By Lisa Kava and Sara Lewin Lebwohl
Pier i Cafe, the seasonal cafe in Riverside Park South (at West 68th Street and Riverside Boulevard), closed for the winter on Sunday, October 26th. The cafe, which is popular with bikers, walkers and those looking for a sunset view over the Hudson River, serves brunch, burgers, salads, tacos, shareables, and ice cream as well as coffee and cocktails. Pier i Cafe will reopen in April 2026, a representative told West Side Rag.
Prime Thyme Kitchen & Bar, a gluten-free kosher restaurant (formerly Thyme and Tonic) at 474 Columbus Avenue (at West 83rd Street), is closing on November 5th. The restaurant had shifted gears with a new name and menu in the spring of 2025 “to try for a more elegant, upscale, fine dining experience,” a manager told West Side Rag on a visit. But that change did not bring in the business they hoped for, he said. The owners are now brainstorming ideas for the future of the space. They plan to rebrand the restaurant with an entirely new concept this time, the manager said, emphasizing that a decision about the type of cuisine they will serve is undecided. “We love the community, we love the neighborhood; we want to try a new concept to make everyone happy,” he said. He did not have a time frame for when the new restaurant will open, but said that updates will be posted on Instagram.
La Perla Nascosta , an Italian restaurant, opened on October 22nd at 206 West 79th Street (between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway). Owner Florin Vardari worked at Coppola’s, the longtime Italian restaurant which was previously in the space, closing in 2023. (The spot was briefly home to another Italian restaurant, Ciao Paisan, which closed in July.) Vardari worked as a server at Coppola’s from 2013 to 2017, and as the restaurant’s assistant manager from 2013 to 2020. After Coppola’s closed, Vardari ran REX Coffee Shop on the Lower East Side. “In July 2025 I received a call from a chef that I had worked with for years,” Vardini told West Side Rag. The chef was from Coppola’s and together they decided to “take over the space and bring it back to life.” The menu features pastas, pizzas, salads and Parmesan dishes. Perla Nascosta means “hidden pearl’ in Italian. “Taking over this location is very special to me,” Vardari told the Rag. “It was the first restaurant I worked in after coming to the United States from Kosovo in 2013. It holds a lot of meaning and memories for me.” La Perla Nascosta is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and can hold private events.
PIVOT Pilates Studio opened on October 25th at 1995 Broadway (at West 68th Street), on the eighth floor. It is a woman-owned studio with a “commitment to inclusive wellness and local community partnerships, including collaborations with neighborhood schools, and physical therapy practices,“ owner Katerina Ross wrote to West Side Rag in an email. Ross, a longtime Pilates client, formerly in finance, partnered with instructor Helen Cahill in opening PIVOT. “Helen brings extensive Pilates experience and expertise,” Ross wrote. “The name PIVOT reflects our belief that every body has a turning point; that moment when strength, flexibility, and intention align.” The studio will hold group Reformer classes (a full schedule is available on the website), and offer private instruction. Studio hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and weekends from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Thanks to Bobby for the tip.)
Pure Green, a juice shop, is coming to 2041 Broadway between West 70th and West 71st streets), in January 2026. It will serve smoothies, cold-pressed juices, and acai bowls. The chain has numerous locations nationwide; this will be the eighth location in New York City. Micheal Trenk, the owner of Prohibition, the bar and lounge at 503 Columbus Avenue (between West 84th and West 85th streets), is behind the upcoming Broadway Pure Green franchise. Trenk used to live near the commercial strip where the shop will open, and had “envisioned launching in that space for years,” he told West Side Rag in a phone interview. He met his business partner, Michael Cecchini, during frequent visits to the Pure Green Harry’s Table location. When Harry’s Table closed earlier this fall, Trenk and Cecchini secured the new space together. “Having lived on the Upper West Side for years, I am committed to re-energizing the neighborhood retail landscape and investing in new openings and collaborations that keep business and community activity rooted in the UWS,” he told the Rag. Pinkberry, the frozen yogurt shop which closed in September, was previously in the space.
Subway, the fast food sandwich chain, closed its location at 731 Columbus Avenue (at West 96th Street), on Friday October 24th. Signage in the window thanks customers for their patronage for 15 years. The company did not respond to West Side Rag’s outreach, but it has been reported that the sandwich chain closed 631 locations in 2024, and over 1,600 locations since 2022. (Thanks to Elliot for the tip.)
Au Jus, a barbecue restaurant at 2621 Broadway (at West 96th Street), appears to be closed. The company did not respond to West Side Rag’s outreach, but there is a marshal’s sign posted in the window, dated October 7th, 2025, saying the landlord has legal possession of the premises. The Au Jus website says their East Harlem location is temporarily closed for repairs, and the Upper West Side location is no longer listed. (Thanks to Jay 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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I’ve eaten at La Perla Nascosta twice since it opened. It was like coming home. The food and the ambience lived up to my expectations. It’s an “adult” restaurant where you can actually carry on a conversation and feel welcome by the outgoing staff. I wish them great success.
Oof. That was like coming home? You have my deepest sympathies.
Ah yes the Monty Python dude who is turned off by Italian American (red sauce) cuisine and claims to know the finest “authentic” Italian restaurants but refuses to divulge this secret information.
Damn, Au Jus had great ribs.
We tried to eat there, asked them at least 4 separate times if our kid who needs to be gluten free could eat there and never got a straight answer. Just a lot of I don’t knows and call back laters with no real attempt to answer the question. Oh well.
Yeah their service was average to poor. So was the food. You didn’t miss out, you actually lucked out.
Damn is right. They had a spot up here in Washington Heights, and it closed. I was counting on this one. Really good ribs and rib tips!
Pivot is gorgeous and their teachers are phenomenal! So happy it’s in the neighborhood
Au Jus is further up than 96?
Sorry the Subway is gone. Not a huge fan but it was helpful for a quick bite with the kids if in the area. I know many here like to hate on chains and Subway is not my favorite but it is helpful to have reliable places with seating to have a quick meal while on the go.
I hope the Italian place that replaced Coppola’s keeps the Coppola’s chicken parm recipe!
There is another Subway on broadway between 93rd and 94th.
Yes on 99th.
I live around the corner. Thyme and Tonic was really good. I think they were hurt at the loss of the sidewalk shed. (No I am not advocating for sidewalk sheds.) The new concept was way overpriced.
Honestly, if they want success they should open a kosher pastrami deli. . . and not close on Saturdays!.
There’s Pastrami Queen on 72nd st, close enough.? They identify as kosher, are open on Saturdays, but aren’t considered kosher by many because, among other things, they are open on Saturdays!
As a celiac I spent my birthday at the “new” Thyme. The food was bad and way overpriced. As much as I want options to eat out I said to my partner ‘we are never coming back here” I had been there a bunch of times before the “change”. Here’s a concept – good food that isn’t overpriced.
Yeah I don’t know what economy restaurant owners inhabit where they think they can just keep adding charges and upping the cost and people aren’t going to dine out less. Stealthy things like increasing tipping percentages still get noticed on peoples budget sheets eventually and the result is less patronage.
uh, and sell kosher pulled pork, bacon cheeseburgers, and shrimp, too? Do you really think a restaurant would keep its kosher designation if they were open Saturdays?
One thing not opening: any affordable housing.
https://gothamist.com/news/see-where-in-nyc-the-most-affordable-housing-gets-built-and-blocked
Our district has produced 0 units of affordable housing in 2024, and 0 in the first six months of 2025. The only district in the entire city that did not produce any affordable housing in that time.
https://thenyhc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NYHC-Tracker-2025-SpecialReport.pdf
https://thenyhc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/NYHC-Tracker-2025-Apr2025.pdf
Good. Every unit taken out of supply and set aside for “affordable housing” drives rent up for everyone else.
Shouldn’t this be posted on the article about the church? This is about restaurants and stores. And ax for affordable housing. Low income housing would be great
But affordable housing? Most New Yorkers couldn’t afford to love on the afford able housing units on the UWS, and those who can afford it could easily afford to live in Washington Heights at market rate.
It is because we have way more shelters than most other neighborhoods- at least north of 96th to 113 –
do the research if you are curious.
Another big one going up on 106 and Columbus- not a fair share situation – we have more than other neighborhoods… z
Josh P:
A real issue is affordable housing that is lost – landlords force tenants out, warehouse apartments and then sell buildings for teardown for luxury redevelopment.
One example is the buildings on Amsterdam & 89th Street.
But happens everywhere.
Another issue is that some new “affordable” housing is time limited – not permanently affordable.
Last but not least – no doubt you are aware of the inevitable billionaire type building that will replace ABC offices on 66th Street.
NYC clearly enables this usage.
You can’t build affordable housing if you can’t build. But basically every new development on the UWS is opposed by at least some on here for being out of character, or too tall, or creating shadows, or overcrowding the subway, or any other reason why the neighborhood must not change. People can’t have it both ways.
Housing is always affordable, after all someone lives in it. What you want is cheap housing? Why? As it is we are over run with shelters and supportive housing
For normal human beings to live normal, decent lives instead of having to struggle constantly under substantial financial burdens that will take them down if they run into any other serious problems. Pretty basic. If you didn’t have that, you’d want it.
when over rent control 1,000,000 are taken out of supply FOREVER (now a hereditary entitlement), the rents cannot go down. No amount of vitriolic promises can fix the intentionally manipulated market.
The innocence required to believe that if landlords were able to deregulate all apartments they would suddenly be satisfied with moderate rents everywhere instead of simply raising all rents as high as they can possibly get away with is Sesame Street-level. There are no for-profit developers or landlords who will leave a dime on the table that they could scoop up. What happened when Boston and Cambridge (involuntarily) abolished rent control in 1995? You could look it up.
You mean rent stabilized. There are only 16,000 to 25,000 rent controlled apartments left.
Fine. Nitpick. You get their point. Most of the rent stabilized apartments are very “affordable.” And there are tons of them. Or heaven forbid people don’t live in prime locations – plenty of affordable housing if you live in one of the other boroughs. Do you think the immigrants came off Ellis Island and landed on Fifth Avenue? Nope. Moved to the other boroughs and worked their way up.
And guess what – a rent freeze will not create affordable housing. It will do the opposite. Mamdani is fooling everyone with his ridiculous promises.
100%. I can BARELY pay my rent for a tiny apartment but I know that this is Manhattan and where I want to be so I work my ass off for it. I don’t expect rents to be moderate in the biggest (and used to be greatest) city in the world. If we didn’t have to pay so much in taxes, paying for everyone else, we could afford a hell of a lot more. No one is entitled to live in NYC. You work hard for it.
Worked their way up- that is adorable- as if that is possible now.
We are in guilded age and that never goes well for a country….
How about for middle-income families? I have read that two- and three-bedroom apartments are even harder to find than studios and one-bedrooms for working people who aren’t loaded.
Get rid of rent control, rent stabilization, housing projects, shelters, et cetera and watch rents in Manhattan go down 50%.
Josh P.
What are your thoughts on this project?
https://www.westsiderag.com/2025/10/28/former-upper-west-side-illegal-hotel-reopens-as-permanent-supportive-housing
Thanks for this data/info Josh. And shame on our community board! Imagine the Upper East Side out-doing us on this crucial issue. ….it boggles.
See the other article about Goddard’s 107 St opening.
Too bad re: Au Jus, it was a good spot. Here is their eviction notice:
https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=6gsyFKMHI3m33kkYyB_PLUS_BMQ==
Ugh. So many closings. Times are bad.
There are three openings and three closings (plus Pier i, which is seasonal).
I hope the Subway closure means the building owner will finally begin their street level redo. All of the retail tenants are now empty. Any intel on this?
Any intel on why retail is closed … well people don’t shop in stores anymore- they order from Amazon.
Is it really a question why we have no retail?
How can shops compete with price and convenience of online….
There’s thriving retail on the Upper East Side. This is an Upper West Side problem.
You misundersood the question. The intel request was on the status of the renovation/rebranding project of the tower that occupies that block. They had signage up a couple years ago that indicated a redesign of the building and retail space. Retail tenants were not given renewal leases, thus all closed. There have also been disputes with the landlord from residents as well.
Au Jus is/was on 99th & Broadway. And I will miss it. Best BBQ on UWS.
The West 71st Street Block Association welcomes Pure Green to the plaza on 70-71. We are working hard to make the area safer and cleaner and will soon see the bikes relocated to a curbside corral in the street.
We look forward to the arrival of new stores there and hope the closed Starbucks site will soon be rented out.
Good luck to all!
Although not happy with situation in front of McDonald’s, pizza place etc and all the bikes parked there, it seems to me a bike corral in the street has issues too?
For example, trucks/SUVs bring in the fruit vendor and food cart there. So unless the plan is to ban the vendors, sounds like there will be double parking in a lane that needs to be a travel lane.
My guess also is that it will just mean more ebikes in the area, more ebikes permanently parked – in the new corral and also the sidewalk.
Basically still a hangout space.
Not to be snarky, but my family needs more space. Maybe we can utilize a sidewalk or street space to put in a storage bin for our use?
Tell us more abkut the bike corral.. Will it be in 71st St or Amsterdam? How many bikes will it hold?
BTW there seems to be a person who repairs ebikes on the sidewalk – often situated near the newsstand.
Sad to hear about Thyme & Tonic — one of the few good pescartarian/vegetarian spots that was more elevated. Wish they could keep the same concept! So disappointing we can’t keep places like that open on the UWS.
Au Jus could be delicious but the last meal I had there was lunch, and the ribs were so dry they had to be leftovers from the night before. Maybe the worst I’ve ever had
They were hit or miss. Both on food and service. The last handful of years they seemed like they didn’t care. Hope a deli opens up on that corner.
No more Au Jus… no more frito pie! Too bad, they were a nice addition to that corner. It looks like the whole chainlet is gone, they used to have five or six locations.
This Au Jus was mid. The food was hit or miss and when it missed it – it was dry and practically inedible. A lot of their dishes lacked seasoning and flavor. Pastrami was only thing that was consistently decent. Everything was overpriced for what you got and the service was more indifferent than my dog. Last few years, it just seemed like they didn’t even care. I’m shocked it lasted this long. Really hope a deli opens up on that corner but doubt it, rent too high on this side of broadway.
Confirming that the chicken parm at La Perla Nascosta is the same. It’s a favorite of my partner and kids and that is what they all agree.
Both Au Jus and Thyme and Tonic had poor health inspections. I’m sure that’s not good for business.