Downed tree on East Sixth Street near Avenue A

With all the rain that we've had going back to Irene, the ground is awfully soft... which likely led to this uprooted tree overnight on East Sixth Street near Avenue B...

[Top two photos via EVG reader Kevin Rose]

Here's a photo this morning via @AraRoden ... Sixth Street, as you might imagine, is currently closed along here...

Memorial for the Free Willie Nelson

This evening on Sixth Street near Avenue A ... where the RV caught on fire this morning...

Meanwhile, as EV Grieve reader Creature notes, Free Willie's friend, Old Flat Top, came over to console it...

And now, photos of a squirrel trying to steal a bike on East Sixth Street

Caught the bastard red, um, handed last evening...

Joe's Bar is alive and well!

So, yeah — Joe's is open on Sixth Street tonight... we decided not to go in... Still, we did have a start yesterday when the place was closed... and their phone number was "not in service at this time."

Joe's Bar is closed, but why — and for how long?

Uh-oh. Joe's on East Sixth Street between Avenue A and B is closed. No note out front with any explanation. I called the bar. The number is "not in service."

The bar was closed in October 2009 for one week in what an insider called "an insurance snafu." However, the phone wasn't disconnected when that happened.

We hope that this is all just temporary. The last thing we need is the loss of another good neighborhood bar ...

If you have any information or know a bartender here, then please let us know: grieve98@gmail.com

[Updated] On East Sixth Street, an impressive July 4 fireworks display

EV Grieve reader Scott Dwyer notes that last night around 11, residents of a building on East Sixth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B set off a pretty impressive fireworks display. Best of all — no Nick Lachey as host.

Updated:

EV Grieve reader Gregory Patrick sent along this photo from last night... looking north from East Third Street ... perhaps from the same display?

Earlier today on East Sixth Street

[Photos by Dave on 7th]

Things that go clunk-clunk, CLUNK! in the night (and day) on East Sixth Street

Here are some signs on apartment buildings along Sixth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

The signs provide a detailed report of the situation ...

... a "noisy manhole cover."

"[A]s the weather has changed, the gasket seal that's supposed to prevent movement of the manhole cover has disintegrated, and now the noise problem has grown completely deafening. If you live in an apartment facing the street, and live at or near 335 East 6th Street, you are likely being driven crazy by the sound of the rattling manhole cover."

And here's what you can do about it...

Another building for 'single family conversion' — with air rights!

607 E. Sixth St. near First Avenue is the most recent East Village property to appear on the market. Here's the Massey Knakal listing:

A 21‘ 5” wide, 5 story multifamily walk-up apartment building. The building is approximately 5,061 sq. ft. and is currently configured with 5 apartments. The property also benefits from additional unused air rights, southern light, some original detail, and a large 37’ deep garden. As the units are all free market, making the building great single family conversion or live plus invest opportunity.

The price: $3.5 million.

And this is just the latest building to hit the market with both air rights and single-family aspirations.... such as this one on Avenue D ... this one on Avenue B ... or this one on Seventh Street ...

Will you belly up for some bitters?

As we reported last week, Amor Y Amargo — "a bitters tasting room" — is opening in the Cienfuegos complex on Sixth Street at Avenue A.

Grub Street reports that the place opens tonight. And they have details on menu items and what not. Here's more from Grub Street:

The drinkery will be New York's first bar focused on bitters, and you can expect bitters-laced cocktails, tasting flights ... plus Mayur Subbarao's housemade sweet vermouth on draft. To complement all this: a special menu of Spanish-leaning bites from chef Luiz Gonzalez, including tortilla espanola and fried garbanzos with morcilla.

[Photo via EV Grieve reader Creature]

Sixth Street fire update: 6th Street Kitchen destroyed

EV Grieve reader Jamie shares this photo from this morning's fire on East Sixth Street just east of Avenue A. Several readers say that 6th Street Kitchen, pictured here, has been destroyed.

When plastic chairs get caught in trees

Ev Grieve reader Bobby Williams noticed some police activity this afternoon around 4:30 on East Sixth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B... roughly in front of Joe's...





The word on the street: Somehow a plastic chair got stuck in tree. Maybe it fell off a nearby roof? The wind? Mysterious!



As you can see, the police eventually got their chair.

All you need is cash on East Sixth Street

At $269,000, this two-room studio on East Sixth Street is one of the least-expensive homes on the market. (And the seller reduced the price by 10 percent last week...)





Here's the listing ... do those last three words give you pause?

East Village charmer! This lovely two-room studio has been recently renovated and boasts a modern kitchenette with a Gaggenau range, and cheerful custom bath with yellow and white penny tile. Classic prewar details include original pressed-tin ceilings, exposed brick and exposed beams. The layout of this studio is very functional, with sliding doors separating the sleeping quaters from the front of the apartment. Great light and open city views make this well-worth the walk up to the fifth floor! CASH BUYERS ONLY

Penthouse forum: City tells landlord to remove an addition on Sixth Street

Something a little different here... a penthouse is actually going to be torn down, not built... The Post has the report:

The owner of an East Village tenement is going to have to take a little off the top of his building to comply with a ruling issued yesterday by the city, his lawyer said.
The Board of Standards and Appeals voted to approve a sixth story that had been added to 514-516 E. 6th St. last year, but not the penthouse above it, said lawyer Marvin Mitzner.

He described the decision as a "three-quarters victory" for his client, developer Ben Shaoul.

Mitzner said the main issue was the developer's right to expand a tenement without having to strip it to the foundation, and not the penthouse addition that could be easily removed.

"We're going to have to do some demolition work," Mitzner said. "I don't think it will be a big deal to deconstruct it."

Sure thing, Marvin! And will the demolition put a dent on the partying?

As The Villager reported in December 2008:

The Board of Standards and Appeals ruled at the end of last month that the Department of Buildings was wrong to issue permits to add two extra floors to two East Village tenements.

The B.S.A. ruled that the additions to the five-story buildings at 515 E. Fifth St. and 514-516 E. Sixth St. violated the state’s 1929 Multiple Dwelling Law in regard to fire safety and elevator requirements.

Meanwhile, Marvin will seek a variance for 515 E. Fifth St., where another story and penthouse were added, the Post reported.

[Image via Curbed]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Important notice about "partying" in Shaoul buildings on East Fifth Street and East Sixth Street

Own a Sixth Street apartment building; be a mean landlord

Oh, it has been some time since we looked into any real estate around here... This listing for a building on Sixth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C hit the market last market...



(Check out the Puma painting on the wall!)



Per the listing:

Investment opportunity! Raise below market rents to fair market value. A 20' wide x 50' long 4 story, 4,000sqft (approximately) 4 unit walk-up apartment building. The ground floor unit is live/work/store with a store front entrance and an entrance from the building. This unit has a beautiful 750 sqft south facing garden. The 2nd floor unit is a 2 bedroom, 1 bath with a 250 sqft south facing terrace. It has Southern, western and northern exposures. The 3rd floor unit is a 3 bedroom 1.5 bath home with southern, western, and northern exposures. The 4th floor unit is a 2 bedroom, 1 bath home with skylights, 3 exposures and a beautiful stair case. The building is fully renovated with new kitchens, baths, windows, floors, washer/dryers, etc. The gross yearly rent is approximately $164,000 a year. Tenants leases can be terminated with three months notice.

Price: $3.3 million

Own half of a used Warhol on East Sixth Street

Here's a nice house for sale on East Sixth Street between Second Avenue and First Avenue... Let's take a look at some photos before delving into the new-to-the-market listing...







OK? Here's the listing:

Half ownership interest in a 20’-wide, four-story, Anglo-Italianate brick townhouse located on a highly desirable, tree-lined block in the heart of the East Village. Offered are the garden and parlor floors of approximately 2,400 square feet, with exclusive access to a large landscaped garden with pond, flagstone patio, established flower beds, and use of the finished basement with updated mechanicals, ideal for storage. Abutting the landmarked Community Synagogue, built originally as the historic St. Marks Lutheran Church, 321 East 6th Street is uniquely situated affording three exposures including oversized parlor floor windows. Many original details have been retained including the well-shaded high-stoop and second entrance below, wood-burning fireplaces, crown moldings, parquet and hardwood floors, and grandiose 13-foot ceilings. Use these two distinct and handsomely appointed floors as currently configured or join the two to create an expansive and gracious lower duplex. The entire property offers approximately 2,300 square feet of developable rights. The current Certificate of Occupancy reads for mixed-use; therefore, limiting financing to any potential purchaser. All expenses for the property are split equally between both owners. Lower two floors delivered vacant. Of note, this property was once owned by Andy Warhol in the late 1960’s.

And that's what my old journalism prof, Fiddlesticks, called burying the lead. Of note? I'd say!

Price: $2.4 million