Left rectangle ads redesigned
History of Tribeca Buildings
Bagel Wars: Ess-a-Bagel coming to Murray Street
In the continuing land grab of bagel shops around the neighborhood, Ess-a-Bagel, the 50-year-old family institution, has planted a stake on Murray between Broadway and Church. Thanks to M. and G. for the eagle eye.
As part of this Great Downtown Bagel Resurgence, Ess-a-Bagel recently took a spot just south of Zuccotti Park as part of a citywide expansion. They now serve a big array of specialty sandwiches — not something I remember from the one on First Avenue and 19th (though my order was always toasted pumpernickel with butter, so maybe I just was not paying attention). The space in Fidi is mod — bright white with green accents. No real seating, but great spots to lean in the windows.
The first bakery was founded by Florence and Gene Wilpon and Florence’s brother Aaron Wenzelberg, who all came from an Austrian baking family. In 1993, Florence expanded to a second location, at Third Avenue and 50th Street.
When Florence died in 2013, her sister Muriel and her niece Melanie took over the operation. And in 2015, the original First Avenue location closed, and the company opened across the street at 324 First Avenue. In 2019, they opened on 32nd Street. Fidi is the fifth, along with one in the Time Out Market in Brooklyn and Newark Airport. Perfect plane food…
G. noted that Church is now a bagel alley: “After Ess opens, I think that every block on Church Street from Park Place to Duane Street will have a bagel outlet (Dunkin, Ess, Dunkin, Nala’s, Dunkin again, Modern),” he noted. “That’s a lotta carbs! You’d think that all this competition would drive down the high cost of a bagel with a schmear a bit. Guess not…”
THE BAGEL WARS RUNDOWN
The OGs: Zucker’s, the Tribeca stalwart, which moved to a new space on Chambers in 2023; Goldman Breezeway old-timer, Pick-A-Bagel; Brooklyn Bread on Greenwich and Murray; Tribeca Bagels on Canal; Black Seed at Hudson Eats in Brookfield Place.
Tompkins Square Bagels, which first opened on Avenue A in 2011, is coming to the Independence Plaza retail space on Greenwich and Franklin, confirmed on Instagram. There are four other locations in the city. They are hoping for spring.
PopUp Bagels: The last update on the bagel store for Greenwich and Reade opened on Greenwich and Reade in February.
Modern Bread and Bagels: The gluten free shop just opened on Church and Duane in the former Duane Street hotel.
Apollo Bagels: The local chain opened in the former Kings space on Bogardus Plaza.
Nala’s Bagels Part Deux: The bagel and ice cream store opened on Reade in 2024, closed that and opened another shop on Church and Chambers.
7 Comments
Comment:
Medium rectangle #1 (top)
Right column rectangle ads
Mega rectangle
Restaurant guide icon
This bagel Baedeker doesn’t even include the ubiquitous food carts that vend breakfast essentials, including – say it – bagels. Sorry for the omission.
In our house the cart bagels are what we call “cake bagels”, barely 1 step up from Lender’s frozen bagels. And Dunkin is a very close cousin.
We went from ‘too many empty storefronts’ to ‘too many unlicensed smoke shops’ to ‘🥯🥯🥯🥯🥯🥯🥯🥯🥯’. That feels like progress to me.
I grew up in a neighborhood with basement bagel, bakeries, long, narrow, bagel, ovens, bagelmeister’s, who really knew their craft. What Is being sold now bears no resemblance to real bagels.
The last time I had a real bagel was 10 years ago – in Lithuania.
Similar background, the same thought. Saddens me a bit. I haven’t tried the Utopia Bagels shop on 34th, which may be a more pure evocation of the ideal… But I’m not hopeful. Cashing in on a concept is the enemy of proper process and high cuisine (in this town, anyway).
The best non-bagel shop bagel is Starbucks. I remember Florence when I worked down the block from 51st Street. Loved her! In those days you were able to get real bagel spreads like chopped liver or shrimp salad and not cream cheese with fruit in it. Yuck. At least it’s not another pot shop to stink up the area.
Zucker’s is still my go to bagel source!