L-train non-shutdown fallout: Bike lane battle shaping up along 12th and 13th streets

[Photo on 13th Street near 4th Avenue from early January]

The newish unprotected bike lanes on 12th Street and 13th Street have become a battleground following Gov. Cuomo's sudden cancellation of the L-train shutdown.

The lanes arrived back in late October and early November, part of the city's plans to help move people when the L-train was to shut down in April 2019 for 15 months for Sandy-related repairs between Eighth Avenue and Bedford Avenue.

Now, though, the 14th Street Coalition is asking the city to remove the bike lanes and the newly painted dedicated bus lanes on 14th Street. (The Coalition also sued to stop the bike lanes and busways in October.)

Streetsblog was first to report this past Thursday that someone spread broken glass along parts of the bike lanes on 12th Street and 13th Street on the west side. Per Streetsblog: "[C]yclist Jonathan Warner noticed that the lanes on 12th and 13th streets were covered in patches of broken glass, which he believed was an intentional attack on cyclists."

Gothamist has a good recap at this link. Read Streetsblog's follow-up report here.

At the same time, Transportation Alternatives launched a petition drive to retain the bike lanes (as well as the 14th Street bus lanes). Per the petition:

With M14 buses traveling at barely above walking speed, 14th street sidewalks fill to the brim with pedestrians, 12th and 13th street bike lanes adding a safe way for people to bike crosstown and upcoming infill expansion of Citi Bike, these improvements were needed before the announcement of the shutdown, are going to be needed during the partial shutdown, and will be needed after the repairs are finalized.

These improvements will help provide faster, safer and more efficient modes of transportation for New Yorkers to travel crosstown and alleviate congestion in our streets.

There were also signs up along the bike lanes... an EVG reader shared this photo from Thursday night on 12th Street between Fifth Avenue and University Place...



Per the EVG reader: "Funny thing is, the NYPD does a shit job of policing the lane so there were, as usual, many cars parked right in the green stripe on several other blocks, rendering the bike lane unusable. But that’s normal, whereas broken glass and nasty NIMBY notes are a little more novel."

The arrival of the broken glass and signs drew a strong response from city officials...

This is unacceptable. In my district. Shame on whoever did this. All New Yorkers are entitled to safe streets and shared spaces, on two wheels or on foot. https://t.co/xTAl9c6Sry

— NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson (@NYCSpeakerCoJo) January 11, 2019

A statement from DOT Commissioner Trottenberg and @NYPDTransport Chief Chan. pic.twitter.com/XobA6Xr8jV

— NYC DOT (@NYC_DOT) January 11, 2019

In a statement to Streetsblog, the 14th Street Coalition said they "had no involvement in, nor condoned, the defacing of bike lanes."

Meanwhile, also on Thursday, someone painted "Bring back our parking" on 13th Street just east of Avenue A...

Today would be a good day to appoint a Bike Mayor. https://t.co/6pMW9KxgNw pic.twitter.com/wIPdttHY7U

— Transportation Alternatives (@TransAlt) January 11, 2019

The DOT painted over the message on Friday morning, as these photos via Steven show...





Last Tuesday, Andy Byford, CEO of the New York City Transit Authority, told attendees of CB3's Transportation, Public Safety, & Environment Committee meeting that the fate of the bike lanes is up to the Department of Transportation while the future of the 14th Street Select Bus Service will be a joint decision.

In other post-L-train-shutdown developments... residents are asking what impact Cuomo's new plan might have on the construction on 14th Street between Avenue B and First Avenue.

One longtime 14th Street resident, who has spoken out on the numerous quality-of-life issues the construction has created in the past year, told me this:

"We're not sure if this will affect us at all much. We do hope, however, that the pols will call for an immediate stop to the night time and weekend work. There is no need to subject our neighborhood to these hours now.

Also, the MTA needs to be pressured to finish [the new entrances on] Avenue A. There is no reason it can't be finished now. They were just stalling the use it as the entry/exit for their infrastructure. An exit doesn't take three years to build."

Town & Village has more on this story here.

T&V also noted that workers removed some of the L-train renderings from 14th Street after Cuomo's announcement. A few remain for good measure, though...



The MTA is now holding an emergency public meeting tomorrow to discuss the L-train's reconstruction future.

Happy Friday the 13th

Given the date and the new Friday the 13th movie in theaters today...here's a replay from a post I did last June 13:


Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan is, of course, the most realistic film ever made about New York City. As the review on AllMovie.com notes, "Screenwriter Paul Schrader and director Martin Scorsese place this isolated, potentially volatile man in New York City, depicted as a grimly stylized hell on Earth, where noise, filth, directionless rage, and dirty sex (both morally and literally) surround him at all turns. When Jason attempts to transform himself into an avenging angel who will "wash some of the real scum off the street," his murder spree follows a terrible and inevitable logic: he is a bomb built to explode, like the proverbial machete which, when produced in the first act, must go off in the third."

[Hey...wait a minute here! C'mon, it has been a long week...In all seriousness, there are some unintentionally hilarious moments in Part 8...You get the idea just be watching the opening...]

Whatever happened to simple bar names... and concepts?

I'm thinking about some of the bars that I like in the neighborhood... Joe's, Mona's, Lucy's, Sophie's, Manitoba's, 2A, 7B ... all have pretty simple names — and concepts. Some other bars have been around long enough that I don't even think twice about the names anymore ... the International, the Blue & Gold, Mar's Bar, the Phoenix, the Grassroots, the Holiday Cocktail Lounge ...

Apparently, simplicity doesn't work anymore ... simple names, simple concepts... In the Times last week, Frank Bruni noted the three owners of the new Blind Barber on East 10th Street:

"This troika of tricksters is determined to get your attention. That’s no easy feat in the crowded downtown drinkscape, where the competition comes armed with secret entrances, hidden alleys, pharmaceutical paraphernalia, taxidermy. What’s left? A bar with barbers, it turns out."

Given the economics, I suppose you can no longer open a bar called Jim's where people could come and drink and have conversations and be profitable.

No, wait. I suppose you can no longer open a bar called Jim's where people who live in the neighborhood could come and drink and have conversations and be profitable.

So let's take a look at some of the new bars (and restaurants) that just opened or are opening very soon in the neighborhood:

1) The 13th Step



The team behind Down the Hatch is opening the 13th Step at the former Telephone Bar on Second Avenue. I posted this back in February.

The term the 13th Step means: This term is used as a euphemism for inappropriate sexual advances by a member to a newcomer in AA (such as sponsors toward sponsees).

In a post on the new 13th Step sign last week... some readers here weighed in...:

13th step. What the fuck is that, now we're gonna get all quaint and cutesy and ironic about alcoholism? Gawd sometimes I really hate people and their "creative ideas".

And!

Pretty soon we will have more bars with ridiculous flippant alcohol problem-referencing names like "The Drunk Tank", "Drunk and Disorderly's", "Alcohol Poisoning", "The Binge", "DUI"... possibilites are endless.

2) SRO

Theres's a new upscale winery coming to Stanton in the Bowery... at the former annex for the SRO Sunshine Hotel. So. The new owners tastefully decided to name this place... SRO... This name annoyed the CB3/SLA committee last Monday night, as Eater noted. (Read BoweryBoogie's coverage of this place here.)

As Jeremiah wrote about SRO: "another unfortunate appropriation of poverty-related language by caterers to the affluent. Hey, why not call it Flophouse? Or Soup Kitchen? Or Skid Row? Wouldn't that be hip? How about Scabies?"

3) The Ninth Ward



As Fork in the Road reported, the owners of Shoolbred's are taking over the former Thai on Two space on Second Avenue. Per the Fork:

"The new place will have an 1890s' New Orleans feel, with absinthe drips and classic cocktails, much like Laffite's or the Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street. Some food — most likely, Cajun standards — will be served."

Fine, but... When I heard that name, I recalled my trip to New Orleans in the fall of 2006 — nearly 14 months after Hurricane Katrina wiped out portions of the city. A friend, who was born and raised in New Orleans, took me for a tour of the devastation in various parts of the city, including the Lower Ninth Ward. Houses had been knocked off foundations. Not much remained except some muck — layers of canal water, sewage and dirt — and mold. Doesn't make me feel like a cocktail.

On Friday afternoon, Fork in the Road noted Louisiana-transplant and writer Cajun Boy's reaction via Twitter:

A New Orleans-themed bar in NYC called Ninth Ward has opened. Maybe I'll open a NYC-themed bar in New Orleans and call it World Trade Center

4) Billy Hurricane's



In the former Rehab/Midway space (and Save the Robots) space at 25 Avenue B, an upstairs/downstairs combo is opening soon. Grub Street reported in April that the owners will open the "Bourbon. Beer. Rock'–themed Idle Hands in the basement space while upstairs a group with ties to Thunder Jackson’s and Point Break will open Billy Hurricanes, a Mardi Gras–themed bar trafficking in frozen daiquiris, Cajun food, and a signature drink that will be limited to two per person."



Billy's has a blog. The first post notes:

Once we get the kitchen finalized, among other things... we will be ready to rock!
Watch out for our opening night party... will be off the hook!
Please welcome us to the neighborhood.
Are you ready to rock!?

DNAinfo had a follow-up on Billy's/Idle Hands a few weeks back. Per Patrick Hedlund's story:

But even though its door have yet to open, the space has already been forced to contend with negative criticisms that have cast the bar as a theme-park-style venue that will attract rowdy crowds to the residential area.

"There's always going to be somebody who doesn't like it and doesn't want you there," said co-owner Rob Morton, 37 ...

Morton responded to the snipes by saying his group is simply following a long list of glitzier nightlife establishments that have flocked to the formerly gritty area.

"You can't yearn for a neighborhood that was," he said

.

Or can you?

Work on new Avenue A entrances to the L train looks to be getting underway

Starting today, the MTA is relocating bus stops for the M14A and M14D between First Avenue and Avenue B.

For instance, the eastbound M14A will now pick up and drop off passengers on Avenue A between 14th Street and 13th Street ... the signs kind of explain the new system...



This is all apparently in preparation for building new entrances at Avenue A and a new power station at Avenue B for the L train. The MTA has said that the Avenue A entrances would serve 60 percent of the station’s ridership. (The First Avenue station sees 24,286 daily weekday riders, according to the MTA's website.)

As previously reported, this work is starting ahead of the L train shutdown between Bedford Avenue and Eighth Avenue to repair the Sandy-damaged Canarsie Tunnel. The shutdown of the L is expected to last 15 months with a start date of April 2019. The MTA signage on 14th Street notes a completion date of the fourth quarter of 2020 at a cost of $900 million.



Here's part of an MTA news release from March:

Prior to the tunnel closure, extensive station work will be performed that will increase operational efficiency and improve accessibility and circulation. Station improvements at the 1 Av and Bedford Av L Subway stations will include new stairways, and four ADA-compliant elevators and other work to improve customer flow.

Construction of a new Avenue B substation and other infrastructure will address power requirements that, combined with the existing CBTC signal system, will allow more trains to run on the line to accommodate growing ridership.

There's no word how long this First Avenue/Avenue A station work will last. Presumably you won't be able to take advantage of these new entrances until the fourth quarter of 2020 when the L train tunnel rehabilitation is complete.

And here's a look at where some work has already started taking place, such as across from the Associated Supermarket...



... and outside the diner on 14th Street...





... and just east of Avenue B, there are barrels set up around the Citi Bike docking station, which likely seems to be a candidate for a relocation...



Workers have also removed the bus shelters on 14th Street, in an unannounced move. Town & Village noted this back on Friday. The MTA gave this convoluted statement to them:

The existing bus stops on the westbound side of 14th Street on the island at Avenues A and B have shelters which were removed this past Friday in advance of the two bus stops being relocated this week. Both of these stops which are on the west side of the intersection now and will be moved to the east side of the intersection. The bus shelters will not be installed at the temporary stops but will be replaced at the end of the project when the stops are relocated back to their permanent location.

The existing bus stop on the eastbound side (south side of 14th Street) at Avenue A does not have a shelter. This stop will be moved this week as well. The bus stop for M14A will move around the corner on Ave A. The stop for M14D will be move to the east side of Avenue A intersection, however, since there is a building construction project occupying that space for the next nine months the bus stop for M14D at Avenue A will be eliminated until next spring (one stop is at First Avenue and the next will be at Avenue B). M14D customers who want to exit at Avenue A will be advised to take M14A bus while the bus stop for M14D at Ave A is not available.

So no bus shelters here until the work is complete.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Avenue A L train entrance closer to a reality … some day

RIP Gigi Watson

Gigi Watson, a longtime East Village resident, died on Friday. I don't have a lot of information at the moment. Her nephew shared the news via Twitter...

my aunt the psychic numerologist and original east village punker passed away last night. friday the 13th. full moon. from doing blow with rick james to trying to find joey ramone a girlfriend, she had the best stories in the worst way. i loved to make her laugh. rip gigi. ❤️

— momo (@SighPilot) September 14, 2019

James Maher interviewed her for our Out and About in the East Village feature in October 2014. It was a classic. Here it is again...

Name: Gigi Watson
Occupation: Writer, Artist, Cartoonist, Former Club Worker and Owner
Location: 3rd Street between 1st and A.
Time: 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24.

I’m a native New Yorker. I grew up in Ridgewood, on the border between Brooklyn and Queens, which now they can’t decide whether it’s Brooklyn or Queens. It was basically a German, Italian and Jewish neighborhood. The first thing you asked when you met another kid was what was your nationality.

There were places that we didn’t go. Bed Stuy and Red Hook, these were not places to go. In Red Hook, they used to find a dead body every single day. My train was the L, which used to be a horrible, horrible train. The L train connected with the G train, which was murder central. If someone paid me a million dollars in cash and said, ‘Here, get on the G train’, I’d say, ‘No thank you.’

My first apartment in Manhattan was a sublet on Christopher Street in the West Village. I moved in 1979. I then moved to the East Village in 1982, on 2nd Street between A and B. You had to have two or three jobs at the same time just to survive. That’s being a real New Yorker. My rent was so expensive. If I didn’t have two jobs, there would be no way I could cut that rent.

The first club I worked at was Bonds International Casino on Broadway and 45th Street. I was working behind the scenes in the office with guest lists, counting money. We had Blondie, The Clash, Blue Oyster Cult, Motley Crue, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who sucked. We had all kinds of punk rock bands. That’s where I developed a fear of crowds because the owner, John Addison, sold double the amount of tickets. We had 2,500-seat capacity and he sold 5,000 tickets per performance, and everybody showed up and was hammering on the door, ‘We want the show, we want the show.’ That place was fabulous.

[After Bonds] I worked at an after hours, where I worked the door. Cocaine was fantastic in the 1980s. That went right along with being at the front door. ‘Here, thanks a lot for letting me in,’ and I’d get a gram in my hand. That meant thank you. The stars I met — Nick Nolte, Grace Jones, Robin Williams, Paul McCartney. The list goes on and goes. Cause they would want to party late too.

I first worked in the cashier booth in Crisco [Disco], which is a famous haunt. We must have taken in at least between $8,000 and $10,000 on a Saturday night. It was a lucrative place.

After that I worked at Page 6. I was working the VIP room one month. Liza Minnelli was there snorting her brains out. Rick James comes in and puts a pile of coke on the table. All of a sudden you hear, ‘Freeze.’ So Rick James gets up, ‘Oh, I ain’t going to be arrested, I gotta get out of here, how do I get out?’ I said, ‘Mr. James there’s only one way out and that’s the way you came in.’ He walked out without a problem. It was the people that worked there that got busted because they didn’t have a liquor license.

After that I opened up my club, Trash. I was working at the time at Club 82, which was another after hours on 4th, and the manager there, John Matos said said to me, ‘Gi, why don’t you start your own club? How much do you need?’ We went shopping for furniture and I got all the stuff. I wanted neat 1960s furniture that was gaudy and cool looking. I wanted to do all the murals inside the club. I made the VIP room. I painted a big huge spider web so when you walked in, it was spinning. They would look up and sway from side to side. It was a cool place to be.

But that didn’t last very long because all the people who were great to look at had no money. Punk rockers do not have any money. Nobody had fucking money. Nobody had money for rent, forget about anything else.

Then one day a Hells Angel — this big Angel came in and went up to somebody at the bar and said, ‘Hey faggot’ and pushed him on the shoulder. The guy was a really cool looking punk rock guy and he was intimidated. Once the Angels come in, then it’s their club, and then it’s no longer my club or Trash. One brought many. Nobody would go there anymore. They were too afraid to go through the door. So that’s how Trash ended. That was about the time that punk rock itself was sort of waning.

Punk rock to me means anti-establishment. Punks saw that people conformed all over the place. It’s somebody with real talent to be unique and wild and out there. People used to come and sketch what I was wearing. The more beat up it is the better. They now have distressed leather. What fucking distressed? If you keep it on long enough, believe me it’ll become distressed. I always wanted to look different. I don’t want to look like anybody else. I want to look like me.

1 weekend down: L-train slowdown recap

We are now officially in L-train slowdown mode for the next 15-18 months.



On Friday evening, the MTA started its service reduction to repair the Sandy-damaged tubes between Manhattan and Brooklyn, ramping down L times to 20-minute waits starting at 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. during the week and around the clock on weekends. (Here's the MTA press release on it.)

The slowdown's debut on Friday received so-so to negative reviews, based on various published reports and social media accounts.

Line for the L train. Things are going great New York! #mta #nyc pic.twitter.com/pAkGr6XIU3

— Eric Yearwood (@EricYearwood) April 27, 2019

Officially a slowdown. #LTrainSlowdown pic.twitter.com/W2mblzsr97

— Edgar Sandoval (@edjsandoval) April 27, 2019

Jake Offenhartz has a nice recap of the first night — featuring broken arrival clocks and hour-long waits for trains — over at Gothamist.

Here's a quick overview:

For many of the city's regular L riders — a group that numbers 400,000 on a normal day — the reality underground was a far cry from the governor's description of "service that would still work." In Union Square, crowds were penned in along barricades on the mezzanine level, in some cases waiting to board an open train that wouldn't arrive for close to an hour. Transit workers, stationed across the system in large numbers, practically begged customers to make use of the increased service on the M, G, and 7 lines, or the free transfers on the M14A/D and Williamsburg Link buses.

Those who did stay encountered extended waits not only inside stations, but on unmoving trains as well. The dwell times seemed especially bad at Union Square, where the MTA's interlocking system means that Brooklyn-bound service must wait for a passing train to arrive before switching over to the shared track, in order to avoid the construction area between 3rd Avenue and Bedford.

"It's worse than I thought," said Alfredo Fernando, a dish-washer at a restaurant near Union Square.

Transit reporter Vin Barone has his recap for amNY here. As he notes, the MTA's biggest challenge might be happening as you read this: making sure there isn't any lingering construction left to disrupt this morning's‬ commute.

“[We] are aware of how critically important it is to have that smooth transition so that ‪at 5 a.m. we can start back in service,” said Ronnie Hakim, the MTA’s managing director, during a trip along the L line on Sunday. “We do this. We know how to do it. It’s a function of working out all the kinks.”

You can also find coverage at the Times, who was more sympathetic in its tone with a headline: "First Weekend Disruption Is Frustrating, but Not Disastrous."

By Saturday, the L-train situation had mostly righted itself. Christopher Robbins at Gothamist explored one of the alternative methods touted by the MTA to get around — the M14 — on Saturday afternoon. "And while there were definitely more M14 buses, there is nothing to save them from getting stuck in the miserable traffic that clogs 14th Street. It took us 47 minutes to get from Grand Street on the Lower East Side to 8th Avenue and 14th Street."

Help may be on the way. In June, the city plans to convert 14th Street into a busway from Third Avenue to Ninth Avenue with very limited access to car traffic.

Look how many buses are trapped on 14th Street! Ugh.

Seeing it in person just makes me more 😡 that a few cranks in the West Village almost succeeded in dictating the policy response to the #LTrainSlowdown

Now let’s activate this busway, please. #Peopleway @TransAlt pic.twitter.com/NU3hXxu9v6

— Thomas DeVito (@PedestrianTom) April 27, 2019

Now to a few other observations related to the slowdown...

The MTA is stockpiling extra M14s on the east side of Avenue A between 11th Street and 13th Street ...





This means no parking/or standing along here for the foreseeable future... from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Friday, and all weekend long...



The MTA also has extra buses at the ready on the east side of Third Avenue between 12th Street and 14th Street...





This also means no parking on this side of the Avenue ...



Meanwhile, the SBS bus services starts in June... and more ticketing machines have been unveiled... on the north side of 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...



... and the east side of Avenue A between Fifth Street and Sixth Street...



Anyone have any L-train stories to share from this past weekend?

Week in Grieview

[Photo from Tompkins Square Park yesterday by Bobby Williams]

RIP Charlie Romonofsky (Tuesday)

Groundbreaking on East 13th Street for the Bea Arthur Residence for homeless LGBT youth (Monday)

How Grace Farrell came to die outside St. Brigid's in February 2011 (Friday)

Here's the lineup for the 3rd annual MoRUS film festival (Wednesday)

Report: Bystander shot in foot during argument on Avenue D (Thursday)

East Village Spice back open on First Avenue (Friday)

NYPD rescues dog locked in car on Avenue B (Monday)

Hello Good Night Sonny (Monday)

Keeping up with Christo and Dora's new offspring (Friday)

Openings: Turntable Retro Bar & Restaurant on Avenue B (Tuesday)

In the case that you are just being an ass about the buzzers (Wednesday)

Paperwork filed to renovate Peter Brant's gallery space on East Sixth Street (Monday)

More about Bruno Pizza (Tuesday)

Blockheads opens (Wednesday)

Because we haven't posted anything about the incoming Black Seed bagels in more than two months (Thursday)

Ben Shaoul sells 31-33 2nd Ave. for $29 million (Thursday)

Former froyo spot will become body waxing center on 2nd Avenue, just because (Friday)

133 Avenue D is for sale (again) (Wednesday)

The former Contrada space is for rent (Thursday)

Summer Streets start next Saturday (Saturday)

First sign of the incoming CVS at 51 Astor Place (Friday)

Revisiting King Tut’s Wah-Wah Hut (Wednesday)

Continued dewatering at Ben Shaoul's 98-100 Avenue A prompts visit by the FDNY (Thursday)

Dunkin' Donuts moving into the Jefferson's retail space (Tuesday)

And in Tompkins Square Park: The NYPD patrol tower arrives (Tuesday, 149 comments) … prompting a fake Twitter account (Thursday) … a call for the tower's removal via an online petition (Thursday) … a flyer campaign (Sunday) … and a sleepover for Aug. 7-9 (Friday) … the tower also provided a backdrop for campgoers to discuss justice (Friday, 58 comments)

And in conclusion, some equal time for the candidates … spotted on East Houston (and elsewhere) …


[Art by Ivan Orama]

Out and About in the East Village, Part 1

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: Michael “Mikey” Cole
Occupation: Owner and Head Chef, Mikey Likes It Ice Cream
Location: 199 Avenue A (Between 12th and 13th)
Time: 1:30 pm on Wednesday, Sept. 17

Thirty-Five years ago, born and raised on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. I grew up in Stuyvesant Town, across the way. My parents are from Sierra Leone, West Africa. [They came here] when they were around their late 20s or 30, I think.

They tried to teach me lessons that I didn’t really know. They tried to be very rigid when I was a child, which kind of also makes you want to venture off and see the crazy side of the world. My mom was a nurse. My dad worked at the supermarket and then he worked for the City of New York. He carried like two, three jobs and my mom had two jobs, so sometimes they wouldn’t see each other for two or three days. I see my parents work hard and that’s what instilled the value of working hard myself. They tried to get me what I needed. I wanted them Jordans, ‘You’re getting the Avias.’ Damn. But they’re sneakers, so, you know? I’m glad that they instilled a hardworking value in myself.

As a child the neighborhood was cool. You had to stay out of trouble. You went anywhere around here and there was trouble up and down. I remember Friday the 13th or Rookie Day, that’s what we used to call it. It was real. I would get out of school at PS 19 and would go outside and be like, ‘Man, this is some fake bullying holiday.’ There were like 60 kids waiting outside to pummel you. You were like, ‘Damn, I’m gonna have to pull the Barry Sanders off to get home.’ But it was definitely fun growing up.

From Avenue B, 14th and Avenue B, the Campos projects there, they always had problems with the kids from Avenue D, which was two blocks from there, so when you came down to this area people didn’t want to venture off past Avenue B. Even Avenue A was tough. You would get off the train and just stay on First Avenue until you’d find your street and then you’d turn left or right. People rarely wanted to come into these areas. On 14th and First, there was drug dealing going on and clashes between people. In the 80s, even the 90s, you’d come outside and there was always something going on. You’d walk outside and walk down 13th Street and there was a bunch of people hanging outside and drinking on the stoop.

What was cool was the competitiveness. Kips Bay, up on 28th Street, these guys played basketball. Then you’d get the kids from Campos, Avenue D, 12th Street, 6th Street, who would play basketball. So all of us would roam around with our own teams of five. You’d roll five deep. After you’d lose, ‘Okay lets pack it up, let’s go over here.’ That’s what the weekends were like. You’d get to know other kids because we were all playing basketball. We all did the same damn thing anyway. You might not know their names but you’d say what’s up walking by. I can’t really walk down the street without someone saying, ‘Hey Mikey, how you doing?’ Now I have the store but way before that it was like that.

I got into ice cream because of my aunt. [Yesterday] was her birthday. When I was younger she would take me to school in the morning. Her name was Luciana but I called her Lucy. She was on my mother’s side. My grandfather was a chef on cruise ships, so my aunt came over and all she wanted to do was learn to cook just like her father.

So when I was in the third, fourth, fifth grade, since my parents weren’t home, I would sign up for Boys Club and go there a couple days a week. But my parents still didn’t want me out, so I was forced to go to cooking school with my aunt. I was the kid in the corner who would sit at the table with a whipping bowl or something smaller. Because of that, I was intrigued with cooking at a young age.

When my parents left me at home, my mom would leave like five dollars. ‘Get some pizza for you and your sister,’ and I’d be like, ‘Let’s not get pizza today, lets go to the supermarket, see what we can get for five bucks and make something.’ I made some nasty tasting ramen noodle experiments. But one day I was like, ‘I’m not eating like this anymore, I’m going to eat good tasting food’ and I just sort of learned cooking. Growing up, I became the kid that, showing up at any barbeque, and people were like, ‘Pass Mikey the tongs!’ I would be anywhere. I would be like, ‘Hey guys, I’m hanging out today,’ and it would automatically become, ‘Yo, Mikey’s cooking burgers.’ Everybody’s running to the grill.

I went to high school in Rhode Island, and then I ended up going to Johnson and Wales culinary course out there when I was in high school. I wanted to cook all the time. My mom would leave and my dad would be like, ‘I’m glad she’s gone, you’re cooking tonight.’ Then my aunt Lucy passed away. When she passed away my parents sent me to her apartment to clean. So I’m cleaning up the apartment and I saw four or five cookbooks up in the shelf. I’m short and I tried to reach for it and all the books fell and one of them opened up to an ice cream recipe and she actually was writing one herself. The school would make her write menus and stuff.

So then I came home, went to the supermarket, bought all the stuff and tried making the ice cream. I didn’t have an ice cream maker, I didn’t have nothing, I just did it in a freezer with a bowl and would stir it every half an hour. The texture came out disgusting, but the taste was kind of old school. It was like Julia Childs type stuff, but it needed to get some Mikey [influence]. So I sat there and started researching.

That recipe from my aunt is actually the base of ice cream that I use to make all these ice creams. The flavor is me giving it flavor on the top.

Next week: Mikey Cole on starting the business from home. "We’d be at my house for hours filling up the freezer with ice cream until my mom was like, ‘You gotta get that shit out of here.’

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

Week in Grieview

[St. Patrick's Day weekend on 2nd Avenue via Derek Berg]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Good Records NYC is closing, though the shop will continue to sell vinyl as Stranded Records (Monday)

A visit to Sixth Street Specials (Friday)

Photos: 'Best Wishes' from Harley Flanagan at the Pyramid Club (Wednesday)

A Repeat Performance, until July 31 (Wednesday)

Art on A Gallery closing this summer after 7 years (Tuesday)

Report: New York Attorney General intervenes to stop eviction of tenants in Raphael Toledano-owned building on 13th Street (Thursday)

The Annual Mr. Lower East Side Pageant returns to the neighborhood for its 20th edition (Monday)

The FDNY honors fire marshal Christopher T. Zanetis in plaque ceremony on 2nd Street (Friday)

Todaro Bros. is closing April 2, ending 102 years of business (Thursday)

Hanoi House expanding on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

Cold case: New information sought in the 23-year-old murder of Second Avenue Deli owner Abe Lebewohl (Friday)

An outpost of Original Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches arrives on Avenue A and 13th Street (Wednesday)

Station on 10th Street along Tompkins Square Park now one of the largest in the Citi Bike system (Wednesday)

Tree Bistro is returning after October fire (Thursday)

Reminders: the Ottendorfer Library is back open (Monday)

This week's NY See (Monday)

Christmas is coming to 10th Street thanks to 'Mr. Robot' (Wednesday)

Van Đa brings modern Vietnamese cuisine to 4th Street (Friday)

Report: MTA commits to a shorter work day for the 14th Street L-train rehab (Friday)

Chinese Graffiti now open at 171 Avenue A (Friday)

Coming soon signage spotted for Plado on 2nd Street (Tuesday)

The Black Emperor has arrived on 2nd Avenue (Thursday)

The building housing the now-closed Sidewalk remains for sale on Avenue A (Wednesday)

Another look at that 5th Street ghost signage (Wednesday)

1st of the new businesses at 20 Avenue A is now open (Monday)

Wattle Cafe joins forces with Pure Green at 152 2nd Ave. (Tuesday)

Perk Espresso and Coffee Bar opens this week on 14th Street (Monday)

Former No Malice Palace for rent on 3rd Street (Monday)

... and on Friday, students from several East Village schools came to Tompkins Square Park in support of the National Youth Climate Strike ...


[Derek Berg]

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Report: Rats running rampant in the Relaxation Garden on Avenue B and 13th Street

Residents say that rats measuring up to a foot long have been spotted in and around the Relaxation Garden on Avenue B at 13th Street, the Post reports.



The GreenThumb garden, part of the city’s urban gardening program, has been locked up the past two years during renovation work next door...





While closed, the garden has become a dumping ground ... and a breeding ground for rats, who apparently have a buffet at their disposal adjacent to the property.

Per the Post:

Some residents blame the growing rat infestation at the lot at Avenue B and East 13th Street on an adjacent trash-compactor area that serves neighboring buildings and NYCHA’s nearby Campos Plaza II housing development.

The trash compactor is privately managed, NYCHA spokesman Chester Soria said.

As a result, the sidewalk there has become a dumping ground for garbage, residents said Friday.

Making matters worse, another maintenance worker, who takes care of trash from two buildings on the block for C&C Management, said the city picks up garbage only “once every five days.”

Department of Sanitation spokeswoman Dina Montes said that “at a minimum” the agency “empties the compact container at this location three times a week.”

Aside from the fact that no one seems to know who's supposed to empty the dumpster (the city or a private company?), the construction at the building next door, 207 Avenue B, is at a standstill. The city issued a Stop Work Order in March 2017 because the contractor of record withdrew from the project.

The Parks Department is reportedly working with 207's landlord to expedite the work so that the garden can reopen.

The rat-baiting caution sign on the garden gate was last dated Feb. 27...



... and this is the poison that some property owners don't properly use, allowing any animal to ingest it... (one of the red-tailed fledglings in Tompkins Square Park died yesterday morning from rodenticide poisoning)...



Back to the Post:

“The city? They don’t do nothing,” added Juan Rivera, 57, who lives at the nearby Tanya Towers. “The rats are so big, like cats. I’m scared. Everybody is scared.”

On the CB3-SLA agenda tonight: Sidewalk cafes for Babu Ji and the Spotted Owl Tavern; new owner for the Thailand Cafe

[File photo of 129-131 Avenue C, soon to be maybe Jolie NYC]

Last week, we looked at two of the items that will be heard before CB3's SLA committee this month.

• Owners of Eleven B propose to open a Mexican restaurant in the former Mercadito space on B (March 11)

• Daniel Delaney proposing Delaney Barbecue for 1st Avenue (March 8)

Here are more East Village-related applicants ahead of tonight's meeting at 6:30 in the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Applications within Saturated Areas

• Jolie's NYC (Liquid JV LLC), 129-131 Ave C (op)

This is the Babel Lounge and Hookah Bar space between East Eighth Street and East Ninth Street. According to the paperwork (PDF) on file at the CB3 website, the current owner and licensee will be joined by a new partner for a venture called Jolie's NYC. There isn't much information about the concept, other than the proposed hours are 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. seven days a week. There will be 20 tables good for 80 seats, with a menu of "appetizers/finger foods."

Sidewalk Cafe Application
• Babu Ji (Babu Ji NYC Inc), 175 Ave B

The seemingly popular (and newish) Indian restaurant at the northeast corner of 11th Street is applying for a sidewalk cafe for 12 tables and 24 seats, with hours of 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; until midnight on Friday and Saturday.

The previous tenant here, the Italian restaurant Spina, had a sidewalk permit with 13 table and 26 seats.

• Spotted Owl Tavern (Tavern 211 Corp), 211 Ave A

The bar on the northwest corner of 13th Street is looking to add a sidewalk cafe license to its license. Plans call for six tables with 14 seats on Avenue A and East 13th Street, per the paperwork.

The proposed sidewalk cafe hours are 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday though Thursday; 5 p.m.-midnight Friday; Noon-11 p.m. Saturday; and Noon-10 p.m. Sunday.

Alterations
• Lovecraft (Sunrise Shadow LLC), 50 Ave B (op) (alt/ extend happy hour, closing hours, misc. changes)

The paperwork isn't specific about why the restaurant-bar-performance venue between East Third Street and East Fourth Street wants to extend their hours. The new proposed hours are: Sunday-Wednesday 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., Thursday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Their current hours are: Sunday 11 a.m.-midnight; Monday-Thursday 4 p.m.-midnight; Friday 4 p.m.-1 a.m.; and Saturday 11 a.m.-1 a.m.

New Liquor License Applications

• Boonsri Inc, 95 2nd Ave (op)

A new owner is taking over (or took over) the Thailand Cafe. The restaurant will continue to serve Thai food.

• Virginia (Oyster City LLC), 647 E 11th St (upgrade/op)

The well-regarded restaurant near Avenue C wants to upgrade its license to full liquor.

Items not heard at Committee

• Luzzo's Restaurant Pizzeria (Luzzo's 211 LLC), 211 1st Ave (op) (corp change)

A partner is leaving the corporation. Michele Iuliano will now be the sole owner, according to the paperwork.

• 575 Pub on Second Inc, 93 2nd Ave (op) (corp change to place corporation into family trust)

This is the new Cock on Second Avenue (former Lit Lounge space). Allan Mannarelli wants to put the ownership into a family trust, per the CB3 paperwork.

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bc=beer & cider | wb=wine, beer & cider | op=liquor, wine, beer & cider | alt=alterations

Week in Grieview

[Signs of fall in Tompkins Square Park]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Report of injuries during major fire at 188 1st Ave. (Wednesday) ... Watch this drone footage of the fire at 188 1st Ave. (Wednesday) ... After the fire: A look at 188 1st Ave. (Wednesday) ... A look at the fire-damaged Uogashi; plus video of when the fire started at 188 1st Ave. (Friday)

Exclusive: The Boys' Club of New York puts the Harriman Clubhouse on the sales market for $32 million (Friday)

Report: NYU student dies jumping in front of L train at 1st Avenue (Tuesday)

CB2 SLA committee OKs license for new ownership of Great Jones Cafe (Wednesday) ... Petition asks new owners of the Great Jones Cafe to keep the wings on the menu (Friday)

East Village history at the Tompkins Square Library branch this month (Tuesday)

Playground renovations underway in Tompkins Square Park (Monday)

This week's NY See (Thursday)

Liquiteria closing 2nd Avenue outpost after 22 years in business (Monday)

Feltman’s moving away from Theatre 80 on St Mark's Place (Monday)

On 6th Street, the Ukrainian Museum debuting Andy Warhol exhibit this weekend (Friday)

It's October, which also means it's Hitchcocktober (Wednesday)

Why El Jardín del Paraíso is temporarily closed (Tuesday)

Marshalls opens on Houston Street (Thursday)

A look at the coming-soon signage at the Moxy East Village (Thursday) ... and a few Moxy East Village details (Monday)

A note for a bicycle thief (Monday)

Tropic Bowl brings the açaí bowls to 1st Avenue (Monday)

787 Coffee now open on 7th Street (Wednesday)

Milestones for LinkNYC; ongoing concerns about tracking movements (Tuesday)

Here's Mister Paradise (Wednesday)

Full reveal at 363 Lafayette (Monday)

The return of the cowboy on Avenue A (Thursday)

Report: Supreme leasing temp space at 190 Bowery (Wednesday)

The 13th Step loses the 13th on 2nd Avenue (Thursday)

... and flyers/stickers from a tumultuous few weeks...


[1st Street]


[11th Street]


[Avenue A]


[2nd Avenue]


[The Bowery]

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Taking another look at the all-new East 14th Street

On Friday afternoon, we got the first look at what a good chunk of East 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B might look like a few years from now ... via this conceptual rendering from an RKF retail listing ...



To date, eight parcels consisting of 222 Avenue A and 504 - 530 E. 14th St. (excluding No. 520) were leased for a 99-year period. Per the retail listing, this will be a seven-story residential and retail development.

The post drew 57 comments... ranging from better than what's there now (several commenters noted the corner space is currently housing a handful of people) ...




... to could have been worse... to ugly, boring, suburban ...

So we're trying to get an idea of how large this "residential and retail development" will be... The red lines (where are the arrows?!) outline the parcels that were sold...




[Click image to enlarge]

And one thing that we didn't mention Friday: The listing says that there will be a "loading dock located on the East 13th Street side of building."




So what will go on East 13th Street to make this loading dock a reality? (And is this quiet stretch of East 13th Street really loading-dock friendly?) Our best guess... whatever this thing is on the block...



And from the air...



And it seems like that fire on Avenue A and East 14th Street was a really long time ago already...

[EV Grieve reader Sergey]

The three-alarm fire wiped out the corner on May 12, 2010... taking with it neighborhood favorites Stuyvesant Grocery and Pete's-a-Pizza.

Previously on EV Grieve:
East 14th Street exodus continues

The disappearing storefronts of East 14th Street

[Updated with correction] 8-lot parcel of East 14th Street primed for new development

East 14th Street corridor now nearly business-free ahead of new development

Here is the future of East 14th Street and Avenue A: 7 stories of residential and retail