Gotham Gal: What's New on your Block?

New York City is such an ever changing place. Who would have thought that the lower east side would be back and booming? What is most interesting is the latest trends that seem to be cropping up in every neighborhood or block.

Juice bars, nail/spa salons, new pizza places and diet ice cream spots. Diet ice cream spots and the nail/spa salon thing has been happening since last year but the juice bars and pizza places are the newest addition.

It is just interesting to see how trends grow. Jamba Juice is huge out in California. There is a deli on every corner here, there is a juice spot on every corner in California. Jamba Juice is starting to crop up with a vengeance in NYC. The other new juice place, which just opened around the corner from me is Juice It Up! Also a big California chain. It is a franchise and you can buy one if you are interested. It will be interested to watch how quickly these juice places spread through out the city and what other juice-like stores crop up to compete.

Watching Tasti D-lite take over the city in the past year and the competitor Cremalita has been another wave. Cremalita is far behind in the amount of stores but that is probably because it is owned by one group vs. a franchise. All and all, they are both good but different. I prefer Cremalita but there isn't one in my 'hood and they could add to the flavors. Look out for Uncle Louie's. I know the owner is interested in expanding and the place is over the top good.

The nail/spa salon thing is too much. I find it hard to believe that all of these places can stay in business. Are that many people per block having manicures and pedicures and quick back massages? Maybe I'm crazy but I don't think so. I would venture to say that will see some closings soon. Also, lots of the spa only store fronts all over the place. In the west village there are so many spas. Again, can't imagine the demand on a daily basis is filling the spots but I could be wrong.

Last big trend. Pizza. First there was Lombardi's, Patsy's, then Grimaldi's and John's. All brick oven pizza. Lombardi's has always been my personal fave. I was at John's last week and it has gone way way down hill. Patsy's was big when we lived in Brooklyn and they have expanded and it has never been the same. Grimaldi's are the original owners of Patsy's redoing their thing. Mario Batali saw the trend coming when he opened Otto. Then around the corner came Pie. After that, I have literally seen new "brick oven pizza" places open in every neighborhood. Someone told me about their new fave the other night on East 10th street between 1/2nd which just opened (can't remember the name). There is a Pie liked place on Park Avenue in the 30's. Why pizza, why now? Who knows but it would be really fun to plot out a map by neighborhood and go stop by all the new pizza places and do a taste testing. There must be 10 new places in the village alone.

Question is, what is the next trend to come in NYC at the store that is "to rent" on your street? I wish I had that magic ball and could get on the band wagon at the start and not the tail end. But then again, don't we all?

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