Buyer found for long-vacant Second Avenue development site

Photo from March by Stacie Joy 

The long-vacant development site on the east side of Second Avenue between Second Street and Third Street appears to have found a buyer. 

The listing from brokerage BKREA is now marked SOLD, though the transaction has not yet appeared in public property records.

As previously reported, the 14,019-square-foot parcel, which hit the market in March, offers more than 100,000 buildable square feet and has been at the center of years of stalled development plans, litigation and neighborhood concern. (See this post.) 

The site was assembled by Gemini Rosemont in 2020 through the purchase of several properties, including the former Church of the Nativity. 

Plans for an 11-story mixed-use development were later derailed after the Department of Buildings revoked permits following an audit prompted by complaints from neighboring property owner Robert Proto. 

Gemini ultimately decided to market the assemblage for sale.

New innovation hub opens at Jacob Riis Houses

Photos by Stacie Joy

A new innovation hub officially opened this past Saturday at the Jacob Riis Houses, featuring computer and podcast labs designed to provide residents with educational and career opportunities. 

The space includes desktop computers, Chromebooks, printers, podcast recording equipment, desks, chairs and conference tables. 

The project was funded through a donation from Amazon to the Public Housing Community Fund. According to organizers, the Jacob Riis Houses hub is part of a $500,000 initiative to create up to 50 learning labs at NYCHA developments across the five boroughs. 

Representatives from the Public Housing Community Fund, Thrive Collective, Amazon, NYCHA and the Jacob Riis Houses Resident Association joined residents for Saturday's ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The 13-building Jacob Riis Houses complex spans from Sixth Street to 13th Street between Avenue D and the FDR Drive. 

Signage alert: RedWhite Boneless Ramen on Allen Street

Photo and reporting by Stacie Joy 

A new vegan ramen spot is preparing to open on Allen Street just south of Houston. 

RedWhite Boneless Ramen specializes in vegan ramen and sushi rolls, with an all-electric kitchen (though it also has a functioning gas line). 

The concept started in Japan before expanding to Boston, where it has built a following, and now makes its New York debut. (VegNews has more about the biz here.) 

Chef Kei (above left) and restaurant manager Ikuma said they're aiming for a soft opening as early as Friday, with a grand opening planned for Aug. 20.

Tuesday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

A moment on Astor Place today...

Update: Repairs continue after water main break at 14th Street and 1st Avenue

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Work continued today at the site of yesterday afternoon's water main break at First Avenue and 14th Street, where crews have expanded the excavation area as repairs move forward.

Traffic remains restricted in the surrounding area, and the Department of Environmental Protection has set up a mobile "Water on the Go" station on 14th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A for residents and businesses affected by the water shutdown. 

According to a DEP spokesperson: 

DEP crews remain on the scene and are working with Con Edison to assess the infrastructure to make way for repairs. At this time the water is shut off for some consumers in the area, so DEP crews have set up a mobile water fountain on 14th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A.

As reported last night, the water main broke shortly before 5 p.m., sending water rushing across the intersection and into nearby basements. 

DEP officials said the break prompted a temporary shutdown of water service to some buildings on the east side of First Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street. 

The cause of the break remains under investigation.

12 injured in early-morning subway work train fire at Astor Place station

At approximately 2:15 a.m. Tuesday, the FDNY responded to reports of a fire involving a four-car MTA work train at the Astor Place subway station in Manhattan.

Upon arrival, firefighters encountered heavy smoke at both street and station level from the fully involved vacuum… pic.twitter.com/NxxG3I0KOG

— FDNY (@FDNY) August 4, 2026

The following info comes via the @FDNY X account... 

Twelve people were injured early this morning after a fire involving a four-car MTA work train at the Astor Place station, according to the FDNY. 

The FDNY said firefighters responded to the station at about 2:15 a.m., where they encountered heavy smoke from a fully involved vacuum train operating below ground. 

A northbound passenger train entered the station during the fire... and was evacuated as crews battled what the FDNY described as a stubborn fire inside one of the vacuum train's filter compartments. 

Officials said, 12 people were injured, including five firefighters and seven civilians. 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. 

The 4, 5 and 6 trains are now running without delays, per the MTA.

Salumeria Rosi eyes Labor Day reopening following building-related damage

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Salumeria Rosi, the Italian restaurant and salumi shop at 222 Avenue B between 13th and 14th Streets, is eyeing a Labor Day return after a recent temporary closure.

Owner Andrew Loscalzo told EVG last night the closure stems from damage to the building, including issues related to a storm drain and structural repairs.

"We had some damage from the building and we're fixing it," he said. "In fact, we're doing some nice updates to the space."

Loscalzo said the restaurant is targeting a reopening around Labor Day.

"We're not going anywhere," he said. "Everything's great with the business."

He added that Salumeria Rosi is working with the building's ownership and its insurance carrier to complete the repairs.

"We just want to be open," Loscalzo said. "We didn't want to close."

He also expressed gratitude for the neighborhood's response since the restaurant opened here in January. 

"We've had such a good reception," he said. "We're really just so happy with how the project has been going so far with everybody in the neighborhood coming in for their coffee or lunch or dinner. I want people to remember us, and I want people to be excited for when we reopen."

This is the second Salumeria Rosi outpost, joining the one that opened on the UWS in 2008.

Across the Pond bringing European bakery and market to 7th Street

Photos by Derek Berg 

Signage recently arrived for Across the Pond, a "European grocery store and bakery," in a lower retail space at 59 E. Seventh St. between First and Second Avenues...

The shop will serve, per its website: "Sausage rolls. Proper teas. British meal deals. Real imported European groceries." 

No word on an opening date. 

An Instagram post from June 22 noted: 

Still a few weeks away from the full renovation, but we're working hard behind the scenes to bring the front entrance and shop to life. Every shelf, sign, and small detail is getting us one step closer. Can't wait to welcome everyone to a little taste of Europe right here in the East Village.

Monday's parting shot

Photo by Jason Newton 

Sunset on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, capping off what turned out to be one fine day after the rain moved through.

Water main break floods section of 14th Street and 1st Avenue

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

A water main erupted late this afternoon at First Avenue and 14th Street, flooding the intersection and sending water into nearby basements as DEP crews worked to isolate the break.

The break prompted a temporary shutdown of water service to properties on the east side of First Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street. (And not the first time there's been a water break here.) 

EVG spoke on the scene earlier with Marty Fatooh, Manhattan Borough Commissioner for the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. 

"We were able to halt the leak," Fatooh said. "As of now, we have a shutdown to the city water main in order to address the leak, which is going to affect consumers on First Avenue between East 13th Street and East 14th Street." 

Fatooh said DEP expects water service to be restored within the next few hours. The cause of the break remains under investigation.

"We've got old pipes. Some of these water mains go back over 100 years," he said. "We're dealing with age-old infrastructure, but we get it fixed." 

Despite the dramatic scene, Fatooh said there weren't any major impacts to subway service, though some buses were redirected.

"There was no water that came in on the tracks," he said. "The L train is running normally."

Crews will remain on-site to repair the broken water main and the roadway after service is restored. 

We'll update this post as more information becomes available. (Update: The city activated its "Water on the Go" fountains on the southeast side of 14th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A.)

Here's an aerial view via NBC 4...

 

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ABC No Rio returns to Tompkins Square Park with a free afternoon of music

Photos by Stacie Joy 

ABC No Rio hosted a free afternoon of music in Tompkins Square Park on Saturday as a fundraiser for its long-awaited new home on Rivington Street... part of a weekend that included the annual Riot Reunion show.

Five bands performed during the event. We caught sets by headliners, indie vets Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, and Crush Fund. Organizers also passed the bucket to help fund a new PA system for the new ABC No Rio building, expected to open later this year. 

From the day...starting with NYC's Crush Fund, who released a debut record on Friday...

... and Ted Leo, who played in the OG ABC No Rio space in the early 1990s...

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Inside the new ABC No Rio

Flamingos Vintage Pound to open another East Village shop

Flamingos Vintage Pound is returning to First Avenue, according to its Instagram account. 

The retailer's latest location will be 199 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street, a former smoke shop-convenience store.

An opening date has not been announced. 

The shop sells secondhand clothing by the pound — currently priced at $17.99 per pound — and frequently offers discounts on larger purchases. 

This will be Flamingos' second East Village location. The company opened a shop at 4 St. Mark's Place in May 2025. 

The opening also marks a return to First Avenue for Flamingos. Before the pandemic, the retailer operated stores near Ninth Street and on 11th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue, as well as a location on Stanton Street. All three eventually closed, with the First Avenue shop being the last to shutter in the fall of 2021. 

Flamingos now operates more than 40 locations in the United States and abroad. 

The expansion comes as thrift and resale shopping continues to grow in popularity, with more shoppers seeking affordable clothing and one-of-a-kind vintage finds while extending the life of existing garments.

NY Copy Print & Ship Center has closed after 34 years on 7th Street

The lights are out at NY Copy Print & Ship Center, marking the end of a 34-year run at 13 E. Seventh St. near Cooper Square.

As we reported in June, owner Mousume Sarker said the family-owned business was preparing to close after unsuccessful lease renewal negotiations with the landlord. The shop had originally planned to close last summer but stayed open for one more year before ultimately deciding to call it a day. 

The business, which opened in 1992, served generations of neighborhood residents with copying, printing, shipping, passport photos and other office services. 

At the time, Sarker told us, "Thirty-four years in business — it's a milestone for me."

It was one of those neighborhood businesses that quietly helped people get things done for decades.

9 Bleecker St. returns to market with a $6.5 million ask

EVG photo from March 2025 

Less than a year after changing hands, the historic townhouse at 9 Bleecker St., just west of the Bowery, is back on the market. 

According to listing information, the three-story building is now asking $6.5 million after selling last summer for $5.7 million. 

Per the listing, which went live on July 23: 

With 2,743 square feet of unused FAR (subject to Landmarks approval), the property offers substantial expansion potential. Create a spectacular single-family residence or maximize its mixed-use zoning with flagship retail or gallery space at street level and residential or office space above. 

As we've reported, an undisclosed buyer purchased the 1884 building last summer. Earlier this year,  signage appeared on the facade, which became a near-constant canvas for flyers and ads, stating: "I have an owner who loves me very much!" and "I'm a HISTORICAL building, NOT your CANVAS!" 

The address has a storied history. Best known as the longtime home of the Yippies, the building served as the movement's headquarters for more than four decades before its departure in 2014 following a lengthy legal battle. 

More recently, it was home to Overthrow Boxing Club, which closed in late 2024 as the building was being marketed for sale. Past lives also include stints as a cigar factory and publishing house before becoming associated with New York's activist and countercultural movements. 

Mansion Global was first to report on the return to market for No. 9. 

The townhouse next door at No. 7 recently sold for $6.2 million after four months on the market. (The transaction hasn't hit public records yet.) No. 7 was the longtime home of photographer Robert Frank and artist June Leaf.

Sunday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

OG curbside dining on Avenue A...

EV Grieve's East Village Week in Review

Posts this past week included (with a start of a fish tale on Third Avenue via Derek Berg). Never miss a post with the weekly EVG newsletter. Free right here. 

• RIP Carlos ‘Chino’ Garcia, co-founder of CHARAS and longtime Lower East Side activist (July 28) 

• Haven Plaza residents rally over response to Legionella concerns (July 31) 

• Shelter intake operations begin on Aug. 1 at two East Village locations (July 31) 

• Petition to preserve Tompkins Square Park fitness area tops 2,000 signatures (July 28) 

• 2 local residents appear in new documentary about Flaco (July 30) 

• A quieter generator arrives at the 9th Precinct (July 29)

 
• Post announces an August close (July 29) 

• Signage alert: Barnes & Noble on Avenue A (July 28) 

• Rush hour on 2nd Street (Aug. 2) 

• Vending machines arrive at the 1st Avenue F station (July 29) 

• A handmade anniversary gift, one chess piece at a time (July 28) 

• Pippy and Star’s Revenge at Tompkins Square Park (July 28) 

• New trash enclosures arrive in Tompkins Square Park (July 27) 

• Openings: Lerivez Coffee on 12th Street (July 27) … Skinny Louie on 2nd Avenue (July 27) 

• Temakase Hand Roll Bar has left 2nd Avenue (July 29) 

• 6 posts from July (July 31) 

And King Geronimo in a retro Ken Griffey Jr./Mariners jersey Friday evening on Avenue A and Sixth Street (pic by Stacie Joy)

Scenes from the 46th annual Festival Calle 6

Photos by Stacie Joy 

The annual Festival Calle 6 returned yesterday, celebrating its 46th anniversary with an afternoon of live music, dancing and community on Sixth Street between Avenue D and the FDR Drive. 

Hosted by the Lower East Side Hispanic Committee, the festival also featured information tables from local community organizations... here's a look...