Tuesday, July 17th, 2012

Looks like Drybar is opening a new outpost on the Upper West Side.

If you’re not familiar with the chain, don’t walk in expecting a drink — it’s a “blow dry bar.”

No cuts. No color. Just blowouts, for only $40.

Crain’s has the details:

Blowouts—named after drinks like the Manhattan and the Cosmopolitan—go for a flat rate of $40, whereas many salons charge based on the length and thickness of a person’s hair. The company is also known for playing chick flicks and serving complimentary glasses of champagne.

Drybar will be moving into 341 Amsterdam (corner of 76th), which briefly housed another non-bar “bar”: Burrata Bakery & Pizza Bar.

Burrata opened and closed within a matter of weeks, leaving the space vacant since January 2011.

There are several other storefronts on this block that have been vacant for a while, so this opening should help breath some life back into the area.

From Drybar’s website:

Drybar is a brand new “blow dry bar” concept created around a very simple idea: No cuts. No color. Just blowouts for only $40. You see, we believe that almost everyone (even us pros) prefers having someone else blow out their hair. Why? It just looks better! We also believe there has to be a better option than paying $60+ at a traditional salon, or going to a less-than-desirable discount chain. But there’s not. So, we decided to make one.

Drybar has locations around the country, including two other Manhattan locations (Flatiron and Midtown). Both of those spots get solid reviews on Yelp (here & here).

The Amsterdam Avenue location is one of four in NYC that Drybar is working on. At nearly 2,300 square feet, the UWS location will be the largest in New York when it opens. (h/t to @rabbilaufer).

Elsewhere…

MUW reader Alison reports that Nails On Broadway (2632 Broadway, between 99th & 100th) recently closed.

After being a customer for 8 years, I came home from a 2 week vacation to find a note on the door saying “thanks for the years but we’re closed.”

If you missed the post earlier, the discounts at the UWS Betsey Johnson liquidation sale are now up to 90%. The sale ends Sunday.

Finally… my mom sent me this link almost two months ago and somehow I never got around to posting it.

Celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson (Red Rooster Harlem) is slated to open a new cafe in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center later this year. From NYT Off The Menu:

This fall, At65, in the lobby of Alice Tully Hall, will become a 75-seat cafe, still self-service, with a menu featuring regional American dishes and Eben Klemm’s cocktails. Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the designers of the hall, are doing the new cafe: Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, 1941 Broadway (65th Street).

More details on this as they become available.

Filed under: Beauty, Food & Drink, Going Out, Lincoln Center, Manhattan, New York City, News, NYC, Openings/Closings, Restaurants, Upper West Side, Upper West Side Blog, UWS 3 Comments »
Tags: 1941 Broadway, 248 Columbus, 2632 Broadway, 341 Amsterdam, Alice Tully Hall, At 65, At65, Betsey Johnson, blowout, Chef Marcus Samuelsson, Closing, Discount, Drybar, Lincoln Center, liquidation sale, Marcus Samuelsson, Nails On Broadway, New York City, NYC, Opening, Salon, Upper West Side, UWS