As winter continues, look for an unusual combination of new stores and dining experiences coming to the city — and the interesting stories behind them.
Fabulous Footwear
Manolo Blahnik’s NYC flagship will be at 717 Madison Avenue, with a debut expected in the spring. The unit will house both men’s and women’s offerings and replace the current store at 31 West 54th Street, which closed late last year. Online men’s footwear brand Taft (known for its bold designs) has opened its first physical store at 135 Prince Street, joining other clicks-to-bricks brands Untuckit and Faherty on the Soho thoroughfare.
Fit and Beautiful
BKBX, a fitness concept that combines technology and adventure sports, will open a 32,000-square-foot training facility at 87 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn this summer. The company opened a unit in Boston in 2019. Clean skincare brand Naturopathica, which helped create the concept of holistic beauty some 25 years ago, has opened a flagship at 667 Madison Avenue. Ground-level retail sits above a treatment and meditation area downstairs. The Makeup Museum will launch its flagship at 94 Gansevoort Street with “Pink Jungle: 1950s Makeup in America,” an interactive exhibition that will explore the entrepreneurs, icons and artifacts of the decade. Sponsors include Erno Laszlo, which will include its collection of products used by Marilyn Monroe and Greta Garbo in the displays.
Just Gems
Talia Jewelry, known for its customizable pieces, will debut its first store at Brookfield Place, offering a design studio and “physical playground” for shoppers.
Wining and Dining
The Soho Diner brings 24-hour service to the ground floor of the Soho Grand Hotel at 320 West Broadway. Brookfield Properties and C3 will create Citizens, a 40,000-square-foot culinary destination consisting of two full-service restaurants, multiple bars and a fast-casual market hall to Manhattan West, to be located between Ninth and Tenth Avenues and 31st to 33rd Streets. Famed restaurant architect David Rockwell will design the venue, to be located at 5 Manhattan West. The owners of Frenchette, the downtown brasserie, will bring a concept to 45 Rockefeller Plaza. Kitopi, the Dubai-based ghost kitchen operator, has come to New York with a location at 15 Vanderbilt Avenue in Brooklyn. A location on West Houston Street in Manhattan will open this month, reports Commercial Observer.
Additionally, Lenwich by Lenny’s newest outpost will be at 1332 Third Avenue. Yard House will open a 19,000-square-foot restaurant featuring new American cuisine at 10 Times Square (1441 Broadway). Music is returning to the old J&R Music World site — sort of. The 15 Park Row location of the music/electronics superstore will soon be home to J&R Music Lounge by City Winery, a lounge and supper club to open sometime this spring. At press time, Tiki Chick was expected to debut its tropical themed bar on New Year’s Eve at 517 Amsterdam Avenue.
Sweet Treats
Well, at least one permanent store is now open at American Dream in East Rutherford; It’Sugar opened what it calls “the world’s first candy department” at the not-exactly-a-mall right before the holidays. A Whoopi Goldberg apparel popup was also open during December. The bulk of the retail is still expected to open in March. Bakery Aux Merveilleux de Fred’s second Manhattan location will be at 1001 Avenue of the Americas.
For the Kids
Camp, called a “family experience store,” has opened its fourth branch in the area at Hudson Yards. The concept sells children’s toys and clothing, a play area, theater and canteen. Other locations are on Fifth Avenue, at City Point in Brooklyn and in South Norwalk, Connecticut.
Get Your Gadgets
Best Buy is relocating its Midtown store to 535 Fifth Avenue — across the street from its current location at 529 Fifth Avenue.
Buying Basics
Walgreens will relocate from One Madison Avenue to a two-level space at 304 Park Avenue South. Target will take 33,000 square feet at the E-Walk complex at 233-267 West 42nd Street. But don’t expect to shop anytime soon — the store won’t open until 2022, when the project’s redevelopment is finished.
Around the Area
A PGA Tour Superstore will open in East Hanover, New Jersey, early this year. The store will feature certified teaching professionals, swing simulators, custom club fitting (as well as club making and repairs), and men’s, women’s and junior’s apparel and accessories for both golf and tennis.
Debra Hazel
Debra Hazel Communications
Arverne, NY
debra@debrahazelcommunications.com
(201) 618-5247
