The Consulate, known on the Upper West Side as a charming French-inspired brasserie and bar, opened its second location in midtown at 44 West 56th Street this week. Founders and twin brothers Metodija and Kiril Mihajlov from Macedonia opened the original Consulate in 2019 at 519 Columbus Avenue. With a global French-Modern-American menu created by Chef Alan Vargas, The Consulate takes diners on an international journey of cuisines. Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. is proud to be part of The Consulate team.
Life Time Fitness at One Wall Street
Life Time, the premier healthy lifestyle brand, opened a new luxury fitness center in the former Irving Trust Bank space at One Wall Street in the Financial District, adding to its five locations in Manhattan including Hell’s Kitchen, NoHo, Battery Park, and 23rd Street. The four level 74,00 square foot center has workout spaces, studio spaces, a kids academy, amenities including a sauna and Eucalyptus Steam Room, a salon, a rehabilitation center, a pilates studio, personal training, classes, and a restaurant and café. Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. is proud to be part of the Life Time team.
Aime Leon Dore to Open Café on Mulberry St.
Founded in Queens by Teddy Santis in 2014, Aime Leon Dore has grown to be one of the biggest and most popular fashion and lifestyle brands in New York today. After initially opening on Mott Street, Aime Leon Dore quickly outgrew its space and in 2019 moved to 214 Mulberry Street in Nolita, which has become its flagship store. The store, seeking still larger quarters, is in construction to move directly next door, and the space at 214 Mulberry will be converted into a café which will include its popular coffee bar. While under construction, the store has moved to temporary quarters at 61 Crosby Street. It also opened a store on Broadwick Street in London. Aime Leon Dore collaborates with a number of well known brands, including New Balance, Porsche, and Timberland. Bernstein, Redo & Savitsky, P.C. is proud to be a part of the Aime Leon Dore team.
Gjelina Finally Opens in New York
After many years of delay and anticipation, the famed Venice, California eatery, Gjelina, has finally opened its New York outpost at 45 Bond Street. Founded by Fran Camaj in 2008 and named after his mother, Gjelina focuses on locally sourced vegetable-centric foods such as bottarga pizza with arugula and smoked mozzarella, an Asian pear and kohlrabi salad, and a charcuterie platter with mortadella. Currently, Gjlelina has limited hours for walk-ins only. Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. are proud to be part of the Gjelina-New York team!
Wonderland Dreams
The fantastical and immersive Wonderland Dreams by artist Alexa Meade has been open since October at 529 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The 26,000 square foot exhibition space brings to life the story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland through Alexa’s boldly painted installation. Every inch of the space has been hand painted into a multidimensional work of art. Alex debuted her Immersed in Wonderland solo exhibition in Beverly Hills in 2018 which was attended by 40,000 guests over a five week run. Her exhibition made its way to New York. Wonderland Dreams invites guests to “fall down the rabbit hole into a world of secret rose gardens, mad tea parties, in a living gallery that puts you inside the artwork.” Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. is proud to be a part of the Wonderland Dreams team.
The Set Club at Hudson Yards
Stephen Ross’s The Related Companies is about to open The Set Club atop his 44 story building at 455 Tenth Avenue in Hudson Yards. The building, designed by Handel Architects, with curated interior design by MAWD, rises 500 feet from the ground, with 270 world class luxury apartments. The Set Club will be a private members only social club designed for residents of the building. The members only club will include a full service restaurant in the charge of Chef Dan Kluger, lavish amenities including a screening room, lounge, golf simulator, working space, and a swimming pool on a 58 foot long deck. Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. is proud to be part of The Related Companies and The Set Club team.
RH Opens RH Guesthouse in Meat Packing District
The long awaited RH Guesthouse New York opened last month at 55 Gansevoort Street in Manhattan. Described as “dazzling,” the 90,000 square foot Guesthouse, housed in a historic 1887 triangular loft building, overflows with luxurious details. It has six guest rooms, three 1,000 square foot suites, and one residence. Every room is adults only and each one contains two bathrooms and a gym. Instead of mini-bars, the rooms are outfitted with well-stocked gourmet pantries. Guests have access to The Rooftop Garden with day beds and a 40-foot mosaic infinity pool with panoramic views. The Guesthouse is only blocks away from RH’s 5-story Gallery on Ninth Avenue. The New York Guesthouse is the first hotel opened by RH. Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. is proud to be a part of the RH team.
Changes in New York Licensing Requirements
On August 31, 2022, the New York State Liquor Authority adopted a number of advisories that change licensing requirements. The intent of these changes is to remove requirements that are deemed unnecessary, and to help streamline the application process. The advisories are all posted on the SLA website. Some of the more significant changes are as follows:
1. An applicant is no longer required to provide the SLA with a certificate of occupancy, temporary certificate of occupancy, letter of no objection, or place of assembly permit for the premises to be licensed. This change, however, does not affect the requirements of the municipality with respect to the need for certificates of occupancy or place of assembly permits.
2. An applicant that is a corporation or limited liability company need only disclose those direct or indirect owners with an interest of 10% or more. Any owners, members, or investors with less than 10% do not have to be disclosed. This is a significant change. The prior rules required all owners and investors to be disclosed and complete personal questionnaire forms, regardless of their percentage ownership, if there were 10 or fewer owners. The 10% threshold only applied if there were more than 10 direct or indirect owners. Directors of a corporation do not have to be disclosed, and the only officers required to be included in the application are president, secretary, treasurer, and CEO if there is one.
3. Applicants will no longer be required to provide copies of bank statements showing the source of funds. The SLA does, however, reserve the right to request such documentation during the review process.
4. The SLA will no longer scrutinize deeds or leases, other than confirming the name of the applicant, the premises, and whether there is a percentage rent provision.
5. Outdoor space on private property must be a part of the application if it is to be licensed and must be contiguous to the indoor space. Municipal space is not to be included in the application as part of the licensed space. The applicant must, however, have a permit from the municipality to use that space. It does not have to be contiguous to the indoor space. Any licensee that has a condition on its license prohibiting the use of outdoor space may no add that space unless it has an application for a change in method of operation filed and approved.
6. Importer Licensees are now permitted to use Marketing Permits. Additional restrictions have been placed on the use of Marketing Permits in unlicensed spaces – upper tier entities may use Marketing Permits in unlicensed spaces (i) a maximum of times at a given unlicensed location per year, (ii) on no more than two consecutive days at any unlicensed location, and (iii) on no more than two consecutive weekends at any unlicensed location.
Please contact us if you have any questions regarding these important changes.
Aman New York Opens
The Aman New York was one of the most highly anticipated new hotels in years. The 83-suite property just opened this month in the 100 year old Crown Building on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street in Manhattan, which was built by the same architect responsible for Grand Central Terminal, and the first home of the Museum of Modern Art. The ultra-luxe Aman brand has elegant resorts worldwide amid breathtaking landscapes, including in Indonesia, Thailand, Bhutan, Courchevel, Venice, Jackson Hole, and Greece. It first brought its brand to the urban market in Tokyo in 2014, and now New York opened this August. The Aman includes Italian restaurant Arva, Japanese Nama, the Wine Library, the Jazz Club, and a three story flagship Aman Spa. Every suite has a working fireplace and murals by contemporary Japanese artist Ryoko Adachi. Bernstein Redo & Savitsky P.C. is proud to be part of the Aman New York team.
Renaissance New York Hotel in Flushing
The newly opened Renaissance New York Hotel is at the epicenter of Flushing, Queens, and is the anchor to a 4-phase complex called Tangram, a 1.5 million square foot mixed use development. The 208 room hotel has an Olympic size pool, tennis court, fitness center, and rooftop lobby with panoramic views. The Tangram project, owned and developed by F&T Group and SCG America, covers two city blocks. In addition to the hotel, the project encompasses two levels of retail space enclosed by a glass skylight, two residential towers, a 24,000 square foot culinary food hall, an office tower, and a 1,100 car garage. Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. is proud to be part of the Tangram team.