As a follow-up post to last Wednesday's item about China Wok's downed gates on Avenue B at Third Street... an EVG reader shared this photo from yesterday, showing that the CW signage has been removed, and the interior cleaned out.
The unofficial word here is that the owners decided to close after a rent increase. (The building is among those in Steve Croman's empire.)
We heard that the folks who ran China Wok also own a similar to-go establishment on Canal Street.
[EVG photo from the summer]
This corner space is for rent with an ask of $6,495 a month.
It is amazing how many vacant retail spots there are between Houston and 4th on B now. China Wok, Dojo, Lovecraft, and the preschool, all of the spots between Cornerstone and Avenida, not to mention the buildings between 2nd and Houston that have been for years.
ReplyDeleteAmazon will take care of all our dining needs...
ReplyDeleteThis sucks, they were super affordable
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Amazon and empty storefronts, the City Council is laying into Jeff Bezos and his stupid helipad, and want to know why the city is giving billions away to a trillion dollar company. The best line was from Corey Johnson who said that the only part of the Amazon deal that even mentions any type of transit is the section about the helipad.
ReplyDeleteQuestion; where was the City Council during the past year when they knew the city was pursuing the deal with Amazon? They are acting like this is a big surprise, but they know there would be big tax breaks and giveaways. Hell, DeBlasio gave StuyTown a few hundred billion just because they had a new owner. What weren’t they telling DeBalsio not to go there?
Anyway, this is and will be an ongoing PR disaster for Amazon because they picked the media capital of the world, and all of their destructive practices are under much more scrutiny now than they ever were in Seattle, which Amazon dominated like the trillion pound gorilla that it is,
Store closings seem to be accelerating all over the city, and opening slowing down, as the economy begins to stall. Get ready for more empty storefronts, because ex-Amazonians like to open startups that will put even more retailers and businesses out of business. And they have the capital to do it.
A wall st journal article just came out that showed how deFAustio and cuomo were willing to use eminent domain on public properties to pander to amazons avaricous special need for tax free land grubbing
DeleteThat hq pageant was a scam from the start
With all due respect to City Council and to Corey Johnson, they have zero say on this matter, so the whole "laying into" is just empty talk. That is one fine democracy we have here in our city.
DeleteCroman should have been stripped of his real estate holdings when he went to jail. No reason he should continue being allowed to make life hell for his lease holders.
ReplyDeletechina wok was great! sadly missed!
ReplyDeleteOne day, very soon, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft will own every fiber of the human race. We will become beholden to them for most everything. They will be the only last companies standing in the years to come. This is what comes of greed, apathy, and the ultimate quest for power. What a sad state of affairs when a small, beloved to go Chinese restaurant can't even stay afloat. With all of the empty storefronts and restaurants in Manhattan, our city feels like a barren desert. :(
ReplyDelete$6,495 a month for that small little space?? It is a wonder that any of the fast take out Chinese restaurants are able to stay open on the LES. They barely had room for a few tables and chairs for people to stay and eat in the place instead of taking out which I always did when I ordered food from them. They did not have the best Chinese food but they seemed to be always open and reliable and always provided a good meal for the money. It is too bad, they will be missed.
ReplyDeleteIs businees that bad or is it the greed of the landlords?
ReplyDeleteDamn. Such a classic NY corner.
ReplyDeletewhy is steve croman allowed to still have anything to do with real estate please?
ReplyDeleteCHINA WOK WAS SO SOLID!!
ReplyDeleteChina Wok was my go to chinese take out in the hood. I am very sad to see it's gone. Tasty King is gone. Where the hell am I going to get my chinese food now???? I'm a native New Yorker and I HATE what NYC has become.
ReplyDelete