Gelato place called Chocolate Lounge is opening next week on 29th & 10th

We’re getting a new gelato place right next to Prestige Marketplace on the corner of 29th & 10th. I talked this morning to the owner, Fadr, who confirmed that this is opening next week. Very cool to see this spot, which has been vacant for a while, get filled up.

There is really quite a fight over the public housing on 27th & 10th

There is currently quite the fight over the Elliott Houses on 27th & 10th. Comprised of approximately 4,500 residents living in 17 buildings, NYC’s government wants to knock the 17 buildings down and replace them with 6 high rises that current residents would move into. The politically difficult kicker of sorts is that the city also wants to build 9 “mixed income” towers that would include 1k “affordable” units and 2.4k “luxury” units. And the $1m question of course is: what happens to the current residents while all this is being built? Suing to block the development, which was supposed to start last December, are about 20 senior citizens living in the houses. You can see the NYT write-up here.

The city and developer (which is called “Related” and which built Hudson Yards and the Zaha Hadid building) do have answers to that million-dollar question above, which is that 94% of residents will be able to remain in their homes while the new towers go up (I do have some obvious questions about that), and the remaining 6% will be temporarily relocated to “refreshed” apartments during construction. The development would be complete at earliest in 2041.

We’re going to try to stay as apolitical as possible around here (there is no angle after all), though if it matters to you what other people think (it shouldn’t), Mamdani supports the initiative, Erik Bottcher (the NYS senator representing our neighborhood) supports, and Kennedy kid who I’m sure has spent a lot of time in public housing is against. What I can say though is that I’ve been in the buildings and somebody needs to do something (and certainly neither you nor I have done so); NYC has an housing problem and the Occam’s razor solution is to build more housing; and 20/4500 is about 0.4%.

If you’d like to write in with a perspective, please do so.

More about that new Equinox opening on our block

Block resident and gym enthusiast Danielle Liberman did some impressive investigative work and shared new details on the upcoming Equinox opening on our block:

• Currently targeting a fall opening, with the official date expected to be announced 30–60 days in advance

• Reportedly larger than the Hudson Yards location (approximately 7,000 square feet)

• The club will focus heavily on athletic training, performance, and recovery rather than traditional cardio and group fitness

• Only two class formats are currently planned: PGX strength training and reformer Pilates (capped at 12 people per class, $35/class)

• Recovery amenities will include sauna, steam room, and cold shower contrast therapy

• Founding members will have access to a single-club membership for $280/month with no initiation fee, plus a $500 account credit (however, this credit amount will be revised on a sliding scale as the opening date approaches). Individuals will have 5 business days after opening to use the space and if not happy with the space, can get their money back.

• The space is also aiming to be community-oriented, with dedicated lounge and seating areas

• Pre-sale memberships are expected to launch in June with a dedicated sales office where visitors can see virtual renderings of the space 

Hav & Mar on 26th & 11th is a hidden gem

A little out of the way if you don’t live on the block, Hav & Mar is a hidden gem on 26th Street & 11th Avenue. Nailing the industrial loft look, this place calls itself a “seafood house” but that is selling itself short—it’s an Ethiopian/Swedish fusion restaurant which nails a lamb pasta and short rib biryani. The bar wraps around and while it says you need reservations, you really don’t most of the time if you sit at the bar. Here’s the NYT write-up:

The menu’s real theme is seafood, handled with skill and resourcefulness by Fariyal Abdullahi, the executive chef, and her kitchen.

The skin on a fillet of black sea bass is seared to a pale-gold crisp before the fish is perched over hard-shell clams and purple potatoes. Underneath is a seafood-corn broth. Both the sauce and the bass are flavored with dawadawa, ground African locust beans, which acts as an intensifier in this dish, something like miso.

Recommend.

Chalamet riding around our block

Recognize that ATM in the background?

Flea Market this Saturday in the food hall on 26th & 11th

There’s a flea market this Saturday at Olly Olly, which is the food hall on 26th and 11th (a little south of Porchlight). Here’s the Instagram post.

As an aside, let me take this opportunity to plug Olly OIly food hall, which has an incredible little assortment of pizza (Honey Pie Pizza), Thai (Kinn Thai), kebabs, coffee, a bar, etc. This place is a little out of the way for the rest of the city so I consider it on us to support.

New Equinox coming to 11th Ave & 28th Street

It looks like we’re getting a new Equinox at 28th Street & 11th Avenue (right next to Porchlight)—it’s called Equinox Terminal Warehouse and you can read about it here: https://www.equinox.com/clubs/new-york/midtown/terminal-warehouse.

They’re definitely matching the loft decor of the neighborhood with exposed beams, brick, etc. Reposted some pictures from the Equinox website above. This should offset some of the traffic at the Hudson Yards Equinox, which is incredible—particularly the pool deck—but also difficult to find a spot in around gym rush hour.

I’m not sure this is an “all access” location where you can get in with a standard Equinox membership; I think might be a “destination” (i.e., elevated membership) club, similar to Hudson Yards and Printing House. Will try to get in touch with the Related team (which owns Equinox and which built Hudson Yards) and find out more information.

Jalen Brunson, man

You have to love it from Jalen Brunson—normal-sized, crafty, and clutch, all of which was on display in Knicks/Cavs Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The big TV screen in Hudson Yards is playing all of these games if you don’t want to trek over to our neighborhood arena, MSG. Schedule for the big Hudson Yards TV here.

Brunson put on an absolute show at MSG cooking James Harden and leading the Knicks from 22 down in the 4th quarter to steal Game 1 from the Cavs. Knicks in 5, probably.

You might see Andy Samberg on the block

Right next to Chelsea Park on 28th.

Andy Samberg and Annette Benning feature in a movie called “42.6 Years” that is currently filming on our block.

I believe its a rom-com to be released on Amazon about a man who wakes up from a failed experimental lifesaving procedure in which he was cryogenically frozen for 42.6 years—before then realizing he wants his ex-girlfriend back. Here’s a further description.

Giant bear in Hudson Yards?

This giant bear is in Hudson Yards through May 17 as part of a new art installation by Brendan Murphy called “Love Matters…Everywhere.” I believe its supporting some type of bear collectible release by the artist. Post on Instagram.