Noted

Speaking of the incoming 7-Eleven on Avenue A and East 11th Street... spotted on the plywood...

Today's sign of the Apocalypse: 7-Eleven on St. Mark's Place now delivering

Not sure how long that sign has been up... didn't notice it earlier in the week... did not see a delivery sign on the 7-Eleven Bowery location... And what would you have delivered from a 7-Eleven?

Meeting recap: 'Pringle-lizing' the East Village, 7-Eleven style

[Photo of Bob Holman by Jose Garcia]

As previously noted, members of the 11th Street A-B-C Block Association met last night at Father's Heart Ministries to discuss the incoming 7-Eleven on East 11th Street and Avenue A..

A tipster passed along a quick recap of the No 7-11 meeting...

The meeting was the usual mix of brainstorming, with some good ideas and some silliness, but it all came from the heart. There were some ideas put forth that a lot of us had not even thought of — for instance, how to keep schoolkids from patronizing a shiny, magical 7-11 instead of a Slurpee machine-free bodega?

There was talk about banding together with other block associations to fight this and other chains...

The problem, and believe me I don't mean to sound cynical, is that a lot of this is sound and fury ... I have been on many committees and in many groups, and have repeatedly found that while you might have any number of interested people, only a few of them will actually step up to the plate and take on the struggle, with the rest encouraging from the sidelines. That's a hard way to win a war, and sometimes it doesn't work.

Jeremiah Moss always has a summation here.

And here are a few quotes from Serena Solomon's article at DNAinfo this afternoon:

"People come to New York because it is not the suburbs," said Rob Hollander, the meeting's organizer, who also heads up the 11th Street A-B-C Block Association. "7-Eleven is not here to contribute to the culture of New York, and someone has to stand up for that culture."

And!

Bob Holman, founder of the Bowery Poetry Club, was also on hand at the meeting to blast the store.

"They are boring. They are bland. They are not New York," said Holman, who wore thick links of industrial-size chain around his neck to symbolize the fight. "They are Pringle-izing our population."

A writer from Gothamist was also at the meeting. Read that post here.

Reminder tonight: Meeting to discuss incoming 7-Eleven on Avenue A and East 11th Street

We first posted this last Tuesday... here's a reminder...

7-Eleven is coming to Avenue A at 11th Street. The residents of 11th Street won't sit for it. We're drawing the line of suburbanization here.

We have had about enough of chain stores and suburban franchises, Duane Reades, Walgreens and Chase Banks on every corner. We've chosen to fight. Join with us and let's start a city-wide resistance. Let's not sit for it any more.

MEETING: NO 7-11
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 6:30PM
545 EAST 11TH STREET
(Father's Heart Ministries, btwn A&B)

San Francisco has laws to restrict chain stores. NYC zoning laws don't prevent big box commercialism and the current mayor's planning department won't change those regulations. But a local election is coming.

Next year, this mayor will be gone — now's our opportunity to tell the coming administration that this does matter to us. If we don't raise the cry loud and clear, the new administration won't address it either.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the wholesale suburbanization and selling of New York lies in the hands of the people of New York. We've got to create the political will to fight against the death of this city. We've got to be visible and loud and persistent. New Yorkers have been sitting for it for a long time. We mustn't sit for it any longer.

There's likely a 7-Eleven near you, and if not, there will be. The 7-Eleven corporation has targeted the city for many more openings, intending to displace local commerce especially local bodegas. Don't sit for that.

Join the 11th Street resistance. Let's turn it into a Lower East Side resistance and a Manhattan resistance a Harlem and the Heights resistance and a Village and Chinatown resistance. Complacency=Suburbanization.

We're meeting on the 16th. Tell your friends. Bring your inventive ideas and your righteous indignation.

There's an addition to the meeting to note. Bowery Poetry Club founder Bob Holman will be there to tell to discuss "the No 7-11 campaign of No Chains on the Bowery," per the meeting invite. (Though there already is a 7-Eleven on the Bowery.)

Holman wrote this yesterday on Facebook:

You know my feelings about the architecture of my cross the street neighbors — that the Avalon Buildings are bland, tired, socialist post-modernism, while the Bowery is and always has been about life and art jazzed to extremes. But to be invaded by mall culture, the US's lowest common denominator, citizen as consumer —no! No Chains on the Bowery! They do it in San Francisco — let's go!

Avenue A's anti-7-Eleven campaign now includes arsenal of 20,000 stickers

Well, it's becoming clear(er) that some residents aren't interested in having a big 7-Eleven on the corner of Avenue A and East 11th Street.

We received the following missive yesterday:

Attached is an image of stickers (20,000) that just came in and will be distributed throughout the East Village as part of a sticker campaign for when the 7-11 on Avenue A opens up. Basically people will be constantly stickering the door of 7-11 with these ... delicately placed next to the usual MasterCard Accepted stickers by the handle of the door entrance. The idea is to a) constantly remind consumers to turn around and shop elsewhere before going in and also to b) be a nuisance to the 7-11 store itself...

The email was signed,
@PoliticoNympho

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] More from the anti-7-Eleven front on Avenue A and East 11th Street

7-Eleven alert: Are 2 chain stores replacing Bar on A and Angels & Kings?

First sign of the incoming 7-Eleven on Avenue A

Meanwhile: There's a 'No 7-Eleven' meeting set for Jan. 16

From the EV Grieve inbox...

7-Eleven is coming to Avenue A at 11th Street. The residents of 11th Street won't sit for it. We're drawing the line of suburbanization here.

We have had about enough of chain stores and suburban franchises, Duane Reades, Walgreens and Chase Banks on every corner. We've chosen to fight. Join with us and let's start a city-wide resistance. Let's not sit for it any more.

MEETING: NO 7-11
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 6:30PM
545 EAST 11TH STREET
(Father's Heart Ministries, btwn A&B)

San Francisco has laws to restrict chain stores. NYC zoning laws don't prevent big box commercialism and the current mayor's planning department won't change those regulations. But a local election is coming.

Next year, this mayor will be gone — now's our opportunity to tell the coming administration that this does matter to us. If we don't raise the cry loud and clear, the new administration won't address it either.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the wholesale suburbanization and selling of New York lies in the hands of the people of New York. We've got to create the political will to fight against the death of this city. We've got to be visible and loud and persistent. New Yorkers have been sitting for it for a long time. We mustn't sit for it any longer.

There's likely a 7-Eleven near you, and if not, there will be. The 7-Eleven corporation has targeted the city for many more openings, intending to displace local commerce especially local bodegas. Don't sit for that.

Join the 11th Street resistance. Let's turn it into a Lower East Side resistance and a Manhattan resistance a Harlem and the Heights resistance and a Village and Chinatown resistance. Complacency=Suburbanization.

We're meeting on the 16th. Tell your friends. Bring your inventive ideas and your righteous indignation.

[Updated] More from the anti-7-Eleven front on Avenue A and East 11th Street

So far, we've seen signs of opposition against the incoming 7-Eleven on Avenue A and East 11th Street. First, someone carved "Fuck 7-11" into the sidewalk (twice) ... then we saw the anti-7-Eleven stickers ... and now... sidewalk chalk ... several of these are around the plywood...

[Thanks to @JGerbz for the photo]

And last night, someone created giant "No 7-Eleven" signs in the middle of the intersection... via an EVG reader...

Can't wait to see what's next in the anti-7-Eleven arsenal...

Previously on EV Grieve:
7-Eleven alert: Are 2 chain stores replacing Bar on A and Angels & Kings?

First sign of the incoming 7-Eleven on Avenue A

Reviving those 7-Eleven + another chain rumors for Avenue A

Has the great old Pearl Diner closed?; and check out its new neighbor

The 50-year-old (plus) Pearl Diner on the fringes of the Financial District sports some of the best neon signage in the city...

It's a classic place that I don't have the chance to eat at too often... Amazing that it still exists, really. This is a corridor filling up with chains — everything from Chipotle to Potbelly seem to be the dining spots of choice...

So during the holiday I thought I'd go there for breakfast. Won't be so crowded with so many people away... Uh-oh.

Ugh. There's brown paper on the windows. And no note about just being closed during the holidays or anything. There's no outgoing phone message, and Seamless Web isn't taking orders.

This area got hit hard during Sandy. Perhaps it was a Sandy casualty? (Though there is a Yelp review as late as Dec. 7.)

Will hold off on an obituary for the time being.

And there's not much left down here with much soul. Just a half block away, one of the last Andrews Coffee Shops in the city closed in August 2010, as Jeremiah Moss noted.

Meanwhile, right across the street from the former Andrews (now a Post Office branch!) and within sight of the Pearl are signs announcing an exciting new business on Pearl and John streets...

Welcome to New York City, 2013...

[Top two photos via Yelp]

An anti-7-Eleven sticker campaign

We've already seen some anti-7-Eleven sentiment outside where the convenience store will set up shop on Avenue A and East 11th Street...

Now there are these stickers... like the ones spotted alongside on Avenue B (on CVS stickers too — nice touch!)

Have you seen this stickers? Wasn't sure how widespread they are...

Meanwhile, nearby neighbors have said that they are already opposed to the new 7-Eleven.

Updated:

Wanted to note this painting that V.H. McKenzie created back in February in collaboration with Tompkins Square Bagels too...

Previously on EV Grieve:
7-Eleven alert: Are 2 chain stores replacing Bar on A and Angels & Kings?

First sign of the incoming 7-Eleven on Avenue A

Reviving those 7-Eleven + another chain rumors for Avenue A

Reviving those 7-Eleven + another chain rumors for Avenue A

[Photo last week via Shawn Chittle]

That pesky rumor has returned... the one about the incoming 7-Eleven on Avenue A and East 11th Street being more than just a 7-Eleven. Back in September, we heard the space of the former Bar on A and Angels & Kings would be chopped into two chains, a 7-Eleven and either a Starbucks or Subway. Just rumors mind you.

So far, there's nothing on the DOB permits pointing specifically to anything other than a 7-Eleven here. But! The applicant of record for both 500 E. 11th St. and 170 Avenue A is Bentonville, Ark.-based Harrison French & Associates, an architecture and engineering firm whose clients include 7-Eleven, Starbucks and Subway.

Plus, as several people have noted, this is a really big space for just a 7-Eleven. Anyway, yesterday, a reader passed along word of a rumor that the space will be both a 7-Eleven and a Starbucks.

Perhaps. Anyway, at this point, nothing would likely surprise us here...

Previously on EV Grieve:
7-Eleven alert: Are 2 chain stores replacing Bar on A and Angels & Kings?

First sign of the incoming 7-Eleven on Avenue A

Breaking (sort of): Workers return to incoming Avenue A 7-Eleven

[Photo via Shawn Chittle]

We haven't seen much activity at the 7-Eleven coming to the corner of Avenue A and East 11th Street... in the space previously occupied by Bar on A and Angels & Kings... Workers gutted and plywooded (heh) the space back in September... but we haven't seen much, if any, activity here of late.

Until this morning.

Noted

Never noticed this before outside the incoming 7-Eleven on Avenue A and East 11th Street... given the reaction of neighbors, this sentiment seems about right...

11th Street A-B-C Block Association opposing incoming 7-Eleven; eyeing future developments

[From August]

The following is a synopsis of last night's 11th Street A-B-C Block Association meeting...

By Matt Amoroso

At Father’s Heart Ministries church last night, approximately 50 attendees comprised largely of 11th Street residents discussed strategies and action items regarding the incoming 7-Eleven on the corner of Ave. A and 11th St., the pending luxury development in the Mary Help of Christians lot as well as the proposed construction of a social services building at 535 E. 11th St.

While the discussion centered on East 11th Street and parts of Avenue A, the fact was not lost on the room that these development concerns are symptomatic not only of the greater East Village neighborhood but also the rest of Manhattan.

Despite the presence of several issues on the docket, the incoming 7-Eleven stood out as the hot-button topic of the evening. The consensus in the room largely acknowledged: the 11th St. Block Association opposes the 7-Eleven, and there is not much the members of the 11th St. Block Association can do to stop this particular location from opening.

In a majority decision, the Block Association voted to oppose outright the opening of this 7-Eleven, and in the failure of that attempt, to push for a list of agreed upon concessions from the local 7-Eleven owner or the landlord. Those concessions included:

• Reduced evening/late night hours
• Reduction in lights and signature signage
• Noise control
• Entrance on Ave. A only
• Enforcement of loitering laws
• Possible security guard
• Limits to the sale of alcohol
• Keeping the door closed at all times

In addition to “Is this really happening?”, the pressing question for most attendees was “What can we do about it?” Aside from a general boycott, the attendees suggested numerous courses of action to accomplish the above goals. The most feasible and effective suggestions centered upon utilizing legislative channels through elected or soon-to-be-elected officials to gain notoriety for the grievances of the block and East Village overall.

Other ideas included: social media engagement and petitioning, flyering, picketing, NY media engagement, and research into the existence of any public funding going into construction.

Despite the clear opposition to the incoming 7-Eleven, several residents noted that this franchise would solve the often-voiced problems associated with the (now-closed) bars on the street, including Bar on A and Angels and Kings. In addition, if this 7-Eleven were not to open, then another bar would surely fill the void (if not out of spite from the landlord).

No love was lost in the room for the much-maligned real-estate developer Ben Shaoul, who owns the building housing the future 7-Eleven as well as the Mary Help of Christians lot.

It remained reluctantly clear to the attendees that there is not much that can legally stop a private owner from developing businesses or luxury condos on his property. One can only hope for community engagement, elected official support, and a little bit of luck to turn the tide in the East Village and Manhattan as a whole.

As community leader Rob Hollander reminded everyone: “The law couldn’t stop Robert Moses, but Jane Jacobs did.”

Author’s note: There were many great ideas and viewpoints expressed during the meeting that couldn’t make it into the above story due to time and space. I encourage people to add anything that was left out in the comments section!

Matt Amoroso is the Co-Editor of The Stark Online.

First sign of the incoming 7-Eleven on Avenue A

For a few months now, people have been talking about the 7-Eleven coming to the corner of Avenue A and East 11th Street... in the space previously occupied by Bar on A and Angels & Kings... workers even told residents as much.

Still, despite plenty of evidence, nothing at the DOB actually said 7-Eleven. (There was mention of a "convenience store.")

Anyway, paperwork went through today to "ERECT NON-ILLUMINATED NON-ADVERTISING AWNING ON WALL. 12 SQ FT COPY TO READ STRIPE 7-ELEVEN."

On this topic... a reminder about tonight's meeting where the supersize 7-Eleven is sure to be discussed...

Block Association Meeting
Wednesday, November 14, 7 pm
@ Father's Heart Ministries
545 E 11th St

Anyone living on 11th Street is a member of the 11th Street A-B-C Block Association.

East 11th Street residents meeting tomorrow to discuss 'the big changes coming'

From the EV Grieve inbox...

With the threat of a super-size 7-Eleven at the south corner at 500 E 11, the loss of our community's wonderful flea market and its impending replacement with a huge luxury residential complex along Avenue A, residents on 11th Street have organized to let their voice be heard. If we can't stop these developments, we can still make a difference to prevent the worst. Join us!!

Block Association Meeting
Wednesday, November 14, 7 pm
@ Father's Heart Ministries
545 E 11th St

Anyone living on 11th Street is a member of the 11th Street A-B-C Block Association.
So come and be heard.

[Photo via James C. Taylor]

A Stop Work order at Avenue A's incoming 7-Eleven

A tipster points us to the front door at 500 E. 11th St. at Avenue A, where workers erected a lot of plywood over the former bars here to build out for a 7-Eleven via developer/landlord Ben Shaoul.

In any event, the city served a Stop Work Order here dated Sept. 21 (but apparently served on Monday) for "BLDG CONSTRUCTION WORK BLOCKING SECONDARY MEANS OF EXIT."

Per the notice, the only work allowed here is to "cut access holes in the fence for fire escapes."

Previously on EV Grieve:
7-Eleven alert: Are 2 chain stores replacing Bar on A and Angels & Kings?

7-Eleven alert: Are 2 chain stores replacing Bar on A and Angels & Kings?

[From August]

In recent years, when a business closes around here, it's inevitable that the Starbucks-7-Eleven-Subway rumor makes the rounds as a replacement.

We heard this after Graceland closed ... when 34 Avenue A was looking for a new tenant ... when Kate's Joint closed on Avenue B ... when 219 First Avenue had retail space available; ditto for the Copper Building retail ground floor — and so on. Sometimes it turns out to be true, and other times, it's just a rumor. Or something people use merely as a threat.

So we heard the Starbucks-7-Eleven-Subway whispers about the recently shuttered Bar on A at East 11th Street. In part, these rumors surfaced because Ben Shaoul of Magnum Real Estate owns the building ... and two of his East Village properties are now home to a Starbucks (First Avenue at East Third Street) and a 7-Eleven (Broadway and East 12th Street). On Monday, one of the construction workers gutting 170 Avenue A told told a reporter from The Local that a 7-Eleven was taking over the former Bar on A space.

[Photos by Shawn Chittle]

However, in addition, workers have cleared out Angels & Kings, Pete Wentz's onetime emo hangout behind Bar on A at 500 E. 11th St. (aka 170 Avenue A). According to the work permits for No. 500: "REMODEL EXISTING STAIR CONNECTING CELLAR AND FIRST FLOOR. REMOVE INTERIOR NON-LOAD BEARING PARTITIONS AT FIRST FLOOR."

[Last evening via EVG reader Cheryl Pyle on Facebook]

An EVG regular who has been watching all this unfold thinks that the two spaces together are too big for just a 7-Eleven, and believes that the two spaces would yield both a 7-Eleven and a Subway. Or a Starbucks. This is only a theory. But plausible.

In January, the CB3/SLA gave the OK for the people behind Keybar on East 13th Street to take over the Angels & Kings space and open a bar-restaurant serving Hungarian food. No word on whatever happened to those plans.

However, there's nothing just yet on the DOB permits pointing specifically yet to a 7-Eleven, Starbucks or Subway. One connection: The applicant of record for both 500 E. 11th St. and 170 Avenue A is Bentonville, Ark.-based Harrison French & Associates, an architecture and engineering firm whose clients include 7-Eleven, Starbucks and Subway. (Harris French did the 7-Eleven on Broadway at East 12th Street and East 14th Street.)

In any event, nothing official has been released about the corner's future. But given NYC's current retail environment, you may want to get ready for the first national, non-bank chain/franchise on Avenue A. And probably not the last.

7-Eleven now giving its regards to Broadway!

Hey, the 7-Eleven that we first reported on here back in February (and almost the same headline!) on Broadway at East 12th Street opened Friday...

[Silence]

Meanwhile, have you noticed how much trash piles up outside the 7-Eleven on St. Mark's Place?

Anyway, the Axis of 11 is alive and well with four now around here... with more on the way, wouldn't you think?

Checking in on the Axis of 11

Back on Feb. 24, we noted that a 7-Eleven was in the works for 813 Broadway near 12th Street ... the cheap-o DVD shop packed up and moved across the street...

Jeremiah noted the arrival of the all-too-familiar signage yesterday...

The march continues...into the 7-Eleven zone...

Previously on EV Grieve:
7-Eleven to give its regards to Broadway

Your chance to stand in line outside a 7-Eleven to meet Shaun White today

So Gold-Medal-winning snowboarder Shaun White will be at the 7-Eleven today at noon on IHOP Way as part of a promotion for his new flavor of gum — Mintacular ...

According to the flyer the gum dude handed me this morning... "Shaun White and Stride will ... completely take over this 7-Eleven" which "will be transformed into a Stride super store, carrying only Stride's two Shaun White flavors ..." According to the Times, 7-Eleven will also serve a batch of Mintacular-flavored Slurpees. (Read Andrew Adam Newman's article here.)

Be kind of cool if the left the 7-Eleven this way permanently. We need a good two-flavor gum store around here.