A look inside the former Gracefully storefront on Avenue A, vacant now for nearly 8 years

Photos by Stacie Joy

The sign for Gracefully remains in place outside 28 Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street... even though the two-level market closed here in November 2014.

And the large space along a high-profile corridor has remained vacant these past eight years.

The other day, EVG contributor Stacie Joy toured the space with the permission of Derrick the super...

A potential tenant was to look at this space following Stacie's visit.

We don't know why this has sat empty for so long. Size? Price? Both! According to the LoopNet listing, there are 5,000 square feet on the main floor and another 3,500 in the basement ... at $80 per square foot. 

Gracefully arrived here in 1997. It was the tenant when the building — the one-time Burger-Klein furniture shop — underwent a gut renovation to look like Iron Man's helmet. 

And a little bit of Gracefully remains behind...    

Here is the New York Sports Club building on Avenue A

[EVG photo from spring 2013]

Workers this morning are removing the scaffolding and construction netting from the incoming New York Sports Club at 28 Avenue A... A reader sent us this photo of the exterior...



Hmm. Thoughts?

As we first reported back in April 2013, New York Sports Club will be operating on the second through fifth floors here between East Second Street and East Third Street. Above the former Gracefully, which closed on Nov. 18.

So workers will need to remove that old Gracefully sign too.

The familiar Burger-Klein sign disappeared back in July. Furniture seller Burger-Klein occupied the building as early as 1939. Read more about the history of the Burger-Klein building at Off the Grid.

The NYSC website says that the gym will open this fall.

Previously on EV Grieve:
RUMOR: New York Health & Racquet Club taking over the space above Gracefully on Avenue A (24 comments)

New York Sports Club in the works for Avenue A

Sidewalk bridge and scaffolding arrive ahead of planned New York Sports Club on Avenue A

New York Sports Club says hello on Avenue A

Familiar Burger-Klein sign has disappeared from Avenue A

Gracefully has closed

[Photo via @thebsap]

That's it for the market at 28 Avenue A between East Second Street and East Third Street. Several readers spotted workers removing contents of the store last evening… workers on the scene confirmed that they were shutting down in a few hours.

We first reported the impending closure on Nov. 10. At the time, the closing date was still unknown.

The shelves were getting empty during our last visit on Friday…





We didn't hear any official reason for the closure. One worker claimed that it was because of the New York Sports Club opening soon in the building's upper floors.

There is a Gracefully on First Avenue in Stuy Town … and one remains under construction on East 23rd Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Gracefully is closing on Avenue A

Gracefully is closing on Avenue A

A few weeks ago, the market at 28 Avenue A between East Second Street and East Third Street cut back its hours, forgoing around-the-clock sales for an 11 p.m. closure.

Now comes word that the store will be closing for good soon. We've heard as early as this Friday … or by the end of the month. An employee confirmed the closure to us.

The story is that Gracefully needs to vacate to make way for the New York Sports Club that is opening here…



We were trying to remember when Gracefully opened — 1997? Anyway, long before Whole Foods… and, more recently, Union Market.

And this will be the last of Grace Dancyger's delis to close in the East Village. Graceland closed in April 2010 on Avenue A and East Second Street in April 2010 after a 19-year run. And Adinah's Farm closed in June after 20 years on Avenue C and East Second Street.

As far as we know, there are still three other Gracefully locations in the city, including on First Avenue in Stuy Town.

Thanks to @AnnaRoseMusic for the tip

Previously on EV Grieve:
RUMOR: New York Health & Racquet Club taking over the space above Gracefully on Avenue A (24 comments)

New York Sports Club in the works for Avenue A

Sidewalk bridge and scaffolding arrive ahead of planned New York Sports Club on Avenue A

New York Sports Club says hello on Avenue A

Familiar Burger-Klein sign has disappeared from Avenue A

Gracefully is no longer open 24 hours on Avenue A

You'll need to check the clock next time that you have an urge for a, say, Smokey The Bear or Uncle Alex sandwich at 4:30 a.m…. the market at 28 Avenue A between East Second Street and East Third Street has changed their hours.

As of last night, the new hours are:

Monday-Saturday 6 am - 11 pm
Sunday 7 am - 11 pm

We don't know why the store stopped its 24/7 times … lack of overnight business? A cost-cutting move?

[Thanks to EVG reader Katie Mac for the tip]

New York Sports Club in the works for Avenue A

Back in February, a tipster told us that New York Health & Racquet Club is taking over all of the floors above Gracefully on Avenue A near East Second Street... turns out that's not quite accurate. According to documentation (PDF) on file at the CB3 website, the proposed new tenant for the upper floors of 28-30 Avenue is New York Sports Club.



This item is on CB3's Land Use, Zoning, Public and Private Housing Committee docket for May 8, as Serena Solomon pointed out Friday at DNAinfo.

Off the Grid completed a thorough history of the building back in July 2011. The building dates to 1871. And in its early days, it was part of Little Germany, serving as a German ballroom known as Concordia Hall.

Later, per Off the Grid:

The earliest evidence of furniture seller Burger-Klein occupying the building is from 1939.

In 1959, a four-alarm fire destroyed the roof and top floor of the building, resulting in a significant alteration of building’s façade, most likely the face of the building we see today. It is noteworthy that the owners chose to replace what had once been an architecturally significant facade with a mid-century modern wrapping that in its own way and for its own time is as extraordinary as the 19th century face of the building.

The Burger-Klein building’s uniqueness in the streetscape is a big part of what inspires so much curiosity about it.

Read the whole post here.

Maybe the Sports Club will keep the Burger-Klein sign?

Previously on EV Grieve:
RUMOR: New York Health & Racquet Club taking over the space above Gracefully on Avenue A (24 comments)

RUMOR: New York Health & Racquet Club taking over the space above Gracefully on Avenue A

[Via Off The Grid]

We've long been curious about the space above Gracefully at 28 Avenue A between East Second Street and East Third Street. It's a fascinating building with those block letters that read Burger-Klein. We don't have any idea what, if anything, is upstairs.

But, perhaps there will be a big new tenant. A tipster hears that New York Health & Racquet Club is taking over all of the floors above the grocery. Again, just a rumor. (Gracefully will remain in place.)

Nothing at the DOB to note this conversion. But, in October 2011, the city approved plans to convert the "existing commercial 5-story with cellar to mixed use, commercial and residential." Estimated cost: $1.1 million. DOB records show 12 residences in total. But apparently this project is in limbo.

Regardless of the incoming tenant, it's likely going to change in appearance soon enough. Off the Grid completed a thorough history of the building back in July 2011. The building dates to 1871. And in its early days, it was part of Little Germany, serving as a German ballroom known as Concordia Hall.

Later, per Off the Grid:

The earliest evidence of furniture seller Burger-Klein occupying the building is from 1939.

In 1959, a four-alarm fire destroyed the roof and top floor of the building, resulting in a significant alteration of building’s façade, most likely the face of the building we see today. It is noteworthy that the owners chose to replace what had once been an architecturally significant facade with a mid-century modern wrapping that in its own way and for its own time is as extraordinary as the 19th century face of the building.

The Burger-Klein building’s uniqueness in the streetscape is a big part of what inspires so much curiosity about it.

Read the whole post here.