Marshal law at former Citi-Spaces location

The Awl beat me to posting this. About the former Citi-Spaces offices on Second Avenue at 11th Street. Looks like the marshal came calling.



And did the landlord run out of paper for the windows? Or are they merely trying to keep the neighborhood children from seeing in....



Previously on EV Grieve:
A short history of Citi-Spaces at Second Avenue and 11th Street

Plump Dumpling opens in new location

The Plump Dumpling has opened at its new location on 11th Street and Second Avenue...just steps from its former space. At the former Citi-Spaces office. Hope the Plump owners paint over that color combo...




Previously on EV Grieve:
A short history of Citi-Spaces at Second Avenue and 11th Street

Marshal law at former Citi-Spaces location

A short history of Citi-Spaces at Second Avenue and 11th Street

As The Real Deal reported last Thursday, Citi-Spaces closed their office on Second Avenue at 11th Street.

The office was open for less than a year at this location. On this solemn occassion, let's take a look back at their history here!

It began June 17, 2008, when Jeremiah Moss noted this in his *Everyday Chatter:

Something weird is coming to the EV where a bodega used to be at 2nd Ave and 11th St. -- looks like a Mexican restaurant outside, with Moroccan-style lamps inside, but filled with many wooden cubicles, each with a computer terminal and an office phone. Hmm, DIY phone-sex biz?

[Photo courtesy of Jeremiah Moss]



Then! Shortly after its July opening, it was tagged.



Then it was tagged again in late winter...



...but someone had a change of heart a few weeks back. Just say no to the anarchy!



And now, it sits empty...



...with a new tenant forced to deal with the worst color scheme ever!

Former Citi-Spaces office becoming a restaurant (Update: Plump Dumpling expanding into this space)

The former Citi-Spaces offices on Second Avenue at 11th Street is being converted into a restaurant, per the newly issued work permits.



Update:
Via Eater, we learned that Plump Dumpling next door on 11th Street will expand into this space. (A Passion for Food)

Citi Bike: A Reluctant Love Affair

An EVG reader, who asked to remain anonymous, submitted the following...

As an avid biker/alternative-transportation-seeker in New York City, the past few years have been a neverending whirlwind of emotions. The city has done a great job building bike lines, bike racks, hosting bike parking at events, and much more to encourage two wheeled riders.

The East Village is as busy of a neighborhood as any for bikers, with hundreds of delivery bikes roaming the streets alongside the commuters up and down First and Second and the casual neighborhood riders around Tompkins.

One issue remains, which I was reminded of in this post; bike theft seems to be as big of an issue as ever. I bought my first NYC bike about 2.5 years ago, and it was stolen within a month of owning it, despite it being locked up to an Equinox (improperly, but still, locked). I luckily got insurance money back for it, but the new bike I purchased has hardly seen the light of day during the week. When I lock up my bike outside a restaurant, I spend the entire meal EXPECTING it to get stolen. I can be 6 feet away from my bike on a patio eating, and I'll still stare at my bike to be sure it hasn't been taken.

Meanwhile, I signed up for Citi Bike before it had even launched. It was a godsend to my anxiety; I would never have to fear getting my bike stolen again, I had 3 docks within an avenue of my apartment, and I could bike anywhere south of 59th Street without worrying about taking the same bike home if I had an extra drink or two.

But Citi Bike is far, far from perfect. The app tells me there are 3 bikes, and none of them work. I show up to a dock with 5 spaces, none of them work. There are no bikes in the morning, and no docks at night. One of the best things about biking to work is the consistency in how long it will take, no matter how bad traffic is...and this is providing an opposite experience.

But it's $95/a year. Even if they jack it up to $200/year, it still feels cheap. Who am I to complain?

The bigger issue remains bike theft. If I didn't have to worry about my personal bike getting stolen, I would use it more often, I would use Citibike only when I really need to, and I would have less anxiety in general. So I have some questions for you, community:

a) How many of you both have a Citi Bike AND a personal bike? If you do, what's your split on usage between the two?
b) What could the city do to prevent bike theft? Is it even their responsibility to do something or should we be the ones spending extra money on extra/fancier locks?
c) Do you think Citi Bike is going to improve its service and reliability in the next year, or is the increasing popularity just going to make it more frustrating?

And we're off...

[Updated] About last night's CB3 Citi Bikes public meeting

As noted earlier, Community Board 3's Transportation Committee met last night to hear concerns about the Citi Bike program. We haven't heard about the meeting... or seen any write-ups about what might have transpired... Here's a tweet from Stephen Miller, a reporter from StreetsBlog...

CB 3 committee booked IS 131 auditorium to handle the big crowd for the #CitiBike gripe session. 25 people showed up. pic.twitter.com/feIYrhrAKU

— Stephen Miller (@miller_stephen) July 16, 2013

... and later...

All of the speakers so far have been very supportive of bike-share. One wanted to ensure station moved for construction is put back after.

— Stephen Miller (@miller_stephen) July 16, 2013

He tweeted that he didn't stay the whole time... so maybe the full-blown outrage came later...

Updated 3:40

Ah, The Lo-Down has just filed a report on the meeting... A passage:

Linda Martella said she, too “likes the idea” of the program– just not in front of her store. Martella, owner of Veniero’s Pastry on East 11th Street, said the street is already narrow, and the Citi Bikes across the street took over seven parking spaces and impedes the flow of traffic, especially when there are delivery trucks on the commercial street.

“We are especially concerned with the holiday time when [customers] come to pick up their orders,” Martella said. “We now have lost these parking spaces, making it difficult for the customers to carry these orders out.”

Read the post here.

BoweryBoogie also has a recap of the meeting here.

Report: Citi Bike to test a valet service on Avenue A and East 7th Street

[Worst PhotoShop ever by EVG]

That's the word from amNY:

Citi Bike is taking a page from restaurants and hotels by testing a valet service at a dock where people can avoid the frustration of trying to find a place to park their ride.

The weeknight valet service, which will launch at a dock on Avenue A and 7th Street on Monday, will be manned with at least two employees who will remove bikes once the dock fills up so that a couple of spaces will be always be available from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Perhaps this will help you avoid doing the "checking-all-of-the-Citi Bike-stations dance."

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition

Jeremiah continues featuring some of NYC's unique characters, such as the Seltzer Man ... and the Payphone Man.

Are sidewalk cafe umbrellas really necessary for one person? (BoweryBoogie)

Citi-Spaces vacates EV office (The Real Deal)

Fire at Teany (Eater)

Abandoned bungalows in Far Rockaway (Nathan Kensinger Photography)

Free Shakespeare this summer (The New York Times)

No certificate of occupancy for 120 St. Mark's Place; plus, the Mosaic Man's death's head for the wall (Neither More Nor Less)

Hawk invades First Avenue diner (Gawker)

St. Mark's Place: 1902 vs. 2009 (Hunter-Gatherer)

From the Zagat Nightlife survey press release: Hot Blocks: Voted NYC's hottest nightlife neighborhood, the Lower East Side had a banner year, with the most buzz-worthy newcomers. Exclusivity came downtown with the opening of Eldridge, and Thompson LES Hotel introduced Above Allen, a rooftop bar with a retractable roof and chic furniture. Further downtown, Santos Party House opened its double-decker dance floors to throngs of partygoers and a rotating list of celeb-DJs. (PR Newswire)

Matt Harvey talks with Vera Ramone (NYPress)

"Yeah, I thought being anorexic would be hot" (Esquared)

Lots of people buy second homes in Manhattan. Why? "[R]ecent developments have made New York even more tempting. Once-marginal neighborhoods such as the Meatpacking District and Times Square are not just gentrified but leading hot spots. The 10-year-old Hudson River Park has transformed the entire West Side shoreline, once full of rail yards and crumbling piers, into a sports, recreation and relaxation zone." (USA Today)

IZ the WIZ dies (Blogue via Gawker)

Angels and Kings to get douchier somehow (Grub Street)

Iggys Pizzeria is the name of the place to replace Five Roses (Eater)

Young Flanagan!: Best bartenders in NYC (Forbes)

Another take on the new "Taking of Your $12.50 123" (Patell and Waterman's History of New York)

Meet the new LES hotel (Curbed)

Duchamp reloaded (Please Enjoy via BoingBoing)

Carry a cello to meet guys (Glamour)

10 ten ways to get drunk on the cheap. Notable quotes: "I like my bars how I like my men: grungy and cheap" and "The roof is wonderfully enchanting for a spot on the less-attractive edge of the LES" and "Promoter Ruben Araneta told me the real secret: Go on a Monday, say his name at the door, then find him inside to cop a free vodka cran from his bottle — especially if you are female (duh!) and attractive (double duh!)" (Black Book)

More postcards from NYC to back home (This Ain't the Summer of Love)

Woody Allen: "New York itself is very inspiring. If I take a walk in the morning on Madison Avenue and I look at people going to work and kids going to school, I'm full of ideas about wanting to do stories about the city." (USA Today)

An event for Superdive?

9th Precinct now issuing tickets to anyone parking in Neighborhood Loading Zones

Here's a warning for anyone who continues to park long-term in Neighborhood Loading Zones. 

The NYPD is now writing tickets for anyone who uses the Department of Transportation's recently added Neighborhood Loading Zones around the East Village for anything other than quick pick-ups and drop-offs.

From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, these spaces are reserved for activities such as: 

• Package deliveries by commercial vehicles 

• Taxi and car service pick-up and drop-off

• Active loading and unloading of personal vehicles 

However, given the number of people parking long-term in these spots during the week, the 9th Precinct and the Manhattan Traffic Enforcement Unit recently started enforcing violations to noncommercial plate vehicles in these spaces. 

"We'd rather educate and inform people than write summonses," Officer Eugene Adeleye at the 9th Precinct told EVG correspondent Stacie Joy. "We've been getting complaints from residents and we will be actively writing summons to violators." 

Previously, the NYPD would issue tickets in these spots, but it was mainly at the discretion of the officer/traffic agents. 

As for commercial vehicles that continue to double-park on the street and block a bike lane, Adeleye said: "The trucks loading and unloading are not supposed to interfere with bike lanes, and if they do that is a violation, and they may get tickets themselves." 

Adeleye also said that he was sympathetic to residents upset at the loss of parking spots in recent years, from outdoor dining structures to Citi Bike docking stations.

"We are only doing this based on complaints we've received with no intention of giving anyone a hard time — that's why we are trying to educate people as much as we can," he said. "I feel like if people are aware, then they might be able to avoid getting an unnecessary summons."

Where the empty storefronts are

[Photo from Jan. 8]

As we noted last week, Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and East Ninth Street is awfully quiet at the moment. For now, just two of seven businesses are open on the block.

This situation will likely change soon enough. Lucy's will return. (The sign on the door says closed until further notice. She usually does take several breaks during the year, though those generally occur in late July-early August and late November-early December.)

The former 10 Degrees Bistro space will become a cajun-style restaurant via the team behind Shoolbred's and Ninth Ward. And the for rent signs have been removed from the former Sustainable NYC storefront. One EVG reader saw the folks from Top A Nails next door in here. (That could have just been a coincidence.)

Anyway, seems like a good time to look at a few other blocks with multiple empty storefronts... such as East 14th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... Danny's Cycles closed this location (due to a rent increase, according to some longtime customers) ... next door, the space has been Vegtown Juice, Chubby Mary's and Led Zeppole in the past three-plus years...



---

The west side of Third Avenue between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street has seen a lot of turnover in the past year, including the departures of East Village Cheese and Excel Art and Framing Store (both found new locations) and Organic Avenue. Five spaces are vacant (two of them are for rent).

There have been rumors that the Duane Reade at East 10th Street will eventually expand into at least two of the empty storefronts (and there are now approved work permits for the renovation on file with the city)...



---

... and directly across Third Avenue — the retail strip in the base of NYU's Alumni Hall between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street has many vacancies: Four of six storefronts are empty ... Citi Habitats moved out in June 2014 ... Birdbath Neighborhood Green Bakery closed in July 2014 ... the Subway sandwich shop closed early last October ... followed by Saint's Alp Teahouse ...



---

... the north side of St. Mark's Place has been hard hit... starting with the (temporary for now) closure of Nino's on the corner... then four of the next five storefronts are empty. The former Hop Devil Grill, Ton-Up Cafe, the Belgian Room and Luca Bar.



There is one incoming tenant — Sweethaus Cupcake Cafe is apparently opening at the old Luca Bar space at No. 119.

---

Staying on St. Mark's Place... we've previously noted how long (since late 2011) 37 St. Mark's Place at Second Avenue has sat empty. Four retail spots are available...


[Photo from October]

---

...and another long-empty block to note: Avenue B between East Fourth Street and East Third Street... these four storefronts have been unoccupied for years now, including the old Max restaurant at No. 51, now entering its fourth year of vacancy ... and No. 47, the former Le Souk, has been mostly barren for nearly seven years.

There have been a number of brokers trying to rent these spaces. For now, there aren't any for rent signs on the retail properties...



Previously on EV Grieve:
There are more than 20 empty storefronts along Avenue B (2008)

There are 21 empty storefronts along Avenue A (2010)

A new home for this Citi Bike docking station

An EVG reader told us that the Citi Bike docking station on the east side of First Avenue between Fifth Street and Sixth Street has been moved (as of yesterday) ... from the sidewalk to the roadway. 

The station with 51 docks arrived here in December 2019. At the time, some residents complained that the docking station took up too much sidewalk space. 

Now, as the reader noted, the docking station takes the place of several parking spaces ... including a spot for the fruit vendor's van, which was spotted around the corner...

Drawing lines ahead of the new Avenue C bike lanes

From this past week... workers from the Department of Transportation started marking Avenue C for the new bike lanes. 

Dave on 7th shared the top photo from between Ninth Street and 10th Street. He notes that on this stretch, there are also new "No Standing" signs installed. 

The new bike lanes will eliminate some free, non-metered street parking, which was the focus of a story this morning on NY1. Local Uber driver Myen Uddin told the station that he is concerned about being able to find a place to park.

"I already earn so less," Uddin said. "How can I afford a garage? $400 a month. No one can afford that!"

And...

... with outdoor dining structures and Citi Bike stations already replacing what used to be non-metered parking spaces near Avenue C and East 9th Streets, concerned residents like Uddin believe if the free parking spaces go away, he'll soon have to move outside the city.

"It's too much challenge for me for me right now," said Uddin. "I gotta leave the city. Go somewhere else."

NY1 also spoke with a local resident, Thomas Grenier, who welcomed the changes.

"The city is historically centered and organized around cars, so anything that will make the city more friendly to renewable energy and bicyclists is a good thing," Grenier said.

Meanwhile, other markings along the avenue show the buffer zones that will protect cyclists from cars and trucks.

As previously reported, DOT flyers along Avenue C provide details of the coming changes...

Improvements along C include: 

• Curbside bike lanes between Houston and Fourth Street 

• Parking-protected, bollard-protected and curbside bike lanes between Fourth Street and 18th Street 

• Updated parking regulations to provide truck loading zones 

• Neighborhood loading zones on select side streets 

• Painted pedestrian islands between 11th Street and 15th Street 

• New left-turn bays at 10th Street and 14th Street 

You can find many more details in the presentation that DOT officials made to CB3 back in April. (PDF here)

As reported last fall, the DOT is adding the protected north/south bike lanes on Avenue C and East Houston Street to help offset the upcoming closure of the East River Park greenway.

H Mart is open! H Mart is open!

[Photo from 8 a.m.]

The H Mart on Third Avenue between Ninth Street and 10th Street opened its doors today around noon (H/T Steven!)...

And there's an unconfirmed report that @sukebornloose was first in line...


[Photo by Steven]

This location of the Asian-American grocery will also carry BBQ chicken...



And the hours of operation...



More, much more, later... and previously.

Updated 1:15 p.m.

A few interior shots via Steven...











We first spotted the branding for the Asian-American supermarket here last August. This is the third H Mart in Manhattan (the others are on West 32nd Street and Broadway on the Upper West Side). Overall, H Mart, based in Lyndhurst, N.J., has more than 70 outposts in the United States and Canada.

Workers combined four retail spaces on this block in the base of NYU's Alumni Hall to fit this H Mart — the former Birdbath and Citi Habitats office (both of those businesses left in the summer of 2014 ... as well as a Subway (sandwich shop) and Saint's Alp Teahouse.

Avenue A bank-branch free for the moment with Santander's closure

This Santander outpost closed on Friday here on Avenue A at Fourth Street. Workers had removed the signage by the end of the business day.

A letter to Santander customers in January explained that the bank was consolidating this branch with the one at 841 Broadway.

This departure makes Avenue A bank-branch-less for now. The Chase closed at Second Street in November 2015 ... while the Citi shut down between Third Street and Fourth Street in January 2017. Both of those spaces remain on the rental market.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader report: Santander branch closing in April on Avenue A

M2M has closed for now on 3rd Avenue; new storefront coming 2 blocks away

As we reported, M2M was closing on Third Avenue at 11th Street at the end of the business day yesterday.

This morning, the owners of the Asian market put up signage with an announcement about their new East Village location ...



As you can see, M2M will eventually be moving two blocks to the south ... to the long-empty spaces in the retail strip of NYU's Alumni Hall...



The corner space was home to Birdbath Bakery until the summer of 2014. Next door, Citi Habitats moved out in June 2014. No word how many of these storefronts M2M will take. There are two other empty slots that the Subway sandwich shop and Saint's Alp Teahouse previously rented.

As for the former M2M space, Wagamama, the London-based chain of Japanese restaurants, is coming here soon. Before M2M opened in 2002, the storefront housed an OMG jeans outlet.

For now you can get your M2M fix at their Waverly Place store.

Thanks to Steven for the photos!

Spin cycle: Flywheel Sports opening next month in 51 Astor Place

[EVG photo from the other day]

Yesterday, we noted where we thought the incoming Flywheel Sports was going to live behind the plywood at 51 Astor Place/the IBM Watson Building/Death Star.

And just like that, signage arrived yesterday noting an opening next month...



This indoor cycling location will feature a stadium-seating studio with more than 70 bikes.

There hasn't been any research just yet to see how Flywheel compares to the Citi Bikes stationary workout.



Previously on EV Grieve:
3 retail spaces available at 51 Astor Place (22 comments)

You can finally shop at 51 Astor Place!

3 new retail tenants for 51 Astor Place: Bluestone Lane Coffee, Chop’t and Flywheel Sports

Chopping soon signage up at the Death Star

Here's the Bluestone Lane Coffee signage at 51 Astor Place

The Honey Fitz in the works for St. Mark's Place and Avenue A

There are ambitious plans in the works to convert and combine the former Hop Devil Grill space on St. Mark's Place with the temporarily closed Nino's Pizza next door on Avenue A, according to public documents (PDF) on the CB3 website.



A team led by James Morrissey (The Late Late on East Houston) and Gerard McNamee (Webster Hall) are proposing an operation called The Honey Fitz that would offer quick-serve breakfast as well as lunch and dinner ... in addition to a bar with "upscale craft cocktails." During the week, The Honey Fitz would offer free Wi-Fi and printers for "all local creative entrepreneurs."




[Screenshots via the CB3 website]

According to the paperwork filed ahead of this month's CB3-SLA meeting on Feb. 16, The Honey Fitz is named for the yacht owned by the Kennedys.

The configuration shows two bars in the conjoined spaces ... with seating for up to 90 people. The proposal includes a plan for a sidewalk cafe with 5-7 tables for two along St. Mark's Place.


[Click to go big]

As mentioned, the plan calls for the conversion of longtime tenant Nino's pizzeria, which has been anchoring the corner of Avenue A and St. Mark's Place.

Nino's had to close on Oct. 21 due to a gas leak in the building, according to a sign on the door. On Nov. 17, the pizzeria was hit with an eviction notice. Owner Nino Camaj has said that the gas was shut off in the building without any notice to him.

In late November, Camaj's lawyers were reportedly in discussion with landlord Citi Urban Management to dispute the rent charged for the month during which they had to close due to the gas leak. As we understand it, Camaj still has a lease on the space, and is currently in court over the matter.

You can read the comprehensive questionnaire for The Honey Fitz at the CB3 website. (Here.) The questionnaire includes several letters of no objection from nearby neighbors who said they would welcome this concept to the block.

The SLA committee meeting is Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.