With the brunt of the shopping season behind us, amNewYork took stock of notable retail debuts and closings over the past month. Here’s a look at what stood out:
FAO Schwarz
The iconic toy store is back and headed to a new location at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
The closure of its 61,000-square foot location at the General Motors Building in 2015 caused some to kvetch over the future of giant toy retailers.
But FAO Schwarz will now occupy both the ground floor and the mezzanine level in the art deco building, the Commercial Observer reported.
Lindy’s
The 96-year-old brand known for its sweet cheesecake and salty-talking staff, plans to close in February 2018, according to the New York Post.
The deli-style restaurant, located at 825 Seventh Ave., is best known for its original incarnation at 1626 Broadway, which was founded in 1921 by Leo “Lindy” Lindemann and was immortalized in “Guys and Dolls.”
Bourdain’s market
Anthony Bourdain’s long-awaited Singapore-inspired night market on the West Side of Manhattan’s Pier 57 has flamed out.
Two years after Bourdain first unveiled plans for the market, he had not managed to sign a lease and pulled out of the project, Eater reported.
Bourdain said he would still like to pursue the market concept somewhere else within the city.
Saltie
The beloved sandwich spot in Williamsburg will shutter after an eight-year run, with its owner, Caroline Fidanza, noting on Instagram that it is “time to make a change and see what else there is to do out there.”
Devotees of the 378 Metropolitan Ave. eatery can take solace in the fact that Saltie has published a cookbook with several staple recipes.
Saltie was slated to close on Dec. 31, according to Grub Street.
Nike
The behemoth brand announced that it is ditching Niketown at 6 East 57th St., a property belonging to President Donald Trump’s company, and moving to a new location a few blocks away, at 650 Fifth Ave.
The company did not say whether the move has anything to do with its landlord becoming commander-in-chief.
A spokeswoman told Forbes that Nike had been planning the move for years.
Kellogg’s
The cereal stalwart has caught on to the appeal of all-day breakfast joints. The company has opened a permanent location in Union Square, which takes cereal to a new level with dishes like Eggo waffles and Corn Flake-breaded chicken or Froot Loops topped with marshmallows and passion fruit-lime jam.
The new location, located at 31 East 17th St., also features a do-it-yourself cereal bar and four hammocks.
East Village Cheese
Something does not smell right about the now-shuttered East Village Cheese — and it’s not just the sudden and unexplained closure of the long-running shop.The business, located at 80 East Seventh St., was left without electricity after its closure, which seems to have left the cheese to stink up the entire neighborhood, according to ABC.
T.J. Maxx
Maxxistas rejoice. T.J. Maxx, the discount apparel and homewares line, has signed a lease at 483 Broadway in SoHo, a neighborhood that is not necessarily associated with bargain-basement retail, the Commercial Observer reported.
Oxomoco
The co-owner of the popular Brooklyn pizza joint Speedy Romeo’s — known among transplants from St. Louis for offering the ever-elusive provel cheese — is trying his hand at Mexican food with a forthcoming location at 128 Greenpoint Ave., according to Grub Street.
But Justin Bazdarich is not straying too far from his roots in the pizza game: The new spot, called Oxomoco for the Aztec goddess of the night, will serve up its fare from two wood-fired stoves.
Hill Country Chicken/Barbecue Market
The Hill Country Barbecue Market at 345 Adams St. in Downtown Brooklyn and its next-door, sister establishment, Hill Country Chicken, closed on Dec. 15.
But Hill Country’s founder announced that the barbecue market will reopen next spring after renovations, Eater reported.
