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Things are about to brighten up at 106 West 69th Street, between Columbus and Broadway, where The Sunshinery—a local boutique known for curating gifts from small, local, and female-owned businesses—is taking over the space famously used as Kathleen Kelly’s Shop Around the Corner in the 1998 rom-com You’ve Got Mail, starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.
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La Mode Cleaners, the previous tenant, moved out around the start of 2025 (they’re now located at 106 West 71st Street). Before La Mode, the ever-charming Café Sonatina—a bakery known for its coffee, pastries, and Pago juice—occupied the space. And at the time of filming You’ve Got Mail, this storefront was home to Maya Schaper’s Cheese and Antiques Shop.
We reached out to Jennifer Simoni, owner of The Sunshinery, to see if there’s a timetable for the new opening. For now, a poster in the window simply reads, “Opening soon.”
Simoni, whose original Sunshinery location sits on the corner of 551 Columbus Avenue and West 87th Street, opened her doors on the Upper West Side in 2022—all while working a full-time job in marketing. Her passion for small, local businesses runs deep: in December 2024, she teamed up with fellow Upper West Sider Rachel Shechtman of @thebestoftheupperwest to organize the first-ever UWS Candy Cane Crawl. More than 30 neighborhood businesses offered special shopping deals on December 8 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., handing out candy canes alongside groovy discounts.
ALSO READ: The Breakup Scene from “You’ve Got Mail” was Filmed at this Forgotten UWS Haunt
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It’s always a fun pop-in to see what’s being showcased at The Sunshinery, as their gifts rotate throughout the year, keeping visits fresh and fun. Children’s books and toys, candles, and custom Upper West Side gear are just a few of their offerings. Their location at 551 Columbus and West 87th is hosting a Summer Event Series starting tomorrow, July 22, with a “Tote Bag Embroidery” class. August 5 will feature DIY Seashell Frames, and August 12 will offer a Make Your Own Stationery workshop. Learn more here.
We reached out to Simoni to ask if there will be anything especially unique or different about this location compared to 551 Columbus Avenue, and we’ll update the story when we hear back. An Instagram post confirms that the West 69th Street space will be The Sunshinery’s second location. In the meantime, check out our feature on every book we spotted in You’ve Got Mail.
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Meanwhile, the old Cafe Lalo space – also used to film scenes from You’ve Got Mail – has sat empty for years now, and has become a blight on that block. Maybe the Sunshinery can open a third outpost there?
And worst of all, the building once home to our first Shakespeare & Co. (a “When Harry Met Sally” location) no longer even exists, having been replaced by a towering anonymity.
S/W corner of Broadway and 81st. A truly sad loss. I got James Earl Jones’ autograph there.