January is winding to a close... and the list of restaurants that closed this month is fairly lengthy ...
• Sapporo East
• Shima
• Wacky Wok
• Coyi Cafe
• 7A
• Viva Herbal Pizzeria
• Maria's Cafe
• Picnic
• Arcane
...and high-end ventures on the Bowery weren't immune from closures either... Peels is done... (Pulino's closed Dec. 29 ... Keith McNally is turning it into a French restaurant called Cherche Midi.)
Also, certainly worth noting nearby ... we had the sudden closures of Milady's on Prince Street and Gray's Papaya on Eighth Street and Sixth Avenue ...
Any closures in the neighborhood from this month that I'm missing? Which of these hurts the most for you?
Maybe this happened before last month but Banjara on 6th St. closed, which is now an Italian restaurant, and Haveli on 2nd Ave was taken over by Banjara. Also the Barnes & Noble bookstore on 19th St. and 5th Ave. just closed.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile on the other side of the universe, I passed through the West Village last night and was stunned at how many stores which had been there for decades were now all closed. On 8th St. and 6th Ave. the shuttered Barnes & Noble on the south east corner and closed Greys Papaya on the northeast corner makes that stretch really dead and sad looking. I just glanced down 8th St but it looked pretty dead too, reminding me of a few times over the last few decades when it seems many of the stores there suddenly shut down. Up on 10th St and 6th the old corner magazine shop that was there forever is closed, as is Roios, which was previously Rays Pizza on 11th St, also gone.
And besides the very overpriced Citrella, the there are no supermarkets in the area, since both Jefferson Market between 10th and 11th St. and the old Food Emporium grocery store up on 12th St.closed, making this whole stretch dark and abandoned looking at night.
The good news is Sammy's Noodle and Grill between 10th and 11th on 6th avenue, which was started by the chef at the old Sam's Noodles on 28th and 3rd Ave, is thriving. I can report that the cold sesame noodles are just as delicious as the original.
Shima and Viva are mourned by me and my pixie.
ReplyDeleteThe closing of Gray's affected me emotionally even if I didn't eat a lot of hot dogs in 2014. It was an institution and for me a landmark of sorts.
ReplyDeleteLosing Sapporo East is practically a mortal blow.
ReplyDeletepan on st marks between 2nd and third was open for a hot second. maybe 3-4 months? i dont remember, but they were moving out when i walked by last night.
ReplyDeletenever ate there but i liked their marquee.
in the words of the great stephen patrick morrissey... VIVA HATE
ReplyDeleteNicky's Vietnamese on e 2nd St. also closed this month.
ReplyDeleteThanks gina-r-snape
ReplyDeleteThey closed at the end of November/early December…
its not precisely a closing but the last vestiges of Natori on St. Marks are gone and Sushi Lounge "half price sushi" is in -- not looking too successful so far, though.
ReplyDeleteWell, Grey's Papaya was the landmark, but there are other places to get your fix. Papaya King opened last year on St. Marks Place between 3rd and 2nd Avenue.
ReplyDeleteRegarding 1/2 price sushi....how can it be 1/2 price when it is the same price every day? What do they do when they have a 50% off sale? Make it 1/4 price sushi?
Sad about Sapporo and Viva.
ReplyDeleteMy building's door will be a lot less colorful without the Wacky Wok cards to adorn it. Win for the environment?