We're catching up to Monday night's CB3/SLA meeting. We weren't able to attend. But. The big ticket item on the agenda was 34 Avenue A, a modified proposal for a restaurant-bar-performance space. The CB3/SLA committee rejected the plans from Phil Hartman and Todd Patrick back in March.
According to the Lo-Down, the discussion for 34 Avenue A lasted two hours and 15 minutes. After several attempts with various stipulations, the CB3/SLA committee was unable to reach a majority vote, so the item was booted over for the full Community Board to discuss on Tuesday night.
The Local East Village reports that 11 people spoke out in favor of the establishment (many of them musicians); while 16 people spoke in opposition.
CB3 District Manager Susan Stetzer, speaking she said as a private citizen, was against the proposed new venue. "What we're talking about is kind of community planning. This is 150 more people on the street at 4 a.m.," she was quoted as saying in the Local East Village. "We cannot accommodate that."
Here are a few details about the space: It's called the Piney Woods, featuring a kitchen serving "affordable" Southern cuisine ... and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Jeremy Spector, owner and chef of the Brindle Room on East 10th Street, will serve as the chef here.
The second-floor stage aims to showcase the kinds of bands you'd have seen at the original Knitting Factory on Houston as well as Tonic. During the day, the stage would be made available to local community groups to use for fundraisers, student productions, etc.
People we spoke with who attended the meeting — both for and against the proposed space — described the proceedings as "pissy" and "contentious." Oh, and "ludicrous." We're reluctant to recount what happened via the attendees, because the course of events varies a bit from person to person.
As the Local East Village reported: "Tensions ran high among the crowd gathered ... At one point, chatter from audience members prompted Alexandra Militano, committee chair, to scold the spectators for 'heckling' when opposing viewpoints were presented."
Here are a few other highlights, gleaned from the post that Devin Briski wrote for Eater:
• The committee said no to the sushi place hoping to open at the former Mondo Kim's/Cafe Hanover at 6 St. Mark's Place.
• No go either for the aspiring East Village Brewery & Beer Shop at 14 Avenue B. (They were the ones who borrowed the Prime Meats menu for display...)
• Frankies got the OK to expand its storefront at 17 Clinton St.
• Bistro Nomad at 78 Second Ave. was OK'd to expand its sidewalk presence and extend its hours.
• JujoMukti Tea Lounge at 211 E Fourth St. did get the OK for a beer and wine license in a resolution area ... per Eater, "a decision that was made in an attempt to save the healthy living center after enthusiastic patrons spoke out about the venue's uniquely diverse presence and focus on a nurturing lifestyle."
• Cooper Craft and Kitchen ( a craft-beer-focused bar-restaurant) got OK'd for a full liquor license for the former Kurve/Rhong-Tiam space on Second Avenue at Fifth Street.
BoweryBoogie has a little more on other LES agenda items here.
As for Tuesday, the
PS 20 - 166 Essex Street, (Between East Houston and Stanton Street)
Previously on EV Grieve:
Phil Hartman bringing a 'performance venue' back to former Mo Pitkin's space
[Updated] Bringing 'the tradition of the old Knitting Factory and Tonic' to 34 Avenue A
Because you want to know more about the plans for 34 Avenue A
15 comments:
There are a million music venues that feature avant-garde experimental music. Who's kidding who. They want to bring back the tradition in music that was lost because of gentrification. They trashed all of the other music venues, trashed the non-profits, trashed the people, bars, clubs that are here now stating that that they are in no way like these places.
You have to understand that part of the reason Avenue A is the shit-show that it is because of Phil Hartman and his failed businesses which were pushed through by his good friend CB3/SLA committee member David McWater.
McWater has forced a proliferation of liquor licenses in the neighborhood, a kind of pro-business stance and now we have places like Billy Hurricanes, The Sunburt Cow, Croxley Ales and Diablo Royale just to name a few. The kind of places that they were trashing.
These guys have no respect for the community. Phil sold Mo Pitkins to Aces and Eight and we all know how that worked out, and when concerns were raised about the impact that Piney Woods would have on long time neighborhood joint Cafe Angelina right next door. Todd P. remarked oh please he's going out of business anyway.
This whole thing has been rigged from the beginning. Boy's Club! Boy's Club! Boy's Club!
One of the main problems with an application like 34 Ave A is that CB3 continues to vote inconsistently on it's own guideline of no new liquor applications within a resolution zone. Avenue A was declared a resolution zone due to the over abundance of liquor licenses already in existence. 56 between Houston and 14th. But the board often makes exceptions and approves new applications. Either the guideline means something or it doesn't. It's makes things frustrating and overly contentious for all concerned including board members who argued among themselves for twenty minutes before reaching a stalemate.
This was a stunt going all the way back to the CBGB slice and Jevan Damadian's, (former partner and lease holder of Aces and Eights) attempt to reopen 34 Avenue A as a restaurant/bar, which according to him would be nothing like Aces and Eights. He was denied, as a matter of fact strangely McWater opposed it.
I'll tell you why, because he was setting the stage for his friend Phil Hartman to re-emerge on the scene in the form of a savior. The March application then had Jevan Damadian, Mike House, Todd Patrick and all of a sudden Phil Hartman was denied. McWater voted for it. The wole thing seemed suspicious.
Now at this most recent attempt, they apparently dumped Damadian. They were kind of like No No Damadian is entirely out of the picture. That was bad really bad but he's not involved anymore. First of all how is it that in March they were pitching him as an awright guy and now he's the bad one.
Letting a few months pass has given Phil time to throw some money around and for some underground scheming to take place. You want to talk about chutzpah!
What a joke - I was there for the brew pub on Ave B and could not believe what I saw happen to the folks opposing 34 Ave A. How could CB 3 not deny this license when these folks pointed out there are something like 50 licenses on Ave A and about a dozen within 500 feet. I thought there were rules about this stuff. They really screwed those folks who live across the street. This is some sort of southern style restaurant with a small stage for live music and they get approved for a brand new license. Some guy said this was a fairy tale and I agree, but a really bad fairy tale.
I was sitting behind that guy Todd and couldn't believe what he said about Cafe Angelina. I love Angelina - they are a real restaurant with reasonable hours, good food, good prices and guess what they don't have a full liquor license. So this guy who isnt even from the LES is gonna pull in and open up right next door and get a full liquor and drive Angelina out of business. How obnoxious and audacious is that. What is Phil thinking here - we all support his Pizza place because it is a local place, because while the pizza is good it ain't Patsy's and he is gonna drive another local restaurant out of business by opening a monstrosity right next door with a full liquor license staying open until 2 am. Shame on all of them.
give it up Todd!
I live on Avenue B and would like to see Piney Woods open. Yes, my block has plenty of drunken morons every weekend too. This isn't going to add to the nightlife problems. Where were all of you when Billy Hurricane's got the full deluxe license? You don't think think places like that impact your precious Avenue A? This is NIMBY-ism at its ugliest.
That's not what people are saying. You are absolutely right, there are drunken morons everywhere, A, B, C!!
That's what this is all about the proliferation of licenses and McWater is driving the train. Hartman said at the meeting in March that he lived on the worst block because of all the bars. Did he ever come out to oppose? Not for him.
What did you do about Billy Hurricanes, did you organize, get petitions, bring a crowd?
Interesting that the brewery on Ave B was denied but the beer-themed place on 2nd & 5th was approved. What's the difference?
I was at the meeting and heard a cb member state that this project had the most support in SLA comitee history.
That's gotta stand for something. What we have here is a classic generation gap wherein a small but vocal group of activists, mostly retired, have a strong voice. As a younger resident of the neighborhood I can attest that nearly everyone I know supports the proliferation of discerning venues back into the neighborhood. People are tired of having to go to Brooklyn for indie culture, as ridiculous as that might sound..
Boy you are really dumb. A mixed age group showed up but that's besides the point.
What you are engaging in is called ageism, similar to racism, classism, sexism, misogynism, etc. etc. etc.
Furthermore the member you are referring to is Ariel Palitz. She's on the chair of the NY Nightlife Association. She will vote anyone in. She was the only member that actually voted for Damadian. Like I said. She will vote anyone in.
To tell you the truth myself and nearly everyone I know who has lived in the neighborhood for a really long time including some of the past music legends supports assholes like you moving out of the neighborhood.
@Anon 4:09 - This place is gonna have a tiny stage and two bars. The majority of the space will be a restaurant/bar not an indie music venue. This is just another restaurant/bar that will most nights and most of the time serve tourists from the hotels below Houston Street. Those folks who think somehow this place is gonna bring back the art and music scene that once existed here are living in a dream word. Most of the artists and musicians have been forced out by greedy corporate landlords and replaced by yuppies and yunnies.
That said there are plenty of places in the hood now that have great music - perhaps you should get a clue.
The venue would sound great, except for one thing.
Phil is involved.
That makes the whole thing sound awful.
Phil: sell pizza. Don't do anything else.
- Veteran and Survivor of your 00s adventures
I couldn't agree more - the only reason Phil is involved in this at all is to get through CB 3. He isn't even a majority partner - I think he previously referred to himself as the"cheerleader". More like the "lobbyist", using his ties to David McWater and other CB 3 members to force this through. Frankly the pizza isn't even that good - Stromboli is way better.
for the record, i would have taken indie music fans over the yuppie fratty jappy $luts and entitled rich morons anyday. indie music fans are generally respectful people. and there are almost ZERO places left in the east village for live performances. it's all full of bougie morons who just want to consume and be seen at overpriced cr@pholes that are totally devoid of culture or art. mo pitkins was fantastic and i still dont understand why it closed.
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