By Lisa Kava and Sara Lewin Lebwohl
Olde City Cheesesteaks & Brew opened a “take-out and delivery outpost” at 201 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 69th and West 70th streets), on October 30th. Olde City specializes in Philadelphia-style cheesesteaks, wings, chicken tenders, and french fries. There are four other locations in Manhattan, which are all sports bars, owner Evan Stein told West Side Rag on a phone call. The UWS spot has a slimmed down menu focusing on the “Philly classics” which include cheesesteaks, wings, and fries. There are wood counters to accommodate customers who would like to stand and eat there. Stein was born in Manhattan, grew up outside Philadelphia, and has lived in NYC since 1993. He opened Shorty’s in 2006, and left that restaurant in 2019. He founded Olde CIty in 2022 on the Upper East Side. “We have gotten a lot of requests for an Upper West Side location on Instagram, and the timing and space was finally right,” Stein said. “The response from the neighborhood has been fantastic so far, and we’re thrilled to be a part of the Upper West Side.” Current hours (subject to change) are 3 p.m. until midnight Monday to Thursday, and 11 a.m. until midnight Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The space used to be Didi Dumpling which closed in April 2023.
Nuts Factory, a candy and snack shop, opened on November 1st on the southeast corner of Broadway at West 92nd Street. It sells a wide variety of nuts, chocolate, dried fruit, granola and trail mix. Nuts Factory is a family-owned business with 11 stores in New York City (other locations are in New Jersey and Massachusetts). This is the third Upper West Side location for the snack shop: There is one at 2240 Broadway (at West 80th Street), and one at 284 Columbus Avenue (between West 73rd and West 74th streets). The newest location was most recently a Vitamin Shoppe which closed in 2021 and has been vacant since.
Northwell Go Health Urgent Care, the walk-in medical clinic at 199 Amsterdam Avenue (at West 69th Street), closed on November 1st. This follows the closing of two other Upper West Side Northwell Go Health Urgent Care locations; one at 2628 Broadway (at West 100th Street), and one at 2689 Broadway (at West 103rd Street). There are two remaining Northwell Go Health Urgent Care clinics in Manhattan: one on the Upper East Side and one in Greenwich Village. “At this time, we do not have any specific information regarding the reason for the closure of this center,” a representative wrote to West Side Rag in an email.
Purple Waves, a wine bar and cafe at 285 West 110th Street (at Central Park West), is opening a market inside the cafe on November 15th. There will be a celebration on that date from 1 until 4 p.m., with complimentary food and drinks. The market will sell “a curated collection of low-waste, locally made products from small farms and independent producers,” a representative wrote to West Side Rag in an email. Examples include milk in returnable glass bottles, yogurts in glass jars, vegan cheeses, and organic pasture-raised eggs. The shop will also carry small-batch pantry staples such as jams, nut butters, grains, flours, and beans, and will feature a “grab and go“ section as well. Purple Wave’s cafe menu includes breakfast bowls, housemade salads and bakery items. Purple Waves was founded in January 2024 by Upper West Sider Sharon Avnon Reuveni.
NaiSnow, a Chinese bakery and tea shop, has signage up on 971 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 107th and West 108th streets). The shop has a Flushing, Queens, location and a Long Island City location. It serves tea, fruit tea, tea with milk, green juices, and fresh baked goods. We will update when we have more information and an expected opening date. (Thanks to Nancy for the tip.)
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These Nuts Factories have to be a front for something.
Nut Factory is so good, but I’m also surprised how they’re expanding this quickly. They’re never all that crowded but they deserve more business. I hope they’re able to keep the momentum and won’t have to close any stores.
Well, if they’re a front for anything, it must be for… candy. Look in their front windows; you’ll see a plenitude of candies, few if any nuts.
They don’t only sell nuts, but grains, dried fruits, candy, tea, baked goods, etc. People, including myself, love this stuff. Yeah, it’s a front for great eating. There are also banks, Duane Reades, Starbucks, and McDonalds everywhere. Are they all fronts? Good God, let’s spread more unfounded rumors about the Jews. OK. Got it!
That closing seems just a tad out of place.. What’s the connection?
That’s quite a leap. How would anyone know these businesses were owned by Jewish people?
The idea that one neighborhood can support multiple nut stores IS odd.
We’re currently supporting 5 weed dispensaries so who knows….
Really? Front for what? What evidence is it based on? Any chance that your concern is based on that it’s owned by an Isreali based company? Their nuts are delicious, much better than anything you can get in a supermarket. Healthy and an excellent protein source. Glad to see them here instead of an empty storefront.
I also agree that it must be a front, nothing to do with being Israeli. The evidence is that the rents are very expensive and the margin for nuts and candy can’t be that high to open so many new stores!
The chocolate items in the bins are waxy, stale, tasteless. Maybe that’s why the Dubai brand bars are prominently displayed. And the so-called babka and ruggala? Pathetic.
Came here to say same thing. Of all the businesses that fail, why is a nut store chain booming? Who needs all these?
We West Sidenuts need them.
1000%
These nuts stores have to be some sort of money laundering front right?
Sometimes you feel like a nut.
Are enough people reeeeally buying their nuts from Nuts Factory to warrant yet another location?? I don’t think I have ever seen a patron in one and my only time inside was when I decided it was overpriced.
Almost every retail store independently owned is going to be “overpriced”. The cost of doing business is so extraordinary in NYC with annual tax increases, rent, insurance, payroll taxes, salaries and on and on that charging above what most similar businesses in other states is the norm if these businesses plan on surviving.
Let’s stop spreading rumors, people. I buy all sorts of things there: including couscous, quinoa, granola, baked goods, candy, chocolates, etc. It’s fairly priced and there is a delicious array and clearly there are plenty of patrons.
Ahh, now I see. To a hammer everything is a nail.
The fact that they are growing their business and continuing to expand suggests that they are perfectly capable of making their own decisions even though they don’t coincide with your thoughts as to whether they have too many locations.
You’re nuts.
Why is it published?
It is expensive, but they have excellent and fresh nuts, and very good dried fruit.
I have bought nuts there. They are very good.
I bought nuts there. They were awful.
If Nuts Factory occupies the former Vitamin Shoppe site, that would make it at the NORTHeast corner of Broadway & West 92nd Street, true?
Gary Null’s old vitamin shop — Uptown Whole Foods
The 89th & Broadway Whole Foods, formerly owned by Gary Null, closed some months ago and remains empty.
No. Whole Foods was on the northwest side of 89th and Broadway. That space is still empty. Vitamin Shoppe was on the northeast side of 92nd and Broadway. . That is where the new nuts place has opened.
Yes, indeed — WSR, please take note.
Careful of Olde City … it’s reallllllly good and realllly addicting …. LB’s about to be found
For sure as the westside is already full of nuts!
Tried Olde City cheesesteak with cheese whiz and it tasted just like the one I had in Philly. Generous portion. One can easily feed 2 people. VERY tasty!!
Just a heads up that Zarutto (formerly on 72nd St between Amsterdam and Columbus) is serving ramen at Dark Bullet Sake and Oyster Bar while they look for a new lease!
Great news. Thanks for letting us know. Hope they find a new place not too far away.
Looking forward to the hyperlocal SNL skit about the Nuts Factory being a secret criminal enterprise proliferating all over Manhattan and destroying mom-and-pop nut purveyors in the process.
Looking forward to their lawsuit, since the mom and pop nut stores don’t exist anyplace up here. There was one in the West 50s when I first moved to NYC. It went out of business in the 1980s. Haven’t seen another one since.
There were numerous World of Nuts stores in Manhattan until some years ago. The owner was Persian I believe, and Nuts Factory’s owner is Israeli, although why anybody would care is beyond me.
The nuts factory people negotiate an unusual form of lease that is advantageous to them, and that is a part of their secret sauce.
There was a great mom-and-pop nuts store where the second -hand bookstore is now next to Staples, Broadway between 80th and 81st. Closed in the 1980’s or so when the mom and pop passed on.
I think there was a nut shop on Amsterdam between 72nd and 73rd. But the old nut shops that disappeared in the 80s were tiny. These new shops are big. I am kind of amazed they can sell so many nuts and so much candy. That’s why many people suspect it’s a front. The Israeli aspect doesn’t play into it for me. I am a big old Zionist after all. Pretty wild.
FOOD! My favorite stuff …
Did I dream it, or wasn’t there a similar nuts store further north on Broadway, around 103-105th st.-ish?
Good memory, it was on the east side of Broadway just a little north of the 104th st Ben and Jerry’s I think. It was one of the places hidden under that endless sidewalk thing there which is thankfully now gone.
There is a lot of work being done at the old Modell’s location on Amsterdam btw 76 & 77. Its a big storefront so hopefully something exciting.
Nuts Factory leaves cut up fruit at room temperature overnight (at least at the Columbus ave location). That sounds like a health safety violation.
Get ready for more chains. No small businesses will be able to survive here next year.
Does anyone know what is going into the former (and formerly padlocked by sheriff) weed place on the SW corner of 104 and Broadway? Finally work is being done there!
It’s a mobile phone store