By Gus Saltonstall
The kiosk within Verdi Square outside of the West 72nd Street and Broadway train station has sat empty since the COVID pandemic.
A new business will bloom this spring, though.
A flower shop.
Verdi Blooms plans to open within the kiosk during the first half of 2027.
“We walked past the kiosk every day; we always saw it as a place that had a lot of potential, and wondered why nobody had taken over the space since it’s such a great spot,” Emiliano Galindo, the owner and operator of Verdi Blooms, who conceived of the idea with his partner Michael Clyne, told West Side Rag about the inspiration for the flower shop. “Because of the look of the kiosk itself, and where it is placed, it always reminded me of flower shops in Mexico City, since that is where I’m from. So, walking by one day, I turned and thought, ‘This would be a good place for a flower shop.’”
And thus Galindo set off on an RFP-application process with the New York City Parks Department to become the official vendor for the kiosk. That bureaucratic journey began in 2024, and earlier this year, Verdi Bloom was selected a nine-year contract for the kiosk.
The kiosk’s last tenant was a Le Pain Quotidien, which shuttered at the onset of the pandemic.
“This should be something that gives something to the neighborhood,” said Galindo, who has lived on the Upper West Side with his partner since 2018. “Not just be an eyesore, which is what it’s been. We are part of the community here. We are neighbors. That’s where the drive comes to do something like this.”
Galindo describes the incoming business as “a place to buy fresh flowers,” rather than a florist.
Customers will be able to choose from three different arrangements — small, medium, and large — which will be made up of seasonal flowers from the Flower District that will change weekly. The different selections will be named with references to opera, in honor of Verdi Square’s namesake, the Italian opera singer Giuseppe Verdi.
“It was designed to make it as simple as possible for people to go by and say, ‘I’ll have a medium,'” Galindo said. “Except It’s a place to buy fresh flowers.”
Councilmember Gale Brewer, who supported Verdi Bloom’s venture at the kiosk, emphasized the impact on safety that it will have at the busy location.
“Verdi Blooms’ plan is a positive development,” Brewer wrote in a letter to the city’s Parks Department. “Their investment in the kiosk, lighting upgrades, and maintenance will make Verdi Square safer and more inviting.”
Most recently, Galindo created a one-week flower pop-up at the kiosk for Día de Muertos [The Day of the Dead].
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“It was a way of showing the community a preview, to let people know that flowers are actually coming,” Galindo said of the pop-up flower exhibit. “A space that is worth stopping and looking at. A space that will be colorful and vibrant. To give the community something special.”
Verdi Bloom is still ironing out its future hours of operation, but it will serve customers for at least five days a week. The business plans to be up and running in the spring, but the exact opening date is still to be decided.
“NYC Parks is pleased to welcome this floral business to its new long-term home at the Verdi Square kiosk,” NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura told West Side Rag. “Small businesses bring vibrancy and character to our public spaces, creating welcoming destinations that serve the neighborhood and contribute to the everyday life of our parks.”
You can learn more about Verdi Blooms — HERE.
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