[Updated] Breaking: Explosion reported at the ConEd substation on East 14th Street

Around 7:45 tonight, residents near the ConEd substation on East 14th Street and Avenue C reported hearing an explosion. However, many people thought it was thunder... until the FDNY responded... Breaking

According to EV Griever reader Robert Galinsky: "Big explosion, giant black plume of smoke, no flames." A witness at the scene said that it was a gas leak.

More emergency crews are responding to the scene...

In any event, 14th Street at Avenue C is cordoned off... the M9 and 14D buses were being rerouted... Avenue C is blocked off at 12th Street.

Updated:

Just after 9, @aimeeweiss noted that most of the emergency crews packed up and left the scene...

A glimpse of the incoming 5 Napkin Burger on 14th Street and Third Avenue

Yesterday, workers removed part of the plywood on the Third Avenue side of the incoming 5 Napkin Burger here at 14th Street...

Not much to see, to be honest. The interior still looks pretty raw. Plywood is remains up on the 14th Street.

In October, Patrick Hedlund at DNAinfo reported that a 5 Napkin Burger was opening on the southwest corner of 14th Street and Third Avenue — previously home to Robin Raj.

Why there were 9 police cars on 14th and Third this morning

Earlier this morning, a lot of police cars responded to the corner of 14th Street and Third Avenue. There were nine police cars total. And swarms of uniforms. 15? 18?

Given the police presence, it must have been something really important. So, the guy here was something about having his wallet and cellphone taken by these two people...

...over here. Police kept them separated. Asked questions.

And the traffic backed up while the officers worked to resolve the issue.

Reader tip: Destino-backed 'Meatball Factory' opening on 14th Street and Second Avenue

Back in April, the Pizza Hut-Nathan's-Arthur Treacher's combo on the northwest corner of 14th Street and Second Avenue closed. And on Monday, we noted that workers have started renovating the space.

Now EV Grieve reader Larry Goldberg passes along this tip. He spoke with workers at the scene, who said a restaurant from the folks behind Destino, the Southern Italian restaurant on First Avenue between 50th and 51st Street, are opening a casual dining spot here. (And, in case you are curious, Justin Timberlake is no longer a minority owner at Destino. Oh, and Eater notes that Destino is now closed. Sorry! Destino is very much open!)

Per the Destino rep, it is tentatively called the Meatball Factory, which will open in three months, or so. The rep said the plan is to create a menu similar to the Meatball Shop with dinner going for around $10-$12 per entree keeping things quick and casual.

Then the worker fired the first meatvolley, saying that the meatballs here "will put the Meatball Shop to shame."

Noted, and we're suddenly really missing Nathan's.

P.S.
Bonus trivia about Destino... that location served as a key scene in "The French Connection," as Eater pointed out back in March.

Boardwalk empire on 14th Street

We don't have any new news about 14th Street and Avenue A, where a fire destroyed the stores on the southeast corner in May 2010...

However, EV Grieve reader Tom has been keeping tabs on the space, and he got an aerial view of the sidewalk shed... that looks pretty hardcore...

Only new DOB permits point to an installation of a sidewalk shed...

What is going on with the corner of 14th Street and Avenue A?

EV Grieve reader Tom passed this along yesterday... we'll let him report the story...

---

As you know, ever since May 12, 2010 when the fire destroyed the stores on the southeast corner of 14th Street and Avenue A, there has been no reconstruction whatsoever at the site. The only thing open at that corner has been the Middle Eastern food cart that appeared there a few months ago:

Then in late May, I noticed that some workers removed one plywood sheet, entered the site and did a little work. Here's a pic of a worker taking measurements; and given the length of the tape measure, he clearly wasn't measuring for drapes:

Then yesterday, they started building a sidewalk construction shed around the site:

I checked the land records online, and there's no new deed on record yet. But something's up. Whatever it is, I just hope that Stuyvesant Grocery and Pete's-A-Place will be able to return.

----

We walked by the site ourselves last evening. The posted permits expired on April 1. According to the DOB, there aren't any other permits on file or pending.

So that means — shocker! — the work yesterday was done illegally... Meanwhile, we await the fate of this corner.

And a photo from DJ Xerox...

A discount Mercedes

Shawn Chittle came across this Mercedes doubling as an ad vehicle for the Discount Organic Cleaners & Laundromat ... here on 14th Street at Avenue A.

You always build credibility by using a Mercedes to help advertise a "Discount" laundromat!

DOH shutters Cafe Amore's Pizza on Union Square

On 14th Street near Fourth Avenue. During their last inspection on Wednesday, they scored 46 violation points, with the most serious being — "Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas."

And the hits keep on coming! IHOP opening on East 14th Street

Between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...

And now, let's play It Could Be Worse.

Two years ago, we pointed out the "for lease" signs here at 235 E. 14th St. Renowned nightlife broker "Mr. Nightclub" had the listings, spurring fears of a gargantuan nightclub here.


Thanks to @THIEVERYCORP72 for the tip.

Farewell to the East Village's Pizzeria Uno-Nathan's-Arthur Treacher's triplex

Last August, we noted that the Pizza Hut-Nathan's-Arthur Treacher's combo on the northwest corner of 14th Street and Second Avenue was for lease....

EV Grieve reader HippieChick reported last night the space (now featuring a Pizzeria Uno!) was dark...

Sure enough, the marshal paid a visit. And the triplex eatery looks mostly empty behind the counters...

Per the listing, new tenants have several options for chopping up the existing space.

Meanwhile, you'll have to travel elsewhere for your Nathan's fries...

Previously on EV Grieve:
East Village losing its Nathan's/Pizza Hut/Arthur Treacher's mashup

14th Street getting Cemusa-d

A new Cemusa stand is going in on 14th Street just east of Second Avenue...

Really big 5 Napkin Burger still coming to 14th and 3rd; realtor disses Robin Raj

Back in October, Patrick Hedlund at DNAinfo reported that a 5 Napkin Burger was opening on the southwest corner of 14th Street and Third Avenue — the former home of Robin Raj, duh. We kind of wondered what happened with that. The site has been rather quiet of late.

The Observer has a follow-up today. Per the Observer:

The restaurant includes 3,570 square feet of ground-floor space, as well as a full basement. "This prime corner has laid fallow for the past five years. 5 Napkin Burger will undertake a full reconstruction of the building and turn it into a wonderful gem," said Winick Realty Group's Tatiana Jung-Voevodina, who repped the tenant.

Fallow!? Robin Raj moved out just two years ago!

Anyway! 5 Napkins is expected to open in April.

The Vanessa's Effect: The recession is over!

Since the fall of 2008, Vanessa's, the dumpling house on East 14th Street near Third Avenue, has advertised a recession special.



We figured when that sign came down, it would be Party Time again!

Well, light those cigars, fellas! No more "recession special!" (WOO!)

One Vanessa's insider told me that the dumpling patrons have a risk tolerance that is lower or unchanged compared to one year ago — even with the recent equity market rally. "That doesn’t mean all patrons are cashing in stocks, and hunkering down with bonds," the insider explained.

Indeed.

Meanwhile — Buns All Day for everyone!

What's left of Stuyvesant Grocery and Pete's-a-Place — and come back soon

On Sunday, we posted some photos sent along by EV Grieve reader Tom from the fire-damaged stretch of stores on 14th Street and Avenue A ... The high winds knocked over the plywood... offering a peak at what's left inside... here are a few more shots we took on Sunday...

... and yesterday...

And yesterday afternoon .... workers were putting the plywood back...

[Bottom photos via Bobby Williams]

And per Tom in the comments:

Last summer I had heard from the manager of Petes-A-Place that they weren't planning to reopen until October. I wondered why it would take that long. But I guess it's understandable if they're going to do zero work during the winter.

Wind knocks out Stuyvesant Grocery plywood on 14th Street and Avenue A

Thanks to EV Grieve reader Tom for these shots yesterday along 14th Street at Avenue A... where the high winds wiped out the plywood outside the fire-damaged buildings along this commercial stretch...

..later in the evening workers put up barriers ...

Ice pics of the day (so far!)

A reader sends along these shots from 14th Street near First Avenue...

More fun to look at than walk in... or something...

14th Street, 10:11 a.m., Jan. 8

Things that will still be there after the snow melts

14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B this morning.

A corner that has remained nearly the same

And so we continue with another now and then shot...

Avenue B at 14th Street, East side to Southeast, dated Oct. 23, 1939, via the NYPL Digital Archives...



... and a few weeks back... almost lined up...



Updated: OOPS. Apologies... I forgot that Jeremiah Moss did this very same post back in October... I even commented on it!

Johnson's World comes down again

The other day we pointed out that the beauty salon on 14th Street and Third Avenue was relocating... exposing some ghost signage in the process ...



EV Grieve reader Jacob happened by when workers were peeling off another previous store sign....