Signage alert: Kolachi at 130 1st Ave.

Photo by Steven 

Kolachi has made it signage official at 130 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. 

The incoming quick-serve spot with a handful of seats for to-stay dining features paratha rolls (and fries). 

As Eater reported last month: "Owner Saif Qazi formerly worked in finance; this is his first restaurant and a means to bring food from his home in Pakistan to a greater audience in New York." 

The bakery Sweet Generation was here for nearly six years before a move to a larger location in Brooklyn in late 2020.

The buildings at 128-130 1st Avenue are for sale

There's a new listing for these two buildings just south of St. Mark's Place.

Here's how Halstead is listing 128-130 1st Avenue:

Two contiguous mixed-use buildings near St. Marks Place, featuring 52-feet of frontage on First Avenue. Approximately 12,000SF interior plus full-basement, with 5-Stories & 19 units, including 16 one-bedroom apartments (most have been renovated), & 3 commercial spaces: (1) a 42-seat Hawaiian Restaurant (soon to open), (2) a newly-opened Bakery, (3) a store that is delivered vacant.

Excellent investment opportunity, ideally located in the heart of Manhattan's hottest emerging neighborhood, with an impressive rent-roll that will increase substantially over the near future.

The price is $14.9 million.

As for those retail spaces.

So the former Mediterranean Grill will be a Hawaiian restaurant. Sweet Generation opened on Jan. 11 in the former First Avenue Pierogi and Deli space. And the wonderfully cluttered Rainbow Music is the third storefront. Based on the listing, the Birdman's shop won't be here much longer. (Last March we heard that the shop was going to be closing in the months ahead.)

The Kurowycky family owns the buildings here. Last July, the family decided to retire after running First Avenue Pierogi and Deli for the past 30 years.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader report: The fabulous Rainbow Music is closing this year in the East Village

Last day for First Avenue Pierogi and Deli

Sweet Generation opens today

[Photo via Sweet Generation]

Sweet Generation's storefront bakery opens today at 8 a.m. at 130 First Ave. near St Mark's Place.

This is the first storefront for owner Amy Chasan, a former high school arts teacher who quit her job to open the made-to-order bakery business.

Here's more about the operation via the EVG inbox...

Sweet Generation donates a portion of proceeds to innovative creative organizations to support their fundraising and programmatic goals.

Additionally, Sweet Generation has partnered with Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation and the Lower Manhattan Arts Academy to create an internship program that teaches baking, customer service, work readiness, and entrepreneurship to teens and young adults from low-income communities. The shop also boasts a magnetic Art wall that will showcase talented young artists.

In a comment to us a few weeks back, Chasan said, "Sweet Generation is focused on creating opportunities for youth, and our new bakery does just that. The young people working in our business and developing as professionals certainly are eager to meet the community as am I."

During business hours today (8 a.m. to 7 p.m.), Sweet Generation is offering a variety of promotions such as coupons, discounts, samples, etc., on their various baked goods. Sweet Generation will also serve coffee from Brooklyn Roasting Company.

The space was previously home to First Avenue Pierogi and Deli, whose owners decided to retire (they also own the building) in early July.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Coming soon to 1st Avenue: Sweet Generation, 'A Bakery for Arts Education'