Looking at the penthouses atop Starbucks on First Avenue

I'm strangely curious about the apartments atop 219 First Ave. at East 13th Street... with that addition that looks as if it blew in from another building...

The building, which had structural damage, had been under renovation going back to 2007. (And the corner space was home to Mee Noodle Shop, which is returning a few doors away.)

[Via Flickr]

The apartments here hit the market last June. I never looked at the penthouse, though. Turns out there are two penthouse units, and both are on the market now. One is $4,395 ... the slightly smaller one is $4,095, per Streeteasy.

Here's a look inside the more expensive unit...









Perfect view for the First Avenue $1 slice pizza wars.

Noted

A reader notes that the Starbucks is now open on First Avenue at East 13th Street ... "and it was pretty full."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Today in rumors of another Starbucks opening in the East Village

219 First Avenue ready for a chain store, probably

Starbucks confirmed for 219 First Ave., former home to Allen Ginsberg's favorite Chinese restaurant

What it costs to live in newly renovated apartments above a Starbucks in the East Village

Ruination of the northwest corner of First Avenue and East 13th Street nearly complete

[Image via @NatashaDillon]

We've heard from several alarmed readers that the Starbucks signage is up at 219 First Ave. at East 13th Street, as we first noted in April.

By the way, does anyone have photos of the former tenant here, the Mee Noodle Shop, a favorite spot for Allen Ginsburg...?

Previously on EV Grieve:
Today in rumors of another Starbucks opening in the East Village

219 First Avenue ready for a chain store, probably

Starbucks confirmed for 219 First Ave., former home to Allen Ginsberg's favorite Chinese restaurant

What it costs to live in newly renovated apartments above a Starbucks in the East Village

Updated: Incoming Starbucks on First Avenue will have another window; walk up window perhaps?

[March 30]

Looking at the incoming Starbucks here on First Avenue at 13th Street ... workers are, uh, working on putting in a window, probably... (or maybe the double-brick look is in...)

Or. Perhaps it will be a walk-up window like at the McDonald's around the bend on East 14th Street...?

Updated 8-7

Oh, never mind...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Today in rumors of another Starbucks opening in the East Village

Starbucks confirmed for 219 First Ave., former home to Allen Ginsberg's favorite Chinese restaurant

What it costs to live in newly renovated apartments above a Starbucks in the East Village

Back in March, after seven or so years of stop-start renovations, we finally got to see the new-look 219 First Avenue...

[March 30]

We confirmed the Starbucks for the retail space here at East 13th Street... But what about the residential space?

A few of the rentals hit the market yesterday, per Streeteasy. Let's take a look.

NEVER LIVED IN top of the line 1br +DINNING area SUPER BRIGHT
Top of the line Kitchen new stainless steel appliances + DISHWASHEr. Cherry wood cabinets.
CORNER unit, get AMAZING sun light.
13th st and 1st avenue.
Queen size bed LARGE californian closet.
NEW bathroom (TUB)
tons of sunlight and PERFECT Union Square location. VERY high ceilings.
PLEASE note, this is available August 1st or a bit later.
Next to all, bars, restaurants, grocery stores, L train is a Block away and 4 minutes walk to Union Square subway station

(Do the words in all caps spell out some sort of message...?)

Anyway. A 600-square-foot one-bedroom unit is $2,450...











There's also a two-bedroom unit (650 square feet) available for $3,000. As crazy (sad?) as this sounds, these aren't as expensive as we expected... Streeteasy puts the median two-bedroom price in the East Village at $3,420.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Today in rumors of another Starbucks opening in the East Village

219 First Avenue ready for a chain store, probably

Starbucks confirmed for 219 First Ave., former home to Allen Ginsberg's favorite Chinese restaurant

[March 30]

Back on April 26, a worker at the newly unveiled 219 First Ave. told EV Grieve reader Greg Masters that a Starbucks was opening in the retail space here...

Of course! But you never know with such intel from construction workers.

Anyway, in the last few days, paper went up on the windows here at East 13th Street ...



A newly issued work permit points to the incoming tenant...



Well, a Starbuck singular.

And while we let that sink in... might as well bring up again that the ground floor here once housed the Mee Noodle Shop, a favorite spot for Allen Ginsburg.

As the Times noted in its obituary on Ginsberg from April 1997:

Ah Lan Chong, a waitress at Mee's Noodle Shop and Grill on First Avenue, which was Mr. Ginsberg's favorite Chinese restaurant, remembered Mr. Ginsberg in simpler, less heavily freighted terms.

Sure, she knew he was someone important, someone artistic. She could tell that from overheard conversations and from the way other diners would sometimes point at him when he entered. But to Ms. Chong, he was mainly the unfussy man with a dependable hankering for steamed flounder in ginger sauce. "When he came in," she said, "we knew what he wanted."

And so it goes...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Today in rumors of another Starbucks opening in the East Village

219 First Avenue ready for a chain store, probably

Today in rumors of another Starbucks opening in the East Village

Last week, when the "for rent" signs went up outside Kate's Joint on Avenue B, a reliable tipster told us, "There is a very real possibility that a Starbucks will open here."

Perhaps, though it seems unlikely given that Kate's has a full liquor license.

Meanwhile, today. EV Grieve reader Greg Masters spotted workers at the retail space of the newly unveiled 219 First Ave. at 13th Street.

"A construction worker at the site ... believes a Starbucks will be moving into the ground-level space."

History proves that construction workers aren't always the most reliable sources of information. New DOB permits show that work is starting today on an "interior fit-out of existing commercial space." No mention of a tenant just yet for 219 First Ave.

Still, the retail listing for 219 First Ave. was chain/franchise baiting... so you might expect something chainy-franchisey here...

And now, seven years later, here's 219 First Avenue!

Woo! Yesterday, EV Grieve reader evilnyc passed along photos of 219 First Avenue, the rehabbed and taller building at the northwest corner of 13th Street. Last month, workers dropped the construction netting and stuff to reveal the new-look building. Yesterday, the plywood came down at the retail space. So we can now see the whole thing as a developer wanted us to.

And here's a quick look inside the retail space...

The retail listing is chain baiting... so you might expect something chainy here...

Anyway, this space has been boarded up/under construction since roughly 2005... and because someone will mention this, the ground floor here once housed the Mee Noodle Shop, a favorite spot for Allen Ginsburg...

[A shot from 2007 via Flickr]

Here's the rest of 219 First Avenue

Yesterday, we posted photos of the penthouse peeking out of the top of 219 First Avenue at 13th Street... workers continued to strip the netting from around the former four-floor building... here's how it's looking this morning...

Hmm. Thoughts on this now that you can see the more of the renovated building...?

Penthouse striptease at 219 First Avenue

Seems as if the northwest corner of First Avenue at 13th Street has been boarded up/under construction since, say, 2005... the ground floor here once housed the Mee Noodle Shop, a favorite spot for Allen Ginsburg...

[A shot from 2007 via Flickr]

...and in 2009...



Yesterday, workers unwrapped the top levels of the former four-floor building...

...and by the end of the work day...

According to the retail listing... you can take possession of the ground-floor space in March....

We haven't found any information just yet on the housing portion of the building, and whether it will be condos or rentals. The DOB lists Joshua Landau of Integrated Capital as the building's owner.

Previously on EV Grieve:
219 First Avenue ready for a chain store, probably

219 First Avenue ready for a chain store, probably

The northwest corner of First Avenue and 13th Street has been under renovation for the past four years... (we last looked at it here).


(Via Flickr)

Now, workers have made enough progress on the formerly four-floor building that the ground floor retail space is on the market.

According to the listing... you can see for yourself...(Plus, if shows what the renovated building with additional floors looks like...)

Check out that list of neighboring tenants — all chains. And "sidewalk seating is permitted"?

Anyway, the ground floor here once housed the Mee Noodle Shop, a favorite spot for Allen Ginsburg.

Previously.