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In the News: Could Fika Be in Trouble?
••• The New York Post uses the sale of 301 Canal (and less convincingly, the Sheraton Tribeca) as evidence that Canal west of Broadway is “undergoing a real estate renaissance.” Indeed it is, though: The two former Pearl Paint buildings are being converted to residential; there are plans for a new nine-story building at 312-322 Canal; 321-323 Canal is looking spiffy; and there’s a new condo going up at the northwest corner of Canal and Greene. Plus, Dunkin’ Donuts and CafféBene have recently opened—not big news on other streets, but it is for this stretch. (And I still hear Shake Shake is coming….) But back to 301 Canal, at the northwest corner of Broadway: “In a $5.4 million sale brokered by Lee & Associates’ Peter Braus and Richard Kave, the Laboz family’s United American Land added to its footprint. UAL already owns the building next door.” (So UAL will be tearing both down, for sure.) An interesting explanation for the delay comes from broker Braus, quoted in the piece: “Many spaces are hacked up into 100- and 200-square-foot selling stalls. Some landlords can get $800 to $1,000 a foot for them—you couldn’t get close to that if you combined them, so there continues to be this bazaar-type atmosphere.”
••• A video tour of 1 Wall. —New York Times
••• A waiting list for the five affordable-housing apartments in the Historic Front Street development “in the Seaport neighborhood opened today, but may not remain available for long: the State’s Homes and Community Renewal agency says that only the first 500 applications will be considered.” —Broadsheet
••• “The Fika coffee shop chain has been jolted by store closures. Its location at Turnstyle—the underground shopping center at Columbus Circle subway station—is slated to close in the next few weeks, a spokeswoman for the underground mall said. The closing will mark at least the fifth Fika to shutter over the past couple of months. ‘I know of at least four Fika locations that are on the market,’ said David Latman of DLL Real Estate.” —New York Post
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As for Canal Street – The Duane Reade @ Canal & Broadway just closed rather suddenly. Sign on the door says closed permanent.
Now how and when can we get rid of all the sleazy knock-off sellers that congregate on Lispenard Street, on the corners, and blocking the subway entrances?
Marcus –
Call 311 repeatedly. When the hawkers were blocking the sidewalks in front of the new defunct Duane Reade, they actually sent the cops to move them. I had also emailed our local representatives, but to no avail.
The “knock off” sellers have been around for literally 50 years on Canal and are just part of the Chinatown culture.
I actually get a kick out of them and dare I say, my daughter has bought more than her fair share of Berkin bags that go for $10K retail for about $60 from these guys:)
I hope the Fika closures are only underperforming locations as management indicates. It would be a sad day if the Fika on Washington street closed. Quite frankly the ONLY good thing that came out of the fugly Truffles building.
Going there tomorrow :)!
Totally agree. I love Fika.
I also like Fika, being of Scandinavian descent.
Fika is quite possibly the filthiest coffee shop I’ve ever visited. I would never eat there. The bathrooms look like they haven’t been cleaned in years and there is garbage all over the place. They never sweep or wipe the tables down. It’s a shame. Just gross…
Pity about Fika and I never had a cleaniness issue with them. Agree completely with Bob about the knock off sellers! They’ve been around longer than most of us have. Must we take all inconveniences out of our city? God how boring! New York isn’t supposed to be scrubbed clean.