Two 7-year-old East Village students on loving books and hating Starbucks

Earlier in the spring, word spread that The Neighborhood School on East Third Street was in danger of losing its library. (You can read our post on it here.)

With the help of several local businesses, parents raised funds to save the job of the librarian, Cheryl Wolf, and the library for at least another school year. However, the fund shortage continues in other areas of the school... and parents are concerned about supplementing the library after next school year. You can read all the background at the school's website.

Anyway! There's a Save the Library Day today at the Bean on Second Avenue and East Third Street ...



On this occasion, with the help of Neighborhood School parent Marjorie Ingall, we asked two students at the school about why their class hates Starbucks and why they're doing a fundraiser at the Bean. Here are Annika (left) and Max.



Why do students/your classmates not like Starbucks?

M: They kicked out The Bean. We all love The Bean. We were all sad.

A: And The Bean is a small company and a monster business kicked them out. They're like [waves arm], "You're gettin' out."

M: It was a small company taking over a big company.

A: Just because you have more money and are more popular it doesn't seem fair that money can kick out a place.

M: If The Bean got there first, it's not fair that someone who got there second can have it just because they are richer. Also The Bean is better. Once at Starbucks I got a sandwich and there was mold on it. I shoved it at my dad and said, "You can have it."

A: We made little cards for the Bean. We gave them to The Bean and they said, "Thank you and we'll have a party for you and we'll give you cupcakes."

M: Here's how it worked. One day when Aza and Zoe were walking by they gave The Bean their sign — a Starbucks with a circle around it and crossed out and The Bean instead. They spelled it "b-e-e-n." They're in first grade.

A: And they said, "The Bean rules, Starbucks drools!"

M: And then we all said, "Two four six eight, The Bean is really great!"

What will you be selling today during the fundraiser?

A: Lemonade. Stationery. Plants. Bracelets. Neighborhood School tote bags if Amy says it's OK.

What is your favorite thing about the school library?

M: Kids learn from it! For our nonfiction research projects we borrowed every single nonfiction book.

A: Devion and Osiris did sharks.

M: Me and Aza did horses.

A: Me and Zairah and Isa did telephones and technology.

M: Kiran, Mira and Deanna and someone else did space.

A: Kyle and Charlie did football.

M: Boys did crazy boy stuff.

Why do schools need libraries?

M. The library has computers so we learn from the computers.

A. It's very peaceful.

M: We couldn't get by without it. Books pass the time. Period.

Some people say librarians don't need a librarian.

M. We need a librarian! She helps us find things.

A. Cheryl is very clear when she reads to us and when she explains things. If we come to a word one of us don't know she explains it.

M: Once we were really stumped! There was a word we just didn't know! I forget what word. It might have been "however." Whatever it was, she explained it.

A: She also helped us do research when we were studying transportation.

M: But the best thing is the books. Books can do almost anything.

About The Bean's East Village expansion

[The Bean/Facebook]

On Monday, we broke the news that Bean is expanding its East Village presence to include a storefront on First Avenue at Ninth Street... to go alongside their original location at First Avenue and Third Street, Broadway and East 12th Street and the Crazy Landlord building.

In response to the post, Guy, The Bean's general manager, left the following comment:

It's a pretty exciting time for The Bean and we wanted to let the East Village community know what's going on.

The Plan: we're opening two more cafes around the East Village. We don't really think of this as an "aggressive" business move as The Bean remains an independently owned and operated neighborhood business. We haven't "sold out" or "gone corporate" and we've had this expansion in mind for sometime. Our cafes' walls will still feature the artwork and photography of East Village artists and photographers and we're super excited to ably to service more of our friendly & loyal customers in the East Village — old and new — whether they're just stopping in for a quick cup of coffee or penning the next great American novel sitting in one of our cafes.

Ultimately we'd rather open a business to service the neighborhood than have another bank or fast food restaurant further de-characterize the East Village.

The Bean remains committed to our customers, their dogs and — as always — we're open to suggestions. Just no poetry readings. :)

Guy
General Manager, The Bean

At Fork in the Road, our friend Rebecca Marx mentions Joe the Art of Coffee, an independently owned shop with seven locations in different parts of the city. "So while it's nice to see East Village storefronts being snapped up by a local business that isn't Duane Reade, one wonders if the Bean's owners would do better to spread out the wealth a little bit," she writes.

Some readers have chimed in on the topic on the previous post. A reader left this comment last night:

"2 new shops in the neighborhood opening simultaneously is clearly aggressive, especially since one is on the same block as Mud

The amount of money it takes to pull this off is huge. Market saturation is a ruthless corporate strategy, mom & pop shops don't have the resources and are usually a bit more sensitive to their neighborhood...no way is it independent."

Today's sign of the apocalypse: Starbucks taking over The Bean's space on First Avenue and Third Street

[This morning at The Bean]

Well, a lot to absorb here... so.

Jim Dwyer at The New York Times reports that Starbucks will be taking over The Bean's flagship cafe at First Avenue and Third Street.

Once more for effect: Starbucks will be taking over The Bean's flagship cafe at First Avenue and Third Street.

Dwyer puts it into really fucking depressing perspective for us:

The city sheds its skin every day; Mom & Pop are always getting the boot. Manhattan now has 186 Starbucks, which is eight per square mile. There are more Starbuckses than subway stations. You might think that 186 stores on one small island is the functional equivalent of everywhere, but it turns out not to be, in Starbuckian terms, enough: outlet No. 187 is opening Friday in Times Square, and sometime early next year, No. 188 — or so — will be hanging its shingle on Third Street, right down the block from the world headquarters of the Hell’s Angels

Well, The Bean is showing them. Ike Escava, a Bean partner, now plans to open a location on First Avenue at the southeast corner of Second Street, where that pizza/hookah place was. (Or was supposed to be.)

Meanwhile, as you know, The Bean will open new locations on Third Street and Second Avenue and Ninth Street and First Avenue... Despite the expansion, the Bean people originally said that they would keep their flagship store. However, they have been on a month-to-month lease, and the landlord gave them a 30-day notice to leave late in August, the Times noted.

Back to Dwyer's article:

Starbucks has a public relations firm in New York City that issues statements on behalf of the company, but does so anonymously, a peculiarly disembodied form of human communication.

Asked about the plans for Third Street, the company issued this statement: "In many of the markets that we have entered, we found that the local coffee culture is greatly enriched and invigorated by our arrival."

For the time being, though, there won't be any coffee on this corner after this month...

The Bean is not taking over the former Rama Cafe on First Avenue

We noticed that new for rent signs went up at the former Rama Cafe on First Avenue near Second Street.

Back in September, Jim Dwyer at The New York Times reported that Starbucks will be the new tenant at the Bean's flagship cafe at First Avenue and Third Street. At the time, the Bean announced that it would open a location down the Avenue at the Rama space.

So we asked Ike Escava, a Bean partner, what was happening.

"We decided not to go forward with that space and to focus instead on the store we are opening this month at 54 2nd Avenue and at 147 First Ave. in a few months," he said via email.

Escava also had a point of clarification about the Bean's beer-and-wine application. Based on feedback from people at the CB3/SLA meeting Monday night, we noted that the committee approved a request for the Bean's new location at Second Avenue and Third Street, but denied the Bean's request for a license at 147 First Ave. and Ninth Street.

Here's his email:

We decided to withdraw our application to serve wine & beer at 147 1st Ave after seeing that there were people in opposition to it. If we have community support at a later time we may try again but if it is unwanted in the community we will not. We will not even address this matter again internally until we are open and operating at that location. It is our intention to maintain the feeling and vibe of the shop at 54 2nd Ave that we built at 49 1/2 1st Ave. We applied for the wine & beer as a way to add something but we will be very careful not to let that change what we really are about.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Bean is now apparently opening on every corner in the East Village

[Updated] The Bean is taking over the former Starbucks space on 9th and Broadway

The Bean is continuing its local expansion... signage is up on the northwest corner of Broadway and Ninth Street for another outpost of the coffee shop...



This is a bit of a role reversal too, as a local cafe takes over a space previously held by a Starbucks.

The Starbucks stopped here back in January ... after a conversion from the Starbucks-owned Teavana in 2016. (This corner space previously housed Silver Spurs, the diner that closed in December 2013 after 34 years in business.)

In the fall of 2011, Starbucks moved into the the Bean's flagship cafe at First Avenue and Third Street. The Bean had been on a month-to-month lease there, and the landlord gave them a 30-day notice to leave late in August 2011.


[EVG photo from 2011]

As for the Bean, they opened a new location at 31 Third Ave. at Stuyvesant Street (the former St. Mark's Bookshop) in 2017.

Updated

Per the comments, the Bean is relocating here from the 12th Street and Broadway location...


[Photo by Steven]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Today's sign of the apocalypse: Starbucks taking over The Bean's space on First Avenue and Third Street

The Bean ready to make its 2nd Avenue return

Updated 11/18

The Bean is now open! Hours: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

--

The Bean reopens today in its former home on Second Avenue at Third Street... almost a year to the date that it closed at this very location.

As you may recall, the Bean shut down two EV locations in November 2019 — here on Second Avenue and on First Avenue at Ninth Street. At the time, owner Ike Escava blamed rising costs on the closures. The outposts on Third Avenue at Stuyvesant and Broadway at Ninth Street remained in operation. 

The Bean first debuted in December 2011 here on Second Avenue. The retail space has been vacant since the Bean's departure.

Will update the post when we get the new hours for this Bean branch.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• The Bean is returning to its former home on 2nd Avenue

Action-packed November CB3/SLA agenda: The Bean wants booze; so does Japadog

[Via The Bean on Facebook]

Woo. Here we go.

SLA & DCA Licensing Committee
Monday, November 14 at 6:30pm — JASA/Green Residence, 200 East 5th Street at Bowery

Renewal with Complaint History

• The Porch (The Porch Inc), 115 Ave C (op)

The Porch closed up last month, as Dave on 7th pointed out. We heard that the Porch was moving and an Indian restaurant was taking over... perhaps from the same owners?

• Kelly's (Diddler Doyle Corp), 12 Ave A (op)

• Kenka (Hinomaru Inc), 25 St Marks Pl (op)

• Diablo Royale (East Village Café & Restaurant LLC), 167 Ave A (op)

Arrive early for a good seat. This will be dramatic, perhaps.

Applications within Resolution Areas

• Cafetasia (Cafetasia Inc), 85 Ave A (up/op)

Seeking 100-ounce vodka tubes too?

• Essbar (102 Ave C LLC), 102 Ave C aka 230 E 7th St (up/op)

Edi & the Wolf upgrading...

• Nublu, 151 Ave C (op)

Nublu temporarily moved to under Lucky Cheng's back in August ... as the Nublu blog said during the summer, "last week we got our liquor license taken away due to an anonymous complaint that we are too close to a House of Worship." You can read about it all here.

• Pouring Ribbons (Lead to Gold Inc), 225 Ave B (op)

Anyone know what's going on here... the White Noise space?

• To be Determined, 116 Ave C (op)

The former Lava Gina space.

• Japadog Inc, 30 St Marks Pl (wb)

As we first reported last month, Japadog, the crazy popular Vancouver-based artisanal hot dog stands, is opening its first NYC outpost here.

• Alphabet City Beer Co (Alphabet City Wine Co LLC), 96 Ave C (b)

Looks like a beer companion to Alphabet City Wine... 96 Avenue C has been a vacant storefront for some time... we'll have more on this later...

Alterations/Upgrades

• Cien Fuegos (Cien Fuegos LLC), 95 Ave A (alt/op)

• Peels Restaurant (Radley Realty Corp), 325 Bowery (alt/op/additional standup bar)

New Liquor License Applications

• Shoolbred's, 197 2nd Ave (op)

• Nevada Smiths (92 Nunz Walk Inc), 100 3rd Ave (op)

Maybe they're not closing after all!

• The Bean (54 2nd Ave Bean LLC), 54 2nd Ave (wb)
The Bean (147 1st Ave Bean LLC), 147 1st Ave (wb)

Interesting... What do you think about The Bean also serving wine and beer at its new locations?

• Nicoletta (Letta #1 LLC), 160 2nd Ave (wb)

A taker for the former Cafe Centosette space at 10th Street.

• Ichibantei LLC, 401 E 13th St (wb)

This is the the eatery that serves a range of Japanese "soul food" just east off First Avenue. A scratch from previous agendas...

• Golden Cadillac, 446-448 E 13th St (op)

The (now former?) Mug Lounge.

---

b=beer only | wb=wine & beer only | op=liquor, wine, & beer | alt=alterations |up=upgrades

[Updated] The Bean debuts 'fully stocked' food truck tomorrow on First Avenue

Starting tomorrow, the Bean won't be open at their flagship First Avenue and Third Street location. Instead, the Bean will have "a fully stocked food truck" parked in front of the location at 49 1/2 First Avenue.

The Bean is closing — presumably tonight right now — here to make way for a Starbucks.

The Bean will open new locations on Third Street and Second Avenue and Ninth Street and First Avenue ... as well as First Avenue and Second Street. Until then, they'll have the truck.

Updated:

Dave on 7th passes along this photo of the Bean right now from around 2:45 ... they are packing it in... workers have removed the Bean awning...

Updated:

jdx sends along photos of workers dismantling the cafe...

DNAinfo was on the scene today and spoke with some regulars who are upset the place is closing...

The Bean will be the Crazy Landlord's new tenant on Second Avenue

Work continues at 54 Second Ave. at Third Street, home of the beloved "Crazy Landlord" sign.

Despite some rumors ("garment store with sex toys"!), the storefront will be home to the new East Village location of The Bean, currently housed on First Avenue and Third Street... just a block away. Permits with the DOB confirm the new tenant.

While walking by yesterday, EV Grieve regular jdx noted a new name on the buzzer...

We don't have all the details on the move to Second Avenue. The Crazy Landlord did confirm the new tenant. We'll have more later...

Meanwhile, the Bean is finalizing their plans to open an outpost on 12th and Broadway as well.

Previous EV Grieve coverage of The Bean:
New York State seizes The Bean on First Avenue!

[Updated] Out-of-control cab kills one, injuries six on First Avenue and Third Street

Did the Bean reopen too soon?

Taking another look at the action-packed November CB3/SLA agenda

[Created by EV Grieve via CafePress]

We looked at the CB3/SLA agenda back on Oct. 31. But there have been a few scratches on the agenda. So here's an updated docket... with the comments intact...

SLA & DCA Licensing Committee
Monday, November 14 at 6:30pm — JASA/Green Residence, 200 East 5th Street at Bowery

Renewal with Complaint History

• The Porch (The Porch Inc), 115 Ave C (op)

The Porch closed up last month, as Dave on 7th pointed out. We heard that the Porch was moving and an Indian restaurant was taking over... perhaps from the same owners?

• Kelly's (Diddler Doyle Corp), 12 Ave A (op)

• Kenka (Hinomaru Inc), 25 St Marks Pl (op)

• Diablo Royale (East Village Café & Restaurant LLC), 167 Ave A (op)

Arrive early for a good seat. This will be dramatic, perhaps.

Applications within Resolution Areas

• Cafetasia (Cafetasia Inc), 85 Ave A (up/op)

Seeking 100-ounce vodka tubes too?

• Essbar (102 Ave C LLC), 102 Ave C aka 230 E 7th St (up/op)

Edi & the Wolf upgrading...

• Nublu, 151 Ave C (op)

Nublu temporarily moved to under Lucky Cheng's back in August ... as the Nublu blog said during the summer, "last week we got our liquor license taken away due to an anonymous complaint that we are too close to a House of Worship." You can read about it all here.

• Pouring Ribbons (Lead to Gold Inc), 225 Ave B (op)

Anyone know what's going on here... the White Noise space?

• To be Determined, 116 Ave C (op)

The former Lava Gina space.

• Japadog Inc, 30 St Marks Pl (wb)

As we first reported last month, Japadog, the crazy popular Vancouver-based artisanal hot dog stands, is opening its first NYC outpost here.

• Alphabet City Beer Co (Alphabet City Wine Co LLC), 96 Ave C (b)

Looks like a beer companion to Alphabet City Wine... 96 Avenue C has been a vacant storefront for some time... we'll have more on this later...

Alterations/Upgrades

• Cien Fuegos (Cien Fuegos LLC), 95 Ave A (alt/op)

• Peels Restaurant (Radley Realty Corp), 325 Bowery (alt/op/additional standup bar)

New Liquor License Applications

• Shoolbred's, 197 2nd Ave (op)

• Nevada Smiths (92 Nunz Walk Inc), 100 3rd Ave (op)

Maybe they're not closing after all!

• The Bean (54 2nd Ave Bean LLC), 54 2nd Ave (wb)
The Bean (147 1st Ave Bean LLC), 147 1st Ave (wb)

Interesting... What do you think about The Bean also serving wine and beer at its new locations?

• Nicoletta (Letta #1 LLC), 160 2nd Ave (wb)

A taker for the former Cafe Centosette space at 10th Street.

• Ichibantei LLC, 401 E 13th St (wb)

This is the the eatery that serves a range of Japanese "soul food" just east off First Avenue. A scratch from previous agendas...

• Golden Cadillac, 446-448 E 13th St (op)

The (now former?) Mug Lounge.

---

b=beer only | wb=wine & beer only | op=liquor, wine, & beer | alt=alterations |up=upgrades

Out and About in the East Village

In this weekly feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village.

By James Maher

Name: Chris Riffle
Occupation: Musician, Barista
Location: The Bean, 3rd Street and 2nd Avenue
Time: 1 on Tuesday, Jan. 15

I’m from Seattle. I was born in the woods. It sounds nice for my bio because you’re supposed to put something in there that makes you unique. So yes, I was born in a cabin in the woods in one of those hippie parent home birth situations. Then, when my parents divorced when I was two, my dad had a house that he built in Leavenworth, Washington, which is over the mountains, with 10 acres and lots of woods, and there was no electricity there.

For a good four or five years I was living there with him. I moved to Seattle after college, on Capitol Hill and lived there for many years until I moved here in 2007, because my boyfriend, Tim got into Cooper Union as a painter.

I’ve always wanted to be a musician. It’s tough to describe my music style — folk, it’s soft and I play the acoustic guitar. I’ve always loved playing music, although I got distracted in Seattle by a lot of things and working full time. When I first got here, I showed up at the open mic at the Sidewalk Café and the experience was great. It took me about six months to finally get out of my shell and get out my guitar and play. I just didn’t know what to expect.

So then the host booked me a couple shows and I was playing there every month or so. Then this one guy came into the Bean with a guitar on his back and I invited him to a show and he got me a gig at the Living Room. I gave him a demo and he came back and said, "This is great, do you want to make an album? I’m a producer and I would love to put this out." And I was like, "Yes. Yes I would like to make an album. That’s what I want to do." Since then, I’ve made three with him and he’s amazing. I play about once a month now at the Living Room. It’s a great venue, but unfortunately they are moving at the end of January. They are closing that location and looking for a new one due to skyrocketing rent.

This job works really well with music because I will leave for a month to go on tour and then come back to work and it’s no big deal. I can come back and work 45 hours the next week to make money or I can work 30 because I have a show and I’m busy. It’s really nice for that and they’ve been very flexible.

The Starbucks moving into the old Bean location was really interesting. Somebody came in with plans and wanted to look at the building. The manager there was just like, “What? Who are you? Where are you from?” And he was just like, “Oh I’m looking at this for Starbucks.” It was shocking and the landlord hadn’t told us that he was looking to not renew the lease to us. We were working on negotiating the lease and instead of doing it with us they just said nope. We kept trying to make offers.

At first I was really bummed out and then we got the other spot and it worked out better in the long run. Everybody supported us and spoke out about not wanting to go to Starbucks. Now the Bean is drastically more crowded than the Starbucks, which is kind of ugly. And I don’t hate Starbucks, but I definitely try not to go to any of them now, which is funny since I’m from Seattle.

James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.

The new Bean expected to open today on Broadway

The Bean is expected to open today on the northwest corner of Broadway and Ninth Street.

The coffee shop closed its outpost on Broadway at 12th Street after service on Nov. 9 ahead of this move to the larger confines of 771 Broadway.

As reported in other posts, this storefront was previously a Starbucks, which shut down here back in January ... this after a conversion from the Starbucks-owned Teavana in 2016. (Also: This corner space previously housed Silver Spurs, the diner that closed in December 2013 after 34 years in business.)

The Bean is now down to two locations (here at 771 Broadway and over at 31 Third Ave. at Ninth Street) after the sudden closures of the chainlet's locations on First Avenue and Ninth Street and Second Avenue and Third Street on Nov. 24.

Owner Ike Escava told us the following: "Due to rising costs the decision to close was unfortunately the only one we could make."

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] The Bean is taking over the former Starbucks space on 9th and Broadway

The 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue locations of the Bean closed for good yesterday

The Bean is returning to its former home on 2nd Avenue

A familiar tenant is coming to the northeast corner of Second Avenue and Third Street: The Bean.

Owner Ike Escava shared the news... the coffee shop-cafe will reopen in the space some time in November. 

"We belong there — it feels like going home," he said in an email. 

As you may recall, The Bean closed two EV locations last November — this location and the one on First Avenue at Ninth Street. At the time, Escava blamed rising costs on the closures. The outposts on Third Avenue at Stuyvesant and Broadway at Ninth Street remain in operation. 

The Bean outpost on Second Avenue and Third Street first debuted in December 2011. The retail space has been vacant since the Bean's departure.

The 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue locations of the Bean closed for good yesterday

[1st Avenue location photo by Steven]

Regulars were shocked to learn that the seemingly always-busy Bean locations on First Avenue and Ninth Street and Second Avenue and Third Street shut down after service yesterday.

A tipster told us about Bean employees thanking regulars for their patronage. (Another tipster said that the store employees received little warning about the closure.)

"It is sad but true that we are closing those stores. It is a very hard day for us," owner Ike Escava confirmed via email. "Due to rising costs the decision to close was unfortunately the only one we could make."

Moving forward, the coffee shop will maintain the location on Third Avenue at Ninth Street and the incoming spot on Broadway and Ninth Street. (The Bean on Broadway and 12th Street closed earlier this month ahead of the move to the larger space on Broadway.)

"We hope to continue to see our loyal customers at those locations and to continue serving the East Village for a very long time," he said.

The Bean has had a presence in the East Village since 2003.

The outpost on Second Avenue and Third Street debuted in December 2011.


[Photo from 2011]

The First Avenue and Ninth Street shop opened in June 2012.

The Bean apologizes after telling resident with respiratory illness to vacate its outdoor benches

Some longtime East Village residents are upset with the Bean after a bench-clearing incident last week at the location on Second Avenue and East Third Street.

Friends of Michael David Arian, who works in production at La MaMa, said that he stopped to catch his breath on the benches outside on East Third Street. A worker reportedly told Arian, who has a respiratory illness, that he needed to purchase something or leave immediately.

"I am a senior and have breathing difficulties and need the rest on my way to work. The Bean insisted I move. So I did," Arian, 68, said in an email. "They have no respect for me or any of the people who provide the character of the neighborhood."

We reached out to Ike Escava, owner of the Bean, which also has locations on First Avenue at East Ninth Street and Broadway at East 12th Street. He told us the following via email:

We have always welcomed senior citizens to sit on our benches. I was made aware of this incident by a post on Facebook and reached out to Mr. Arian immediately and personally apologized. I am available to speak to anyone that would like to discuss it in more detail, I'd especially appreciate the opportunity to speak to Mr. Arian and apologize face to face. We consider ourselves to be part of the East Village community and hope that people realize that even people with the best of intentions can make a mistake, as we did in this situation.

Here's more from DNAinfo, who reported on this incident yesterday afternoon:

The mishap underscores the difficulties faced by the establishment in trying to strike a balance between being a good neighbor and making room for paying customers, said Escava. The shop’s benches are constantly overrun by loiterers who stake out the space all day, some of them homeless, he said, and the struggle to keep them usable means that sometimes baristas have to ask folks to clear off.

“We have a big challenge because we have a lot of people who sit all day,” he said. “There are a lot of homeless with nowhere else to go — we’re always watching the benches, and we have to watch them or they would have people sleeping on them.”

According to DNAinfo, Arian has so far refused Escava’s personal attempts to apologize.

[Updated] CB3/SLA votes against renewal for Diablo Royale; the Bean wins one, loses one

That's the word from attendees at tonight's CB3/SLA committee meeting going on right now... the Mexican-style saloon on Avenue A was up in the "Renewal with Complaint History" category. The Board voted 5-1 to deny a renewal of the Diablo liquor license.

According to the State Liquor Authority, the Diablo Royale license is active through Nov. 30.

In any event, a vote against a renewal here isn't the final word as we've seen in the case of Heathers and TenEleven.

Also, according to those in attendance, the committee didn't approved a request for The Bean's new location at Second Avenue and Third Street (beer and wine only), but denied the Bean's request for a license at 147 First Ave. and Ninth Street.

Updated 11-16. Ike Escava at The Bean sent us a note with a few important clarifications. Here's his email:

We decided to withdraw our application to serve wine & beer at 147 1st Ave after seeing that there were people in opposition to it. If we have community support at a later time we may try again but if it is unwanted in the community we will not. We will not even address this matter again internally until we are open and operating at that location. It is our intention to maintain the feeling and vibe of the shop at 54 2nd Ave that we built at 49 1/2 1st Ave. We applied for the wine & beer as a way to add something but we will be very careful not to let that change what we really are about.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Diablo Royale Este owner blasts the 'blasphemous lies' of residents, invites the State Liquor Authority to investigate

The real story behind the so-called Lower East Side hoarder

On Sunday night, we posted the video that a contractor working at an undisclosed building created showing the cockroach-filled apartment that he and his crew had to clean following the eviction of the resident.

"Whatever you've seen, you've never seen nothing like this," the contractor, Martin Fernandez, says in the video that was posted on multiple news sites. Fernandez never mentioned the actual address, saying only that the building was on the Lower East Side. However, the First Avenue location of the Bean is visible in one of the scenes, causing several readers who shared this video to think this building was in the East Village.

An EVG reader, who lives in the building where this took place, shared the following letter to provide more background on what transpired ...

I live in the building in which this now-former tenant’s apartment is located. First, I can confirm that the apartment was definitely not staged, and that it is, indeed, in the East Village.

I must admit, as awful as it has been over the past couple of years living in the building where this person lived (though I and that tenant have each lived there for about 15 years), it’s a bit painful to see this described simply as the situation of a “hoarder.” That’s not at all to criticize EV Grieve, because I’m sure that is the only context in which it was presented to him. I just hope to add a little context before too many people comment without, understandably, knowing more about the situation.

As Martin, the contractor, noted, the tenant was not always living this way. We are a pretty closely knit bunch in this building, due to our occasional battles with our landlord ... and while most of us weren’t close friends with the tenant, we knew him for many years as maybe a bit eccentric (as most of us living here could probably be described as well), but as a good neighbor and not someone anyone would imagine ending up in this kind of situation.

Sadly, over the past two years, we all witnessed his mental and physical health decline for reasons that should remain private. We tried, individually and as a group, to intervene, but it quickly became clear here was not willing or able to accept our offers to help, which was frustrating both because of the declining conditions in the building, and because it is painful to watch someone go through what he was going through.

Let me be clear: it’s been pretty hellish living here for the last couple of years. While none of us had seen the full extent of the decay in his apartment until now, we have all been dealing with the effects. Those roaches invaded every apartment in the building and, while not nearly as numerous as they were in his, it’s been nearly impossible for any of us to cook or keep food for over a year now, and it’s a very defeating feeling to know that no matter how much one cleans, there will always be more roaches arriving from the source. Living in an old tenement building, we’ve certainly learned to expect the occasional rodent or critter of some sort, but this was clearly on a scale that made the building next to unlivable.

As I mentioned, we’ve been through battles with our landlord over the past couple of years (and came out on top thus far, thankfully), and he was well aware of the situation. While I’d love to blame him for not addressing the issue, I do know that he attempted to do so, sending multiple exterminators upon our request over the past couple years, all of whom left when the tenant cursed at them and would not let them into his apartment.

As I understand it, the landlord bought out his lease nearly a year ago, but he did not leave after accepting the buyout. Eviction proceedings followed.

It was a difficult situation for everyone, because clearly the tenant’s living situation was a threat to his own health and that of everyone in the building, and we certainly knew this couldn’t continue. On the other hand, we were conscious of his poor health and limited resources, and I don’t believe anyone wanted him end up living on the street. The courts apparently agreed, as they stayed his eviction for many months due to his health. And so, at something of a stalemate with our desire for a decent place to live and our consciences, the situation dragged on.

Last week, he was finally evicted and, as I understand it, he has moved into another building in the neighborhood, where I can’t imagine he or his new neighbors will be any better off than we were.

As for our building, as you can see, contractors immediately moved in to attempt to clean out his apartment, and clearly it is not a pleasant task. And it will surely be some time before we can fully eradicate the roaches from the building – though we will certainly hold our landlord to doing so as quickly as possible.

I suppose this is all a very long way of saying that it’s been a very rough couple of years, and it would sure be convenient if there was was one person to hold to blame, or to simply call the tenant a hoarder and put him on a reality show, or just call the landlord an asshole, or even to say that we (or his closer friends/family) should have done more, but maybe the lesson in the end is just that illness – mental and physical — really fucking sucks. And while none of us were able to help him address what he was going through, and maybe no one could, I just wish there were better options than watching this happen or getting him kicked out onto the street.

This video and the images of the apartment are out there now, and as we all know there’s no way of retracting them. And I don’t blame people for sharing them now that they’ve become public – I understand there’s a natural fascination with these kinds of graphic images, particularly in a city where we all may wonder from time to time what lies behind our neighbors’ doors. But wonder as we may, we do not generally step through those doors uninvited.

Our former neighbor never gave consent for his very private struggle to be held up to public view and inevitable ridicule, and it’s disappointing and saddening to me that Martin felt the need to offer them to the press. What purpose could it serve? The fact that he has left comments on the article at several news outlets asking people to subscribe to his YouTube channel and promising additional videos may provide the answer. Or perhaps he genuinely felt the need share an experience that he found traumatic as his own way of coping.

Whatever the case, I sincerely hope that he will reconsider posting whatever additional videos/photos he may have. And if he cannot resist doing so, I hope that this backstory will at least allow those who read it to view those images through the lens that we, his neighbors, have viewed them: certainly with disgust at the conditions, but also with an understanding that what we are witnessing is a glimpse into the very personal struggles of a person who, just a few years ago, was laughing with us at parties and showing off, with great pride, the furniture he custom built in his apartment.

For now, I can hope for nothing more than that he gets the help he needs and deserves, that we get to return to the decent living conditions we deserve, and that his new neighbors somehow avoid experiencing what we have endured over these past couple of years. And I hope that if our old neighbor is reading this, he knows that despite our frustrations with him over the years, we know his life is more than the images coming out of his apartment, and we wish him health and happier days ahead.

The Bean is opening in the former St. Mark's Bookshop space at Cooper Union

The Bean is opening a new location at 31 Third Ave. at Stuyvesant Street ... an EVG tipster sent along these photos from yesterday... the signage shows The Bean @Cooper Union...



The storefront has been empty ever since St. Mark's Bookshop moved out in June 2014. There have been a few art shows here, which makes sense given that Cooper Union owns the building.

"We've always liked the old St. Mark's Bookstore spot and it's been empty for years, so when the opportunity presented itself for us to obtain it we were excited to make it happen," Ike Escava, owner of the Bean, told me via email.

This will make the coffee shop/cafe's fifth location, joining the other East Village locations at Second Avenue and Third Street and Ninth Street at First Avenue. The other locations are at Broadway and 12th Street and Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg.

If all goes well, then Escava said that he'd like to be open around Labor Day.

St. Mark's Bookshop had been struggling to stay in business here. In November 2011, then-Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer helped broker a deal between the Bookshop owners and Cooper Union in which the school agreed to lower the rent by $3,000 to $17,000 and forgive $7,000 in debt. The shop moved to a much smaller space on Third Street with four years remaining on the least at 31 Third Ave.

A bigger Bean coming now to 147 First Ave.

Last August, we first reported that the Bean would open an outpost on First Avenue at Ninth Street, home once to Anjelica's Herbs. At the time, the Bean planned on just taking the corner location. The smaller space on East Ninth Street remained for rent.

However, the Bean's Ike Escava told us that they ended up leasing the adjacent storefront as well, and they will combine the two. He said that the work will begin next week, with a June opening in mind.

Escava also said that he will commission Jim Power, who created mosaics for the Bean's Second Avenue location, to do more art for the new cafe ... along with other artists, including Nicolina.

Meanwhile, no word yet on when the upstairs will be ready for residential use. And hey — it was just two years ago that workers said they were putting in a motel here.

Former Bean space for rent on 2nd Avenue

[Photo by Steven]

The Bean's sudden departures from their spaces on First Avenue and Ninth Street and Second Avenue and Third Street on Nov. 24 took a lot of people by surprise. For starters, the coffee shops always looked crowded, and they have a loyal neighborhood following.

Owner Ike Escava told us the following: "Due to rising costs the decision to close was unfortunately the only one we could make."

Now the Second Avenue space is on the retail market. (There isn't a listing yet for the First Avenue storefront.) Here's more about 54 Second Ave. via the listing:

Amazing corner retail in the heart of the East Village. High ceilings and a no cooking infrastructure in place. Landlord will consider venting for a qualified operator. Great storage basement with walk-in, storage, etc. Very strong corner in great neighborhood. Potential for a sidewalk café and all uses are considered. Ideal for non-vented or vented food, fitness, bank, retail, salon/spa and many other types.

The asking rent is between $135 to $155 a square foot for the space, listed at 1,355 square feet.

The Bean opened here in December 2011.

The prime corner space was vacant for years, and home to the infamous "crazy landlord" who "must rent this store."


[Circa 2010]

Previously on EV Grieve:
RIP Crazy Landlord sign

'Crazy Landlord' back to being crazy!

54 2nd Ave. has been sold

The 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue locations of the Bean closed for good yesterday