Golden Cadillac received the OK last night from the CB3/SLA committee to take over the former Boca Chica space on First Avenue at East First Street, Grub Street's Mary Reinholz reported this morning. (Read more about Golden Cadillac here.)Meanwhile, regarding another big-ticket item, we heard from several attendees of last night's meeting about the contentious nature of the discussion over The Asphalt Jungle, the new cocktail lounge from the Dutch Kills team. They were applying to take over the former Mercadito Cantina space at 172 Avenue B.
Jean-Paul Buthier, owner of vintage shop Rue St Denis next door, was one of the people to speak out against the applicant. From his view, there are already enough bars on Avenue B ... "Maybe we need more AA meetings."
We'll let Grub Street pick up what reportedly happened next.
Seemingly stung by the Frenchman's comment, [Dutch Kills partner] Boccato replied that he and his partner Ian Present had roots in the East Village and were trying to create a safe and reputable establishment. "We're not carpetbaggers," he said, adding, "with all due respect, sir, your accent doesn't sound like a Native New Yorker." The barman's zinger elicited groans and protests from spectators, and even resulted in calls from committee chair Alexandra Militano for attendees to settle down.
The committee later voted to deny the Asphalt Jungle application. Read the rest of the Grub Street post here.
Updated 4-10
The Dutch Kills team have said they will not move forward with this project on Avenue B.
no sir, you're not a carpetbagger you're a drug dealer, you want to help with the ongoing chemical warfare being perpetrated against the East Village. The "community" of the East VGillage has been destroyed. but there are tons of tourists and business people coming in, letting off a turd, then leaving so we have to pick up the shit.
ReplyDeleteYes, because God forbid anyone - especially a furriner! - stand in the way of some sleazy alcohol peddler's, be they local or not, desire to make money off the backs of stupid kids, while making the lives of surrounding residents hell!
ReplyDeleteThe French should remain silent during our Amurrrican politix.
ReplyDeleteThe comment was really deragatory. I don't understand how the community board ahould allow such behavior. The board chair should have said- this is uncalled for and I vote to deny based on this-if you are acting this way here I can't imagine what kind of business owner you will be.
ReplyDeleteThey were trying to play the we are from the hood card. What makes it even more offensive was the comment from board member Carlina Rivera of GOLES. She said that we need more people from the hood. That's so stupid. What does that have to do with the fact that the area is saturated. She thinks that if people are from the hood they should be obsolved from everything even if it means destroying other peoples lives. To be honest she votes everything in. One of the worst ones.
absolved.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if Boccato realizes this, but there are lots of people in the neighborhood with accents from Puerto Rican to Polish. NYC was made by immigrants, you know.
ReplyDeleteI will miss Boca Chica.
ReplyDeleteThe name of the application on the agenda was actually "Suffering Bastard". Perhaps they should have called it "suffering fool", which is how Boccato acted. He stood up there and insulted a guy who has run a successful business on Ave B for 21 years, when noone wanted to open a business on Avenue B. It got worse outside, when Boccato confronted Jean-Paul outside, telling Jean-Paul he should have stayed home and kept his F***ing mouth shut and that he(Bocatto)was a native son who represented New York City. Even their lawyer was disgusted. This guy should never, ever be allowed to get a liquor license in the EV if this is how he treats respected business-owners and residents.
ReplyDeleteThey should be denied just for using that hideously stupid name, "Asphalt Jungle..." What does that have to do with high end cocktails or tiki? Just what the EV needs, another pretentious ass "cocktail bar" catering to douchebags! These guys were frauds from the get go! Playing the "we're from the neighborhood card" sucks and anyone who's hip knows this. That space is a loser and will never get a license! Good riddance new jacks!
ReplyDeleteThere are too many, as in every other storefront is a restaurant or bar on Ave B. Once patrons of these places spill out onto the streets there is loud laughter and yelling at best fights and things getting smashed at worst. Some more business's that provide something other than alcohol would be a benefit to the area (and I don't mean you 7-11).
ReplyDeleteThe mighty Ravi DeRossi tried a rum bar on A and 6th, and couldn't make it work. That's a much better location for foot traffic than 11th and B. I don't see how a rum bar would then work here.
ReplyDeleteThe name of the application was actually suffering bastard, but a more appropriate name would have been suffering fools for the way these people acted. Boccato made matters worse by insulting people outside, claiming that he represented New York. As for the CB, the post earlier was accurate in terms of Carlina. She went on to claim the space had been vacant for 3-4 years, trying to sway members by the old vacant store argument. The reason this space is vacant is because the landlord chooses to keep it vacant in the hopes of getting a bar or restaurant as a tenant. Well hopefully he gets the message now that it won't happen and brings down the rent. Saying that people who are born and raised in the "hood" should get a liquor license so they can get their hands on a piece of cash cow that bars and restaurants have become in the EV is absurd. Does the fact that you were born and raised in the EV give you the right to now grab as much cash as you can off the hood, because we have become a destination? That a guy with a french accent who has been running a successful business here for 21 years should have to worry about his rent being jacked-up in favor of a bar? Sounds a bit Xenophobic to me. - Oh perhaps that can be the name of Boccato's new venture.
ReplyDeleteI used to live in the building, the certificate of occupancy only allows for one storefront and one non profit. I don't get how a restaurant was allowed to operate in this space, and how the zoning laws are just overlooked. And 'Asphalt Jungle' sounds like a real 'safe reputable establishment'? but what's in a name-
ReplyDeletewhat was even more offensive was how Carlina Rivera told the applicant that he should find another space and come back. This was after he made the remark to jean-paul.
ReplyDeletepainkiller wants to move it to the east village?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.boweryboogie.com/2013/04/report-pkny-planning-move-to-east-village-with-new-name/
Totally agree with Anon 3:27 PM. Top many bars period. It doesn't matter if you're from the 'hood. For those that are allowed they should be good operators. This guy seems like a total ass.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Anon 8:16 PM. The owner had several dozen violations in the past few years, not to mention that they structurally damaged 174 Ave B next door when building - the braces on the west wall are a result of this. One of the renters that I met a few years ago in that building told ne that they had no heat for a year. All the renters had a rent strike & then moved out. These are no rent stablized apartments - they go for a lot of money. But if you can cut off the heat to get rid of some people that moved in when the beghborhood wasn't so desireable then you can raise the rent & then fix the heat.
The C/O is for one store & non-profit. There is non profit & as I recall, Mercadito Cantina had an issue with a 2nd exit going into the lobby of the residential space.