Sugar Alert: Magnolia Moves to Upper West Side

2007_09_closedkimono.jpgEater confirmed that cupcake confectioner heavyweight Magnolia Bakery is opening its first branch location on Columbus Avenue and West 69th Street. Magnolia owner Steve Abrams, an Upper West Sider, told Eater, "My friends who know I own Magnolia keep asking when I'm going to open them a bakery up here. So I think it's time."

Well, it's probably time and having the right retail space. The store will occupy the corner that Japanese restaurant Lenge used to be in. A few weeks ago, we saw closed-and-emptied out restaurant, complete with a sign explaining that the owners were retiring after over 30 years of business and a (ceremonial?) kimono displayed on the sushi counter. And could this be a trend four years in the making, less worrying about carbs and sushi joints being usurped by sugar fixes?

With Magnolia scheduled to open late this year, this can mean only one thing: A real showdown between Magnolia and Buttercup Bake Shop, which has a location on West 72nd Street between Amsterdam and Columbus - cupcake wars, part two!

No word on whether the Sex and the City gals will visit Magnolia in its upcoming movie - maybe it will have to deal with the frozen yogurt fad. And if you want to root for an underdog, there's Soutine Bakery, at 104 West 70th Street. It's tiny and incredible - heck, even Ruth Reichl once said of it, "I like the cakes from Soutine so much that I am sometimes tempted to pretend that I baked them myself."

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Comments (13) [rss]

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What about Crumbs?

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nothing sillier than standing in line for a goddam cupcake, jeez

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sillier? standing in line period.

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550 calories. tiny little stupid cake

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68th & Columbus is to the UWS as the Port Authority is to Hell's Kitchen

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this is the prime example of why NYC sucks nowadays.

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yep, this is the prime reason, along with Ralph Lauren, and Marc Jacobs, why Bleecker St has turned into a miniaturized Madison Ave. Besides, the Sex in the City bakery is to cupcakes what Mystic Pizza is to pizza. Famous and over-hyped. If you want some really luscious cupcakes head over to Eleni's in Chelsea Market. yum...

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the SATC girls would never go to a frozen yogurt place. they've always preferred tasty-d-lite :)

Soutine is amazing. I don't know if they get a lot of business from cupcakes though - their tarts are incredible, and they catered a party for me this year and were wonderful!

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Your title is misleading. Magnolia isn't MOVING, they're merely opening up a new location. Moving would imply that they're closing the Bleecker St. location and opening up on the UWS.

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As an UWS resident, let me be the first to say:

ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...........

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the should change the name of Magnolia's to Diabetes Cakes! Cuase once you bite into their sugared innards you will get diabetes. I swear to god that those cupcakes are just sugar on top of sugar. I once ate a dozen donuts and I didn't feel as sick as eating a magnolia cupcake.

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As an Upper West Sider, I will say that I'll continue to go to Crumbs, thank you very much. If not that, there's always Buttercup, Soutine or Homemade (Amsterdam b/t 78th & 79th). Magnolia has gone WAY downhill over the years. Their cupcakes are always so dry & crumbly. I can't believe all the fools that wait in line for that shit! At least go to Billy's nearby! That said, I think half the reason Magnolia is so successful is b/c of the West Village location... & the SATC tie-in. If Carrie Bradshaw didn't appear at a bakery on West 69th St, I don't think the tourists will give a shit.

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