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Earlier this week, we reported that Silver Moon Bakery, acclaimed for its artisan breads, pastries, and desserts, was facing eviction after 25 years on the Upper West Side. A lawsuit states the bakery owes over $200,000 in rent and other dues and has overstayed its lease, which allegedly expired in spring 2024. Judith Norell, co-owner of Silver Moon Bakery, spoke with us about the lawsuit and how it got to this point.
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When Silver Moon Bakery first opened at 2740 Broadway, on the corner of West 105th Street, Norell’s landlord, Georgia Stamoulis, was also her partner in the bakery. According to Norell, Stamoulis remains involved with the business today. The current landlord, Michael Rose, president of Broadside Realty Group, stated in court filings that “Despite the expiration of the Lease, [the] Tenant failed to vacate and surrender or relinquish possession of the Premises at the end of term.”
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George Rose is the brother of Georgia Stamoulis, adding an unusual dimension to the situation—one where a family member is evicting their own kin. According to Norell, Rose took over the ownership and the management of all of the buildings on the block.
“I live in the neighborhood,” noted Norell, who lives steps away from Silver Moon on West 105th Street. “We’re really a part of the neighborhood. We’re not a big wealthy thing,” said the baker, who was once a harpsichordist who played Carnegie Hall and toured.
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“We really try to do everything we can for the neighborhood. I’ve given classes. We donated sweets to the first responders during the pandemic, you know. And we host school kids, I don’t know what else to say, and we celebrate every single holiday that has any food associated with it.”
Norell says they are currently in litigation and are awaiting the outcome. All attempts to renew the lease have failed. She described the team at Silver Moon as her second family. “And we know almost half the people who come into the bakery,” Norell added, mentioning that they remember their customers’ dogs’ and children’s names, their illnesses, and even their holidays and celebrations.
We asked Norell if, in the worst-case scenario, Silver Moon could move to a new location. “Honestly, at my age and with the cost of new equipment, I’m not going to think about it. I don’t have that kind of money,” she said. Reflecting on the bakery’s early days, she recalled when people suggested opening multiple locations. She resisted, saying she wanted Silver Moon to remain a tight-knit part of the community. “When you start a branch, it becomes just a business and not a life.”
Customers have been coming in to visit Norell and her team, offering their support and asking if there’s anything they can do. In response, she solemnly said, “I don’t think so. I think it’s in the hands of the courts for now, and we’ll see what the judge decides.”
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ILTUWS reached out to Andrew Sinzheimer, an attorney representing the landlord, but had not received a response by the time of writing.
Norell became sentimental as she recalled the day she felt solidified Silver Moon’s place in the neighborhood—9/11. “The bakery was so crowded, and people wouldn’t leave. They said the smell of the bread baking was grounding to them. That was grounding to us.”
It remains uncertain when the court will reach a decision on the case.
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New York City is too corporate these days. Landlords don’t care about good tenants just about money. Capitalism is clearly failing. It’s ruining community and society, all people want is the dollar and NYC is the epicenter of it. Not much room or ability for mom and pop stores to survive or even attempt to start on the upper west side anymore.
More than anything it ruins again the culture of our neighborhood. Who wants chains, processed goods (bc chains buy in bulk), atms, the 100th citymd or another supermarket. To be greedy enough kill quality and aesthetic poses the question, where then do landlords and share holders enjoy their absurdly more than enough earnings in daily life? Why wouldnt they then lobby to change the laws that ensure their costs dont go up. Id start with the repair laws around scaffolding – decentivise keeping them up longer for cheaper – that cause such poor hygiene in and around the streets! I hope they stay or the incoming starbucks pays 45% more so the landlords can buy them out enough to afford continuing the legacy in another location. Isnt the every small business fed for himself vulgar and distasteful at this point. Shame on them.