VVN’s Tea bringing art and tea to the former Neptune space on 1st Avenue

VVN's Tea will mix tea and art when the shop opens at 194 First Ave.

The proprietors, three friends who list artist and designer among their occupations, reportedly signed a five-year lease for the space here between 11th Street and 12th Street.

Here's the concept via the VVN website:

VVN's TEA is a place that not only sells tea, but also promotes a lifestyle. A lifestyle that is centered around the appreciation of tea and the sharing of art.

Every cup is an open canvas, printed with artworks by local artists. When you a cup of tea, you are not just buying the drink, you are buying the whole experience.

You get to take home with you, a tiny piece of artwork and share it with your friends on social media.

The space previously housed the Neptune. The Polish-American restaurant closed in December 2016 after 15 years in business.

The landlord chopped the former Neptune space in half. Chelsea Thai has leased the storefront on the south.

Chelsea Thai closes ahead of move to former Neptune space on 1st Avenue

As noted back in the fall, Chelsea Thai, which has operated a stall in the Chelsea Market for 19 years, signed a 10-year-lease at 192-194 First Ave.

Turns out that Chelsea Thai isn't opening a second location, rather closing their space on Ninth Avenue ahead of a move to the East Village. EVG regular Bayou shared the top photo, noting that the quick-serve Thai restaurant's last day was Friday.

Meanwhile, on First Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street, renovations continue at the former Nepture diner space...



Chelsea Thai (not sure if they are keeping that name with the move east) is only taking half of the Neptune storefront. The other half is on the market for $7,500, per Eastern Consolidated.

No word on an opening date.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Chelsea Thai coming to former Neptune space on 1st Avenue; Filipino fare for Avenue A

[Updated] Rent-regulated tenants facing hellish conditions at 192-194 1st Ave.

Gothamist has a long read on 192-194 First Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street, where just a handful of long-term tenants still remain after the Nazarian Property Group bought the building in June 2016 for $13 million.

There's Jean, age 95, who lived in a second-floor unit with her husband for 65 years. She's still there, paying $84 a month for the rent-controlled unit.

To Gothamist:

Jean says she has felt under siege since Lionel Nazarian bought the building last June for $13 million. He's since put her and a small group of rent-regulated tenants through hell, they say, sending them threatening emails, cutting off utilities, pestering them with buyout offers, and turning their building into a chaotic, illegal construction zone as part of a campaign to force them out of their homes and replace them with market rate tenants.

Without a working buzzer, Jean, who can't walk downstairs alone, is unable to receive guests. She hasn't had a working stove in five months, and last September, as construction crews demolished neighboring apartments, a portion of the ceiling fell in her bedroom. She tripped and fell on the debris and ended up with six stitches to her head.

The post goes on to explore the practice of tenant harassment as a business model, a tactic found in the East Village as well as many other neighborhoods. (Nazarian and his lawyers did not respond to requests for comments.)

Now back to Jean.

"I told him, 'You want this to be the death of me,'" she said, of Nazarian. "'I've been here a long time,' I told him, 'and I intend to die here.'"

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One of the retail spaces here was home to the Nepture, the Polish-American diner that closed last December after 15 years in business.

Chelsea Thai, which has operated a stall in the Chelsea Market for 19 years, has signed a 10-year-lease for the space.

Updated:

The Gothamist piece reports that the Cooper Square Committee is helping Jean and her neighbors sue Nazarian in housing court.

Updated 10/20

Gothamist has an update on the situation:

"An East Village landlord who tenants say has put them through hell agreed to a judge's timeline to correct hazardous conditions and pay thousands of dollars in fines in housing court Thursday."

Chelsea Thai coming to former Neptune space on 1st Avenue; Filipino fare for Avenue A

[Photo of 192-194 1st Avenue from June]

Two currently vacant East Village storefronts have new restaurant tenants.

According to a news release via Eastern Consolidated (H/T Real Estate Weekly), Chelsea Thai, which has operated a stall in the Chelsea Market for 19 years, has signed a 10-year-lease at 192-194 First Ave.

The space between 11th Street and 12th Street was previously home to the Neptune. The Polish-American restaurant closed last Dec. 4 after 15 years in business. According to one source, the asking rent doubled for the space.

While the Neptune arrived in 2001, the location had been home to a Polish-American diner, such as KK, for many years.


[Photo of 167 Avenue A from August 2016]

Meanwhile, at 167 Avenue A, Mama Fina's House of Filipino Sisig, an Elmwood Park, N.J.-based restaurant, is opening an outpost here between 10th Street and 11th Street.

The family-owned Filipino restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Elmwood Park, and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. (According to Yelp, they are cash only at their N.J. location.)

Moonstruck Eatery closed at No. 167 in July 2016 after one year of business. And several years earlier, the address was boats 'n hoes hotspot Diablo Royale Este, which closed at the end of August 2012.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Today is the last day in business for the Neptune

Looking at the former Neptune space on 1st Avenue

[Photo from April by Steven]

We've been keeping an eye on the former Neptune space at 192 First Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street.

The Polish-American restaurant closed its doors last Dec. 4 after 15 years in business. (The address has been home to a diner for many years before this.)

There were rumors that the new landlord, Nazarian Property Group, already had a new tenant lined up.

This spring, workers gutted the space...



... and finally this past Friday, the for lease banner arrived...



Per the listing at Eastern Consolidated, the asking rent is $140 per square foot... the space includes a "large backyard" and is being "delivered white box."

Closing portraits at the Neptune

The Neptune Restaurant's last day in business was on Sunday.

The building that houses the Polish-American diner at 194 First Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street was sold. According to one source, the asking rent doubled for the space, which includes a backyard garden.

Photographer Nick McManus, a group portrait artist, stopped by the Neptune for a few parting shots on Sunday afternoon...



In this photo, Neptune owner Zenon Krawczyk (center in white chef's coat) and staff pose with some regulars...





While the Neptune opened in 2001, the space has been home to a Polish-American diner, such as KK, for many years.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Today is the last day in business for the Neptune

Today is the last day in business for the Neptune

Neptune Restaurant on First Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street closes after service today. Staff started telling this news to patrons on Friday evening.

This iteration of the Polish diner has been around since 2001... though there has been a Polish-American restaurant here, such as KK, for a lot longer ...


[Photo from 1997 by Dave Buchwald]

The buildings here at 192-194 First Ave. arrived on the market in January 2015. At that time, both of the retail spaces (the other being Lin's Laundromat) were listed.

This past July, the EMMES Group of Companies sold the two five-story, walk-up buildings to Nazarian Property Group in an all-cash transaction valued at $13 million.

Then in the fall, the Neptune cut back hours during the week...


[Photo by Greg Masters]

And add the Neptune to the RIP list of affordable diners, joining Polonia, Kiev, Christine's, Leshko's, Teresa's, the Stage ...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Space that houses 1st Avenue's Polish-American diner Neptune is on the market

The Neptune's new breakfast special to go on 1st Avenue

The always-reliable Neptune diner on First Avenue has a new to-go breakfast special... and in this era of the $12 breakfast bagel, it's a good deal... an EVG reader shared this photo, which points out the specials, such as two eggs on a roll with coffee or tea for $2.50. The priciest item appears to be a Western omelette with cheese on a roll for $4.50.

The Neptune is at 194 First Ave. between East 11th Street and East 12th Street.

Space that houses 1st Avenue's Polish-American diner Neptune is on the market

The storefronts currently housing the Neptune and Lin's Laundromat at 192-194 First Ave. between East 11th Street and East 12th Street are on the market.

The listings at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank note that the rent for Neptune's 1,660 square feet is available upon request… and the possession of the space that houses the Polish-American diner was December 2014.

The spaces cannot be combined, per the listing.

The laundromat space is apparently "ideal for juice bar or cafe" …



Not sure if there's a need for another juice bar, given that Juice Press has two locations on East 10th Street between Second Avenue and Avenue A … not to mention Liquiteria on Second Avenue and East 11th Street and beQu Juice on East Ninth Street just west of First Avenue…

Will be sorry to see the Neptune eventually go. It has been here since 2001 (taking over the KK's space). It is always a hearty and inexpensive option… and, at least from our recent visits, rarely crowded. (We recall a Saturday night in December when the restaurant sat empty at 7:30.)

Not sure what happened here … a rent hike or just more of the neighborhood's changing culinary habits. (RIP Polonia, Kiev, Christine's, Leshko's, Teresa's…)

Buckets of beer at the Neptune

You know, it has been a long time since I've eaten at the Neptune on First Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street ... Too long! So I headed that way for a meal...



...and I was surprised to see this sign in the window...



A bucket of beers for $15? Wake up after 5? Seems awfully, say, Village Pourhouse-y for the Neptune... I suppose this is the reality for places such as the Neptune to compete with so many fratty bars around... they are reduced to this.