The quaint intersection at the corner of Walnut Street and South Aiken Avenue sits in the heart of Shadyside; it’s a block that speaks to the neighborhood’s walkable, charming lifestyle. Since July 18, however, the spot has become a charred gathering point for insurance-company representatives — and a monument to determination, amid uncertainty, for local shopkeepers.
Fire on Walnut Street Closes Fujiya Ramen and Effects Other Businesses
Around 8:00 a.m. on the morning of July 18, firefighters raced to Shadyside in response to a burning building at the corner of South Aiken Avenue and Walnut Street. Thirty minutes earlier, Henry Shenk, sales manager at bespoke furniture and decor shop Glassworks, had gone onto the deck of his nearby home for morning coffee; he noticed a tower of smoke billowing into the sky.
Initially thinking it to be remnants of the Canada wildfires, Shenk quickly deduced that the density of the plume indicated far more immediate danger. And it appeared to be coming from Glassworks.
Ilene Levy, owner of Glassworks, says she didn’t make it down to the scene until nearly eleven o’clock. “It was just too depressing — what was happening,” she explains. “Henry is an icon,” she says proudly, shifting gears. “He is the one who made the call … he runs down to Walnut Street, and of course, sees the fire.”
A Long Road Ahead
The horrific fire consumed the neighboring business Fujiya Ramen; the interior of that restaurant is reportedly destroyed, and the building is condemned. No official cause for the fire has yet been announced. At least a half-dozen other nearby businesses were impacted; Glassworks was the most severely damaged outside of Fujiya Ramen itself, Levy says.
A loading bay adjacent to Fujiya Ramen funneled the smoke directly into the Glassworks building. Smoke and soot damage has turned the marble floor from white to a grayish black. “I still cannot walk into the store without my throat and eyes burning,” says Levy. “I’ve had to hire an insurance consultant; there have been so many people coming in to do inventory. We lost everything. [All] of our inventory is gone.”
Though the damage to Glassworks is significant, the damage to Fujiya Ramen appears irreversible. “Fortunately, that did not happen to us, but our whole side of the block has been [damaged].” Glassworks will need everything from new walls and flooring to furniture and ceiling tiles — not to mention new heating and plumbing systems.
Supporting Fujiya Ramen, Glassworks, and Other Businesses
“We hope to reopen before Halloween,” expresses Levy, “but we have another location at Contemporary Concepts in East Liberty, beneath Trader Joe’s, and we are redirecting people there.” Glassworks also has a storefront on Forbes Ave. in Squirrel Hill. Fujiya Ramen also has another location; a sign on the door of the Walnut Street restaurant directs customers to its Robinson location, still open for dine-in and take-out orders.
Levy expressed gratitude for the spirit of Shadyside, and the greater Pittsburgh area, for the love and support. “For me, it was very heartwarming to see all the people respond. And to see everyone reaching out. We are a community. Our other retail neighbors, we care about each other. And we look after each other. It just makes you feel so much better when you hear from people — that they can’t wait til you come back.”
Story and Photography by Will Acer