Ess-a-Bagel Promises It's 'Just Moving Down the Block'

At the end of last week, things did not look good for the original Ess-a-Bagel, which claims it is being kicked out of its 1st Avenue home after 39 years in Murray Hill. But over the weekend, the well-loved bagel shop issued this promising tweet:

Don't worry fans of Ess-a-Bagel's 1st Ave location, our delicious hand rolled bagels are just moving down the block!! #NYC'sBest=EssaBagel

— Ess-A-Bagel, Inc. (@EssABagel) January 17, 2015

That's a distinct change of tune from what owner David Wilpon told Town & Village on Friday, when he said there was "still a lot up in the air," and speculated that the shop might end up in the Bronx. He hasn't revealed where, exactly, this new location is yet, but EV Grieve speculates that it's in the old Frenchmen space. In any case, the lease apparently hasn't been signed yet, and the location will likely remain a mystery until it is.

In the meantime, Ess-a-Bagel will close before the month is up. The landlords – who claim the bagel shop wasn't really pushed out, but rather refused to come to an agreement over rent – supposedly plan to replace it and the neighboring restaurants, Grill 21 and Rose Restaurant, with a Bank of America and a Tower Bagels. The other, newer Ess-A-Bagel location remains open in Midtown.