A cleanup on Houston and B

A reader shares this photo from this morning... showing the DSNY cleaning up underneath the sidewalk bridge on the NW corner of Houston Street and Avenue B (6 Avenue B) ... where Max has been living off and on for a few years. 

There wasn't any sign of Max at the moment... or the dozens of suitcases marked with "FBI evidence."

Because you've always wanted to know what the inside of the long-empty 6 Avenue B looks like

Photos by Stacie Joy

The 6-story building on the NW corner of Avenue B and Houston has been empty/abandoned for years.

Recapping some of what we know (and have reported) about 6 Avenue B. The liquor store in the retail space closed when the owner passed away in 2009 at age 89. (Chico created the tribute to her in February 2010.) 

And as previously noted, this is one of the abandoned buildings owned by the estate of the mysterious team of Arthur and Abraham Blasof, now both deceased. 

In January 2013, workers were spotted hauling out some junk from the building...  in December 2014, bricks fell from the building, breaking the foot of a passerby, as the Lo-Down reported at the time. And an SUV took out part of the sidewalk bridge in November 2018.

And that sidewalk bridge has been up for YEARS. (Six? Seven?) 

However, there are newish work permits on file for the address, some related to the (AT&T?) antennas on the roof. Workers have been inside the building lately.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy looked inside the other day. In the photos below, you'll see the state of the place. 

"The old parquet wood floors are beautiful and the tile work is amazing," Stacie said. "Doubtful it will be preserved but it was something to see."

6 Avenue B doesn't appear to be part of a new (and rumored) Houston Street development

We've been talking about the RUMORED new development coming to the now-empty single row of businesses at 250 E. Houston St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

There was some speculation that the long-vacant 6 Avenue B on the NW corner might be part of a new residential project.

A little digging in public records (courtesy of Upper West Sider — thank you!) reveals that work has been filed in recent months to upgrade antennas and add new FDNY access signs at No. 6. Seems doubtful, as Upper West Side noted, that AT&T would spend the money to upgrade the equipment if the building was about to be demolished.

As for No. 6 ...  the liquor store in the retail space has been closed since the owner passed away in the fall of 2009 at age 89. (Chico created the tribute to her on the gate in February 2010.)

In January 2013, workers were spotted hauling out some junk from the building...  in December 2014, bricks fell from the building, breaking the foot of a passerby, as the Lo-Down reported at the time. And an SUV took out part of the sidewalk bridge in November 2018. And that's about it.

And as previously noted, this is one of the abandoned buildings owned by the estate of the mysterious team of Arthur and Abraham Blasof, now both deceased. 

Updated 10:30 a.m.

Thanks to the commenter who did a little digging in the archives. There was a question about the windowless lot line at 6 Avenue B. Here's a tax photo dated 1939-1941 showing a building identified as 2-4 Avenue B (with a Circulating Library storefront!) ... that corner structure was likely demolished when the city widened East Houston... and No. 6 became the new corner building...

... and the old NW corner... you can see No. 6 in the background...

[Updated] DHS and NYPD will clean up the northwest corner of Houston at Avenue B tomorrow

Notices are up along the sidewalk bridge on the northwest corner of Houston at Avenue B from the the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) ...



The flyers state that the DHS along with the NYPD and other city agencies "will complete a clean-up" of this area...and people need to vacate along with their belongings. Anything left behind by tomorrow may be discarded.

As for this longstanding sidewalk bridge, according to the DOB, a permit for it was first approved in December 2014. The city renewed the permit in October. The building, 6 Avenue B, has been vacant for years. The liquor store in the retail space has been closed since the owner died in the fall of 2009.

Updated 12/22

The area under the sidewalk bridge has been cleaned...



Now everything that was there is neatly stacked a few feet away on the curb (as Neighbor noted in the comments) ...



... and the belonging all have these fake-looking U.S. Federal Use labels...



And "Max," who was sleeping under the sidewalk bridge, is now in the adjacent bus shelter.

Previously on EV Grieve:
DHS flyers on 1st Street

Reader report: SUV takes out part of the sidewalk bridge on Houston and Avenue B

EVG regular Salim shares this photo from earlier this morning ... showing the aftermath of an SUV colliding with the sidewalk bridge on the northwest corner of Houston and Avenue B.

No word on the cause of the collision or injuries. (We've heard from readers through the years noting how dangerous the East Houston-Avenue B/Clinton Street intersection is.)

The NYPD remains on the corner ... and the area is cordoned off... likely awaiting a new sidewalk bridge for outside the long-empty 6 Avenue B...



Previously on EVV Grieve:
Is something finally happening to the long-vacant, mysterious 6 Avenue B?

Resident: July 4 collision highlights dangerous East Houston-Avenue B/Clinton Street intersection

Sidewalk bridge arrives on Houston and Avenue B

Last Tuesday evening, debris from atop the corner building on Avenue B at East Houston fell, reportedly breaking the foot of a 57-year-old man passing by on the sidewalk.

On Friday, workers arrived to erect a protective sidewalk bridge.



The FDNY promptly ordered a structural stability inspection and logged a complaint with the Department of Buildings. There aren't any work permits on file yet on this long-vacant building.

Given that mostly nothing has happened here the past few years, we imagine that the sidewalk bridge will be up for some time… perhaps even breaking an EV record in the process.

H/T EVG reader Magic Brian

Previously on EV Grieve:
Cleaning out the long-closed liquor store on Avenue B and East Houston

Is something finally happening to the long-vacant, mysterious 6 Avenue B?

Report: Debris falls from long-vacant 6 Avenue B, breaking the foot of a passerby

On Tuesday evening, debris from atop the corner building on Avenue B at East Houston fell, apparently breaking the foot of a 57-year-old man passing by on the sidewalk, the Lo-Down reported.

The FDNY promptly ordered a structural stability inspection and logged a complaint with the Department of Buildings.

As for the rest of the building here at 6 Avenue B, the liquor store has been closed since the owner passed away in the fall of 2009.

And as previously noted, this is one of the abandoned buildings owned by the mysterious team of Arthur and Abraham Blasof, now both deceased.

BoweryBoogie has some photos from the scene here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Cleaning out the long-closed liquor store on Avenue B and East Houston

Is something finally happening to the long-vacant, mysterious 6 Avenue B?

Going Ape on East Houston and Avenue B

Just pointing out the recent arrival of a Frank Ape original on the East Houston Street side of 6 Avenue B ... not sure who added the kitty below...



Photo by Stacie Joy

Cleaning out the long-closed liquor store on Avenue B and East Houston

Our current fascination is the long-vacant building on the northwest corner of Avenue B and East Houston... We noted on Jan. 9 that workers have been cleaning out the space.

And in the retail space, the liquor store has been closed since the owner passed away in the fall of 2009. This week, though, a tipster told us that the workers were now cleaning out that space as well...

[Via an EVG tipster]

And, as you can see, it is mostly still fully stocked...

The tipster also said that the building is for sale. We didn't spot any listing for it. Yet. Have more details about the sale? Please let us know via the EV Grieve email.

So, for the time being, we'll continue to document the building as it is now... before it is likely refurbished and painted the Renovated Building Color of Choice — gray.

Previously on EVV Grieve:
Is something finally happening to the long-vacant, mysterious 6 Avenue B?

Is something finally happening to the long-vacant, mysterious 6 Avenue B?

An EV Grieve regular noted that, in the past two days, workers have been hauling junk out of the long-vacant building on the northwest corner of Avenue B and East Houston... Bill the libertarian anarchist took this photo of the work yesterday...

The owner of the liquor store on the corner died in the fall of 2009... and the store has been closed since then... Chico created the tribute to the owner in February 2010.

[February 2012]

Back in February 2010, we heard that the owner's nephew was weighing his options about what to do with the store. As for the rest of the building, it has been vacant as long as many people can remember.

Scoopy had this item at the time:

"The nephew is currently trying to locate the paperwork for the old tenement, the upper floors of which have sat empty for some 20 years. 'Maybe there's some money in the building, a secret hideaway — could be, I didn't say there is,' Chico quipped. As for 'Mom,' he said, 'She used to give everybody credit. She was a hard-working woman. She would lock the gates. She was open till midnight.'"

We understand that this is one of the abandoned buildings owned by the mysterious team of Arthur and Abraham Blasof, now both deceased. Among their rundown properties: 85 Attorney Street, which is slated for some type of unspecified renovation, per BoweryBoogie ... and 43 MacDougal St., which the Greenwich Village Society of Historic Preservation is fighting to protect.

There's nothing in the DOB records showing that anything is imminent with 6 Avenue B. Arthur Blasof is still listed as the owner. Can't imagine that this prime real estate will sit empty for much longer. For now, though, the building will keep making money for someone by hosting the cellular antennas on the roof... and we'll probably never know what's up there...