Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Tuesday's parting boots
6 posts from January
• Soul mates: Meet the members of East Village-based band Sauce City (Jan. 21)
• Report: The Regal Union Square multiplex to close after bankruptcy filing (Jan. 19)
• The remaining structure of the fire-damaged Middle Collegiate Church will be demolished (Jan. 13)
• After 29 years playing in the East Village, I finally decided to see "Stomp" before it closed (Jan. 9)
• The future of the unlicensed weed vendors (Jan. 3)
• A happy birthday mural for Ray on Avenue A (Jan. 2)
Report: The former Charas/P.S. 64 is headed to auction this March
According to The Real Deal, a court-appointed referee last week set an auction for the property at the Hilton New York Midtown Fifth Avenue on March 22. (As previously noted, the 135,000-square-foot building is zoned for "community facility use." Any conversion to a condoplex or residential housing would require a time-consuming zoning variance.)
Late last year, Judge Melissa Crane "agreed with a report from a court-appointed referee that Madison was owed $89.9 million for principal, interest and other charges."
Per TRD:
Singer disputed the interest and charges, arguing that the report lacked a "breakdown by month of the Prime and LIBOR rates, making it impossible to verify the accuracy of the calculations."Crane quickly shot down that argument. "The note explains the method for calculating the relevant interest rate in its first paragraph," she said.
Singer vows to keep fighting despite the scheduled auction, citing new evidence he was "finally able to obtain," The Real Deal reported.
"We expect our rights will be fully vindicated and we will ultimately prevail and be allowed to have the building be a benefit to the community," he said.
In recent weeks, workers — under emergency orders via the DOB — have been sealing up the building's Ninth Street and 10th Street sides between Avenue B and Avenue C. The former school and community center had been easy to access in recent years, attracting a variety of urban thrillseekers and partygoers. The broken windows and poorly secured doors also exposed the building to the elements — not to mention pigeons and other wildlife.
The property that Singer purchased from the city in 1998 for $3.15 million fell into foreclosure last year. Through the years, Singer wanted to turn the building into a dorm (more here), though those plans never materialized. (At one point, the Joffrey Ballet and Cooper Union were attached to the project.)
In October 2017, then-Mayor de Blasio's statement at a Town Hall put forth the idea that the city would take steps to reacquire the building.
Some residents want to see the space used again as a community center, as it was during its time as Charas/El Bohio Community Center. Singer evicted the group on Dec. 27, 2001.
Honoring Det. Jamie Hernandez after 34 years of service to the East Village
Photos by Steven
After 34 years with the 9th Precinct, the East Village community is bidding farewell this morning to Jaime Hernandez, detective first grade who heads up Community Affairs here.
This morning at 11, Hernandez is taking part in a walkout ceremony at the station house on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...
Village Preservation selected Hernandez as a Village Awardee in 2020, noting that he "has built a highly regarded reputation throughout his career as someone who builds bridges, listens, and works closely and collaboratively with the communities he serves."
Also:
Jaime has been a finalist for a Village Award for several years now, but he always had other commitments and been unable to accept, including one year he missed because he had just donated a kidney to his daughter.
Fire shutters the recently opened Gjelina on Bond Street
The FDNY responded to a report of a fire here between the Bowery and Lafayette around 11:30 a.m.
According to the @FDNYalerts account, the fire was in the ductwork between the first and second floor... with firefighters on the scene for several hours before announcing the "under control" ...
Manhattan All Hands Box 0365, 45 BOND ST, COMMERCIAL
— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) January 30, 2023
The Citizen app reported that two firefighters sustained minor injuries during the blaze. No other injuries were reported.Manhattan All Hands Box 0365, 45 BOND ST, COMMERCIAL, DUCTWORK 1/2 FLR, Under Control
— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) January 30, 2023
Gjelina, a vegetable-centric restaurant that opened in Venice, Calif., in 2008, debuted here at the start of the year with a breakfast-lunch service. Grub Street noted that Gjelina was "already Manhattan's hottest lunch."Earlier today, a fire broke out at the recently opened Gjelina. We’re thankful nobody was hurt and want to extend a big thank you to NoHo’s own @FDNY station on Great Jones Street, Engine 33 and Ladder 9 for responding so quickly. #NoHo #NoHoNYC #ExploreNoHo pic.twitter.com/15piR42qsA
— NoHo (@NoHo_NY) January 30, 2023
The restaurant's Instagram account noted — via its Stories — that it was closed for now...
A look inside the restaurant last evening didn't reveal much, if any, damage — at least from the front.
Signage alert: Saint Pizza on Avenue B
Photo by Stacie Joy
Signage arrived last week for Saint Pizza at 223 Avenue B between 13th Street and 14th Street.
We mentioned last month that a pizzeria was taking over the former Subway (sandwich shop) here.
Hopefully, it will offer a solid slice/pie for after a visit to Mona's across the street.
Will post more details about the operators when that info becomes available.
Monday, January 30, 2023
Monday's parting shot
Another call to unlock the restrooms in Tompkins Square Park
Photos by Stacie Joy
The public restrooms remain closed to the public in Tompkins Square Park.
We've seen various homemade signs about reopening the restrooms here since the Parks Department locked them up in early November.
Today, Jimmy was taking up the cause...
Parks officials have said that a malfunctioning boiler and a broken pipe in the basement of the Park's fieldhouse are to blame for the closure.
As we've noted, perhaps the Parks Department is just waiting ... as they are expected to rebuild the fieldhouse. According to the Parks Department website, the contractor's contract is now registered with the city.
A youthful exchange of ideas with Dr. Cornel West at Performance Space New York
Photos and reporting by Daniel Efram
This past Saturday afternoon, Dr. Cornel West gave an interactive talk with children and their families for Performance Space New York's ongoing "We the Youth — Keith Haring Lecture Series" about ideas and social issues that are often left off of school curriculums.
The kids made profound remarks about wondering how to love during difficult times.
The professor, activist and philosopher responded with his thoughts on humanity, respect and love — not to mention his weakness for popcorn, which was occasionally fed to him by his generally well-behaved but sometimes restless young audience.
Performance Space New York is at 150 First Ave. at Ninth Street.
Signage alert: O'Flaherty's on Avenue A
Photos Friday by Stacie Joy
Signage and a sidewalk awning arrived Friday for the new home of O'Flaherty's, the art gallery coming to 44 Avenue A at Third Street...
As we first reported, artist-curator Jamian Juliano-Villani was moving her gallery into this space after a year at 55 Avenue C at Fourth Street (we covered the opening here, culminating with a barn burner of a show late this past summer).
The gallery opens on Feb 16, featuring a performance series and film screening by @gelitin_official in association with Austrian Cultural Forum New York and Federal Ministry — Republic of Austria: Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport.
This space has been empty ever since Upright Citizens Brigade Theater closed UCBeast amid financial challenges in February 2019. The comedy venue opened in September 2011, and UCB took over part of the expanded Two Boots empire — the video store on Avenue A and the Pioneer Theater around the corner on Third Street.
We'll have more on this opening in the days ahead.
Openings: Gen Korean BBQ House
With daily hours of 11 a.m. to 4 a.m., Gen Korean BBQ House is among the city restaurants serving food late following the worst days of the pandemic when many spaces closed early (once they were allowed to reopen).
As Eater noted here last week: "On a recent Saturday night after 2 a.m., there were around 40 people hovering over tabletop grills in its dining room, which has more than 40 communal tables."
The restaurant took over the former 5 Napkin Burger space as well as the storefront next door that served as the 5 Napkin Express, then Taman Falafel. Those businesses closed at the start of last year.
The return of 99-cent pizza?!
Signage is up for a 99-cent pizza spot at 418 E. 14th St. just east of First Avenue along a stretch known for street vendors selling items of dubious quality and origins.
If this price holds, then it would mark the return of a 99-cent pizza joint. Thanks to inflationary food costs, in late 2021 and early 2022, the neighborhood's discount slicerias uniformly raised prices by 51 cents and became $1.50 pizzerias.
The storefront was previously a spa specializing in eyebrows and waxing.
Essex Squeeze has closed its 5th Street outpost
Photo by Steven
Sources tell EVG contributor Stacie Joy that the closure was "due to a rent increase and lack of business."
The cafe, run by LES natives and childhood friends Cedric Hernandez and Charles DeLaCruz, opened its first outpost in Essex Market in 2020. There's also a location in Dekalb Market Hall in Brooklyn.
The EV location opened in March 2022.
This space was previously Idlewild Coffee Co., which closed after just two months in business during the summer of 2020. The owner blamed the presence of the 9th Precinct's police barricades at the time for greatly reducing his foot traffic.
Idlewild took over from another coffee shop — Southern Cross Coffee, which shut down in September 2019 after two and half years in service.
Sunday, January 29, 2023
Week in Grieview
• Indictment announced against suspect who allegedly murdered James Cunningham on Avenue A last month (Friday)
• RIP Tom Verlaine (Saturday)
• La Mama to celebrate the reopening of its renovated home at 74A E. 4th St. (Tuesday)
• Rent hike forcing Café Cortadito to close on 3rd Street (Monday)
• The former Charas/P.S. 64 is nearly all sealed up as it awaits its fate (Thursday)
• Bluestockings reopens after a 2-week closure for sidewalk repairs (Tuesday)
• Crossroads Trading opens on 2nd Avenue (Friday)
• About the 'Kim's Video' doc, which made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival (Wednesday)
• At the opening of New York's second legal weed dispensary (Tuesday)
• Will it ever snow again? (Wednesday)
• Check out these 'Creatures of the Night' at Theater for the New City (Tuesday)
• Papered windows at 101 Avenue A, the incoming home of cafe-bar-music venue Baker Falls (Thursday)
• Reader report: Toasted Deli has not been open lately (Thursday)
• Openings: the Office of Mr. Moto on St. Mark's Place (Thursday)
• A look at the currently closed Mermaid Inn on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday)
• The Marshal has seized KC Gourmet Empanadas on Avenue B (Friday)
• The 21-story building that replaced B Bar & Grill begins its ascent on the Bowery (Monday)
...and since our Monday post about that new building for the Bowery and Fourth Street, the site had bulked up...
...with an added message on the plywood — "Land Back!!!" ...
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City removes the curbside dining space at Eros on 2nd Avenue and 5th Street
On Jan. 10, the Department of Transportation issued a "Termination" notice for the curbside space that ran the length of the Greek restaurant, which hasn't been open in more than five months.
Meanwhile, the indoor space remains dark.
Eros took over for the diner the Kitchen Sink in September 2021 (same owners) ... management previously changed names from Moonstruck to the Kitchen Sink in the fall of 2015.
The Eros website still notes that this location is "closed for renovations. Reopening TBA." We had not seen anyone inside the space since the restaurant closed in August. The "temporarily closed" sign is still on the front entrance.
Saturday, January 28, 2023
RIP Tom Verlaine
Tom Verlaine, guitarist, frontman and co-founder of Television, one of the most influential acts of the CBGB scene in the late 1970s, died today after a short illness. He was 73.
Per The Wall Street Journal: "Despite its modest sales, Television laid a sonic foundation for decades of punk, alternative and post-punk bands."
You can read more about his life and work at Variety ... Pitchfork ... The New York Times... BBC ... NPR ... Billboard.
Here's a sampling of the tributes to Verlaine, a longtime East Village resident, on Twitter...
Tom Verlaine 1949-2023
— R.E.M. HQ (@remhq) January 29, 2023
"I've lost a hero.... You introduced me to a world that flipped my life upside down. I am forever grateful." - Michael Stipe pic.twitter.com/csmxXhKPht
Heartbroken and stunned to hear of the passing of Tom Verlaine. What an inspiration to so many guitarists, of which I was one. Brilliantly melodic, intense, orchestral, and groundbreaking. Thank you, Tom. R.I.P. 💔https://t.co/K8GVYEew6E
— Richard Barone (@RichardBarone) January 28, 2023
listened to Marquee Moon 1000 times. And I mean LISTENED, sitting still, lights down low taking it all in. awe and wonder every time. Will listen 1000 more. Tom Verlaine is one of the greatest rock musicians ever. He effected the way John and I play immeasurably. Fly on Tom.
— Flea (@flea333) January 29, 2023
No. Not Tom Verlaine. 💔
— Garbage (@garbage) January 28, 2023
such a fucking drag RIP Tom Verlaine. a wonderful goddamn curmudgeon and a unique talent. he will be sorely missed. pic.twitter.com/TzeTmayRCA
— Byron Coley (@ByronColey1) January 29, 2023
Beautifully lyrical guitarist, underrated vocalist. Television made a new kind of music and inspired new kinds of music. Marquee Moon is a perfect record. Requiescat.
— steve albini (@electricalWSOP) January 28, 2023
🎈https://t.co/uxt7IMz2rO
Playing this one loud for Tom Verlaine
— Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) January 28, 2023
pic.twitter.com/q8VfDOgUcO
More 2023 fretted heartbreak 💔. One of the GREAT Punk lead stylists. Tom Verlaine was a True Downtown HERO. Saddened & bummed to hear it.
— Vernon Reid (@vurnt22) January 28, 2023
Tom Verlaine’s playing meant the world to me. If I ever played anything that sounded like him I was happy. He set me on my path as a guitarist, thank you Tom. pic.twitter.com/wMTvkxuy04
— Will Sergeant (@Will_Fuzz) January 28, 2023
i didn't know him personally, but i felt that tom verlaine's music somehow knew me, if that makes any sense. the way he played guitar, the words he sang, the way he sang them, all resonated with me in a very natural and deep way. thank you for all the happy hours of listening TV pic.twitter.com/lm0892tGj7
— matthew caws (@nadasurf) January 29, 2023
A true original. No one played guitar like Tom Verlaine before or since. Sat crossed legged on the floor on his side of the stage in Roskilde as he played in Patti Smith’s band and that was as close to perfection as you can get. A sad sad day. Rest in Peace Tom 🥲 pic.twitter.com/445yrvH6m8
— Simon Raymonde (@mrsimonraymonde) January 28, 2023
Devastated by this news. Tom Verlaine was a true great. His role in our culture and straight up awesomeness on the electric guitar was completely legendary. Name 10 minutes of music as good as Marquee Moon. You can’t. It’s perfect. Rest in peace Tom x https://t.co/6HAwg5k9PS
— stuart braithwaite (@plasmatron) January 28, 2023
— Debbie Harry/BLONDIE (@BlondieOfficial) January 28, 2023
Peace and love, Tom Verlaine. 💔 pic.twitter.com/zewZz0sJQn
— Susanna Hoffs (@SusannaHoffs) January 28, 2023
Went by the book stalls outside Strand yesterday thinking I’d see you as usual, have a smoke, talk about rare poetry finds for a couple of hours, downtown NYC racing by our slow meditations on music, writing - gonna miss you Tom. TV Rest In Peace.
— Thurston Moore (@nowjazznow) January 28, 2023
Definitely feeling weird about the idea of a New York where you might not bump into Tom Verlaine browsing books outside the Strand. Something ended right here.
— Bryan Waterman (@_waterman) January 29, 2023
EVG Etc.: Protests over the killing of Tyre Nichols; reaction to the Mayor's state of the city address
• Highlighting the Mayor's state of the city address (The Times ... The City ... Streetsblog ... the Post)
• Chairman Gregory Russ is stepping down from his high-salaried job running the beleaguered NYCHA (The City)
• Veselka named a James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Restuarant (PIX11)
• An early look at Foul Witch, now open on Avenue A (Eater ... first on EVG)
• A feature on Lucie Franc de Ferriere, who just opened From Lucie on 10th Street (Vogue ... previously on EVG)
• NYC bars are stocking up on opioid overdose rescue kits (CBS New York)
• Councilmember Marte and several community groups file motion to intervene in NYU SoHo/NoHo rezoning expansion case (amNY ... Village Preservation)
• A few local picks in this listicle on best NYC thrift stores for vintage and designer finds (Harper's Bazaar)
• Tony Hawk is helping resurrect the legendary skate spot under the Brooklyn Bridge (The Times)
• Catch a screening of "Downtown 81" (Thursday, Feb. 2) at Metrograph on Ludlow Street (Official site)
• An interview with Amy Hill about her show on exhibit now at Fortnite Institute on Third Street (Whitehot Magazine)
• The long history of a forgotten film that Paul Newman directed on the Lower East Side (The Forward)
• Anna "Delvey" Sorokin, the fake heiress who now lives in the East Village, is to host a celebrity dinner club series (Deadline)
• Elsewhere: City whitewashes famed Washington Heights graffiti tunnel (Hyperallergic)
Friday, January 27, 2023
Friday's parting shot
'Steel' breeze
Food for Worms, the new record from Shame, comes out on Feb. 24... the video here is for the first single, "Fingers of Steel."
And you can see Shame live at Warsaw on Driggs Avenue on May 14.
Indictment announced against suspect who allegedly murdered James Cunningham on Avenue A last month
A memorial for James Cunningham on Avenue A
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg yesterday announced the indictment of Roland Codrington, who's accused of stabbing and killing two men last month in two separate incidents, including 51-year-old James Cunningham on Avenue A on Dec. 19.
Here's more via the DA's office:
Codrington is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with two counts of Murder in the Second Degree, two counts of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, one count of Assault in the First Degree, one count of Attempted Assault in the First Degree, one count of Assault in the Second Degree, one count of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree and Possession of a Stolen Vehicle.
"Roland Codrington allegedly wreaked havoc across the city in a crime spree that left two dead," Bragg said in a statement "Manhattanites deserve to live their daily lives without the fear of being attacked."
According to court documents and statements made on the record, on December 19, 2022, Mr. Cunningham left a bar in the East Village and Codrington approached Mr. Cunningham outside the bar. Codrington pulled out a knife and slashed Mr. Cunningham in the neck, leaving him bleeding. Mr. Cunningham was pronounced dead at the hospital. in two separate incidents.
Per media reports, Codrington has 12 prior arrests, including in connection with auto-related crimes in 2022. "In 2021, he was charged with assault with a weapon. Codrington was charged in connection with two assaults with a weapon in 2017," PIX11 reported.
Early on Dec. 19, Cunningham had just left the bar Spike's at 218 Avenue A between 13th Street and 14th Street around 1 a.m. when he bumped into Codrington on the street.
Video footage at the scene, police officials said, shows the two men arguing for about 20 seconds before Codrington is seen slashing Cunningham with a knife. NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said the two men had no prior connection before Dec. 19.
Police officials said that the same knife was used in a violent rampage in which Codrington also allegedly killed a doctor in Marcus Garvey Park and assaulted several other people before his arrest on Christmas Eve.
The Daily News reported that Cunningham was a regular at Spike's ... "who often came into the bar to order a seltzer or soda, never drank alcohol but instead used the bar as a community center."
One EVG commenter had this to say about Cunningham: "He was my friend for 35 years and was the best type of person. James would have given the last of anything he had so another wouldn't have to go without."
Reminders: Crossroads Trading opens TODAY on 2nd Avenue
Photos Wednesday evening by Steven
ICYMI, a seemingly rare retail debut — Crossroads Trading opens today at 122 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.
Crossroads will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with a 7 p.m. close on Sundays.
As we reported back in September, the buy-sell-trade-consign retailer for men's and women's clothing and accessories has more than 30 locations across the country, with several outposts in NYC — including on West 13th Street and West 26th Street.
The company, founded in 1991, works like this: "Customers sell their current, on-trend clothing and accessories for cash or trade credit."
The Marshal has seized KC Gourmet Empanadas on Avenue B
Photos last night by Stacie Joy
And yesterday, a notice arrived on the front door showing that the Marshal paid a visit, and the landlord is now in legal possession of the premises...
The owners were also behind El Carnaval, a Panamanian restaurant and bar, right next door at No. 40. That establishment is now permanently shuttered after going dark last summer ... a for-rent sign hangs on the storefront. We understand an applicant will be on next month's CB3-SLA docket for a new liquor license for the space.
El Carnaval was accused of serving liquor without a license in the summer of 2021. There's a video from the meeting here. (El Carnaval is the first applicant.)
We heard from multiple neighbors in the summer of 2020 — when restaurants expanded to sidewalk and curbside spaces — who complained about blaring music via DJs coming from outside the quick-serve spot.
According to the minutes from the June 2021 Community Board 3 meeting, KC Gourmet Empanadas "has been egregiously non-compliant for a year. Following community complaints, the CB3 office told them the applicants should not be playing loud music in the streets and that they were non-compliant with their outdoor seating, but the applicants did not display concern for how this behavior was negatively impacting residents."
KC opened here in February 2019.
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Thursday's parting shot
This afternoon in signage updates
Meanwhile, across 14th Street, Panda Express is still not open.
The former Charas/P.S. 64 is nearly all sealed up as it awaits its fate
Photos Tuesday by Stacie Joy
The construction team sealing up the former P.S. 64/Charas/El Bohio Community Center is wrapping up their work over the next few days.
As The Village Voice previously pointed out, "the work is being performed under an Immediate Emergency Declaration, and permits are not a prerequisite for the work to begin," per the Department of Buildings.
The work also comes at the expense of now-former owner Gregg Singer, who bought the property via a city auction in 1998. The address has multiple open fines and violations with the Department of Buildings, which still has a Stop Work Order (dating to August 2015) and a Full Vacate Order (from February 2019).
The workers, who arrived on Dec. 20, told EVG contributor Stacie Joy on Tuesday that they are sealing up some remaining windows and putting down 2x4s to shore up the ground-floor banisters and flooring on the building's Ninth Street and 10th Street sides here between Avenue B and Avenue C ...
On Monday, workers were spotted using cinder blocks to cover part of a Charas tribute/LES history mural on the 10th Street side of the building that included part of a former doorway.
The former school and community center had been easy to access in recent years, attracting a variety of urban thrillseekers and partygoers. The broken windows and poorly secured doors also exposed the building to the elements — not to mention pigeons and other critters.
According to workers, they've actually "preserved" the artwork here (two murals were mostly covered), saying that there is an inch or two between the masonry and the painting, so it is not being disturbed and that no mortar abuts the work.
The property will likely sit in limbo for a little longer. As we previously reported, at the end of 2022, Singer's nearly 23-year tenure as building owner ended.
On Dec. 23, New York State Justice Melissa Crane ordered the foreclosure and sale of the building with a default, including penalties and interest totaling approximately $90 million. (You can read Crane's 20-page decision and order here.)
The order could send the property back to auction within 90 days.
Meanwhile, some residents want to see the space used again as a community center, as it was during its time as Charas/El Bohio Community Center. Singer evicted the group on Dec. 27, 2001.
Reader report: Toasted Deli has not been open lately
The gate has been down during the usual business hours of late... and the phone is not in service.
The deli, which offered a wide variety of sandwiches and wraps, opened in June 2021.
Papered windows at 101 Avenue A, the incoming home of cafe-bar-music venue Baker Falls
ICYMI from our post on Nov. 28: Baker Falls is an ambitious new project that combines an all-day cafe, bar and live music via the Knitting Factory brand at the former Pyramid Club.
East Village resident Nick Bodor, who has owned and operated several local businesses in the past 25-plus years, including the Library on Avenue A and the now-closed Cake Shop on Ludlow Street, is behind this new concept.
You can read Stacie Joy's interview with Bodor here.
Last we heard there's an anticipated opening "around April."
Openings: the Office of Mr. Moto on St. Mark's Place
The Office of Mr. Moto is an omakase speakeasy-style restaurant now offering two evening seatings at 120 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.
And there is some detective work to take part in before dinner via the fictional master of ceremonies, Mr. Moto, "a gourmand and art connoisseur [who] traveled alongside Commodore Perry aboard his flagship, the USS Susquehanna" in 1853.
To enter the restaurant, you'll need to decode a cipher sent to you prior to your reservation. That code, entered on a pin pad inside a mailbox outside, will allow you entry to the Office of Mr. Moto. Once inside, you'll be greeted by the host and whisked away to either the Gallery or the Counter. The former is an eight-seat space serving a 23-course menu, while the latter is a six-seat sushi counter offering 21 courses.In either spot, the $185 menu curated by executive chef Toshio Matsuoka features high-quality fish sourced from the Toyosu Fish Market in Japan.
Following your meal, you might linger in the Library, where you can enjoy a drink while listening to Mr. Moto's collection of jazz. The cozy space is decorated with leather furnishings, antique items and even a self-playing Yamaha piano.As previously reported, Mr. Moto is from the team behind TabeTomo, which opened in December 2018 on Avenue A and is billed as NYC's first tsukemen-focused restaurant. (They also run TomoTomo on West 52nd Street.)
Mr. Moto is open Wednesday-Sunday from 6 p.m. to midnight. Find more details here.
No. 120 previously housed the retail outlet for Squish Marshmallows. Owner Katherine Sprung's lease was up here after five years, and she now focuses on custom and catering orders.