Arts & Culture Center of NYC, Lincoln Square, Welcomes Return of World Class Live Performances, New Restaurant Openings & Reopenings

Upper West Side – New eats and performance treats are filling the streets and sidewalks of the Lincoln Square neighborhood once again as the Lincoln Square Business Improvement District (BID) announced today recent and upcoming cultural happenings that are fueling the neighborhood’s recovery, along with several new restaurant openings and reopenings that are adding to the neighborhood’s diverse, culinary culture.

An informal count by the Lincoln Square BID shows that there was a 95% increase in pedestrian traffic for the month of September 2021 when compared to September 2020 with counts increasing weekly.  More workers are also returning to the neighborhood, including Deutsche Bank with hundreds of employees moving into the new Deutsche Bank Center each week.

“You can feel the vibrancy returning to the Lincoln Square neighborhood with audiences being treated to amazing performances and guests filling more restaurant tables in recent weeks,” said Monica Blum, President of the Lincoln Square Business Improvement District.  “The return of live performances with the reopening of our arts and cultural institutions are helping to drive locals and visitors to our small businesses, and we are optimistic these trends will continue as we approach the upcoming holiday season.  Our BID teams are working tirelessly to keep our sidewalks clean, safe and beautiful.”

Among the current and upcoming cultural happenings include:

• Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts has reopened with almost nightly performances from the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Juilliard School, the New York Philharmonic, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, American Ballet Theatre (ABT) and screenings from Film at Lincoln Center.
• Kaufman Music Center where aspiring and emerging local artists will surprise audiences with their artistic sounds at Merkin Hall. 
• The American Folk Art Museum, a neighborhood hidden gem, features colorful pieces of self-taught artists whose work was inspired by personal experiences.
• The Big Apple Circus returns to Damrosch Park from November 11, 2021 to January 20, 2022 with immersive experiences and out of this world performances for families from artists around the world.

Several restaurant openings and reopenings in recent weeks include:

• Atlantic Grill (50 W. 65^th St. between Broadway and Central Park West) - Under new ownership with the Monte Carlo Hospitality Group and Chef Antonio Salvatore, their new menu features a Mediterranean flair with fresh seafood and gourmet meats in a beautifully designed, modern space.
• Boulud Sud (20 West 64^th St between Broadway and Central Park West) – Chef Daniel Boulud’s Mediterranean inspired restaurant reopened just in time for the opera.
• The Grand Tier Restaurant inside the Metropolitan Opera (30 Lincoln Center Plaza) – Recently reopened for dinner, and guests do not need a Metropolitan Opera ticket to dine.
• Lincoln Ristorante (142 W. 65^th St. at Lincoln Center Plaza) - Now reopened for dinner with a brand new, fall menu with amazing dishes including Branzino and Black Angus Filet Mignon.
• PJ Clarke’s, Lincoln Square (44 W. 63^rd St. at Columbus Ave) – Reopened in September, PJ’s famous sliders and parmesan truffle fries are back, Thursdays through Sundays from noon to 10:00pm.
• Gourmet Square (201 Amsterdam Ave. at W. 69^th St) - A brand new deli for grab and go breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner, open 24/7.
• Center Bar (10 Columbus Circle) – An elegant restaurant, wine bar and cocktail lounge that recently reopened in Deutsche Bank Center.

New, additional businesses also coming to the neighborhood soon include:

• DiDi Dumpling (201 Amsterdam Ave at W. 69^th St) – Fans of dumplings, pot stickers and more are in for a treat when this new Chinese eatery opens.
• El Fish Shack (153 Amsterdam Ave at W. 67^th St) – A New England-style seafood joint by restaurateurs Chef Julian Medina & Louis Skibar is putting the finishing touches on its new space.
• Rosetta Bakery (1928 Broadway at W. 64^th St)– This Miami-based Italian bakery recently signed a lease for its first NYC location right in Lincoln Square, and it will warm the hearts of locals and visitors, alike.
• Le French Wine Shop by Vin Sur Vingt Wine Bar (161 Amsterdam Ave at W. 67^th St) – This new shop, inspired by the company's wine bars, will feature a rotating selection of fine french wines.

A new pet store in the old HSBC space at 2025 Broadway and UNOde50, a Jewelry store selling unique products handcrafted in Spain inside the Shops at Columbus Circle, are coming soon to the neighborhood as well.  

For a comprehensive list of everything that is open in Lincoln Square, please visit the BID’s Neighborhood Guide. For more information on the Lincoln Square BID, please visit www.lincolnsquarebid.org. Click here to download this Press Release as a PDF.

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About the Lincoln Square BID:
The Lincoln Square BID is a not-for-profit tax-exempt organization whose mission is to make Lincoln Square cleaner, safer, and more beautiful, and to undertake various improvement projects. Efforts are focused on supplemental sanitation and security services; the beautification of public spaces, malls, and parks; and the promotion and marketing of the area's diverse business and cultural offerings.  The Lincoln Square BID acts as a catalyst working with business, community and City partners to promote positive change in Lincoln Square. The BID’s programs and initiatives are designed to foster tourism, and to showcase the rich and varied resources of this vibrant Upper West Side neighborhood. For more information, please call (212) 581-3774 or visit www.lincolnsquarebid.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Josh Knoller / Josh@nicholaslence.com / (201) 294-9586

Cristyne Nicholas / Cristyne@nicholaslence.com / (646) 251-4938