The members-only Flyfish Club debuts at the former site of the Sunshine Cinema

The Flyfish Club, a "curated members club offering elevated dining and social experiences," debuted at 141 E. Houston St. between Eldridge and Forsyth on Sept. 17.

The club anchors the newish 9-story office building. 

When first announced in November 2022, the Flyfish Club was to be the city's first NFT restaurant. However, ownership (including Resy co-founder Gary Vaynerchuk) pivoted to a more traditional membership model. 

The pricing follows: a standard individual membership costs $3,500 annually (with a $1,500 initiation fee). 

And here's what you get: 

Nestled in the bustling heart of Manhattan's Lower East Side, Flyfish Club extends over three expansive levels, covering more than 11,000 square feet of meticulously designed space. Members enjoy private access to a variety of curated areas, rooted in elevated dining and social experiences. 

The club boasts a restaurant, a lounge, a private dining room, and for select members, an exclusive omakase counter. 

The club's interiors are the creation of Garrett Singer Design, a distinguished leader in the design industry. 

Eater has more on the place here. 

Previously at this address: The five-screen Sunshine Cinema closed in January 2018 after 17 years in service. Landmark reportedly had the opportunity to buy the property but decided against it after CB3 voted down a proposal for a full liquor license for a cafe in the theater in 2012 for pre- and post-movie drinks and dinner. 

As The Lo-Down reported then, "residents in attendance ... expressed serious concerns about the application in an area already teeming with nightlife activity." Moviegoers out to see the latest from, say, Jim Jarmusch are well-known to get cranked on the craft beer.

Today, alcohol sales at multiplexes are as common as soda and popcorn, including at the AMC Village 7, Village East by Angelika, Regal Union Square, and Regal Essex Crossing. 

Built in 1898, the Sunshine Cinema building was formerly the Houston Hippodrome motion picture theatre and a Yiddish vaudeville house. After sitting abandoned for many years, it was renovated, and the Sunshine opened on Dec. 21, 2001.

Report: City's first NFT restaurant slated for the former Sunshine Cinema location on Houston

The city's first NFT restaurant has signed a lease at the new 9-story office building at 141 E. Houston St. between Eldridge and Forsyth. 

According to the Post, the Flyfish Club is leasing three levels, 11,000 square feet total, for the members-only club that will feature a "bustling" cocktail lounge, an upstairs restaurant and outdoor space. 

Details! 

Flyfish was founded by the VCR Group’s restaurateur David Rodolitz, entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, celebrity chef Josh Capon and chef Conor Hanlon — with membership through non-fungible tokens that were purchased on the blockchain and are now being resold on Opensea.io. 

And!

An "intimate" omakase room will additionally have a menu being created by Masa Ito, a partner with VCR Group in the Ito restaurant, and entered through a separate token. Here, members are allowed just one guest, which is the same for regular members in the cocktail lounge. But diners can bring a number of guests depending on their table size and reservation. 

Annnnd!

 ... so far they have sold 1,294 regular memberships with the club reserving 1,423 and 318 omakase memberships with 67 reserved by the club. Tokens started at 2.5 Ethereum ($8,400 in January) and are now being listed for 3.5 Ethereum, or $5,390, to as much as 150 Ethereum, or $190,170 — and provide entry to the restaurant and cocktail lounge. 

The Omakase token was first offered for 4.25 Ethereum ($14,300 in January) and now is offered for as much as 22.8571 Ethereum, nearly $29,000 — and provides access to that exclusive space.

Here's the Flyfish opening announcement...

 

This is all happening on the site of the former Sunshine Cinema (RIP January 2018).

Previously on EV Grieve: 
• Sunshine Cinema-replacing office building moving forward; demolition watch back on

• Discarded theater seats and goodbyes at the Sunshine Cinema

• The 9-story boutique office building coming to the former Sunshine Cinema space

• A celebratory ad on the purchase of 139 E. Houston St., current home of the Sunshine Cinema

• The boutique office building replacing the Sunshine Cinema will be 'unbounded by walls' with an outdoor space called Houston Alley 

FULL reveal at 141 E. Houston St.; Yonah Schimmel can breathe again

Workers have finally removed the sidewalk bridge and construction attire from outside the new 9-floor office building at 141 E. Houston St. ... providing a full view of the 65,000-square-foot structure between Eldridge and Forsyth.

Someone already welcomed the structure with a few tags on the future retail spaces...

To recap. East End Capital and K Property Group bought the property for $31.5 million in early 2017. The links below provide more background on what has transpired on the site of the former Sunshine Cinema (RIP January 2018).

The red entrance you see out reveals a narrow alleyway/courtyard that separates the new building and No. 137 to the west — the longtime home of Yonah Schimmel. According to the listing for the two retail spaces at 141 E. Houston St., this corridor is Sunshine Alley, perhaps a lame nod to the Sunshine Cinema. (Previous marketing materials called the courtyard Houston Alley.) 

The listing notes a "built-in capacity for a commercial kitchen with venting to the roof," so a food-drinks operation is within the realm of possibilities for a new tenant. 

In some positive news, the circa-1910 Yonah Schimmel (revisit our post on them here) with its classic storefront is now in full view again after two years of obscurity thanks to the neighboring construction... 

And from Twitter yesterday...

It's like we can breathe again!

— Yonah Knishes (@YonahSchimmelNY) April 28, 2022

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Sunshine Cinema-replacing office building moving forward; demolition watch back on

• Discarded theater seats and goodbyes at the Sunshine Cinema

• The 9-story boutique office building coming to the former Sunshine Cinema space

• The boutique office building replacing the Sunshine Cinema will be 'unbounded by walls' with an outdoor space called Houston Alley 

And now the full reveal at 141 E. Houston St.

After a slow reveal of its façade late this past summer, we now have a full view of the new 9-floor office building at 141 E. Houston St. ...

Workers removed the remainder of the scaffolding and construction netting this past week on the 65,000-square-foot structure between Eldridge and Forsyth... showing off the floor-to-ceiling glass wall facing the street...

A narrow alleyway/courtyard separates the new building and No. 137 to the west —the longtime home of Yonah Schimmel, still obscured by a sidewalk bridge). 

According to the listing for the two retail spaces at 141 E. Houston St., this corridor is Sunshine Alley, perhaps a lame nod to the Sunshine Cinema (RIP 2018) that once stood here. (Previous marketing materials called the courtyard Houston Alley.) 

The listing notes a "built-in capacity for a commercial kitchen with venting to the roof," so a food-drinks operation is within the realm of possibilities for a new tenant. 

One more thing about the listing: it names several of 141's "neighbors," some obvious picks such as Russ & Daughters and Katz's ... as well as some more far-flung spots like Milk Bar (perhaps the mini location on Mott Street?) Not mentioned: The circa-1910 Yonah Schimmel right next door...

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Sunshine Cinema-replacing office building moving forward; demolition watch back on

• Discarded theater seats and goodbyes at the Sunshine Cinema

• The 9-story boutique office building coming to the former Sunshine Cinema space

• The boutique office building replacing the Sunshine Cinema will be 'unbounded by walls' with an outdoor space called Houston Alley

FULL glass reveal at this incoming Lower East Side boutique office building

Here's a view of the newly revealed floor-to-ceiling glass wall at 141 E. Houston St. 

Completion of the 9-story, 65,000-square-foot office building between Eldridge and Forsyth is slated for the fourth quarter of 2021, per the 141 website. (Not too far off from the Summer 2021 date on the plywood rendering.)

Our previous post (here!) on No. 141 has more details about what's been happening here to date at the site of the former Sunshine Cinema (RIP January 2018).

New boutique office building on East Houston shows off some glass

This is the first sign of the floor-to-ceiling glass wall for the 9-story office building at 141 E. Houston St. ... as the construction netting has dropped a bit here between Eldridge and Forsyth. 

Completion of the 65,000-square-foot space is slated for the fourth quarter of 2021, per the 141 website.

Our previous post (here!) on No. 141 has more details about what's been happening here to date at the site of the former Sunshine Cinema (RIP January 2018). 

Updated 8/13

New office building bulks up on Houston

The new office building at 141 E. Houston St. is now in its oh-that-looks-even-larger-than-I-thought-it-would-be phase. 

It has been four (whole!) months since our last post about the 9-story office building here between Eldridge and Forsyth. Back in March, workers had just planted the flag atop the steel structure. 

Lots of progress since then, including the arrival of the window panes... 

Here's a look at the finished product via a rendering from the building's website...

And some marketing background:

From acclaimed architect Roger Ferris, the only new development of its type on the Lower East Side, 141 East Houston is a new frame for viewing the neighborhood. Column-free and unbounded by walls, it reinterprets the area through a bold geometric perimeter of cladding and glass. State-of- the-art workspaces and private terraces reframe expectations, while a well-connected location recasts perspectives. 

With its glass frame and dynamic courtyard running the length of its eastern side, doubling as a second facade, 141 East Houston challenges the distinction between indoors and out.

East End Capital and K Property Group bought the property for $31.5 million in early 2017. The links below provide more background on what has transpired on the site of the former Sunshine Cinema (RIP January 2018).

Previously on EV Grieve: 
• Sunshine Cinema-replacing office building moving forward; demolition watch back on

• Discarded theater seats and goodbyes at the Sunshine Cinema

• The 9-story boutique office building coming to the former Sunshine Cinema space

• A celebratory ad on the purchase of 139 E. Houston St., current home of the Sunshine Cinema

• The boutique office building replacing the Sunshine Cinema will be 'unbounded by walls' with an outdoor space called Houston Alley

Sunshine Cinema-replacing office building reaches the top on Houston

The steel structure is complete at 141 E. Houston St. ... and workers this past week planted the American flag atop the 9-story building here between Eldridge and Forsyth to mark the occasion... 

Some marketing background:

From acclaimed architect Roger Ferris, the only new development of its type on the Lower East Side, 141 East Houston is a new frame for viewing the neighborhood. Column-free and unbounded by walls, it reinterprets the area through a bold geometric perimeter of cladding and glass. State-of- the-art workspaces and private terraces reframe expectations, while a well-connected location recasts perspectives. 

With its glass frame and dynamic courtyard running the length of its eastern side, doubling as a second facade, 141 East Houston challenges the distinction between indoors and out.

East End Capital and K Property Group bought the property for $31.5 million in the spring of 2017. The links below provide more background on what has transpired on the site of the former Sunshine Cinema (RIP January 2018).

Previously on EV Grieve: 
• Sunshine Cinema-replacing office building moving forward; demolition watch back on

• Discarded theater seats and goodbyes at the Sunshine Cinema

• The 9-story boutique office building coming to the former Sunshine Cinema space

• A celebratory ad on the purchase of 139 E. Houston St., current home of the Sunshine Cinema

• The boutique office building replacing the Sunshine Cinema will be 'unbounded by walls' with an outdoor space called Houston Alley

Steel structure for new Houston Street office building continues ascent

Since our last look on Nov. 2, there's noticeable progress on the 9-story office building rising at 141 E. Houston St. between Eldridge and Forsyth... the steel structure is up to what appears to be the fourth and fifth floors...

 

Some day it will be like this:

From acclaimed architect Roger Ferris, the only new development of its type on the Lower East Side, 141 East Houston is a new frame for viewing the neighborhood. Column-free and unbounded by walls, it reinterprets the area through a bold geometric perimeter of cladding and glass. State-of- the-art workspaces and private terraces reframe expectations, while a well-connected location recasts perspectives. 

With its glass frame and dynamic courtyard running the length of its eastern side, doubling as a second facade, 141 East Houston challenges the distinction between indoors and out.

East End Capital and K Property Group bought the property for $31.5 million in the spring of 2017. The links below provide more background on what has transpired on the site of the former Sunshine Cinema (RIP January 2018).

Previously on EV Grieve: 
• Sunshine Cinema-replacing office building moving forward; demolition watch back on

• Discarded theater seats and goodbyes at the Sunshine Cinema

• The 9-story boutique office building coming to the former Sunshine Cinema space

• A celebratory ad on the purchase of 139 E. Houston St., current home of the Sunshine Cinema

• The boutique office building replacing the Sunshine Cinema will be 'unbounded by walls' with an outdoor space called Houston Alley

Construction watch: 139 E. Houston St.

Let's take a look through the Blogger Portals here on the plywood along East Houston between Eldridge and Forsyth ... where a 9-story building has been in the works ... so far, workers are still in the foundation stage, putting in the steel beams for support...

East End Capital and K Property Group, who bought the property for $31.5 million in the spring of 2017, are putting in the office complex with retail space. The links below have more details on what has transpired and what's to come.

The plywood rendering still lists Summer 2021 for the completion... safe to say they won't be meeting that previous goal...

As you likely know, the previous tenant, the five-screen Landmark Sunshine Theater closed Jan. 21, 2018, after 17 years in business.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• Sunshine Cinema-replacing office building moving forward; demolition watch back on

• Discarded theater seats and goodbyes at the Sunshine Cinema

• The 9-story boutique office building coming to the former Sunshine Cinema space

• A celebratory ad on the purchase of 139 E. Houston St., current home of the Sunshine Cinema

• The boutique office building replacing the Sunshine Cinema will be 'unbounded by walls' with an outdoor space called Houston Alley

New building construction now in the obscure the Yonah Schimmel's Knish Bakery storefront phase

Construction is still in the foundation stage for the 9-story office building coming to East Houston between Forsyth and Eldridge at the site of the former Landmark Sunshine Theater.

Meanwhile, workers have gone ahead and put up a sidewalk bridge next door that obscures the neighboring business — the 110-year-old Yonah Schimmel's Knish Bakery. They’re still here at 137 E. Houston St. for your knish and Cherry Lime Ricky needs — 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: (212) 477-2858.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A visit to Yonah Schimmel's Knish Bakery

The Sunshine Cinema closed 2 years ago today

Foundation work continues for the 9-story office building coming to 143 E. Houston St. between Eldridge and Forsyth ... at night, the site looks like the bombed-out ruins of a building...



The property was home for 17 years to the five-screen Landmark Sunshine Theater. The Sunshine closed two years ago today — Jan. 21, 2018.

East End Capital and K Property Group, who bought the property for $31.5 million in the spring of 2017, are putting in the office complex with retail space. The links below have more details on what has transpired and what's to come.

And look back at the space in December 2017...



Previously on EV Grieve:
• Sunshine Cinema-replacing office building moving forward; demolition watch back on

• Discarded theater seats and goodbyes at the Sunshine Cinema

• The 9-story boutique office building coming to the former Sunshine Cinema space

• A celebratory ad on the purchase of 139 E. Houston St., current home of the Sunshine Cinema

• The boutique office building replacing the Sunshine Cinema will be 'unbounded by walls' with an outdoor space called Houston Alley

Rolling out the unwelcome wagon on Houston

Foundation work continues for the 9-story office building coming to East Houston between Forsyth and Eldridge at the site of the former Landmark Sunshine Theater.

And the rendering on the plywood continues to attract commentary...



Now someone has scrawled "Go away!" and "Unwelcome here" on the rendering...



Previously on EV Grieve:
The return of 'yuppie scum' at the former home of the Sunshine Cinema

The return of 'yuppie scum' at the former home of the Sunshine Cinema

Foundation work is underway here on East Houston between Forsyth and Eldridge, where developers East End Capital and K Property Group are putting in a 9-story office building. (Our previous post has more details on what's to come.)

And someone scrawled a message on the plywood rendering of the new building...



This is the first time that I can recall seeing the "yuppie scum" term in the wild in some years. It would make regular appearances at various neighborhood rallies in 2008 and 2009 (here and here, for example) ...


[EVG photo from 2008!]

Perhaps the term will make a resurgence. Jeremiah Moss wrote more about the history of "yuppie scum" back in 2008.

As for what the 9-story building is replacing at this address, the five-screen Landmark Sunshine Theater closed here Jan. 21, 2018, after 17 years in business.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• The Sunshine is gone, and an empty lot awaits a 9-story office building (Aug. 7)

The Sunshine is gone, and an empty lot awaits a 9-story office building

Workers have finished the demolition of the circa-1898 building that last housed the Sunshine Cinema here on East Houston between Forsyth and Eldridge.



The lot has been cleared ... and all the scaffolding and sidewalk bridge have been hauled away for the time being. There's a clear view of Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery next door now too. (Open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Stop on by!)



The halt in construction is only temporary, though. The newish owners of the address, East End Capital and K Property Group, have approved plans to erect a 9-story office building. Our previous post has more details on what's to come.

The five-screen Landmark Sunshine Theater closed Jan. 21, 2018, after 17 years in business.


[EVG photo from December 2017]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Sunshine Cinema-replacing office building moving forward; demolition watch back on

Discarded theater seats and goodbyes at the Sunshine Cinema

The 9-story boutique office building coming to the former Sunshine Cinema space

A celebratory ad on the purchase of 139 E. Houston St., current home of the Sunshine Cinema

The boutique office building replacing the Sunshine Cinema will be 'unbounded by walls' with an outdoor space called Houston Alley

Goodbye Sunshine

After sitting vacant for nearly 16 months, workers finally got around to starting the exterior demolition at the former Sunshine Cinema in late April.

Several EVG readers have pointed out that the circa-1898 building on Houston Street between Forsyth and Eldridge is shrinking into a pile of rubble now...





The property owners, East End Capital and K Property Group, have approved plans to erect a 9-story office building. Our previous post has more details on what's to come.

The five-screen Landmark Sunshine Theater closed Jan. 21, 2018, after 17 years in business.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Sunshine Cinema-replacing office building moving forward; demolition watch back on

Discarded theater seats and goodbyes at the Sunshine Cinema

The 9-story boutique office building coming to the former Sunshine Cinema space

A celebratory ad on the purchase of 139 E. Houston St., current home of the Sunshine Cinema

The boutique office building replacing the Sunshine Cinema will be 'unbounded by walls' with an outdoor space called Houston Alley

Sunshine sunset

As we first reported last week, workers erected the sidewalk bridge in front of the late Sunshine Cinema on Houston Street... ahead of demolishing the circa-1898 building between Forsyth and Eldridge.

An EVG reader yesterday reported that workers removed the SUNSHINE letters on the marquee.

"Couldn't bare the thought of them getting trashed, so I asked the Construction Site Manager if I could have one of the letters. He gave me a quick 'no' and said the building owners intend to keep them. Hope that's the truth. On the bright side, the construction people were quite nice."

[EVG photo from January 2018]

The new owners of the address, East End Capital and K Property Group, have approved plans to erect a 9-story office building.

Our previous post has more details on what's to come.

The five-screen Landmark Sunshine Theater closed Jan. 21, 2018, after 17 years in business.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Sunshine Cinema-replacing office building moving forward; demolition watch back on

Discarded theater seats and goodbyes at the Sunshine Cinema

The 9-story boutique office building coming to the former Sunshine Cinema space

A celebratory ad on the purchase of 139 E. Houston St., current home of the Sunshine Cinema

The boutique office building replacing the Sunshine Cinema will be 'unbounded by walls' with an outdoor space called Houston Alley

Exterior prep work underway at the soon-to-be demolished former Sunshine Cinema

Workers have put up the sidewalk bridge outside the former Sunshine Cinema on East Houston between Forsyth and Eldridge... the first step in securing the circa-1898 building for demolition...



... which is expected soon now that the developers — East End Capital and K Property Group — recently secured a $67 million construction loan to fund the roughly $90 million nine-story office building to come...



Per previous reports, the new building will cater "to deep-pocketed tenants in search of luxury boutique offices," with a 2021 completion expected.

The five-screen Landmark Sunshine Theater closed Jan. 21, 2018, after 17 years of screening an array of mostly independent and foreign fare.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Sunshine Cinema-replacing office building moving forward; demolition watch back on

Discarded theater seats and goodbyes at the Sunshine Cinema

The 9-story boutique office building coming to the former Sunshine Cinema space

A celebratory ad on the purchase of 139 E. Houston St., current home of the Sunshine Cinema

The boutique office building replacing the Sunshine Cinema will be 'unbounded by walls' with an outdoor space called Houston Alley

Report: Landmark Theatres now booking films at the Quad on 13th Street

[EVG file photo]

Back in December, distributor, producer and real-estate magnate Charles S. Cohen bought the Landmark Theatres chain from Mark Cuban.

So perhaps it isn't a surprise to learn that Landmark Theatres is now booking the films nearby at the Cohen-owned Quad Cinema (an EVG favorite) on 13th Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue, as IndieWire first reported last evening.

Moving forward, the fourplex theater — Manhattan's first multiplex when it opened in 1972 — will be known as the Landmark Quad Cinema.

Per the IndieWire article:

[The Quad has] played specialized films for most of its existence, but never with the clout and expertise of Landmark. Still, it’s unlikely to vault ahead of its Lower Manhattan competition.

And...

Under Landmark, it remains to be seen whether the Quad will continue to provide a haven for viable titles that don’t conform to 90-day theatrical windows and don’t want to four-wall screens to play them. In New York City, reportedly the IFC Center is the only other theater willing to provide this opportunity to select distributors.

Consistent with Cohen Releasing’s acquisition of primarily foreign-language titles, the Quad has played many first-run subtitled films. One question to be confirmed is the continuation of repertory programming, which has previously been a priority for Cohen. ... According to Cohen, the Landmark Quad Cinema will continue to showcase restored and classic films.

As previously reported, Cohen bought the Quad Cinema in 2014. The theater reopened after extensive renovations in April 2017.

Landmark operated the Sunshine Cinema on East Houston Street until January 2018. The theater, which dates to 1898, is awaiting demolition to make way for an office building.

And one more tidbit from the IndieWire piece: Regal's Union Square theater will temporarily lose six screens this summer to renovation. Meanwhile, as first noted on Sunday, the Regal Essex Crossing is now open.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A quick look at the all-new Quad Cinema