By Lisa Kava and Natalie Demaree
Janie’s Life Changing Baked Goods, a bakery specializing in “pie crust cookies,” is moving from 212 West 80th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue), to 434 Amsterdam Avenue (at West 81st Street), on June 10th. The bakery, formerly called Janie Bakes, was founded on the Upper West Side in 2015 by Janie Deegan Curreau who had struggled with addiction and homelessness. Encouraged by friends to embrace a childhood passion for baking, Cureau began to first bake for her friends. Pie crust cookies were “inspired by Janie’s quest to get the perfectly proportioned bite of pie.” The bakery has expanded and has other NYC locations in the West Village, and in East Harlem.
The new space will feature seating for customers, and will serve cake and coffee in addition to cookies. “We will have some fun new additions including an espresso drink menu, cake, and other secret items,” Curreau wrote to West Side Rag in an email. The 80th Street location will be closed to the public, but will be used as a commissary where employees will bake. Kancil, a Malaysian restaurant which closed in April 2025, (the successor to Wau, another Malaysian restaurant by the same owners), was previously in the space.
Croissant et Cafe, a micro bakery and full coffee bar, opened at 154 West 70th Street (between Columbus Avenue and Broadway), on July 2nd, owner Hana Saber told West Side Rag on a visit. The cafe serves fresh baked croissants, pastries, coffee, espresso drinks, and Persian ice cream, Saber said. It specializes in croissants and focaccia. Croissant et Cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and closed on Sundays. Cafe Mozart, the longstanding European eatery which closed in 2008 was the last tenant in the space. (Thanks to Lisa and Rebecca for the tip.)
IVX Health, a medical center for infusion and injection therapy, opened a new location at 199 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 69th and West 70th streets), on June 19th. IVX Health provides infusion and injection therapy for people with chronic conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. IVX has clinics across the nation, including three other locations in NYC (in Park Slope, Flatiron, and on the Upper East Side). This is the first location on the Upper West Side. IVX Health is open by appointment only from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Saturdays, according to the center’s website. It replaces Northwell Go Health Urgent Care which had been the last remaining Northwell clinic on the Upper West Side before closing in November. (Thanks to Danielle for the tip.)
Fit Body Nation, a fitness facility offering group and individual strength training, at 772 Amsterdam Avenue (at West 97th Street), temporarily closed its studio on June 10th, a representative confirmed to West Side Rag. “At the moment, we’re not comfortable sharing additional details about the temporary situation,” the representative wrote to the Rag in an email. “We’re currently working through a few things and will share more information when we are able to.” Fit Body Nation has moved their sessions to virtual classes, the rep said, adding “we are lining up additional in-person locations on the Upper West Side.” She did not disclose the locations of the in-person sessions she referred to. (Thanks to Miles for the tip.)
Taco Bell, the fast food chain, opened at 2818 Broadway (at West 109th Street), on July 3rd. It shares a building with Auntie Anne’s and Carvel, which opened as a combo in April 2026. This is the Upper West Side’s first Taco Bell in at least a quarter century. It is open from 10 a.m to 4 a.m. seven days a week. The space was previously offices for Claremont Hall, a condominium located in Morningside Heights.
ICYMI:
Francesco’s Pizza, a long-time pizza place at 186 Columbus Avenue (between West 68th and West 69th streets), has permanently closed. Read West Side Rag’s coverage of this news here.
Eataly Caffe, is opening at 2252 Broadway (at West 81st Street), in the fall of 2026. The space was previously a Starbucks which closed in September. Read West Side Rag’s coverage of this news here. (Thanks to Isaac 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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The new cheesy street Chalupas are awesome.
““At the moment, we’re not comfortable sharing additional details about the temporary situation,”
Doesn’t sound promising.
first Upper West Side Taco Bell? did I hallucinate a Taco Bell on the east side of Broadway around 95th Street back in the day?
um, did you actually read the article? “This is the Upper West Side’s first Taco Bell in at least a quarter century.”
Not the first Taco Bell ever.
But I wish something better had opened in the neighborhood!
Yeah, there was definitely one there….get off the train, find 50 cents, and after school snack acquired
Yeah, I remember it too.
I’ve been a vegetarian my whole life (just didn’t like meat even as a baby) and they would make me just taco shells full of lettuce and cheese when I was a kid, it was the first fast food I’d eat
Yes – I remember walking up there with my kids in their strollers. It was on the east side of the street in the middle of the block.
Thank you.. I share your hallucination !
I reeeeally need a good coffee spot. I’ll go try Croissant et Café… I was an ardent supporter of Cafe Mozart after we lost Eclair on West 72nd St,
Oh Eclair – still miss them and the cake that I’ve never found anyplace else or been able to really reproduce (despite being a good baker) – the hazelnut cake with apricot jam and mocha buttercreme.
” IVX has clinics across the nation, including three other locations in Manhattan (in Park Slope, Flatiron, and on the Upper East Side.)” move over Brooklyn
LOL!
For years there was a Taco Bell on Broadway between 95th and 96th in space which is now an AT&T shop
Janie’s pie crust cookies are amazing! Congrats to her on the new location!
Can confirm.
Definitely worth a try for all of us UWSer’s who are always on the lookout for unique and delicious treats and sweets.
Downloaded the Taco Bell app just for them.
So excited about Taco Bell. Hope they open another one further south in the neighborhood. I would eat it rarely but sometimes you just need a fix.
And to the haters – if you don’t like it, don’t eat there. It will fill a space, employ people, pay taxes, etc. To each his own – don’t judge.
Check out the reviews for the new Taco Bell. Not very encouraging.
UWS is becoming the croissant capital of NYC.
Excited about some of these recs in this thread, because I’ve yet to find one I really love up here. Tried Croissant et Cafe today. Beautiful cafe, but the croissants weren’t for me. Excited to try their coffee next time, though!
What are your top 3?
Tarallucci e Vino and La Farine
No one asked me, but:
1. Delice Macaron on Amsterdam (I know! They do a lot more than Macaron!)
2. Epices on W. 70th
3. Barachou on Amsterdam (new addition to my list…I think they’re branching out)
Lots of honorable mentions, too, including Maman (or Mamans?) and Mille Feuille
Looks like Angel Eyes, a business featured in WSR, a while back has closed/moved.
Although I no longer eat “fast food” (no McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Popeye’s, etc.), I have to admit that Taco Bell’s cheesy gordita crunch is a massive temptation for me.
That’s not the first taco bell on the uws.
There used to be one on the east side of Broadway between 95th and 96th
The article said “This is the Upper West Side’s first Taco Bell in at least a quarter century.”
It did not say this is the first Taco Bell on the UWS.
Dear Neighbor,
the article has been edited to say that after many people pointed out the error.
Janie’s Life Changing Cookies donates the leftovers to a Breakfast Line that serves the needy in the neighborhood. Whatever you buy there will always be fresh!
but life changing cookies? Seriously?
Though perhaps if they are THAT good, they will change our lives, as our best efforts to get to the gym are totally undermined…. I’d better not try them! ;-)))
If you read the article you’ll see that they changed her life
Yes! I love that she extended her mission to help others as well. From the website: Since 2015, Janie’s has been changing lives with baked goods. Baking holds a special place in our founder’s heart as it gave her hope, strength and inspiration after she struggled with addiction and homelessness as a young adult.
Janie’s is dedicated to helping other young women through mentorship and second chance employment.
Wishing Janie success in her new location.
Eataly should have moved to the former Milling Room at Columbus Ave. It would have been almost full circle of what was once Dino De Laurentiis’ precursor of Eataly: DDL Foodshow in 1982.