Yet another new food hall opened its doors in New York City Wednesday, this one inside the historic General Electric building at 570 Lexington Ave.
Urbanspace at 570 Lex is the food and gift market developer Urbanspace’s second permanent food court in Manhattan and the neighborhood. (The first opened in 2015 near Grand Central.) The team behind pop-ups like Broadway Bites and the Union Square Holiday Market will host 19 vendors in total in its new midtown east space, 16 of which were announced last week.
Among their ranks are: Kuro-Obi, a ramen counter from the folks behind the Ippudo chain; beloved Bushwick pizzeria Roberta’s; Go Fish, a new sushi concept from the partners behind the NoHo Japanese spot BondSt; Rockaway Clam Bar, by the folks behind the nautical-themed Redhook joint Lobster Pound; and uptown locations for falafel spot Taim and Roman pizza pocket vendor Trapizzino.
On a Friday afternoon tour of the elevated food court still under construction, amNewYork got an early look at the space with high ceilings, hand-riveted steel columns and vendors’ highly individuated stalls. (Click through our slideshow above to see pictures and read descriptions.)
On the wall near Roberta’s counter is a mural in psychedelic colors by artist L’Amour Supreme, depicting a giant gorilla eating a slice of pizza, a spaceship that’s part eyeball and a robot whose hunger meter is running on empty. Taking center stage is the General Electric’s art deco exterior.
“We were trying to take that aesthetic from outside,” pizzeria owner Brandon Hoy says. “Then it’s a King Kong theme on that . . . and there always has to be a spaceship.”
While Roberta’s already has a larger stall at the first Urbanspace food hall, Hoy says he opted for a second one five blocks away because 570 Lex is sited in a more residential area.
“The hope is that weekends might be more busy.”
For restaurateur Jonathan Morr, a partner in BondSt, Urbanspace at 570 Lex offers the opportunity to try out a new fast-casual spinoff selling fresh sushi and packages to go. The co-owner of Go Fish Sushi Box, who used to work out of an office in the building, calls the food hall a “huge complement to the neighborhood.”
“Lunch time is always an issue,” he says. “It’s always a debate in the office.”
But the food court with group and solo-diner seating on a second level won’t just be serving midday meals, a spokeswoman says. Doors will stay open late, and some counters, like the Little Collins one, will open as early as 6:30 a.m. to cater to those seeking breakfast. Baja California-style Mexican eatery Dorado has breakfast tacos on its menu, and the third location for Italian restaurant Pecora Bianca will offer house pastries, a fruit bowl and breakfast sandwiches — including a version of its gramigna pasta, with eggs, sausage, broccolini and cheese on a brioche bun — in the morning.
“Eggs replace the pasta, but everything else is the same,” owner Mark Barak says.
Three other vendors have yet to be revealed for the new food hall joining the city’s ever-expanding collection. From the DeKalb Market in Downtown Brooklyn to the Riis Park Beach Bazaar in the Rockaways to the City Acres Market in the Financial District, developers, upcoming food vendors and patrons can’t seem to get enough of indoor markets with eats for every palate.
