Photo from October 2024 by Stacie Joy
Upperz Cafe and Bar is closing on Saturday at 319 E. 14th St., between First Avenue and Second Avenue.
The owners, siblings Marilyn Velazquez and Ramon Velazquez, made the announcement on Instagram, noting, "This decision was not made lightly, and we are so grateful for the support and love you've shown us throughout our journey."
The all-day cafe debuted here late last November.
4 comments:
I feel like the last couple of cafes that closed on 14th aren’t blaming crime or homelessness anymore. Makes me question the situation of the solitary one that did.
Just too many options. You have to either have been an institution that's been around decades, or stand out with something different that is aesthetically pleasing and attract the young crowd for their social media channels. A standard cafe isn't going to succeed anymore especially with the ridiculous rent from landlords. Not to mention 14th street is not an ideal street to open up shop.
I live on the block. The street situation has improved a little since 487 closed, plus Upperz closed so early, it wasn't an issue for them. The latter was an ill-conceived project from the start, and I'm not surprised they're closing. I'd love to see something like 487 back in the space again. You'd think a decent cup of non-fussy coffee wouldn't be so hard to come by on this block...
It's a shame but It was a bit of an overthought concept for 14th St. Hard to make a neighborhood place, on 14th Street, that's a coffee shop/cafe/wine bar. It's tough enough to get just one of those things right, let alone all of those ideas. Also not sure painting the front black was so welcoming. But the owners were all really nice people.
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