Thursday, March 27, 2025
Thursday's parting shots
March 27
On St. Mark's Place, sidewalk emerges after lengthy construction stint
Photo by Jacob Ford
On the NE corner of St. Mark's Place and Third Avenue, workers have pushed the barricades closer to the new 9-story building ... allowing use of the sidewalk again for the first time in five-plus years.
Pre-leasing is underway for the boutique office building, which includes 7,700 square feet of retail space.
The return of the sidewalk might mean the end of this from the sidewalk bridge and construction zone era.
An impromptu goodbye party as Sabor A Mexico closes on 1st Avenue
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
After 15 years at 160 First Ave., Sabor A Mexico has shut its doors.
The nook of a restaurant closed on Monday.
On Tuesday evening, I found (from left) owner Maria Escamilla, her brother, chef Enebidio Escamilla,
and staffer Antonia Escamilla inside the space...
They welcomed me in to take some photos, discuss the decision to close, and drink some strong house-special passion fruit margaritas.
Like other small business owners, Maria cited rising costs as the driving factor behind the closure.
"The economy, rent, supplies. I couldn't afford to pay my employees anymore, and I wanted to quit while I was ahead," Maria said. "The cost of ordering food was going up."
She does not owe back rent and decided to leave the storefront between Ninth Street and 10th Street before she dug herself into a deeper hole.
Maria will take a few weeks off to plan her next move, but she says her current focus is on shutting down the shop.
"Thank you to all the guests, our customers, and the support we received. The business was a way to give my kids an education," said Maria, who has two adult daughters, a son, and several grandchildren. "The restaurant also helped employ other people and provided for them. My friends, family, and clients, this means a lot."
Originally from Guerrero, in southern Mexico, Maria moved to the United States in 1988.
"This was my dream, my restaurant, my cuisine," she said. "I learned my style of cooking from my momma. This keeps the tradition going."
As I eyed my still-half-full margarita, people kept stoppinn to hug the family anthank themks.
An impromptu party broke out, with Maria giving everyone souvenirs from the place.
Last days for Current Coffee and Sunday C&C Eatery at the Bowery Market
Ownership will look for a new, larger space after its run here.
Here was the closing announcement on Instagram...
It was a lively spot with an upbeat vibe and a year-round summery feel — not bad for a corner of the Bowery and Great Jones.
Meanwhile, the plant-based Sunday C&C Eatery is ending its two-year stint at the Bowery Market on Sunday. Owner Christian Torres said he is seeking a full-size restaurant space for his Latin American cuisine. (The Instagram post announcing the closure is no longer online. Eater had an item about it here.)
We contacted the Bowery Market to see about new vendors in the works for the open-air space that debuted in 2016.
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Wednesday's parting shots
Photos by Steven
Today, on the 10th anniversary of the deadly Second Avenue explosion, Nixon Figueroa visited the corner where his son Nicholas died on March 26, 2015.
Nicholas, who was 23, was having a late lunch with a friend at Sushi Park, 121 Second Ave., when an explosion rocked the building. The blast killed Nicholas and Sushi Park employee Moises Locón, 27, and injured more than 20 others.
On this 10th anniversary, Nixon was surprised that no one was there. He wondered if a ceremony had been planned and he simply hadn’t been informed. There wasn’t one.
The grieving father said he felt as if he had died that day, too.
Previously on EV Grieve:
'A reminder of the tragedy that left many physically and emotionally wounded...'
First, the victims. Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Locón died on March 26, 2015. Figueroa, 23, who had recently graduated from SUNY Buffalo State, was at Sushi Park, 121 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, and the site of the fatal blast, dining with a co-worker. Locón, 27, worked at Sushi Park.
However, Obus said he gave the defendants a break on their prison time because they were older and "did not intend to blow up the building."
"It's not enough. It’s a joke," Nixon Figueroa, father of Nicholas, told reporters afterward. "What kind of justice did you give us? You didn't give us no justice. It's a slap in my son’s face."
The explosion injured over 20 others and leveled three buildings — 19, 121 and 123 Second Ave. A condominium complex at 45 E. Seventh St. (above) sits on two of these three lots. A third lot remains vacant.
Here's some background about what has happened to date with those people who were convicted for their roles in the explosion.
In November 2019, a jury found landlord Maria Hrynenko, who took over ownership of the buildings after her husband, Michael, died in 2004, contractor Dilber Kukic, and unlicensed plumber Jerry Ioannidis guilty of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and related offenses for their role in the explosion.
Prosecutors said that Hrynenko, driven by greed, and her cohorts rigged an illegal system to funnel gas from 119 Second Ave. to 121 Second Ave. to save money.
In January 2020, they were each sentenced to four to 12 years in prison. Hrynenko remained out on bail for two more years as she waited for an appeal of the case.
During the sentencing, Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Michael Obus told the courtroom, "What the defendants did, in a matter of speaking, was roll the dice with the lives of many people. The results, as we know, are catastrophic."
However, Obus said he gave the defendants a break on their prison time because they were older and "did not intend to blow up the building."
"It's not enough. It’s a joke," Nixon Figueroa, father of Nicholas, told reporters afterward. "What kind of justice did you give us? You didn't give us no justice. It's a slap in my son’s face."
According to public records, Hrynenko, 65, was released from prison in October 2023 after serving 20 months. She was eligible for parole in November 2025. Her conditional release date was November 2029, and the maximum date is November 2033. It's not known at this moment why she was released early. Records show that she is under post-release supervision through April 2026.
Kukic, 49, served at the Wallkill Correctional Facility after sentencing in early 2020. He was released on parole last month. Ioannidis, 68, remains in custody at the Adirondack Correctional Facility in Essex County, N.Y. He is also eligible for parole in September.
Michael A. Hrynenko, Jr., Maria's son and a key figure in the gas explosion investigation, died on Aug. 25, 2017. He was 31, according to an obituary posted on the Pizzi Funeral Home website. The cause of death was never disclosed.
RIP Janne Schaefers
Information via the EVG inbox...
It is with profound sadness that the East Fifth Street Block Association announces the death of Janne Schaefers.
Janne was the central force of the East Fifth Street Block Association for many years. Her association with the BA began with the trees that now line East Fifth Street between First Avenue and The Bowery, for which she is solely responsible. She was also the driving force behind all substantive efforts by the block association.
She spent countless hours at Community Board State Liquor Authority Committee meetings advocating for residents on and around East Fifth Street. She organized community protests that resulted in major agreements with large businesses, garnering substantial commitments to the quality of life for East Fifth Streeters and the elderly residents of The Greene Residence. She was also involved in the protest and eventual closing of Sin Sin, an intensely disruptive rogue bar (and location of a murder) located on the southwest corner of Fifth Street and Second Avenue.
Janne was a fighter. She worked hard for our block, the trees, and the quality of life she expected for herself and her neighbors. If you knew her, we sure hope you were on her right side. If you weren't, well, you weren't the only one!
As Spring approaches and the budding canopy of trees blesses East Fifth Street for another year, take a moment to enjoy them and give thanks to the tough old gal who brought them to us.
Williamsburg hit Titi's bringing the empanadas to 7th Street
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Titi's, a family-owned restaurant in Williamsburg specializing in empanadas, is opening an outpost at 130 E. Seventh St. just west of Avenue A this spring.
I talked with co-owners (from left) Nate Ramm and Jesus Villalobos inside the space the other day...
Villalobos, whose family also runs the Venezuelan restaurant Cachapas y Mas, which has locations in Ridgewood and Inwood, says they will serve empanadas, cachapas, Cuban sandwiches, and coffee. There will be 18 varieties of empanadas, largely Venezuelan, although some fusion offerings are in the works.
There will be two, maybe more, vegan options, plus vegetarian choices, and Villalobos tells me that about half the menu is gluten-free.
"I like the neighborhood — it's a good place for our demographic," Villalobos says. "There are people willing to try different ethnic foods and are adventurous."
He also pointed out his immediate neighbors. "There is a Latin/Caribbean corner here with Miss Lily's, Yuca Bar and 787 Coffee," he says. "It's a good fit for us."
Plans are for Titi's to be up and running the first week of May.
Titi's topped The Infatuation's recent "Best Empanadas in NYC" list. (This Eater feature has more on Villalobos and his family.)
While I was there, Villalobos was working on a donation to Trinity's Services and Food for the Homeless and EVLovesNYC.
"We embrace community and want to be a part of the community," Villalobos says.
This retail space was most recently the Instant Noodle Factory.
Moving on: The construction trailer has left Tompkins Square Park
Photos and reporting yesterday by Stacie Joy
Late Monday night (10:30, a source said!), workers removed the construction trailer from Tompkins Square Park, marking another step toward a construction-free area around the field house.
The trailer arrived on May 5, 2023, as renovations were ramping up. It was plopped down a few convenient feet from the well-used ping-pong table.
An NYC Parks official told us earlier this month that the field house upgrades were complete, and the Park staff was conducting final inspections.
There is still no word on when the area might reopen. The official said they are still working on scheduling a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the upgraded facility.
The reconstruction of the field house included a complete renovation of the building's interior and exterior, upgrading all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Accessibility improvements feature reconfigured layouts, new entryways, ADA-compliant ramps, and renovated restrooms and maintenance areas.
The mayor's office funded the $5.6 million renovations, which were much needed because the field house rarely had heat or hot water, and the restrooms could have been used in the first film in the "Saw" franchise.
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Tuesday's parting shot
Photo on 1st Avenue today by Steven
Today marks the 114th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.
As in the past 20-plus years, volunteers have participated in the chalking project (organized by Street Pictures), writing the names and ages of the victims, mostly young women, in front of the buildings where they lived on the Lower East Side.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, which occurred on March 25, 1911, in New York City, remains one of the deadliest industrial disasters in U.S. history. The tragedy claimed the lives of 146 garment workers. Management locked the doors to the stairwells and exits to prevent unauthorized breaks. The trapped workers either perished in the flames or by jumping from the factory windows.
Located at the northwest corner of Greene Street and Washington Place, just east of Washington Square Park, the Triangle Waist Company became a symbol of the urgent need for workplace safety reforms.
For more details on the fire and its lasting impact, visit the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition website.
At the annual fundraiser for the Sixth Street Community Center
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
The Sixth Street Community Center held its Annual Fundraiser Dinner on Sunday night. Proceeds go to support the Food Distribution Program, which has provided free access to farm-fresh produce to thousands of food-insecure families on the Lower East Side since April 2020.
I stopped by as the staff was prepping the four-course meal created by Chef Frumpy Grain.
According to an Instagram post, the Center raised nearly $7,000.
Learn more about the programs at the Sixth Street Community Center here.
Terra Thai reopens with new grab-and-go items
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
After a month-long revamp, Terra Thai reopened earlier this month at 518 E. Sixth St., between Avenues A and B.
I stopped by last week and met with co-owner Karuna Wiwattanakantang, who runs the small restaurant with her husband, Norawat Margsiri.
Terra Thai has a new grab-and-go concept. Two display fridges in the front of the shop have signage indicating what is available for take-out when you drop by. There is no menu, delivery, or online ordering, although that might change.
"I am trying to make it easier for the kitchen," Karuna tells me.
Karuna says they have "created special food, something that can surprise you" and "new, special dishes," like today's salmon with basil sauce over rice, served with a poached egg side and a broccoli salad, all for $13.
Karuna says they've stopped carrying less popular dishes and added some new ones, like empanadas and basil salmon.
She also plans to sell a Thai cooking set for at-home chefs, where you buy the kit and add your own choice of protein, and prepare it in your kitchen.
"People here like to cook," she explains. And she's happy to create "affordable food for the neighborhood."
There's no seating in the newly renovated space, and the wall of plants is still there.
Is there a favorite dish on the old menu you miss? You can try calling the restaurant and asking to have it prepared, but Karuna warns it may take a while, and she may or may not have the ingredients.
She encourages people to drop by, see what's fresh and ready to go...and pick up their food to take away.
"I feel indebted to the East Village neighborhood very much," she says.
I ask Norawat what he thinks of the changes, and he points to Karuna and smiles, "You have to ask her. She's the boss."
Terra Thai is open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. You can follow them on Instagram here.
They previously operated Terra Thai in Boulder, Colo., for six years before deciding to move to NYC and signing a lease — weeks before the pandemic PAUSE of March 2020. They opened in May 2020.
Urbanspace Union Square has shut down to make way for Time Out Market
While the closure was anticipated this year, its suddenness caught many off guard. Last evening, we saw several people peering inside and asking what had happened.
Late last month, Time Out announced it was opening Time Out Market, Union Square, in this space in the fall.
The 10,000-square-foot market hall will soon house seven kitchens, a fully-stocked bar and a stage set to host talent and performances from local artists. The 300-seat space will also feature an outdoor terrace. The new destination will build upon the legacy of Time Out Markets across the world — all with the mission of featuring the city’s best and up-and-coming culinary and cultural talents."Time Out Market New York, Union Square will not just be a place to eat: it will be a platform for culinary and cultural talents—where you can discover the city’s flavors and fresh ideas, and experience New York’s creativity all at once; a place for people and the local community to come together," said Vice President for US Time Out Market, Virginia Rector-Birbal. "It will be for everyone, every day — for all ages, budgets, tastes — under one roof."
Time Out currently has 10 similar markets worldwide, including a 24,000-foot converted warehouse that opened in 2019 in Dumbo.
Urbanspace Union Square opened in December 2022 with 13 vendors (including locals Bobwhite Counter) ... six of the vendors were reportedly first-time entrepreneurs or start-up companies.
We were never inside here and can't speak to its appeal — or lack of. Some Reddit commenters spoke of high prices for the vendors.
The market is on the ground floor of the 21-story building — developed jointly by the city's Economic Development Corp. and RAL Development Services — that was long contested by local preservationists and community groups. It sits on the former site of a P.C. Richard & Son on city-owned property.
Bánh Anh Em looking closer to opening on 3rd Avenue
As previously noted, Nhu Ton and John Nguyen, the owners of Bánh Vietnamese Shop House on the UWS, are behind Bánh Anh Em.
Grub Street had a preview here.
Monday, March 24, 2025
A few more details on the condo conversion of a former tenement synagogue on 4th Street
Photos by Stacie Joy
As of this past Thursday, a partial demolition permit has been filed with the city. Some parts of the existing building will remain in place as the four-story structure will receive two additional floors to accommodate six condos.
Since our story broke, there has been concern over the loss of this one-time historic tenement synagogue.
Project architect Stephen Conte told the Post on Friday that ...
... there was no way to save the original facade, as decades of water damage rendered the already-thin front walls unsafe."We're going to see if there are any interior design elements we can keep that don't have any toxic materials or mold," such as stained glass windows and wooden doors, Conte told The Post, adding that the red brick exterior was chosen to keep the building "contextual" within the block.
Our previous post has more info on this building's history.
Here's a New York Municipal Archive photo from the early 1940s, when this was the Lemberger Congregation Anshei Ashkenaz. The property, dating to 1859, was once part of Petrus Stuyvesant's estate.
Residential rendering reveal at the former 9th Street parking garage
Part of the existing structure will be used in the conversion and vertical enlargement of five to six floors for residential use.
The plywood rendering lists a Winter 2026 completion date.
Per the DOB vacate order: "The occupied parking structure with concrete framing observed to be in a state of disrepair at several locations in cellar level... crushed column base observed at several locations in cellar level ... vertical cracks observed inside elevator shaft and on masonry walls."
The address was offered as a "redevelopment project" in August 2023.
According to public records and the TradedNY account, Arcus Development, operating through Astor Nine LLC, is the new owner of the vacant property.
Previously on EV Grieve:
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