91 3rd Ave. is for rent

For lease signs recently arrived at 91 Third Ave., the large storefront on the northeast corner of 12th Street.

Per the Newmark Knight Frank listing: "3,500sf on ground floor and an additional 1,800 sf in basement. Vented food uses accepted. Expansive corner space in the East Village surrounded by restaurants, bars, cosmetic and service tenants. Bustling neighborhood, steps from Union Square."

Rental rate available by request!

As previously reported, housewares shop Basics Plus was set to close in this storefront in the spring of spring 2019. However, the housewares shop that opened here in August 2014 ended up consolidating the space, and making do with a smaller footprint in the building.

Surprise! Surprise! was the previous housewares tenant, closing in April 2014 after 25 years in business.

Now the Basics Plus on University Place is closing

Store closing signs are now in the windows at the Basics Plus on University Place at 13th Street. (Thanks to EVG reader Doug for the above photo!)

The signage directs future patrons to visit the East Village BP on Third Avenue at 12th Street (seen below)...


[Photo from this past weekend]

As you'll recall, back in March, the Basics Plus on Third Avenue announced that they were closing. At that time, customers were directed to shop at the University Place outpost...


[Photo from March by Steven]

However, closer to their announced April 29 closing date, the housewares store changed plans, and downsized their square footage at the Third Avenue location.

Who knows what might happen next with Basics Plus, which opened in the East Village in August 2014.

The Basics Plus website lists eight NYC locations.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Basics Plus apparently not closing on 3rd Avenue after all

Basics Plus apparently not closing on 3rd Avenue after all

[Photo from Friday]

As previously reported, housewares shop Basics Plus was set to close this spring at 91 Third Ave. and 12th Street. Employees had said that today, April 29, was the last day.

The prominent going-out-of-business signs in the front windows directed future Basics Plus shoppers to the location on University at 13th Street ... along with notices for 20 percent off all items.

However, in the past week, several EVG readers passed along the news that Basics Plus is staying put. Per one reader:

"I went in there a few days ago to ask when their closing date was, and the employee told me they're no longer closing, they're just downsizing. So I asked why everything was still on sale, and she said she didn't know."

In a brief telephone call, an employee confirmed the change of closing plans, saying that they're just moving out the hardware section. When pressed for more details, she hung up. (The phone went to voice-mail on the return call.)

The store closing/sale signs were still up as of Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Be Juice bar connected to the shop has cleared out...



Basics Plus opened here in August 2014.

Surprise! Surprise! — a like-minded housewares shop with, according to readers, better customer service — was the previous tenant, closing in April 2014 after 25 years in business.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Basics Plus is closing on 3rd Avenue

Basics Plus confirmed for former Surprise! Surprise! space on 3rd Avenue

Last month we heard that a Basics Plus was going to take over the former Surprise! Surprise! storefront on Third Avenue and East 12th Street.

The coming soon sign has arrived …



No word on an opening date for the housewares store. There looks to be a lot of renovation work left on the interior.

Surprise! Surprise! closed after 25 years in business on April 27.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Surprise! Surprise! will close at the end of April (42 comments)

Reader report: Basics Plus moving into the former Surprise! Surprise! space

Former Surprise! Surprise! space gutted

We looked inside the former Surprise! Surprise! space the other day… and workers have gutted the former housewares store at 91 Third Ave. at East 12th Street.

As noted a few weeks ago, a Basics Plus is rumored to be taking the space.

Surprise! Surprise! closed after 25 years in business on April 27.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Surprise! Surprise! will close at the end of April (42 comments)

Reader report: Basics Plus moving into the former Surprise! Surprise! space