Juniper (990 Corporate Dr., Westbury)Once the domain of Tom Schaudel’s Kingfish, this year-old New American eatery is still a bit under-the-radar, perhaps owing to its location...
Architect Ismael Leyva, FAIA, has designed the new mixed-use property known as The Selby, located at 695 Merrick Ave. The architecture firm was retained by The Beechwood Organization to design the project. The Selby is open for occupancy according to Steven Dubb, principal, The Beechwood Organization.
The development contains 386,000 s/f of residential space and stands six stories. Included in the design are 237 residences, which include 210 rental apartments and 27 long-term stay hotel suites, a 6,000 s/f restaurant, and retail space. A full complement of amenities for tenants include a library lounge area, a club room with indoor-outdoor bar, children’s playroom, fitness studio, 75 ft. outdoor swimming pool and 200,000 s/f terrace, storage and private parking with electric charging station.
“We are thrilled to have worked with The Beechwood Organization on this exciting development,” said Leyva. “In designing this development, we wanted to create a functional yet modern structure with a design reference to the French chateau facades that you often see in the surrounding fine residential areas of Westbury and this region of Long Island. We designed the modern residences for those who desire to have an array of luxury amenities at their fingertips, but also within a design envelope which is a tribute to the historic charm of Westbury.”
The Selby is located on six acres with views of Eisenhower Park, just steps from the front doors of the residences. The interior design of The Selby is in a Refined Traditional Style. A contemporary design interpretation combined with traditional elements, materials and details, that create a balance between comfort and sophistication from the lobby, library and club room to the grand salon, pool terrace and each residence ranging in size from studio to three bedrooms.
“The building has a majestic feel, with unparalleled amenities in a location which maximizes views of Eisenhower Park. The stately and beautiful design captures much of the architectural vernacular seen across Old Westbury, and is reminiscent of the Gold Coast’s Gilded Age estates, as well as New York City’s grand historic co-ops overlooking Central Park,” said Dubb.
“I am grateful to Steven Dubb and The Beechwood Organization who engaged us to design this iconic new residential structure in the heart of the Long Island Gold Coast. We are thrilled to bring this level of luxury design and amenity to future residents of The Selby,” said Leyva.
Ismael Leyva, FAIA, is a Manhattan based architect, known for his iconic residential design projects such as The Greenpoint in Brooklyn, The Alyn in the Upper East Side, and the residences at 15 Hudson Yards, and numerous other developments throughout New York City and the metropolitan region.
New York City based Ismael Leyva Architects, is an internationally recognized architecture, interior design and urban planning firm with offices in New York City and Central America. The firm is recognized by the development and construction industry for its uniquely creative, iconic and practical design. Since the establishment of the firm, Ismael Leyva Architects has built a portfolio of diverse award winning projects featuring responsive designs that address technical, social, and aesthetic requirements. Ismael Leyva Architects is known for the design of prominent buildings such as Icon, The Greenpoint, The Alyn, Hudson 36, The Charles, BKLYN Air, 66 Rockwell, Hilton Garden Inn New York/Midtown Park Ave, Place 57, Oro, Yves and also the design of the luxury residences at Time Warner Center, 15 Hudson Yards and the Zaha Hadid Building.
The Selby, 695 Merrick Ave., is a 237-unit apartment building overlooking Eisenhower Park with 210 rental apartments, 27 long-stay executive suites and an array of amenity-rich spaces for relaxation, fitness, entertaining and recreation. Among these are a 75-foot outdoor pool and terrace with 20,000 s/f of recreation space, great room with garden views, club room with indoor-outdoor bar, fully equipped fitness studio with yoga room, tranquility spa, library, game room, children’s playroom, business center and private event dining room with prep kitchen. In addition, there is private parking with electric car charging and a 6,000 s/f restaurant is in the works. Located in central Nassau County, it is 25 miles from New York City, a short distance to air and commuter friendly rail transport, and minutes from local shopping, dining, sports venues, arts and entertainment centers, and picturesque beaches. Created by The Beechwood Organization, Long Island’s top residential builder, and designed for Beechwood by Ismael Leyva Architects, PC, The Selby opened for occupancy August 2022.
The Beechwood Organization ranks at the forefront of privately-owned and award-winning residential builders nationwide and on the East Coast, is one of the largest developers of single family and multifamily housing in New York State, and is the largest homebuilder and developer of sophisticated lifestyle communities on Long Island. Since 1985, Beechwood has built more than 9500 homes and 70 communities across the New York metro area with new ones on the map in New York City, Long Island from Westbury to the East End, Upstate New York in Saratoga Springs and North Carolina in Charlotte and Chapel Hill. Averaging 3.9 million s/f in new developments year-on-year since 2017, Beechwood transitioned from local builder to national leader ranking #58 of 245 Housing Giants by Professional Builder Magazine in 2020. Long Island Business News cites Beechwood as “the most prolific home builder on Long Island” and honored it as the region’s Top Multi-Family Developer for three years running in 2022, and Residential Developer of the Year for five years to 2018. Development brand names include Arverne by the Sea, Bishops Pond, Country Pointe, Harbor Pointe, Lakeside Pointe, Marina Pointe, Meadowbrook Pointe, Oak Ridge, The Latch, The Selby and The Vanderbilt.
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Westbury, NY Award winning architect Ismael Leyva, FAIA, has designed the new luxury mixed-use property known as The Selby, located at 695 Merrick Ave. The architecture firm was retained by The Beechwood Organization (beechwoodhomes.com) to design the project. The Selby (theselbyli.com) is now open for occupancy announced Steven Dubb, principal, The Beechwood Organization.
The development contains 386,000 s/f of residential space and stands six stories. Included in the design are 237 residences, which include 210 rental apartments and 27 long term stay hotel suites, a 6,000-s/f restaurant, and retail space. A full complement of amenities for tenants include a library lounge area, a club room with indoor-outdoor bar, children’s playroom, fitness studio, 75-foot outdoor swimming pool and 200,000 s/f terrace, storage and private parking with electric charging station.
“We are thrilled to have worked with The Beechwood Organization on this exciting development,” said Leyva. “In designing this development, we wanted to create a functional yet modern structure with a design reference to the French chateau facades that you often see in the surrounding fine residential areas of Westbury and this region of Long Island. We designed the modern residences for those who desire to have an array of luxury amenities at their fingertips, but also within a design envelope which is a tribute to the historic charm of Westbury.
The Selby is located on almost six acres of land with views of Eisenhower Park.
“The building has a majestic feel, with unparalleled amenities in a location which maximizes views of Eisenhower Park. The stately and beautiful design captures much of the architectural vernacular seen across Old Westbury, and is reminiscent of the Gold Coast’s Gilded Age estates, as well as New York City’s grand historic co-ops overlooking Central Park,” said Dubb.
“I am grateful to Steven Dubb and The Beechwood Organization who engaged us to design this iconic new residential structure in the heart of the Long Island Gold Coast. We are thrilled to bring this level of luxury design and amenity to future residents of The Selby,” said Leyva.
Read the original article here https://nyrej.com/ismael-leyva-architects-designed-the-selby-now-open-for-occupancy
About the Wine Spectator Award
After two challenging years, during which many customers took a long hiatus from dining out, restaurants are developing innovative ways to attract diners back, no matter their preferences. From wine flights to creative, quality “mocktails” and more, restaurants around the world are pulling out all the stops with their beverage programs to enhance the full dining experience, giving all wine lovers a reason to be excited about going out again.
For example, take a look at our newly revealed list of nearly 3,200 restaurants that have earned Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards in 2022. This year's winning restaurants, each offering outstanding wine programs, hail from all 50 states and more than 70 countries and territories. The awards are given across three categories: Award of Excellence, Best of Award of Excellence and Grand Award. We are excited to honor all of these restaurants for their hard work and dedication.
Explaining why the awards matter so much to restaurants, sommelier Jason Ferris said, “When guests see that [Wine Spectator] plaque, or that logo on your menu, it gives them confidence that your wine program stands out among its peers.” The restaurant where he works, the Park Inn in Hammondsport, in New York’s Finger Lakes wine region, was upgraded to Best of Award of Excellence this year.
Read the entire article https://www.winespectator.com/articles/wine-spectator-reveals-2022-restaurant-award-winners-1
Find Juniper here https://www.winespectator.com/restaurants/6331/juniper
To read the original article, please visit https://www.longisland.com
Juniper is already making a name for itself with its combination of delicious cuisine and fine décor.
Hailed as a “hidden gem” among Long Island’s competitive restaurant scene by their many ecstatic customers, Juniper at the Vanderbilt is a newer entry to the local eatery scene, but is already making a name for itself with its combination of delicious cuisine and fine décor, nestled in the center of the Vanderbilt By Beechwood Homes apartment complex in Westbury, New York. One of the four restaurants and event space venues under the umbrella of the Civetta Hospitality group – which also includes Amali in New York City, Calissa of Water Mill, and Bar Marseille of Rockaway Beach – Juniper at the Vanderbilt is the company's newest venue, having opened their doors for business just over one year ago on May 20 of 2021…smack dab in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Opening during the worst of the pandemic presented a unique set of challenges amid the various restrictions and lockdown measures that were in place at the time. However, Juniper not only managed to stay afloat during those very troubling times, but according to General Manager John Nicoletti, business has consistently increased month-to-month ever since they first opened. “It was definitely a war of attrition, surviving the spikes around the holidays,” he said. “Where we were and where we are, we've shown steady growth, and secretly, we've become a great destination for events that are under 100 people. We really do a fair number of events on the weekends, such as smaller weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, retirement parties.”
“I love when I read the reviews and I see the words ‘hidden gem’ and ‘secret spot,’” Nicoletti continued, referring to Juniper’s off-the-beaten-path location within the Vanderbilt. “The biggest hurdle we really face is getting people up the driveway at the Vanderbilt. We're in the middle of the building so we don't really have street frontage, so it's become more of a place for those that know about us. We rely on the buzz of people spreading the word.” Executive Chef Chris D'Ambrosio – trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Poughkeepsie – categorizes Juniper as an American grill, but one diversely influenced by his many personal experiences while traveling abroad for a number of years. “We have a lot of different steaks and seafood, but I come from an Italian-American household and I've traveled the world, and what is America but a melting pot of ethnicities and cuisines? So I like to include those experiences in the menu as well,” he said. “So we have influences from Asia, Europe, and all the different places that I’ve visited. So our menu is sort of the story of my past, if you will.” D'Ambrosio noted that the restaurant offers a chef's seasonal menu, highlighting different products throughout the course of the year based on a lot of locally-sourced meats, fish, and vegetables.
“From the East Coast here we get oysters, halibut, sardines, and a lot of other local items that are very fresh and delicious,” he said. Juniper at the Vanderbilt is deceptively spacious, Nicoletti said, able to accommodate up to 176 patrons if need be, and offering both indoor seating and an outdoor patio overlooking the Vanderbilt's pool, if weather permits. “The restaurant has a very natural resort-style feel to it, with lots of glass facing the outside, very high vaulted ceilings, good usage of natural light, and a lot of things that essentially highlight the space itself,” he said. “We use a lot of white marble, and it's a very beautiful space, it truly is. And the building itself...Beechwood Homes, the developer, always does a magnificent job, and they spare no expense. The quality of craftsmanship is second to none, and it really has helped us with wedding bookings as a venue.” Nicoletti boasts an extensive history in the restaurant business, having worked in it since the tender young age of 13; as time went by, his reputation grew and he began to hold a number of high profile gigs.
“As a Northport native, I started as a prep cook at the Shipwreck Diner in Northport, and later went to college while moonlighting as a bartender. But I started really getting into fine dining when I was working for the Bohlsen Restaurant group,” he said. “I was a long-time head bartender at Tellers Chophouse in Islip, and then became the corporate head bartender for them for many years.” From there, Nicoletti went on to Anthony Scotto Restaurants, initially hired to be the Director of Bar Operations. However, when the COVID-19 hit, things changed significantly, but while many employers laid off many of their workers during the worst of things, Nicoletti noted that he was treated about as well as could possibly be. “They were great to me, and they ensured that I would have a position,” he said. “So when they rebranded One North to Opus Steakhouse, they made me Assistant General Manager. Then I met the partners at Civetta Hospitality, and it was almost an instant connection. That's when I went over to be the General Manager at Juniper. It was just a no-brainer.” The decisively kind and empathic treatment he has experienced while employed by Civetta, he said, was outside of the norm of his involvement in the restaurant business throughout the years.
“It should be noted that for an industry that typically tends to be pretty thankless, the way that Civetta operates is really impressive. They treat their employees very well...we have every major holiday off, and they try to focus on kindness and understanding in a way that I've never experienced in this business,” he said. “Ultimately, the hospitality industry as a whole doesn’t really offer good quality-of-life, but Civetta really focuses on it and it's hard not to appreciate that.” Ultimately, Nicoletti said that he's found his time heading up Juniper at the Vanderbilt to be incredibly rewarding, and he relishes the opportunity he's had to continue build it from the ground-up into one of Long Island's premier eateries, combining ambiance, atmosphere, fine accommodations, and a unique take on popular American cuisine. “There are definitely more gray hairs on top of my head than when I started, but I wouldn't change a thing about it,” he said. “It's a pleasure to work with Chef Chris, and we have a small staff here that are incredibly hard-working, and a lot of them have been with me through multiple restaurants. I love to note that, because the success of this restaurant really has nothing to do with anybody but them. That's the truth.” To find out more about Juniper at the Vanderbilt, please call 516-820-1200 or visit https://www.juniperlongisland.com.
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Beechwood has developed over 70 communities, built over 9,500 homes and is in the planning stages for new developments in the New York metro area from the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens across Long Island to the Hamptons.
