Ugh. A bad sign at the Lower East Side Coffee Shop on 14th Street just west of Avenue A ... there's a posted notice stating that the restaurant is now in the legal possession of the landlord. (Thank you to @goodnitesteve for the tip and photo.)
And as you can see, plywood now covers the windows and door.
While the coffee shop is on the new side (2008), it had (if this is permanent) an old-school look and feel — especially with the neon. This photo is from Jan. 23...
However, business had been off during the pandemic... and the delivery and takeout orders (and extremely limited outdoor seating) ... wasn't apparently enough to stay in business.
Pandemic aside, it has been a tough slog for all the businesses on this corner. For nearly three years this side of 14th Street was an active construction zone for L-train repairs with a variety of trucks, drill rigs, pile drivers, compressors and generators.
Several businesses were forced to shut down due to severely limited access to their storefronts. Outside the now-shuttered Dion and the Coffee Shop, customer access included only 28 inches of sidewalk space — not big enough for a wheelchair in spots.
As long as landlords and police keep letting that corner of 14th and A devolve into a third world selling bazaar that makes it feel less and less safe each time you walk by, everything is just hunky dory. I'm sure the inevitable smoke shop that takes over where the cleaners was will provide a warming atmosphere with its piercing florescent lights and metric ton of weed paraphernalia displayed in locked glass cases.
ReplyDeletedamn this is bad
ReplyDeleteTerrible news.
ReplyDeleteSuch a fun looking place,
think, not totally sure, long ago it was
a Spanish restaurant.
Wow - how unfortunate, they served a great breakfast over there and good flapjacks too. Better than going to ihop ...
ReplyDeleteSo much for a moratorium on evictions
ReplyDeleteTheir matzo ball soup and breakfast specials were very good. A hit of the L train construction, COVID-19. the usual suspect of landlord greed* combined with totally inadequate government support for small businesses during the pandemic. As noted, the south side of 14th Street between Ave A and 1st Ave is a true horror show.
ReplyDelete*I understand that they have to eat so there needs to be some type of government supported COVID-19 debt forgiveness, if warranted, for them as well.
Oh no! I remember when these guys took over the coffee shop a few years ago. Or maybe it was further back. I can't imagine that corner without a diner. It makes me so sad to see all these little joints that are affordable closing.
ReplyDeleteGreat chicken soup!!!
ReplyDeleteAwful timing. Now the L train shitshow is fixed, and spring short months away, it's a shame they couldn't hold out longer. But I bet they owed a daunting amount in back rent, such that it might be impossible to get out of that hole. Really really sad.
ReplyDeleteA go to spot for a hangover fueled BEC and surprisingly, decent chicken wings. It will be missed.
ReplyDeleteThe MTA spent almost 3 years killing this block and area with it's L-train work. Our neighborhood barely missed being a toxic dump for the L train debris, and the hundred + million dollar sub-station on Ave B will, at best, make the trains 10% more frequent at rush hour (moot at this point since so few trains are running) The MTA bears the blame for most of these closures in the area.
ReplyDeleteOh, no! This is terrible. They must've been desperate to recover after the year-plus of scaffolding for the new subway entrance, only to get hit by the pandemic. So unfair.
ReplyDeleteI like the coffee shop, because is has a selection of sandwiches, and I like the piece of chocolate fudge cake. They opened a new kiosk leading to the 14th Street Canarsie Line, where the L Train stops, going into Brooklyn.
ReplyDeleteI thought there was an eviction moratorium on commercial leases. But it might not included pre pandemic procedures, which would mean they owed plenty, even without being hit by the pandemic closure.
ReplyDeleteWell, there must have been zero unintentional footfall on that stretch of 14th St. when construction was going on. For a while, the temporary pedestrian footpath was along the street and the sidewalk was only for people going into those stores--I think you couldn't even pass through to the opposite side. That had to be brutal.
ReplyDeleteSuch a waste.
If your apt has been robbed or your bike stolen, take a stroll to 14th St between 1st and A. You just might find what you lost...
ReplyDeleteBummer. One of the last of its kind. Folks we are losing what makes NY NY.
ReplyDeleteFirst the dry cleaners then the sneaker store now this place. Only a matter of time before Dominos goes. And another condo type building goes up. Say good bye to those ma and pa stores that made nyc great.
ReplyDeleteThe commercial eviction ban ended on January 31, but I thought Cuomo was talking about extending it until May. Maybe that hasn't happened yet, so maybe the landlord was able to sneak in and get it done once February 1 hit.
ReplyDeletedamn, their breakfast was pretty good. Also, liked their spicy green sauce. It seems the Muzzarella is gone too?
ReplyDelete