News

August News Roundup

Aug 31, 2020

August’s news media updates highlight museum, restaurant, and bar reopenings, continued support for NYC DOT’s Open Streets: Restaurants program, and the All in Flatiron Dining Deals program. Stay up-to-date with the latest Flatiron District News.

Restaurants & Bars

Flatiron Hall makes the “5 Best Beer Halls” List by Kev’s Best. The hall takes pride in its Victorian style bar from the Commodore Hotel, and is a go-to for those who enjoy art and style (via Kev’s Best).
Serra Fiorita by Birreria opens, a blooming greenhouse restaurant on Eataly’s 14th-floor rooftop brings Italian summer to Manhattan with a seasonal menu, build-your-own gin drinks, and a flowery decor inspired by a 3D paper book (via 6sqft).
Daniela Soto-Innes, chef at Cosme, the boundary-pushing Mexican restaurant, is one of the most exciting chefs working today according to the New York Times (via New York Times).
Young Kim, beverage director at The Flatiron Room, weighs in on her rum of choice for the best value (via Uproxx).
Despite their own economic worries during the pandemic, several restaurateurs are stepping up to provide aid to Beirut, Lebanon, including Philippe Massoud, a native of Beirut who is the chef and owner of ilili (via New York Times).
Fashion and wine come together through Cedric Nicaise, the sommelier and wine director at Eleven Madison Park, who “paired” towers of wine with clothes at Rosie Assoulin’s New York Fashion Week presentation last February (via Vogue).
Nomad Italian restaurant, Scarpetta has launched several meal kits which include ingredients for pasta, a market salad, olive oil, espresso budino, and an apron (via Eater NY).
Shake Shack partnered with NYC pizzeria, Mama’s Too for the ultimate collaboration: a giant pizza burger. For one day only, Shake Shack’s original burger joint in Madison Square Park served up this cheesy, saucy sandwich (via Thrillist).

District Businesses

The James Hotel NoMad reopened its doors on August 1st, and the hotel’s Italian eatery, Scarpetta has opened the Scarpetta’s Outdoor Garden Cafe, an al fresco dining concept launched in partnership with rose wine brand Whispering Angel (via Travel Weekly).
Fotografiska, which opened last December, reopened its doors on Friday, August 2th at a much smaller capacity and with timed entry to keep capacity at 25 percent (via Time Out New York).
Homeis, a Flatiron District-based mobile app facilitating community building among immigrants, allows people to meet others who share their culture after settling in a new country. The social-networking app is addressing immigrants’ needs during COVID-19 by being a knowledge center for immigrants in their native languages (via Crains NY).
Poster House, the first museum in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to posters, reopened for members on August 27th to 30th and to the general public on August 31 (via 6ftsq).
Deborah Koenigsberger, long-time owner of the Flatiron-based fashion boutique Noir et Blanc and the adjacent upscale resale shop Thrifty HoG, discussed her experiences with the lows of March and April and her plans going forward (via amNY).
Neil Schneider and Tina Burke of J&M Hardware and Locksmith, the oldest running business in Flatiron, shared their hardships during the pandemic and how they help their community (via amNY).

Real Estate

REBNY named CBRE brokers Richard Hodos, Joel Stephen and Michael Remer as the winners of the Most Ingenious Retail Deal of the Year award for their role in bringing the country’s first official Harry Potter flagship store to the Flatiron District. The Wizarding World will span three floors at 935 Broadway, and the 20,000 sqft space will be the Warner Bros. brand’s biggest store in the world (via Bisnow).
As part of its larger production hub deal, Netflix will lease around 100,000 square feet in the Flatiron District at 888 Broadway (via Curbed NY).
During a pandemic, lobbies set expectations for how buildings tackle virus contamination, including Madison House, a 200-unit luxury condominium by JD Carlisle at 15 East 30th Street slated to open in 2021 (via Mansion Global).
In the previous quarter, 35% of all rentals in Manhattan were discounted, the largest of which were in the heart of white-collar office districts, including the Flatiron District at -45% (via Property Shark).
Madison House at 15 East 30th Street makes 6sqft’s “New York City’s Top 30 Condos” list. This 805-tall condo tower in Manhattan’s buzzy Nomad neighborhood–6sqft’s 2019 Building of the Year–is instantly recognizable by its glassy facade designed by Handel Architects (via 6sqft).

Around the Neighborhood

Global design firm WATG’s team of urban planners, landscape architects and designers came up with a “green, car-less, al fresco-hopping” streetscape vision for the intersection in front of the Flatiron Building. The firm says they chose the area for its concept the area and the Flatiron Building itself is an iconic symbol of New York City (via Time Out New York).
Design firm, OSD drafts an open street plan to help Flatiron and NoMad business owners thrive in a new world defined by social distancing and the necessity of open space (via amNY).
Craig McDean releases a filmic tribute shot in a four block radius around his studio in the Flatiron District with New York City Ballet dancers for a socially-distanced celebration of the arts (via Vogue UK).
Through the “Preview Club”, a lavish fifth-floor space in the Flatiron District, Islanders owner, Ledecky created a mockup of the arena’s aesthetics to give high-end sponsors, advertisers, and potential suite buyers a taste of what the UBS Arena will be like (via New York Post).
James Mettham, executive director of the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership, discusses the long and gradual recovery process that we all face post-COVID-19 (via New York Times).