While the closure was anticipated this year, its suddenness caught many off guard. Last evening, we saw several people peering inside and asking what had happened.
Late last month, Time Out announced it was opening Time Out Market, Union Square, in this space in the fall.
The 10,000-square-foot market hall will soon house seven kitchens, a fully-stocked bar and a stage set to host talent and performances from local artists. The 300-seat space will also feature an outdoor terrace. The new destination will build upon the legacy of Time Out Markets across the world — all with the mission of featuring the city’s best and up-and-coming culinary and cultural talents."Time Out Market New York, Union Square will not just be a place to eat: it will be a platform for culinary and cultural talents—where you can discover the city’s flavors and fresh ideas, and experience New York’s creativity all at once; a place for people and the local community to come together," said Vice President for US Time Out Market, Virginia Rector-Birbal. "It will be for everyone, every day — for all ages, budgets, tastes — under one roof."
Time Out currently has 10 similar markets worldwide, including a 24,000-foot converted warehouse that opened in 2019 in Dumbo.
Urbanspace Union Square opened in December 2022 with 13 vendors (including locals Bobwhite Counter) ... six of the vendors were reportedly first-time entrepreneurs or start-up companies.
We were never inside here and can't speak to its appeal — or lack of. Some Reddit commenters spoke of high prices for the vendors.
The market is on the ground floor of the 21-story building — developed jointly by the city's Economic Development Corp. and RAL Development Services — that was long contested by local preservationists and community groups. It sits on the former site of a P.C. Richard & Son on city-owned property.
14 comments:
Wow that seems... fast? I didn't know about the anticipated closure, but it makes me wonder how the economics of these food courts even works. To me, they seem so soulless and compartmentalized, like being in an airport but not getting to travel anywhere. I don't think the concept of a food court is doomed for failure, but the NYC versions all come off like this--sterile, modular, no soul, no character.
Maybe if any of these spaces tried using materials besides glass and metal, it would be more inviting. I doubt Time Out is up for the task, but one of these companies should go look at how something like Golden Gai in Tokyo looks and feels to see how you can cram a bunch of food destinations together and have it feel electric and alive.
We were better off with P.C. Richard, which at least did serve the community.
For all the time this "urbanspace" was there, I was never tempted to enter it even once. What was it? Who was it aimed at attracting? Shrug.
But this sounds like they'll be looking to have a "destination scene" and add congestion/noise at that location, right in front of the very congested bus stop on 14th St.
People will hate on me, but I think the whole 14th Street corridor has been in decline ever since it was changed to a bus only corridor. And I'm not out here advocating for cars to retake the road, but there is an acute sense of desolation on the street because of the reduced vehicular traffic. I think if they spent some resources and made it more pedestrian friendly - increased sidewalks, added trees, etc - it would probably recover, but the whole street just feels hollow and empty now. The emptiness is especially noticeable once it gets dark - it's just not welcoming and can feel unsafe.
For the EVGrump @8:45 - Civic Hall is actually very community minded and has lots of public programming. Check them out: https://www.civichall.org/events
Surprised. The market seemed to be doing ok. But yes every vendor was extremely overpriced that I rarely went.
Agreed. The issue was the pricing here. The selection was fine, location is fine, but all the vendors had uncompetitive prices enough that it wasn’t a draw
I checked it out. It was even more uninviting then a bad mall food court. High ceilings, concrete, bad lighting, acoustics and ventilation. Prices were nuts for that environment.
This comment about 14th Street feeling "desolate" without more cars in the middle of the roadway seems to ignore the fact that the street, particularly this stretch of it, is not desolate at all.
Making it more "pedestrian friendly" would probably attract more unwell people sleeping on the street around there. Aside from the fact that the city is not doing enough to help those people, the added presence would just cause more complaints about it "feeling unsafe" to walk around sleeping people. It's not actively unsafe like the junk market farther east that had people doing broad-daylight knifefights while the 9th Precinct was nowhere to be found. In any case, it's not going to make anyone happy. And if these food halls were truly popular with their high prices and junk food, we'd see more of them. Retail otherwise seems to be doing quite well on the block? A Trader Joe's grab-and-go store that didn't close immediately, Joe's Pizza, Chipotle, Dunkin Donuts, a whole Target across the street...
Yes, pedestrian activity right by TJ is ok - a lot of that is the nearly 2K NYU students who live right there, that said, it's still not what it was pre 2019, but west of 5th, through 8th, has been decimated. The vacancy rate is extremely high there - while some of this is surely post-Covid, the street is in its own doom loop right now. There is no one who can affirm that 14th Street is better now than it was 6 years ago (except for bus riders).
I was just in there two weeks ago and went to the Bobwhite Counter and tried their chicken sandwich which was pretty decent for about $8. I was actually going to go back for another one thanks for letting us know it is now closed. Even their website page does not show that location as being closed.
Yep. I paid $19 for two soft tacos and a coke last month. A total rip off. Should have gone to Taco Bell on third avenue instead.
They have a location on Avenue C!
I only ate in once but found it convenient when I didn't want to cook -- could pick something up between the subway and M14 bus. Bobwhite and the Hainanese (?) chicken and rice were both good and reasonable. I'm sorry it's gone.
Good to know thanks I did not know about that location.
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