A new plan for the former Housewatch space on Avenue B

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Updated March 10: After a lengthy discussion during last night's SLA committee meeting, Ehmann withdrew her application and will try another month.

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Back on Feb. 23, we noted that a for-lease sign had appeared at 50 Avenue B, between Third Street and Fourth Street, following the quiet closure of Housewatch earlier this year after nearly 18 months in business. 

The bi-level space has been many different things over the years, including Joey Bats Café, Gama Lounge, Lovecraft, Affaire Bistro and Lounge, and China 1. 

At the time last month, we also heard there might already be a new suitor for the address. Fast-forward to tonight: a proposal for a nightclub at 50 Avenue B appears on the CB3 SLA committee docket. The proposed operator is Abby Ehmann, who also owns two other Avenue B establishments — Lucky Bar and the sober Hekate Café & Elixir Lounge. 

We caught up with her outside the space and asked about her plans. 

What are you planning here? How will it differ from your other places?

I see the space, which will be called B Scene, as an extension of both my current businesses. Those rooms are small, which limits my ability to accommodate larger events, such as birthday celebrations, baby showers, live music and dancing. 

What would you say to neighbors who are concerned about a nightclub opening on lower Avenue B? (See the signs of opposition that arrived on the gate late last week.) 

To my neighbors, I say, first, that I am sorry for their problems with previous tenants. I've lived in the East Village for almost 40 years and know some businesses have proven problematic. 

If you speak to my Lucky and Hekate neighbors, I believe you will hear that I've never been a nuisance, followed the regulations in place, and contributed significantly to the culture of the neighborhood. 

The word "nightclub" obviously strikes fear in people's hearts. I will say that the "nightclub" is underground, with a regular bar above it, where music will be at a conversational level, and will absorb any noise from the basement. There won't be lines down the sidewalk because guests will have access through the upstairs bar. I'm not sure how else to reassure them. 

As a 66-year-old woman and a longtime resident, I'm alarmingly different from other potential business owners. I'm not a nightlife consortium or a recent arrival, dependent upon TikTok to bring in business. 

My staff thus far consists of a full-time manager who lives on 14th between A and B, a head bartender who lives on Houston and Avenue B, and a sound guy who lives on East Seventh, all of them residents who are well over 40 and have lived here for over 25 years. You cannot possibly find a team that is more mature and experienced OR more local.

Find info on tonight's meeting, which starts at 6:30, here. The Zoom link is at this link.

The former Housewatch space is for lease on Avenue B

Photo last week by Stacie Joy 

A for-lease sign is up at 50 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street. 

The previous tenant, Housewatch, quietly closed earlier this year after nearly 18 months in business. 

This is a large space that has been many different things over the years (Joey Bats Café, Gama Lounge, Lovecraft, Affaire Bistro and Lounge, China 1), with a lower level and access on both Avenue B and Fourth Street. 

There are also rumors of a new suitor for the Avenue B space.

Webster Hall alum withdraw application for former Lovecraft space on Avenue B

The Webster Hall alum have withdrawn their application for 50 Avenue B/238 E. Fourth St.

They were to appear before CB3's SLA committee tonight for a new liquor license for a venture that featured a pizzeria and live music. Applicants included Stephen Ballinger, the head bartender and bar manager at the now-closed Webster Hall from 2014-2017, and Adam Ballinger, who served as the venue's marketing manager.

According to a tipster: "They withdrew completely and are not interested in that space at all."

That space previously housed Lovecraft, which was inspired by horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. That bar-restaurant closed in early 2018 after three-and-a-half years in business. The other piece of this parcel, the slice joint Johnny Favorite's, shuttered in August 2017 after debuting in April 2015.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Lovecraft has not been open lately on Avenue B

Webster Hall alum proposing new venture for former Lovecraft space on Avenue B

Enter into a Lovecraftian atmosphere at Lovecraft Bar on Avenue B

Lovecraft Bar NYC opened this past weekend at 50 Avenue B at East Fourth Street. As the name suggests, it's an homage to horror writer H.P. Lovecraft.

Per the bar's Facebook description:

This place is great for LOVECRAFT fans, fans of steampunk, lovers of local art, lovers of live music, and of course lovers of great food and good drinks.

Dangerous Minds put it this way: "[It] looks like the perfect place to eat, drink and discuss all things Cthulhu. The eldritch interior design and artwork was created by artist Benjamin Enzfelder, and he has certainly given the bar a great Lovecraftian atmosphere."

EVG reader Thomas Anomalous stopped by this weekend and shared these photos.














[This image via Facebook]

The cocktail menus feature an original pulp fictiony designs...



There's also a subterranean bar and stage that will feature acoustic performances on Thursday evenings.



The food service launches next week. Lovecraft will hold an official grand opening next month.

Affaire closed here last August. Previously, the space was home to the unpopular-with-neighbors China 1 club-restaurant combo.

Updated: Lower Avenue B residents concerned over proposed new bar-restaurant

A restaurant called Brownstone Bar & Grill is on this month's CB3/SLA docket to take over the space last held by Affaire, the French bistro and lounge, which closed at 50 Avenue B last August. (Brownstone, whose CB3 application lists a menu of "Caribbean/Southern food," was originally on last month's docket ... but was a scratch.)

And Brownstone's possible arrival has sparked concerned neighbors to join forces to possibly speak out against a liquor license for the address. There are now flyers hanging in buildings and along Avenue B.

According to the flyer:

Help Stop a New Rowdy Late-night Club from Opening in Our Neighborhood!

We’ve all worked together for several years to force the closure of several late-night clubs that severely degraded the quality of life in our neighborhood. It’s been a long, hard struggle. The last one, Affaire, closed at the end of this summer. Now someone new wants to re-open a boisterous club in that location (50 Avenue B, near East 4th Street.)

We can’t let that happen! All that we’ve worked hard for and accomplished is risk!

WHAT’S BEING PROPOSED:

• The new occupant wants to operate a club for up to 200 people that will stay open until 2 a.m. on Mon.-Wed. nights, and until 4 a.m. on Thurs.-Sun. nights.

• The place will be known as Brownstone Bar and Grill. It plans to feature 8 video screens, play recorded music both as background and as “entertainment”, and host special events.

WHAT DOES THIS SOUND LIKE TO YOU?

Le Souk and Carne vale all over again!

WHAT’S NEXT:

Community Board 3’s SLA and DCA Licensing Committee will be considering an application by the operator for a liquor license at their next meeting – that will be our time to show up and speak out! You can read the full application here.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• Show up at the CB3 Committee meeting to express your opinion and stand up together with each other – Mon. Oct. 7th at 6:30 p.m., at CB3’s offices, 59 E. 4th St. (between 2nd Ave. and the Bowery.)

• Write a letter to CB3 to express your opinion on this matter. Be sure to personalize it, and to talk about your experiences with such places as a neighborhood resident. You can send it to the office, or email it to info@cb3manhattan.org

Neighbors are meeting with Brownstone reps on Thursday night. Here are details on that:

Thursday Oct. 3 @ 7:30 p.m.

535 E. 5th Street (bet. Aves. A & B) in the ground floor Community Room

Hosted by the East 4th St. Block Association

Come meet and ask questions of the operators

Some neighbors here between Fourth Street and Third Street still shudder at the mere mention of Le Souk, which finally closed in 2009 after a lengthy battle with the SLA. (Of course, there were those various mystery parties at the space in recent years.)

Some residents fear a return to the bonkerish partygoing along here last seen in 2004-2006... a stretch that Eater dubbed "Hellmouth" back in 2006.

Former Affaire space on the market on Avenue B

Affaire, the French bistro and lounge, closed at 50 Avenue B back in August. A venture called Brownstone Bar & Grill, serving "Caribbean/Southern food," was on the CB3/SLA docket for a new liquor license this month. However, this applicant has been scratched from the agenda... and based on the new "for lease" sign out front, we likely won't be seeing Brownstone here.

Before Affaire, the space was home to China 1, which neighbors really hated.