Several readers have noted that that a new coffee shop has opened (as of April 18) at 256 E. Third St. near Avenue C. A reader said it's pretty straightforward — coffee, tea ... some croissants. The coffee is from Strongtree Organic Coffee Roasters in Hudson, N.Y. I stopped by myself to check it out yesterday morning, though it wasn't open yet for the day...
C takes over the space from Chez Betty Cafe.
I lived on this block from 1978-1980. It was the first time I ever saw a real handgun, and although you could not buy a cup of coffee, heroin and works were available 24/7.
ReplyDeletePeople have no fears about moving to Avenue D. The further East the cooler. Developers will go after any available property and people will move in at any price.
ReplyDeleteThe new Girls Club is underway on Avenue D and that's great, however the residential component is something that I go against. It's a mixed income building, 50% will be market rate. These units are going to dump around 100 upper income people on 8th Street between Avenue C and D. This is something we can not afford on the LES and EV. Mixed income units prove to be a failure, starting with the the first development in the area, the Cooper Square Development which includes the Whole Foods complex and Avalon Bay. This Bloombergian housing model does not work, has destroyed our neighborhood and continues to be the direction that our community board advocates for.
In the end, between all of the new sleek luxury buildings, tenement conversions to market rate or single family dwellings and mixed income complexes like the SPURA plan the neighborhood will be entirely taken over.
This seems to be what people want.
the cooper square site COULD HAVE BEEN 80% low income housing years ago. that's what the city offered. cooper square, along with the joint planning council (umbrella group at that time) insisted that ALL CITY OWNED HOUSING be 100% low income housing.
ReplyDeleteso after 40 years the city decided the sites were too valuable, and now there is only 20% of low income housing.
It doesn't help any that CB chair Dominic Pisciotta and CB member and former chair David McWater are driving the train in land use and liquor licensing in our area.
ReplyDeleteThey are both pro business, pro gentrification. I can't believe that McWater actually said that he was torn regarding Serge Hoyda, developer of the stalled sites at 180 Ludlow and 163 Orchard. McWater said “I hate to see a guy wiped out". Let the guy rot.
This woman Jessica Loeser who is a member of CB3's land use and zoning panel happens to be the attorney for this guy Hoyda, as well as for other developers in the area. She's pro development, pro gentrification.
These are just a few CB members who are helping to destroy our area.
There are very few radicals on the community board and the ones who are in the middle are weak and easily persuaded.
these comments are combined with the next post about the Chez Betty cafe window...at any rate ave C has Eastville Gardens and that recent brick building lots of condo tenement conversions and an obnoxious bar strip of posers. i hope that the coffee place is low key. if they need some tips. bring in some dumpy furniture and be nice to people who have lived in the community forever. Ha ha, we'll see.
ReplyDeletethere are no longer any radicals on the community board.
ReplyDeleteonly political hacks that think they still have some power.
How does one become a board member? Are they elected? If so, then we can cause a revolution by getting these people out. Its the same for Christine Quinn thinking she could be mayor. Lets get these people out!!
ReplyDelete