Showing posts with label Cooper Union. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cooper Union. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Full sidewalk returns to Cooper Union's Foundation Building

Photo by Jacob Ford 

Workers this afternoon have removed the barricades from outside the NW corner of the Foundation Building on Cooper Square after three months of sidewalk/concrete repairs ... looks pretty smooth for skating!

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Stuyvesant Street storefronts return to view

Photo by Steven 

On Tuesday, workers removed the sidewalk bridge and remaining construction netting along 29 Third Ave. (home of the Bean) and the empty storefronts at 8-14 Stuyvesant St.

Asbestos abatement notices arrived back in April at the storefronts. Work permits at the DOB showed permits for "retail store white box interior renovation."

We're curious if for-lease signs are next.

As previously reported, Village Yokocho, Angel's Share and Panya closed in these spaces in April 2022. Another restaurant, Sharaku, in the corner space at 14 Stuyvesant St., shuttered earlier in the pandemic. (Sunrise Mart in a separate building next door on the second floor also shut down.)

Cooper Union, which leased the buildings from their owners and had subleased them to the Yoshida Restaurant Group for more than 25 years, said it was the tenants' decision to move on. (This post has more background. Yoshida had not paid rent since 2020.)

There haven't been any public statements on what the landlord, believed to be 29 Third Ave Corporation c/o Casabella Holdings, LLC, has in store for the spaces. A Cooper Union rep told us previously that no new building was planned on this site. Based on the reveal this week, it looks as if the storefronts were just receiving an interior-exterior renovation.

By the way, Angel's Share reopened in the West Village in June. 

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Cooper Union's Foundation Building (almost) returns to full view

Photos by Steven 

Workers continue to remove the elaborate sidewalk bridge (the Urban Umbrella!) from outside the Foundation Building here on Cooper Square between Astor Place and Seventh Street...
The sidewalk structure arrived in April 2021... work permits pointed to a "renovation on the fourth floor."

The Urban Umbrella, made of recycled steel and translucent plastic panel, made its first NYC appearance in the fall of 2017.

The Italianate brownstone building designed by architect Fred A. Petersen was completed in 1859.

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Packing up the Urban Umbrella scaffolding around Cooper Union

Workers continue to remove the sidewalk bridge (yes, we were faked out here once), part of the more aesthetically pleasing Urban Umbrella scaffolding that has been around Cooper Union's Foundation Building for two-plus years... 
The structure arrived in April 2021... work permits pointed to a "renovation at the fourth floor."

The Urban Umbrella, made of recycled steel and translucent plastic panel, made its first NYC appearance in the fall of 2017.

Thanks to everyone who noted this ongoing removal, including @unitof and Lola Sáenz.

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Asbestos abatement for the vacant storefronts along Stuyvesant Street

Earlier this month, workers erected a sidewalk bridge along 29 Third Ave. (home of the Bean) and the empty storefronts at 8-14 Stuyvesant St.

Work permits at the DOB show a pending permit for "retail store white box interior renovation." (We have also yet to see any for-lease signs here.)

We're waiting to see what might be happening with these high-profile spaces.

In the interim, Asbestos Abatement Notices have arrived on the plywood... noting the removal of asbestos... with a projected completion date of Feb. 23, 2024.
This is the first activity we've seen here since the previous tenants moved out last spring.

As previously noted, it was nearly a year ago that news first surfaced — via a tweet by Alex Vadukul, a correspondent for The New York Times — that Tony Yoshida's four businesses along Stuyvesant Street between Ninth Street and Third Avenue were expected to close. Village Yokocho, Angel's Share, Panya and Sunrise Mart were all gone by the end of April

Cooper Union, which leased the buildings from their owners and had subleased them to the Yoshida Restaurant Group for more than 25 years, said it was the tenants' decision to move on. (This post has more background. Yoshida had not paid rent since 2020.)

There haven't been any public statements on what the landlord, believed to be 29 Third Ave Corporation c/o Casabella Holdings, LLC, has in store for the spaces. A Cooper Union rep told us previously that no new building is planned on this site. 

Thursday, April 6, 2023

A sidewalk bridge for the vacant storefronts along Stuyvesant Street

On Tuesday, the EVG inbox lit up as workers erected a sidewalk bridge along 29 Third Ave. (home of the Bean) and the empty storefronts at 8-14 Stuyvesant St. (H/T Steven for the first photos)...
Work permits at the DOB show a pending permit for "retail store white box interior renovation." (We have also not seen any for-lease signs here. Those may arrive after the renovations.) 

This is the first activity we've seen here since the previous tenants moved out last spring.

As previously noted, it was nearly a year ago that news first surfaced — via a tweet by Alex Vadukul, a correspondent for The New York Times — that Tony Yoshida's four businesses along Stuyvesant Street between Ninth Street and Third Avenue were expected to close. Village Yokocho, Angel's Share, Panya and Sunrise Mart were all gone by the end of April

Cooper Union, which leased the buildings from their owners and had subleased them to the Yoshida Restaurant Group for more than 25 years, said it was the tenants' decision to move on. (This post has more background. Yoshida had not paid rent since 2020.)

There haven't been any public statements on what the landlord, believed to be 29 Third Ave Corporation c/o Casabella Holdings, LLC, has in store for the spaces. A Cooper Union rep told us previously that no new building is planned on this site. 

Sunday, March 26, 2023

At Cooper Union, a concert to celebrate Transgender Day of Visibility this Friday

You can commemorate "Transgender Day of Visibility" this coming Friday, March 31, at "Shine On," a special concert at the Cooper Union hosted by Murray Hill.

Per the press materials:
"Shine On" is both a celebration honoring transgender and non-binary people and a call to action to fight against hate. The event is part of The Gardiner Foundation Great Hall Forum series, which explores contemporary societal issues and connects history from The Cooper Union's Great Hall, dating back more than 160 years, to the present.
The concert event, which features performances by actress, singer and activist Peppermint and the New York City Gay Men's Chorus, starts at 7 p.m. at the Great Hall, 7 E. Seventh St.
 
You can RSVP to the free show here
The Third Avenue side of the Foundation building highlights members of the LGBTQ+ community as well as works by some of Cooper Union's transgender alums.

Monday, March 13, 2023

Report: Angel's Share has a new home (and what of its old home?)

Angel's Share, the nearly 30-year-old cocktail lounge that closed on Stuyvesant Street last March, has a new home at 45 Grove St. 

As The New York Times first reported, "Erina Yoshida, the daughter of Tony Yoshida, the restaurateur who opened Angel's Share in a second-floor room on Stuyvesant Street in 1993, has found a new space for the bar in Greenwich Village. She will own and run the rebooted Angel's Share." 

The opening date is pending. 

Meanwhile, it was nearly a year ago today that news first surfaced — via a tweet by Alex Vadukul, a correspondent for The New York Times — that Yoshida's four businesses along Stuyvesant Street between Ninth Street and Third Avenue were expected to close.

Village Yokocho, Angel's Share, Panya and Sunrise Mart were all gone by the end of April

Eleven months later, the retail spaces remain vacant... there haven't been any for-lease signs posted during this time...
Another restaurant, Sharaku, in the corner space at 14 Stuyvesant St., shuttered earlier in the pandemic. (Sunrise Mart was in a separate building next door.)

Cooper Union, which leased the buildings from their owners and had subleased them to the Yoshida Restaurant Group for more than 25 years, said it was the tenants' decision to move on. (This post has more background. Yoshida had not paid rent since 2020.)

There haven't been any public statements on what the landlord, believed to be 29 Third Ave Corporation c/o Casabella Holdings, LLC, has in store for the spaces. A Cooper Union rep told us previously that no new building is planned on this site. 

So far, no sign of any work permits at the Department of Buildings to suggest a renovation or anything else significant at these addresses in prime retail-restaurant territory.

Thursday, September 15, 2022

The state of this Stuyvesant Street retail space

We've talked with several readers/residents dismayed by the current state of 8-14 Stuyvesant St. ... the once-vibrant corridor with four popular businesses here between Third Avenue and Ninth Street. 

Today (photos from Tuesday), the storefronts sit empty and continue to attract graffiti and wheatpaste ads (and abandoned chairs!) ...
As previously reported, Village Yokocho, Angel's Share and Panya closed in these spaces in April. Another restaurant, Sharaku in the corner space at 14 Stuyvesant St., shuttered earlier in the pandemic. (Sunrise Mart in a separate building next door on the second floor also shut down.)

Cooper Union, which leases the buildings from their owners and had subleased them to the Yoshida Restaurant Group for more than 25 years, said it was the tenants' decision to move on. (This post has more background. Yoshida had not paid rent since 2020.)

No word on what the landlord, believed to be 29 Third Ave Corporation c/o Casabella Holdings, LLC, has in store for the spaces. We haven't spotted any retail listings for the address. (A Cooper Union rep told us previously that there isn't a new building planned on this site.)

So expect this strip to remain in this state for the foreseeable future. 

Monday, April 11, 2022

Inside the food-and-drink empire that included the now-shuttered Angel's Share and Sunrise Mart

Top photo by Steven last week 

Three longtime East Village businesses on Stuyvesant Street — Village Yokocho, Angel's Share and Sunrise Mart — recently closed ... and a fourth, Panya, will soon follow. 

The New York Times yesterday had the first (and very rare!) interview with the owner of the businesses — the Yoshida Restaurant Group. 
Over the past 50 years, Tadao Yoshida, known as Tony, the mystery mogul of the East Village, has built a food-and-drink empire that few of his generation can rival. It all started in the early 1970s with the humble vegetarian-friendly joint Dojo and has expanded to include, most recently, the sprawling Japan Village food court in Industry City, Brooklyn. 

Mr. Yoshida helped teach New York that it couldn't live without an authentic izakaya (something like a Japanese pub). And the cocktail revival of the aughts can be traced directly to Angel's Share. 

He also may very well be the man responsible for that ubiquitous ginger-carrot salad dressing found at every Japanese restaurant across America. 
As previously noted on EVG, Yoshida first opened the Ice Cream Connection on St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue in March 1970. Yoshida's Japanese-inspired vegetarian cuisine came along in 1974. 

In 1982, Dojo took over the space next door and expanded even more. Higher rents shuttered the East Village Dojo, with the West Third Street outpost continuing until 2018.

The Times also shares this anecdote about the Ice Cream Connection:
The East Village was dangerous then, and Mr. Yoshida was known to keep a long Japanese sword behind the ice cream counter for protection. A story goes that a young John Belushi, after seeing Mr. Yoshida chase away some troublemakers with the sword, was inspired to create his recurring samurai character on "Saturday Night Live."

 "People said that," Mr. Yoshida admitted. "I'm not sure. After the samurai sketch, people said, 'Tony, that’s you.'"
As for why these businesses have closed after 25-plus years here on Stuyvesant Street between Ninth Street and Third Avenue... a spokesperson for landlord Cooper Union told us (and other media outlets): "Unfortunately, the tenant informed us of their decision to vacate the property. They were not asked to move out, despite the fact that they haven't paid any rent since 2020."

Yoshida confirmed to the Times that the businesses had not paid any rent since April 2020. "In the pandemic, we could not do business, and I hoped they would give me some sort of break," he said. The Cooper Union spokesperson previously said: "The formula for calculating rent on these properties has been in place for some 30 years and has never been changed."

Also, as the Times piece references: "Cooper Union, which leases the buildings from their owners and had subleased them to Mr. Yoshida for decades."

Back in 2011, when Cooper Union and St. Mark's Bookshop were trying to hash out a new rental deal for the retail space for 29 Third Ave., WNYC reported that "Cooper Union doesn't actually own the building that holds the store, but leases it from a company called 29 Third Ave Corporation c/o Casabella Holdings, LLC."

So it's not clear what will happen with the two-level building that housed Village Yokocho, Angel's Share and the previously shuttered Sharaku. Cooper Union told us there's no new building planned on this site.

Meanwhile, Yoshida's lone business left here, Panya, will "continue for a month on a wholesale basis before it, too, closes," per the Times. Employees though, have told EVG readers that the bakery will close before the end of the month.

Monday, April 4, 2022

Stuyvesant Street closings official: Angel's Share, Village Yokocho and Sunrise Mart are gone

The entry to Village Yokocho was lit up per usual here at 8 Stuyvesant St. on Friday night, giving the impression that the longtime Japanese restaurant was open as it has been for the past 25-plus years.

However, the door to the space Village Yokocho shares with Angel's Share, the speakeasy-style bar, upstairs was locked, and the second level was dark ... 
Village Yokocho and Angel's Share closed after service on Thursday night. This was expected as four popular businesses — including Panya and Sunrise Mart — along Stuyvesant Street between Ninth Street and Third Avenue were set to close either at the end of March or in April. 

There was word of a "rent dispute." According to a previous statement by landlord Cooper Union to EVG: "Unfortunately, the tenant informed us of their decision to vacate the property. They were not asked to move out, despite the fact that they haven't paid any rent since 2020." 

The timing for the end of service was murky, as the Yoshida Restaurant Group had not publically commented on potential closures or relocations for any of these businesses. Information to date in articles had come from bartenders/waitstaff/counter help. (New York Times correspondent Alex Vadukul was first to report on the pending closures in a series of tweets last month.)

Over the weekend, signage arrived confirming three of the closures (h/t Eden) ...
Panya, the bakery-cafe, remains open. Yesterday, a worker said they hoped to be here for the rest of the month.

Meanwhile, there's speculation that Angel's Share may turn up elsewhere; Village Yokocho would likely not. Sunrise Mart will not reopen elsewhere in the neighborhood — its three other NYC locations remain in service in Soho, Midtown and Brooklyn.

Early this past Thursday evening, a line formed for a last dinner and drinks at Village Yokocho and Angel's Share (following two photos by Steven) ...
There were several farewells on social media, including ...
No word on what might be next for these spaces. A Cooper Union rep told us previously that there wasn't any truth to a rumored new building here. 

This corridor has been called a micro-center of Japanese culture. Angel's Share opened here in 1994, with Panya arriving next door in the same year. Sunrise Mart debuted in 1995. 

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Cooper Union: Longtime Stuyvesant Street businesses 'informed us of their decision to vacate the property'

Photo from March 11 by Steven 

Cooper Union, the landlord of four popular businesses along Stuyvesant Street between Ninth Street and Third Avenue, says the tenants have "informed us of their decision to vacate the property." The landlord also said the tenants haven't paid any rent since 2020.

Yesterday afternoon, school officials responded to reports that the tenants — Angel's Share, Village Yokocho, Panya Bakery and Sunrise Mart, all operated by Yoshida Restaurant Group — were involved in a rent dispute, that the long-term leases were set to expire at the end of the month. 

The story began this past Wednesday night when a server at Village Yokocho told a customer, and New York Times correspondent Alex Vadukul, they were closing "due to [a] massive rent hike." Vadukul, a gifted reporter, recounted what he heard from staff in a series of tweets that sparked several follow-up stories, including at Grub Street and Gothamist (and EVG). 

In a statement to EVG, a Cooper Union spokesperson provided the following: 
Unfortunately, the tenant informed us of their decision to vacate the property. They were not asked to move out, despite the fact that they haven't paid any rent since 2020. 

Additionally, we offer clarification of a few facts here: 

• The formula for calculating rent on these properties has been in place for some 30 years and has never been changed. 

• While the tenants of these properties have not made any rent payments since 2020, they have continued operations in these spaces. We have repeatedly sought to arrive at a good-faith agreement. 

• Lastly, for context, we should note that The Cooper Union is midway through a 10-year plan to return to full-tuition scholarships for all undergraduates. These properties help to generate revenue for student scholarships.
It's not immediately clear if any of the businesses will relocate (several workers said this in previous reports). A bartender told this to Grub Street's Chris Crowley late last week: "There's an 85 percent chance that we close. It's okay, though, because we're gonna relocate."

Yoshida Restaurant Group has not publically commented on future plans for these businesses. 

This corridor has been called a micro-center of Japanese culture. Angel's Share, the speakeasy-style bar, opened here in 1994, with Panya arriving next door in the same year. Sunrise Mart debuted in 1995. There are now also locations in Soho, Midtown and Brooklyn.

Cooper Union did not respond to a follow-up email about what might be next for these retail spaces.

Updated 3/17: The Cooper Union spokesperson said that the school had no new plans for a new building here.

Monday, March 14, 2022

[Updated] An uncertain future for these Stuyvesant Street businesses, including Angel's Share and Sunrise Market

Photos by Steven

Updated 3/16: Landlord Cooper Union says the tenants have "informed us of their decision to vacate the property." The landlord also said the tenants haven't paid any rent since 2020. Read more here.

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As you may have heard in recent days, businesses along Stuyvesant Street between Ninth Street and Third Avenue are in danger of closing as the long-term leases here are set to expire at the end of the month. 

This impacts four retail spaces — Angel's Share, Village Yokocho, Panya Bakery and Sunrise Mart. 

Alex Vadukul, a correspondent for The New York Times, broke the news on Twitter the other night...
Other outlets, including Grub Street and Gothamist, had follow-up pieces on Friday. 

Public records show that Cooper Union is the landlord here. So far, Cooper Union and the owners of the four businesses, Yoshida Restaurant Group, haven't commented, which has fueled more speculation. 

There's hope for a lease renewal. Otherwise, a relocation is likely in the plans. An employee at Angel's Share told this to Gothamist:
A bartender there sounded somewhat optimistic, telling Gothamist of the current situation, "it's between the owner and the landlord, but we're either relocating or staying here."
Another bartender told this to Grub Street: "There's an 85 percent chance that we close. It's okay, though, because we're gonna relocate." 

As for speculation, an employee at Panya said Friday that Cooper Union had plans for a new building on the site (there is nothing in Department of Building records that shows permits for new construction) and that they'd be moving. 

Adjacent to this space is the 29 3rd Avenue Student Residence Hall, which offers apartment-style housing for 170-plus Cooper Union students. The 15-story building opened in 1992. Retail tenants here include the Bean and Sunrise Mart. (In 2011, Cooper Union and tenant St. Mark's Bookshop were in a high-profile rent negotiation. The school eventually reduced the rent by $2,500 per month and forgave $7,000 in debt. The bookstore finally had to move to a smaller shop before closing in 2016.)
Coincidentally (or not) on Friday, workers were seen clearing out the former Autre Kyo Ya space (and, from 1989-2009, the diner Around the Clock) at 10 Stuyvesant St.
This corridor has been called a micro-center of Japanese culture. Angel's Share, the speakeasy-style bar, opened here in 1994, with Panya arriving next door in the same year. Sunrise Mart debuted in 1995. There are now also locations in Soho, Midtown and Brooklyn.

We hope to learn more about what's happening here soon. 

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

When life gives you a bulky sidewalk bridge, play tetherball

As seen today on the Urban Umbrella scaffolding around Cooper Union's Foundation Building ... thanks to Goggla for the photo! 

(And the sidewalk bridge is NOT being removed ... at least not now...)

Thursday, October 14, 2021

[Updated] Packing up the Urban Umbrella around Cooper Union

Photos by Steven

Updated 10/17: Turns out workers are expanding the sidewalk bridge to the west... there are NOT removing it.

Workers have started to remove the Urban Umbrella scaffolding from around Cooper Union's Foundation Building  ... 
It took several weeks back in the spring to get all this assembled around the landmarked building... it will likely take them just as long to pack up... 
Not sure how much work took place here. Permits pointed to a "renovation at the fourth floor."

The more aesthetically pleasing Urban Umbrella, made of recycled steel and translucent plastic panel, made its first NYC appearance in the fall of 2017.

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Cooper Union's Urban Umbrella

In case you haven't been by Cooper Union's Foundation Building lately ... in recent weeks, workers have finished surrounding the building with the more aesthetically pleasing Urban Umbrella scaffolding ... fitting for this landmark
Behold!
Work permits point to a "renovation at the fourth floor."

The Urban Umbrella, made of recycled steel and translucent plastic panel, made its first NYC appearance in the fall of 2017.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

This book was due on Dec. 10, 1958. Someone just returned it to the Cooper Union Library.



A fun item from the Cooper Union Library's Instagram account.

The above copy of Gestalt Psychology by Dr. Wolfgang Köhler was due back at the Cooper Union Library on Dec. 10, 1958.

Obviously any book that seeks to understand learning, perception and other components of mental life as structured wholes is one that you want to sit with for awhile.

And someone did so — for 61 years.



According to the Instagram post, the patron found it while going through some old books (it wasn't clear if she was the same person who checked it out) ... and she returned it in the mail.

Fortunately, the library wasn't Gestalt-free all these years. The library added a newer edition of the book in 1970.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Outdoor cooling centers


Two of the best outdoor spots for a quick blast of cool air...



• Delivery entrance (11th Street side) at the Loews Village 7 on Third Avenue.



• The south-facing side of the Cooper Union building on Sixth Street (as we've mentioned in the past).

Find details on the city's cooling centers here.

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

It promises to be the best of times, the blurst of times: Springfield coming to Cooper Union



For fans of "The Simpsons" ... this talk is happening Friday night at Cooper Union.

Via the EVG inbox...

Springfield Confidential: 30 Years Writing For The Simpsons

What: Mike Reiss has won four Emmys in his three decades writing for "The Simpsons." In this lecture, he will share backstage stories, secrets and scandals from the show in this hilarious presentation, richly illustrated with rare cartoon clips. Following the talk, Reiss will sign copies of his book "Springfield Confidential," a best-selling memoir of his three decades at "The Simpsons."

When: Friday, May 31, at 7:30-9 p.m.

Where: The Great Hall of The Cooper Union, 7 E Seventn St.

More: The event is free and open to the public. General public should reserve a space here. Please note seating is on a first come basis; an RSVP does not guarantee admission as we generally overbook to ensure a full house.

Saturday, May 11, 2019