Mowing the Mystery Lot

I can't recall having ever seen workers actually working inside the beloved Mystery Lot here on 13th Street... I always figured someone quickly -- and magically! -- cut back the weeds around 5:40 a.m. on a Sunday... And here we are in broad daylight... Anyway, I'm not sure how these fellows got inside...the main gate appeared to be locked from the outside. More mystery!



I was yelling at them to get their attention... I wanted to go inside (legally!). But, for some reason, they didn't hear me...



Meanwhile! Someone tagged the back of the billboard thing here...



When will someone hit the front?



P.S.
The blue tarp was back up the other day...




Previously on EV Grieve:
An appreciation: That empty lot on 13th Street

Another view of the Mystery Lot

Your chance to be Tom Cruise's neighbor

As you may know, Tom Cruise owns several units in the American Felt Building on 13th Street and Fourth Avenue ... and when the Cruise clan is in town, here's where they stay... Anyway! There's a new listing in the building for an 1,100-foot, one-bedroom home for $1.2 million...

Per Sotheby's:

Located in Union Square, in a hot village location, this rarely available open and airy 1,180+/- sq ft loft, features a large foyer, living room with a natural gas exterior vent fireplace, dining area, sleek open kitchen with a Bosch Dishwasher, Viking Range and GE Refrigerator, Maytag Washer & Dryer, a master bedroom with an extraordinary bath featuring a double sink, separated toilet area with Waterworks tiles and shower fixtures. This loft also offers beautiful original hardwood floors, excellent closet space, soaring 13 ft ceilings, oversized windows with open City views from South and West exposures and an extra storage room in in the basement designated to the usage of the unit, make this loft a perfect downtown home. The loft is located in the 1909 American Felt building, a full service condominium with a well maintained common roof deck and a garden.

Here are real photos of the apartment with what could be if you were neighbors...







Previously on EV Grieve:
When 2-3 apartments in the same building just aren't enough

Blue tarp down! [Repeat] Blue tarp down!

Tuesday at the Mystery Lot!



Now!






At least now we'll all be able to enjoy the new tags... As a reader noted the other day:

The tarp was down (still there, but down) this morning.

I'm not sure it means anything. A year or two ago a plastic fence was put up behind the chain-link fence. It was eventually taken down and as far as I can tell nothing had happened.

I like that lot. It looks just awful when they put stuff up to block the view.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Mystery lot singing the blues?

Mystery lot singing the blues?

All sorts of new developments here in the vacant lot (or mystery lot, as Curbed calls this space) between 14th Street and 13th Street east of Third Avenue... Aside from some colorful new tags, there's a mysterious blue tarp hanging on the 14th Street fence...





Your guesses are welcome as to what the blue tarp is for...

Previously on EV Grieve:
An appreciation: That empty lot on 13th Street

Another view of the Mystery Lot

Busy night outside the Verizon building: The tags are back

About six weeks ago, workers painted over all the tags on 13th Street side of the Verizon building...



However! Thanks to EV Grieve reader evilnyc for these shots of some epic tagging last night...







Previously on EV Grieve:
First tag reappears on the Verizon building

Brownout: Verizon building graffiti painted over

Agnes and Eva's Cafe now a barber shop

In March, Agnes & Eva's Cafe closed on 13th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.... I walked by last night and noticed the "for lease" sign was down... and a barber shop was now in business in the space...

First tag reappears on the Verizon building

Speaking of tags... nearly three weeks ago all the tags and graffiti on the 13th Street side of the Verizon building were painted over... Now, as EV Grieve reader Kim notes, the first tag has reappeared on the wall on the corner of Second Avenue... (And check out Kim's Flickr page here.)



Previously on EV Grieve:
Brownout: Verizon building graffiti painted over

Verizon building still brown

Last Friday, Woodland Creature noted that the Department of Sanitation painted over all of the cool graffiti on the Verizon building on the 13th Street side leading up to Second Avenue...



We stopped by during the weekend to pay our respects...



The Graffiti Friend of EV Grieve (GFOEVG) figures the wall will be tagged again soon... despite the presence of the video cameras, which may or may not even work...



Meanwhile, EV Grieve reader Kim was walking by when the anti-graffiti team arrived on the scene...



...and snapped this one last photo...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Brownout: Verizon building graffiti painted over

Brownout: Verizon building graffiti painted over

Ugh. Woodland Creature brings the news that the Department of Sanitation just painted over all of the cool graffiti on the Verizon building on the 13th Street side leading up to Second Avenue... I know I have more photos of the wall somewhere... Meanwhile, here's what brown can do for you...



And The Sarah Show got this shot before it was too late...

Mug Lounge closed for a few weeks or so

An EV Grieve reader noted that Mug Lounge on 13th Street near Avenue A has been closed of late...



I found the following sign when I paid a visit...



I've actually never been here, or know anyone who has ever been here... So I went to their Web site for more information:

Mug Lounge is a cozy and intimate East Village lounge. There are tables to discuss a business deal, seats to drink at the bar, and corners to hide away in with someone you love.

The lounge was an art gallery when Keith Haring and Andy Warhol roamed the East Village. It was a beauty salon when fashion photographer David LaChapelle's studio was across the street.

Now it's Mug Lounge where you can have a drink, have a conversation and soak up the casually elegant East Village ambiance. You never know who you'll meet when you go to Mug Lounge.

Former Agnes and Eva's Cafe space for rent

After reporting last week that Agnes and Eva's Cafe had closed on 13th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, we heard that the owners were hoping to move to a new location...



According to a commenter: "There is/was a sign on the window indicating that they intend to reopen in a few months time 'somewhere else in the neighborhood.' I believe it stated outright that a rent increase was behind the (hopefully temporary) closure."

When we passed by the other day, there was no note indicating a possible move...and a new "for rent sign."



Previously on EV Grieve:
Agnes and Eva closes on 13th Street

Agnes and Eva closes on 13th Street

A reader notes that Agnes and Eva's Cafe on 13th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue has closed. Per the reader: "it was this nice cafe owned/operated by a mom & daughter, you go downstairs to this lil room blissfully away from the usual manh bustle... free wifi, decent brunch foods, no attitude, jazz music playing on stereo, not crowded... i'm so sad, hard to find a non-crowded cafe in the e. village." The Cafe opened last summer. Had always intended to go there, but never did. Seemed like a homespun haven away from the Momofuku madness across the way...

Photo via Serious Eats.

Go fish

Since writing about this three-bedroom condo on 13th Street at Avenue A this week, the price has been slashed by 10 percent from $1.175 million to 1.05 million...



And there's an open house Sunday from noon to 1:30. If you go, please let me know if that fish is still there...

Thar she blows!

There's a dandy three-bedroom condo on the market on 13th Street at Avenue A...listed at $1,175 million, etc., etc. It's actually been on the market for some time... Perhaps potential owners have been scared off by that enormous fish in the aquarium as seen on the listings page...



Ohh, Barracuda, yeah....

A bad sign at the Mystery Lot?

For nearly three years, our favorite empty lot probably anywhere (dubbed the Mystery Lot by Curbed) on 13th and 14th Street off Third Avenue included an ad for EmigrantDirect.com. (Awesome one-off buy!)



Now, in recent weeks, we just noticed that the ad has been removed...



Does this finally mean a dreaded "for sale" sign will appear?

Please no!

Previously.

Price cutting atop Kiehl's

In early December, we wrote about 203 E. 13th St. #PH4B, the rooftop pad on Third Avenue above Kiehl's...it's a fine looking home that was going for $1.265 million.




Well, thank God that you didn't buy it then.

Why?

Last Thursday, the owners slashed the price by $200,000 (16 percent) to $1,065,000. With that money you just saved, you can buy some shampoo at Kiehl's.

The official listing is here. Streeteasy has some history.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Speaking of rooftops: 'Own a piece of history in this boutique condo Penthouse of the historic Kiehl's Building'

Lonely balloon ushers in open house guests at 229 E. 13th Street

At the dormy new rentals on 13th Street near Third Avenue, someone finally removed the "for rent" banner that continued to get tangled up...



For open houses this week (two bedrooms for $3,300; one bedrooms for $2,595), the folks in charge employed a lonely, air-deprived balloon to entice passersby...





Previously on EV Grieve:
What's doing at 229 E. 13th St.?

A Building lobby back in business; Plus! A home here "for serious investors only" and the penthouse keeps getting lower

And I really don't see much difference, though, of course, I've never actually been inside.

Meanwhile, as an FYI, there's a two-bedroom, two-bathroom (plus home office!) still available for $1.5 million. According to the listing:

**FOR SERIOUS INVESTORS ONLY**TENANT IS IN PLACE UNTIL AUGUST 2010 at $6,400.00 per month with a 1 year lease renewal option.

StreetEasy notes this unit was marked down $45,000 last week.

Also, there was an open house yesterday for the $2.1 million penthouse. This unit was reduced by $250,000 (11 percent) on Jan. 14. As Curbed reported, this apartment was bought for $2.05 million in 2008. The price was $2.35 million this past fall. No word on whether the PH will come furnished with that zebra-skin ensemble below...


[Photo via Curbed]

Previously on EV Grieve:
A Building residents forced to use the service entrance (Dec. 7)