Thanks to Martin for the tip.)
Pinkberry, the frozen yogurt shop at 2041 Broadway (between West 70th and West 71st streets), is closing on September 29th, a representative from the shop confirmed to West Side Rag on a phone call. The reason for the closing is “the lease ended and another company outbid us,” he said. Pinkberry has other locations on the Upper West Side at 2508 Broadway (between West 93rd and West 94th streets), and 2851 Broadway ( at West 110th Street.) (Thanks to Jackie for the tip.)
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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It would be interesting to know about the pink berry lease—haven’t heard about a bidding war ina while!
I was thinking, I guess this is why landlords keep properties vacant waiting for the right tenant.
Do you have any information on when Miznon (I think that’s the name) will open? The storefront on the west side of Broadway somewhere between 111th and 115th Streets has been promising to open soon, seemingly for years, but it’s hard to tell whether any construction is going on.
* i have NOT noticed them doing any work
I saw them doing work recently, and glanced inside. They seem to have made a good deal of progress.
I have noticed them doing any work in there for years. Very doubtful that they still plan to open. It is on the west side of Broadway, between 112th & 113th, former home of The Mill Korean Restaurant.
What a waste of valuable space in the Columbia neighborhood.
Wonder why Northwell is closing all their UWS locations?
The location at 69th/Amsterdam is still open. I wonder if the other closures are due to the fact that One Medical now has an office at 100th/Broadway and Mt. Sinai has several urgent care locations in the area. I think Columbia Doctors has one as well. Saturation?
One Medical,. which was purchased by Amazon a year ago or so is staffed via Mt Sinai .
Possibly, gloomy financial projections given the healthcare cuts in OBBB. 10 to 18 million people will lose health insurance, due to cuts to Medicaid, ACA marketplace coverage, and other programs .
My thought is that these health care system urgent care centers need to refer patients to their facilities. As Northwell only Manhattan hospital is Lenox Hill which is not very convenient for UWS’er, they likely never reached their referral targets.
Impossible to make such a blanket statement. Much will depend upon nature of patient visit for a start.
If visit is at some level an emergency then patient will usually be taken to closest hospital.
Persons on UWS injured or having medical emergency are transported to Lenox Hill Hospital all the time.
Patients requiring hospitalization are transported from Lenox Hill South (former St. Vincent’s) to Beth Israel (now closed), Lenox Hill Hospital main campus on UES, NYU-Langone, Bellevue or maybe one of the Mount Sinai west hospitals.
Now for routine non emergency care, yes that will give you. These affiliated urgent care or whatever places do exist to drive people to main hospital system.
I’ve used Northwell on 69th for 10+ years and I was sent to Mt. Sinai West (in an ambulance) twice, and the doctors (not assistants) that saw me were not associated with Lenox Hill, so I don’t think that’s the case. I hope that location will stay open.
Correct, the main reason they exist at all is to refer patients to their hospitals.
Not 100% correct. They are also the only place you can get immediate medical care – at least in Manhattan.. If you try to get an immediate appointment, even as an existing patient, with a primary care provider or a specialist at Columbia-Presbyterian or NYU Langone, it will be three weeks from now.
Adobo opening soon Broadway and 101.
If I were the Pink Berry manager, I’d be furious at McDonald’s, Little Italy Pizza, and the NYPD for the condition of that plaza.
Surprised Starbucks remains.
Wells Fargo is moving.
I live on 70th and wish something would change, but I can’t imagine how it’s going to change for the better. With Wells Fargo and Pinkberry leaving at the same time, what would possibly want to take their place? Same with the block Trader Joe’s is on— how many convenience stores, fast food, and illegal smoke shops can one block have?
We avoid that block on that side of Broadway, somehow always looks dirty, and congested with all the bikes etc..
Unfortunately, I have a Wells Fargo account.
Glad the branch is moving to the Ansonia in Nov.
I moved to 72nd and B’way in 2012 and that block has always been dirty and congested. If I remember correctly the tenants in the building above had complained about Fresh Direct trucks being parked there, and I think the trucks did move further downtown at some point. There was also a photo of either Gale Brewer or Linda Rosenthal standing near McD’s/Little Italy looking at the delivery bikes, but obviously nothing has changed. Isn’t there anything the building management can do about it?
No, there is not much management can do. The building doesn’t control the rental space.
The Pinkberry reason is suspect.
The last weed bodega that I was aware of in the neighborhood finally closed. The store on the east side of Broadway just north of Cafe 82 called “Convenience & Smoke Shop” was a known location which after the crackdown started to only sell after 7PM. They finally gave up. There might be others, I don’t know.
Hope Patisserie Chanson improves the coffee.
Very disappointed about Pinkberry but agree that the street/plaza is a mess. Good news is that the Pita Project across the street has delicious frozen yogurt.
Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Mr.Stein! As an expat from Philly I have been trecking down to Shorty’s and now Olde City for years. So happy to have you within walking distance! Hope you will have your fabulous roast pork and broccoli rabe sub on the menu! Please say Yes!!
Pinkberry always seemed pretty busy – shame they will be closing that location. Seems like very few Pinkberry’s remain in the city. I miss Tasti D’lite as well as the Lite Choice. Two other great desert places that used to be on UWS.
70th street is NOT the Upper West Side. It’s the West Side. Upper should be 96th to Manhattan Valley. I’d put money this new place will not deliver north of 96th street.
Absolutely not. The heart of the UWS is around 72nd St IMO. 96th is barely in what I even call the UWS
Agreed. According to the NY Times, 90% of readers agree on where the UWS is. 72nd and Broadway is the very heart of this nabe, Paul, consider yourself edified. 🙂
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/10/29/upshot/new-york-neighborhood-guide.html?unlocked_article_code=1.j08.pvnm.W2Us73JQIy1P&smid=em-share
Rumor has it that they’re renaming their stores to Pinkslipberry.