165 Avenue B is for rent — again

[Photo from November]

Back in November, the long-empty storefront at 165 Avenue B became home to a production studio for Avänt Candle, an online seller that promises "the ultimate candle experience," including the 365 Annual Candle with 720 hours-plus of burn time for $360.

It looked as if the space would become a retail outlet as well.

Not sure whatever happened to this venture. (Avänt Candle continues on online.) The storefront is empty again ... and the for rent sign arrived again last week...



As previously noted, the space between 10th Street and 11th Street has been vacant for years. A restaurant serving Cantonese-style food was in the works, but that never materialized. The last tenant was the junk-thrift shop Waldorf Hysteria more than 10 years ago.

H/T Salim!

Previously on EV Grieve:
165 Avenue B back on the market

165 Avenue B has been sold, and 2 apartments are on the market

Wax on: Avänt Candle takes long-empty Avenue B storefront

The empty storefront at 165 Avenue B is now home to a production studio for Avänt Candle, an online seller that promises "the ultimate candle experience."

Per their website:

We differentiate ourselves by clearly expressing a genuine, relatable scent experience; without needing to articulate the subtle nuances that enhance each complex fragrance. The occasional emission of said nuances add ever-changing elements of discovery to each burn making Avänt Candles unique.

Our candles sizes aim to last longer than our competitors at a reasonable price point. Each candle is designed to last for the course of a week, a month, a season, half-year or annually. Finally, our burn-time-to-dollar ratio is better than our competitors by 150% on average.

It's not clear if this space will eventually become a retail outlet for the brand.



According to the Avänt Candle website, signature candles start at $50 for the small size. There are also Travel Sets for $60. The 365 Annual Candle with 720 hours-plus of burn time is $360.

Per the reader who shared this storefront news: "Their website is gorgeous and the scents are pretty tantalizing, I admit. But $50 for a candle? Man, $360 for a candle on Avenue B?!?"

The space between 10th Street and 11th Street has been vacant for years. A restaurant serving Cantonese-style food was in the works, but that never materialized. The last tenant was the junk-thrift shop Waldorf Hysteria more than 10 years ago.

Previously on EV Grieve:
165 Avenue B back on the market

165 Avenue B has been sold, and 2 apartments are on the market

165 Avenue B back on the market, again

Last I heard, about two years ago, was that Sum Restaurant, serving a Cantonese-style menu, was in the works for the refurbished retail space at 165 Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street.

As you may have noticed, that restaurant never materialized, and a big for lease sign arrived in the front window at the end of the summer.

The listing is now online. It notes that this is a "Prime Avenue B location on a restaurant block." The asking rent is $$8,750, which is good for 1,000 square feet plus a 300-square-foot patio space.

And no post about 165 Avenue B can go without mentioning a long-ago (seemingly!) tenant — the junk-thrift shop Waldorf Hysteria.


Previously on EV Grieve:
165 Avenue B back on the market

165 Avenue B has been sold, and 2 apartments are on the market

Cantonese-style restaurant coming to Avenue B

Sum Restaurant, serving a Cantonese-style menu, is in the works for the recently refurbished retail space at 165 Avenue B between East 10th Street and East 11th Street.

The restaurant is the creation of chef Ben Pope. According to paperwork (PDF!) on file ahead of tonight's CB3-SLA committee meeting, Sum will have daily dinner service from 5 to 11 p.m., with opening hours at noon on Saturday and Sunday. (The PDF has a working menu for Sum.)

And the configuration shows 15-17 tables good for 40 seats. (There is a service bar with 3-5 seats.) Sum is seeking a beer-wine license. However, this item will not be heard during tonight's committee meeting.

Pope was the executive chef helping launch 2 Duck Goose, another Cantonese-style restaurant, in Brooklyn last year.

According to the Times in a preview piece on 2 Duck Goose last August: "The chef Ben Pope, a native of Hong Kong, studied at the French Culinary Institute and found himself missing the Cantonese food he grew up with."

Before a top-to-bottom renovation last year at 165 Avenue B, the ground-floor unit was a residential space. However, prior to this, it was a storefront housing the great junk shop Waldorf Hysteria.

New retail space for 165 Avenue B revealed

[EVG file photo from January]

The new retail space at 165 Avenue B, currently undergoing a head-to-toe renovation, made its first appearance this week.



Let's take a different angle!



The listing for the storefront here just north of East 10th Street arrived back in May via RKF :

NEIGHBORS
Back Forty, Discovery Wines, Eleven B, Mercadito, Ninth Street Espresso, Waffles [sic] & Dinges

COMMENTS
Newly created retail space
New storefront, HVAC, bathroom and mechanicals
Non-contiguous Basement space can be made available
Situated at the base of a luxury residential building
Steps from Thompkins (sic) Square Park
Venting is possible
All uses considered

Aside from a bank, froyo or anything served in a hoof, what do you think might work for the space?

Previously on EV Grieve:
165 Avenue B back on the market

165 Avenue B has been sold, and 2 apartments are on the market

'All uses considered' for new retail space at 165 Avenue B

'All uses considered' for new retail space at 165 Avenue B

[EVG file photo from January]

The building at 165 Avenue B just north of East 10th Street is undergoing a head-to-toe renovation.

Meanwhile, there's a new listing for the retail space that will be (re)carved out of the ground-floor unit...



Per the RKF listing:

NEIGHBORS
Back Forty, Discovery Wines, Eleven B, Mercadito, Ninth Street Espresso, Waffles [sic] & Dinges

COMMENTS
Newly created retail space
New storefront, HVAC, bathroom and mechanicals
Non-contiguous Basement space can be made available
Situated at the base of a luxury residential building
Steps from Thompkins (sic) Square Park
Venting is possible
All uses considered

(An aside: Nothing against Discovery Wines and Wafels & Dinges, but aren't there businesses not 8 blocks away to highlight?)

Maybe the previous tenant, the junk shop Waldorf Hysteria, can return. Heh. We know!


Previously on EV Grieve:
165 Avenue B back on the market

165 Avenue B has been sold, and 2 apartments are on the market

Construction watch: 165 Avenue B

Checking in on the work that has been happening at 165 Avenue B just north of East 10th Street. Permits show that the building is undergoing a head-to-toe renovation, including "reinforcement of structure in cellar, removal of existing apartment in basement, renovation of Apt 1,2,3,4, on floors 1-4."

The building was sold in December 2012 for $3.8 million, according to property records. 165 Avenue B LLC is listed as the owner.

A previous listing for the building mentioned that "1,865 sq ft of air rights remain," though there's nothing on file yet to suggestion any additional floors here.

And, as we've mentioned before... in what seems like a long time ago, junk shop Waldorf Hysteria last called the retail space home....


Previously on EV Grieve:
165 Avenue B back on the market

165 Avenue B has been sold, and 2 apartments are on the market

165 Avenue B has been sold, and 2 apartments are on the market

We last noticed that 165 Avenue B near East 10th Street was for sale back in June... the listing gave us pause:

This six unit apartment building has tremendous upside since the spaces can be used for residential, commercial and retail. Four of the units can be delivered vacant and the remaining two within one year. The building has a commercial overlay which allows the ground floor to be used as retail or commercial space ... 1,865 sq ft of air rights remain.

We figured another East Village penthouse was on the way... According to documents filed on Dec. 19, the building sold for $3.8 million. The buyer is the vague 165 Avenue B LLC, which has a Northbrook, Ill., mailing address. (Field Holdings LLC.)

Meanwhile, two of the apartments from No. 165 entered the market this week. There's a "true" three-bedroom unit for $4,300 and a two-bedroom unit for $3,995.

Here's the description for the larger space:

This renovated apartment features pre-war details, stainless steel appliances, a dishwasher and terrific sunlight. All bedrooms in this true three bedroom have wonderful light and good closet space. The third bedroom has flexibility if a dining and living room or office is the preferred layout. All of this in the heart of the East Village, one block from Tompkins Square Park, and surrounded by terrific restaurant and bars, but still pin drop quite in the apartment.

The Corcoran listings appear to use the same photos for both units... We're not sure if this is what the apartments actually look like now. Because they actually look like nice, comfortable apartments that haven't had every inch of character Cromanized carelessly stripped out and painted over...

However, there's no word on those "air rights" or retail space... And nothing on file with the DOB indicates any pending construction... Anyone know more about the situation here? Please let us know via the EV Grieve tip line.

Previously on EV Grieve:
165 Avenue B back on the market