The building that will replace the former D’Agostino’s supermarket (and later Agata and Valentina) at 64 University Place has been revealed.
50 years is a long time for anyone or anything. That’s why it’s sad to see Village Copiers on 13th St. fade away at least as a storefront. It was the oldest business on the block. By far. Who knows what will fill that unusual below-ground space next?
Here’s a view of Union Square from 1985. The angle is from the southeast looking toward the northwest from the corner of 4th Ave. and 14th. Note that in the good ol’ days, the statue of George Washington was located in the intersection. It was later moved to the southern end of the park.
USP received valuable feedback on streetscape elements and public space amenities around the neighborhood, including priorities for infrastructure improvements on surrounding streets and within Union Square Park.
Street trees (91%) and City Benches (87%) received the highest rates of satisfaction among City-operated elements, and seasonal plantings (95%) and bistro tables + chairs (92%) received the highest rates among USP-operated amenities. Respondents expressed a desire for additional trees and seating districtwide, as well as bike racks, protected bus shelters, and investments in the park to enhance landscaping, lighting, public restrooms, and the dog run.
The survey also revealed top priorities for public realm investments, which align with the Union Square-14th Street District Vision Plan. The transportation improvements rated with the highest level of importance include safer pedestrian crossings (97%), pedestrian streets (92%), and an ADA-accessible subway (87%). 90% of respondents would like Street Seats implemented around the district. USP is incorporating this feedback into the next phases of Vision Plan planning and design efforts.
The most iconic holiday market in New York, the Union Square Holiday Market, returns on Thursday, November 18th. Over 150 vendors will showcase a dynamic mix of global cuisines, original art, handcrafted accessories, and more through Friday, December 24th. Come experience one of the City’s most beloved traditions!
On October 26, the owners of the upcoming Reyna restaurant, which is taking over the Le Midi space on 13th St., held an introductory Zoom call. Attendance was sparse, but it was interesting to hear their plans and to have the chance to voice concerns pre-emptively.
The restaurant will likely be open until 11 on weekdays and midnight on weekends. It is meant to be an upscale drinking/dining experience, not a noisy bar. They will also be using the Karaoke Cave space as a site for “French Karaoke” as well as sort of a holding space for people who may be waiting for a table (a problem Le Midi certainly never had).
They also plan to build a street-side dining shed, most of which will occupy the space now being used by Corkbuzz.
In general, they seemed quite eager to hear about any issues that nervous neighbors like us might have ahead of time, rather than deal with our anger later. They hope to open in the March/April time frame.
You can get an idea of what Reyna will be like by visiting the Web site for their two locations in Toronto: www.barreyna.com
If you have any questions, you can contact them directly:
Nicki at nicki@barreyna.com
Etienne at 646-421-4242.
Posters have announced that the successor to Le Midi restaurant at 9 East 13th St. will be Reyna, a middle-eastern bar/restaurant that currently has two locations in Toronto. From the menus and pictures (see photo of a Toronto location below), it seems fairly high-end and, one can hope, not too noisy or crazy. As part of a “good neighbor” effort, the bar will host an introductory Zoom call on OCTOBER 26 at 6PM. Here’s the link.
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86012416505?pwd=dGI0cEZ3eHRudWJ0TnJhTzVkSWFVZz09
It’s back. The Holiday Market returns on November 18.
Our building (c. 1940)
