Tuesday, March 2, 2021

What might be next for the NW corner of 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place?

3/3 update: See this update for the new tenant!

The plywooding of the vacant retail space on the northwest corner of St Mark's Place and Second Avenue continued yesterday. (Thanks Steven for the photo! H/T @unitof!

No word yet what might be in the works for the spot. (The workers were just there for the plywood; the work permits just mention interior renovations.) Tips welcome!

The for rent sign arrived here in August 2019 ... marking the first time in six years that this high-profile retail space was on the market. 

Nobletree Coffee closed here in May 2019 after just five months in business. A sign on the door for Nobletree's "beloved customers" offered thanks ... along with a reason for the closure: "Because of the slow foot traffic at this location we were forced to close." 

The listing at Winick noted that this is the "busiest intersection in the East Village." 

This storefront previously sat empty for three years — ever since DF Mavens closed in January 2016 ... after a Dec. 26, 2014 debut. (It took the Mavenators 14 months to open the space.)

Other tenants in recent years include Eastside Bakery (.net?) and Roastown Coffee.

And the only business to last here in the past 30 years: the Gap, from 1988 to 2001... (photo by Barry Joseph!)

15 comments:

JAMES said...

The good old days of That Gap..I really miss use of their Bathrooms. Bring it back!!!

anonymous said...

🤣😂

noble neolani said...

We all gasped and clutched are pearls the day "The Gap" opened back in the day. Although for different reasons the era of chain stores is coming to an end.

Anonymous said...

that corner is cursed

Anonymous said...

How about a conceptual artist tears the whole thing down and leaves a big gap as a monument to the Gap. The Gap-gap will be intended to remain for 6 months in partnership with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, becoming so popular amongst East Village residents that we rally together to make it permanent. MUD will set up a kiosk where you can have a morning cup of coffee and meditate on the skateboarders as they fall on their asses, get up, and repeat their trick attempts with increasingly greater defiance and determination.

Gojira said...

Bring back St. Marks Cinema! : )

Anonymous said...

curse of the St Marks Cinema strikes again!

Anonymous said...

I vote for 10:01's idea.

2ndAveSilverPanther said...

Yes, Gojira! Nothing said "East Village" like the St. Marks Cinema - two feature films for $1!

Anonymous said...

Lowes Ave B and 5th had a movie theater too. The founder of Lowes Movies Marcus Lowes grew up in a tenement on the same spot. Later he built a Movie theater on the same very spot.
Everything changes enjoy what you have. :)

Anonymous said...

Speaking of St Marks place, there's an "accident waiting to happen" not far away from the object of this story, at 42 st marks place. There's a heavily leaning tree that looks like its ready to fall over. It's leaned further over in the last 3-4 weeks, probably because of all the storms we've had. I called 311 and they quickly closed the case, doing nothing about it. I'm hoping evgrieve can publicize this and hopefully prevent a tragedy from happening here...

Anonymous said...

..I think there will be new kinds of chain stores..if you've been to the freedom states recently chains are already apparent in the cannabis sectors..

Catze said...

my gosh i remember that gap, i did a self portrait painting in front of it, it seemed so out of place and no one was ever inside, but at least it was a bit pleasing to the eye ( as many storefronts in NYC were because of their individuality , the corporate stores used to at least try.)

Ronnie said...

oh I remember the indignation of it all and yet look at the EV now

Anonymous said...

Bring back the automat that once occupied that corner space. Just kidding, or am I?