Coming Soon: Studio Mix
127 Madison Avenue, next to a former computer store (between 30th and 31st Streets), is going to become Studio Mix, which offers “selective lighting, furnishings, and accessories.” There’s something sort of yuppie-ish about the look of the place, but their website showcases a kind of Orientalist design that’s not out of place in the same neighborhood as Harooni and the other stores in this area, which could be called the “Persian Rug District.”
The Harsh Fro-Yo Winter
Who eats frozen yogurt in winter? That thought has crossed my mind lately, as temperatures in New York threaten to dip into the 30s and my radiator insists on staying inert. The Bloomberg years have been characterized by development of all kinds, including rampant fro-yo development throughout Manhattan. But the economy is slowing, and winter is coming, which is obviously a slow time if you sell cold treats. The bear who runs the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck is in hibernation. So are other summer ice cream traditions, like the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory’s stand in Pershing Square. But the yogurt boom has happened in storefronts that can’t close.
Here are some a couple ways I’ve thought of to help bring business in from the cold:
Hot and spicy food: Lure ‘em in with winter comfort food like hot soups and chicken pot pie — spiked with Scotch Bonnet peppers. After that inferno-in-a-bowl, your customers will be begging for relief. And what better relief than frozen yogurt? Korean chain Red Mango and Korean-American-owned Pinkberry have the inside track here, since they can keep it real with authentic fiery dishes like kimchi jigae.
Life’s a beach: If you can convince people that frozen yogurt is healthy (a large serving of regular Pinkberry has 380 calories and 76 grams of sugar — stick with the small), you can con them into thinking summer hasn’t left yet. Turn up the thermostat, put on some “Death of Auto-Tune,” install some of the leftover Times Square beach chairs. But take care; your more impressionable customers may strip down to flip-flops and tankini, leave the store, and die of exposure while sunbathing in Union Square Park.
…and that’s about all I’ve got. Any ideas?
Holes in My Neighborhood: Turning the Nightlife Tide
This is the eleventh post in a series that idly speculates on the many empty husks lining retail streets in the neighborhood.
I’m thankful not to live in Murray Hill proper. While the neighborhood has plenty to offer, that list of amenities does not include a quiet’s night of sleep. This block, Third Avenue between 34th and 35th Streets, is right in the thick of things.
Turning the Nightlife Tide (511 Third Ave.)
I wouldn't want to live over this place, but maybe it'll become something I'd like to visit.
What I hope it’ll be: Something that doesn’t cater to the nighttime crowds. Maybe a kosher bake shop? it would be a worthy backup when one of the two Moishe’s Bake Shops in the East Village/LES inevitably closes.
Why it could happen: While this may not obvious to the oblivious, Murray Hill has a sizable Jewish cluster of its own, including Sarge’s, 2nd Ave., and Mendy’s delis, David’s Bagels, and of course Yeshiva University.
I’d settle for: A nice variety store — think Mxyplyzyk in the West Village.
It’ll probably be: The Jewish cluster is strong, but the bar cluster is stronger. Perhaps someone will combine the two into a woefully misguided mashup: He’brew on tap, Manischewitz by the glass, and free pastrami egg rolls on Saturdays. They could call it Mazeltov!
Coming Soon: USA Dental
Somehow, I don't believe this is a national chain of dentists...
The old VitalDent on Madison Avenue between 33rd and 34th Streets has closed, and this outfit is moving in. Maybe the money they didn’t spend on the storefront is going to pay for better dentists.
Friday NOM: Taiwanese Chicken Chop, Saint’s Alp Teahouse, New York
Boba tea: A true sign of summer. But what to drink as the leaves turn and the blood ices? Hot boba tea, served in ceramic teapots and mugs at Saint’s Alp (39 Third Ave.) in Manhattan, is a great way to cozy up, second perhaps only to whiskey by the fireplace, or a good bowl of tonkotsu ramen during a hailstorm.
You’ll feel even more at home with some savory accompaniment, like the toothsome “Taiwanese succulent chicken chop” ($5), which comes over rice with bok choy, minced pork sauce, and a tea egg. The crisp fried chicken is somewhat dry on the outside (easily remedied with the sauce), but moist on the inside, with a salty flavor that well compliments any milk or fruit tea on ze menu.
Music Thursday: Herbie Hancock & Christina Aguilera – A Song For You
You guys remember “Genie in a Bottle,” right?
How Do We Get More?
Leigh Alexander and Daniel Craig have some thoughts on women in games (as players and as developers). Recommended.
I’d also like to apologize for a small lull in posts you may have perceived on this blog. The semester drags on, the sun sets earlier, and the informants who collate news for the International Stability Index are delayed by intrigues… there is a slowness that comes with the creep of winter, that frosts the tubes of the Internet.
Just Closed: Caprese Cafe
It had a quality sign, even though there didn't seem to be much special about the place.
Caprese Cafe (325 Fifth Ave., between 32nd and 33rd Streets), has closed. This Italian deli didn’t stand out among the other generic eateries on the block. My best guess is that something similar will move in, although K-Town has been slowly expanding into this area. Perhaps another branch of “New York” Hot Dog & Coffee will move in?
Music Thursday: Peelander-Z: Ninja High School
This NYC-based punk band (of Japanese expatriates) offers an exuberant live show. At a recent Studio at Webster Hall show, there were conga lines, limbo, crowd surfing, “human bowling,” and this:
Not a very clear photo -- but it should be clear enough that Peelander-Red is playing guitar *while hanging upside down.*
…As well as some even more impressive stunts which I won’t describe here. In short, these guys deserve your financial support, especially as freelancers in a country with a lacking social net. I’m sure health insurance would have helped Peelander-Yellow after he broke his foot diving off a second-story stage in New Mexico. Though for all I know, these three may have secret identities as salarymen at KDDI’s New York office.
