Bad news today for those clinging to the few remaining scraps of living history Tribeca has to offer. The Downtown Express reports that the age-old food-purveyor Bazzini is looking to close its shop for good. Nothing's solid right now, but owner Rocco D'Amato is fishing around for a tenant.
Bazzini's presence in Tribeca reminds us that the area used to be a huge food market, with warehouses full of nuts, fruit, eggs, cheese and whatever along every street. Bazzini stuck around by turning its former nut store and factory into a gourmet food market and cafe. Reports the Express, "The D’Amatos bought the Bazzini business and building at 339 Greenwich St. in 1983 from Teddy Bazzini, a nephew of the founder, A.L. Bazzini. Teddy told Rocco that the factory had a nuts store since the Depression. According to Bazzini’s Web site, A.L. started the wholesale business 119 years ago."
The real factory is now in Hunts Point in the Bronx and the Tribeca building was converted to (what else?) condos. I've never been a huge fan of Bazzini products (or their prices), but, jeez, if they leave, what does Tribeca have except fancy restaurants, condos and coops? A whole lot of beautiful industrial architecture without a soul.
DeNiro's still there, no? :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know about Bazzini. Honestly, I've never been, and now feel as though I should go at least once before it's dust.
Actually, no, DeNiro's long-gone. He still, of course, gets media credit for saving the hood. Like honestly, we really needed him...or his film festival.
ReplyDeleteIn the 70s the whole neighborhood smelled like cashews or peanuts, depending on what Bazzini was roasting. We'd come home and say "it's a cashew day."
Too bad they mis-directed themselves away from grassroots fare for the locals.
It's not just them who's hurting here: Whole Foods has put the fear of death into the cash registers of every food seller within many many square blocks.
DeNiro is not gone! Tribeca Grill is still open, as is his brand new Hotel.
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