The Stage, the beloved 35-year-old diner at 128 Second Ave., is currently in the process of being evicted by landlord Icon Realty.
The restaurant has not been open since March 30 ... and there are doubts that they will ever be able to reopen, at least here near St. Mark's Place. Stage owner Roman Diakun has until the end of this month to leave the premises.
In a Facebook update posted today, Diakun and his son Andrew "cleared out some of the supplies from the shop yesterday. Most of the goods were donated to The Bowery Mission, and some were given to our friends Fawzy and Ola from B&H across the street."
Not really an encouraging sign about the Stage's future, especially since the items that they donated were all non-perishable goods.
Icon has accused the Stage of illegally siphoning gas, which was the basis for the eviction notice. Roman Diakun has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
Updated 4:34 p.m.
The Stage left this down in the comments of the post …
"We just emptied the store of supplies because we don't know how much longer we will be closed for and figured we should give it to someone who needs it at the moment."
Previously on EV Grieve:
The possibility that the Stage won't reopen on 2nd Avenue
City serves stop work order on Icon Realty-owned building for installing gas pipe without permit across from deadly 2nd Avenue blast zone (48 comments)
Petition to help reopen the Stage
Tenants at 128 2nd Ave. file suit against Icon Realty in housing court
Troubling talk about 128 Second Ave, and the long-term future of the Stage
[Updated] Report: Icon Realty serves the Stage an eviction notice
Stage owner Roman Diakun responds to allegations of illegally siphoning gas
Petition to help reopen the Stage
All images via Facebook
I always thought of Stage and B&H as counterparts, one with meat, one without.
ReplyDeleteThis is so screwed up. Losing the Stage because ICON is opportunistically taking advantage of the fire across the street is stupid/evil/bad/dumb/awful. I just don't understand how ICON is able to get away with this kind of thing all the time. Surely, Stage can find affordable legal help and sit tight?
ReplyDeleteIt's not the end of the world if we lose Stage. No, ICON is not ISIS. However, this just seems so unfair to Stage and Stage has been part our neighborhood for years. This should be example number 1 for the push for small business rent regulation. Slowing this process down, giving Stage time to survive in some fashion, is a much smarter move for the community than allowing ICON to bully Stage to the sidewalk on no notice.
Where are all of the politicians who promised to help Small Businesses?
ReplyDeleteThis breaks my heart. I praise Roman for donating to help others. He represents the best of this neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteAs for Icon: this is another very big black mark against you, to add to the huge amount of bad karma you have.
Awful
ReplyDeleteFUCK !!!!... FUCK !!!! FUCK !!!! FUCK !!!! FUCK !!!! FUCK !!!! FUCK !!!! FUCK !!!! FUCK !!!!
ReplyDeleteICON, you are MOTHERFUCKERS !
They are truly mensches, trying to help out others even as they're knocked to the ground (for now). Kings among men.
ReplyDeleteIn related news, following the Euro's steep decline this past year, according to Douglas Elliman the price of luxury homes in the Hamptons is down a whopping 27%, even the price of average homes is down 15%. The long awaited real estate market collapse or correction is coming, and it will hit speculative developers like the ones gobbling up the EV the hardest when it does. Hopefully it will help Stage find a more reasonable deal with a better landlord.
ReplyDeleteThat Stage is giving goods to charity underscores the incivility of Icon.
ReplyDeleteHas the B&H opened yet? It wasn't this past week.
ReplyDeleteHow does a drop in housing prices in the Hamptons affect the EV? Arent these two different markets? Rents are up all over America because of people not buying and renting. Are EV renters buying Hamptons homes? Id think rental properties Manhattan would be a safer bet for money. Do you think rents are going to go down? I dont think so. Far more people can pay 3k a month than can buy a 15 million dollar trophy property. Or am I missing something?
ReplyDeleteI'm going to miss seeing one of their cooks hanging/smoking outside their joint while on break. He was quite a character.
ReplyDeleteStage was an institution and once ICON bought the building we all knew it was only a matter of time before they served their last meal, but I always assumed there would be time to have a few last meals there. ICON using the disaster across the street to kick Stage out is really below the belt. Absolutely infuriating and pathetic. I had many wonderful meals there, and nothing can replace it. Nothing.
ReplyDeleteI realize that Stage is a small business with limited resources but . . . this seems so straightforwardly wrong. I suspect a reasonable Kickstarter to cover their legal expenses, if necessary, would be instantly successful. They can give future burgers to funders. How much would it take to fight this? I really hate to see them go out like this and I hate even more that ICON is getting away with acting like scum.
ReplyDeleteHave the gas bills been released yet?
ReplyDelete