Culinary Alley

“Culinary Alley” is a a name proposed by Honi Klein, executive director of the Village Alliance business improvement district, for West Eighth Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. The block, long occupied by undistinguished retail trade, attemped in 2006 to attract food businesses. New York City has no other “Culinary Alley,” but many blocks claim to be a “Restaurant Row.”
 
 
The Villager
Volume 76, Number 20 | October 4 - 10, 2006
W. Eighth St. will be new ‘Culinary Alley,’ Alliance says
By Ed Gold

A retailing revival on W. Eighth St. between Fifth and Sixth Aves. will reduce vacancies on that block from a high of 18 last spring to eight by the end of this year, according to Honi Klein, executive director of the Village Alliance business improvement district, whose coverage area includes all of Eighth St.

Klein’s assertion is buttressed by a survey in late August in the trade publication Real Estate Weekly, which notes the earlier “disheartening” vacancy rate, but adds that “a few savvy investors are seeing the glimmer of life quietly ushering in a new era for the block.”

Klein explains that the most conspicuous new retail tenants will be operating small restaurants with distinctive cuisines. She states that a range of restaurants will offer Belgian, Brazilian, Mexican, Greek, Japanese and Korean specialties.

“I’m calling it Culinary Alley,” she said.

In addition, she says a wine boutique and the Subway restaurant chain will also occupy storefronts on the block.
 
Also, two other current food operations are expanding and filling two vacancies: Le Pain Quotidien, at the corner of Fifth Ave. and W. Eighth St., featuring upscale sandwiches and pastry, is expanding for the second time, and Eva’s, a health food operation, is also filling a now-vacant location.