New Year's will be rung in with Superdive Surprises

Speaking of Superdive... Eater brings word that Superdive is open on New Year's Eve...

And it may not be the only time to enjoy Superdive in the New Year...

Rumors of Superdive's death have been greatly exaggerated, perhaps

The rumor working the, uh, rumor mill is that Superdive is coming back from the alleged dead in 2011. So I asked Team Superdive for any official word. So are you really reopening next year? "Quite possibly since the comm bd turned down the latest buyer."

And!
"Go by and see the sign, we are lighting the way for Santa."

Indeed, the sign had red-and-green bulbs in it this past weekend...

Perhaps this is all a little saber rattling on the part of Team Superdive, spook the locals into thinking they'll return if the Community Board doesn't approve the next taker...

An epic story on the life and death of Superdive

Sarah Laskow files a detailed piece at Capital titled "Fast times on Avenue A: The life and death of Superdive."

A few excerpts!

LONGTIME VILLAGERS OFTEN TALK ABOUT the change in their neighborhood as synonymous with the rise of bars and restaurants that create street traffic and noise unlike that in any other neighborhood. Words and phrases like rowdy, circus atmosphere, zoo are used to describe the street scene at night. When bar owners and nightlife operators argue that the East Village has always been a nightlife destination, they respond: Yes, but. Something’s different now.

Academics have a word for what the neighborhood has become: a nightscape. Bars and restaurants were once peripheral to the main drag's primary economic drivers: supermarkets, coffeehouses, boutique shops, record stores. But in post-industrial cities, nightlife has grown into an industry in its own right. As in any industry, shop owners tend to cluster. A century ago, that meant the creation of a Garment District. Now it means the creation of a Party District.

And!

Superdive was self-conscious, though. It promised not just beer or a dance floor, but an experience directly targeted at a crowd the East Village had perhaps hoped it hadn't overtly been catering to: Not some group of characters out of an old Lou Reed song, so much as the group of characters you'd find on Bourbon Street, or worse, North Avenue in White Plains. There was some irony in the marketing of Superdive, but not much.

“Superdive made a lot of us into activists,” Dale Goodson, 58, said recently.

Read the whole shebang here.

About Superdive the other night

On Wednesday evening, we heard that Superdive, despite being closed and for sale, looked kinda open... We asked management for an explanation. "Sorry you missed Babydive, Momadive, and Papadive having our family dance party and contemplating the next move..."

Breaking: Superdive is open?!

As Goggla sent along tonight: "I thought they were finally closed?! Despite 'closed' and 'for rent' signs, Supderdive appears to be open."

An investigative team will be dispatched, if he feels like getting off the couch.

The possible future of 200 Avenue A: A destination restaurant 'that involves all the senses'

Tonight, the folks who want to take over 200 Avenue A (aka, Superdive) go before the CB3/SLA subcommittee... Last Monday, the team who plans to open a new restaurant here met with neighbors to explain the concept...

I did exchange e-mails with one of the partners who wants to take over the space... However, we never were able to meet to discuss the concept. Jill at Blah Blog Blah attended last Monday's confab... and she passed along some notes....

• They were very sincere in their desire to create something special and unique that would also provide a high return on investment.

• They were truly surprised that there would be opposition to their concept. They knew that SuperDive had a lot of problems ... but did not seem sensitive to the issues about how SuperDive had impacted the residents.

• Most of the owners/investors (there were about 6 people there from their organization) had never been to the block on a weekend night. The residents with the most vocal opposition were those that have been directly impacted by the problems that SuperDive caused in terms of direct noise and loss of sleep and lowered quality of life from those crowds. The next set of opposition came from people who are dismayed with the change of character in the neighborhood brought on by the frat bars, as well as the loss of retail diversity.

• Their concept is more about the concept and the branding than about food. They don't have a menu, prices or chef, but they do have an idea, funding and a manager.

• The landlord representative said that the owner of the building will not consider any tenant other than a restaurant ... but did not want something that was only a bar.

• They want to create a "destination restaurant" that involves all the senses. They will have several large video screens in the back room lounge, with couches and maybe a smell machine. In the front there will be a 13-foot bar with an unknown number of seats and an unknown number of tables seating an unknown number of people.

• They want to build a brand and then take it to the west coast (or possibly sell it?). To my ears, I heard something akin to "Hard Rock Cafe" — a branded theme chain with locations all over the world.

• They did not have a menu, a potential menu, or a chef. When asked the price point of the entrees, they had no idea. When asked $8 or $30, they said "somewhere in between."

• They intend to operate 6 pm-4 am 7 nights a week, serving food until within an hour of closing. When asked if they would consider closing earlier, they said absolutely not.

• They will have doormen and not encourage the fratboy scene

• They intend to do extensive work to soundproof the interior

• They were unclear about the music but it would fit into their "sense" theme, and would be bringing in live music and djs for an event or specific purpose. Not rock bands, but amplified music is in their agenda. But it's not a nightclub. When asked if they would consider not having live music, they said absolutely not.

• They have never owned a restaurant with a liquor license. They ran a themed sandwich shop called Project Sandwich in Soho which closed after 9 months. They run 40+ sushi bars in supermarkets around the city and Long Island.

• They plan to invest $1 million in this venture

• They served delicious sushi and cookies, which I enjoyed to their fullest

I asked the Superdive owners about the future here... and via e-mail, Team Superdive said: "The liquor license has been put in safekeeping and we all look forward to Nov. 15 when a prospective purchaser, (a fine intelligent respectful gentleman i might add), appears before the beloved community board.

Hopefully, the trial by kafka is not the experience he undergoes. a bright light perhaps but please comm bd 3 — no waterboarding!!!"

Speaking of night's meeting, we hear that CB3/SLA chair Alexandra Militano won't be able to attend. We heard that she fell last week and had to have emergency surgery on her elbow.

Your unwanted Superdive weekend recap

Friday night. Closed!



Saturday night. Open!

Superdive sign recap (and bar recap)

So Superdive has reopened — at least temporarily. And there are all sorts of signs out front....



So the bar is open...



...and it's for sale...



And we asked the folks at Superdive just what's going on. Here's their response, via e-mail:

1) our new literacy program ( invented by babydive with his "dive says read" slogan) needs money to support it.

with that in mind superdive is available for benefits designed for parents associations in the east village that support or benefit local schools. superdive will contribute the space as well as 2 kegs to any school or association so that they can have a party designed to benefit local pals of babydive. quite simply "A KEG PARTY TO BENEFIT KIDS" . the school or association can organize a pay to enter party with the proceeds donated to the school. soft drinks as well as kidfriendly health drinks served for the little ones. pass it on.

2) despite the best efforts of all concerned, no single legitimate operator stepped forward to buy and or lease the superdive space. this even with the magnanimous landlord, one michael taub, pulling out all the stops to accommodate any interested parties. everyone was scared away by the big bad wolf aka the sla committee of comm bd 3. this in spite of the fact that this space has always been a bar, i.e. korova milk bar which was open for 10 years. oh well, it is a tale for a late night yarn of monsters and the triumph of good over evil to enrapture babydive during a stormy, dark, sleepless night.

3) who doesn't love a nice cold glass of beer? even babydive from the attached picture likes to be around a good party...... A SHOUTOUT TO THE SOUTHAMPTON PUBLICK HOUSE'S IPA !!!!!!

LONG LIVE SUPERDIVE !

DIVE SAYS READ !

Doing it doggie style outside Superdive

With all the attention given to Superdive's reopening by a local hyperblogger, Bob Arihood thought he'd check out the scene in front of the Avenue A keg center for himself Saturday evening.

As he said, "The visit did not disappoint . The place was full of drunken folks ." And Bob caught these two going at it in plain view of everyone on the sidewalk (faces shaded to spare them any embarrassment at work) ...



Speaking of mating rituals... I have regrets that I didn't produce my camera quickly enough to capture a better shot of this Romeo carrying his girlfriend over his shoulder into the bar...

Seems like old times: Superdive is open — for real

Can't quite tell from this above photo.... but a man slung his girlfriend over his shoulder and carried her into the bar... Woo!

Is Superdive really open?

Superdive does look more open than usual... and the sign out front says they are open.... but as of 9 pm or so, it was deserted....

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Avenue A...

Holy Keg Stand! Eater reports that Superdive has reopened!

This and the former Aces and Eights on the same day....?

[File photo]

'Alas the saga of SUPERDIVE continues'

In recent days, we noted that the toilets from Superdive were now in the middle of the bar... that the for lease sign had been moved to the front widow... and, over the weekend, the lights of the Superdive sign were finally extinguished.

So just what is going on? Have we seen the last of Superdive, officially? The Head of Superdive checked in via e-mail:

After a long hot summer, much beachtime and the birth of our newborn "Dive Alexander" on Aug. 27, here is an update:

• We have put our liquor liscense in safekeeping in anticipation of settling all SLA charges, paying a fine, filing an alteration application to reflect what the premises should would and will look like

• Simultaneously we have entered into an option agreement with our landlord michael taub to agree to sell at a very generous price provided he can find the proper alternative for the space (read: full-service restaurant)

While this agreement provides the basis for a win-win, in the event a viable local operator does not show up by the time we reach and pay the SLA settlement, we will be moving forward with our renovation alteration and upgrade plans.

As you can see, to facilitate such we have allowed the landlord to post a sign in the window to increase exposure. It remains to be seen what will transpire next.

Alas the saga of SUPERDIVE continues.



signed

Baby Dive

A short history of Superdive's for rent sign

April 20! (Via Eater) Left!



Apri 21! Right!



Yesterday! Sort of center!

At Superdive, the toilets are presently portable

An EV Grieve reader noted that the gate was up at Superdive yesterday and that workers were inside possibly "cleaning up." So we took a stroll by.... and found the gate open as well!



We didn't see any workers, though the space does seem to be in some state of renovation.... which might explain the presence of the toilets by the front windows ...




Or maybe this is just some new drinking game... or it's the Superdiver's variation of Homer Simpson's toilet chair...



Also, no Superdive on September's CB3 docket. Previously we were told that Superdive would remain closed for the summer.

It wouldn't be a CB3/SLA meeting without a Superdive scratch!

In the last six months, Superdive has been on the CB3/SLA agenda five times for a transfer, alteration, etc. ... and each time, the Superdivers have been a scratch... the keg-tappin' gang is now off tonight's agenda too...

They need to go for nine!

Sick nine times? sound bite  Ferris Bueller's Day Off sound bites

Seriously, though, I asked Superdive officials what is happening... when I last checked in with them, they were at the beach... Via e-mail:

... at the beach right now in fact!
Still undecided in regards to landlord's generous buyout proposal (he really wants a neighborhood restaurant for space)... adjourned till September. Got to roll, surf is calling!

Previously on EV Grieve:
Another month, another Superdive scratch; Plus, Avenue A bars give it another go tonight

Superdive not going 5 for 5 this CB3/SLA meeting

Breaking: "Fear not — the SUPERDIVE sign burns brightly!"

Breaking: "Fear not — the SUPERDIVE sign burns brightly!"

Well, since I noted the gates were down last weekend at Superdive, Superdive watchers have been busy speculating about the bar's future... with some rumors even suggesting that the keg-tapping gang's space at 200 Avenue A had been seized by the marshal's office.

Not so!



After asking the landlord of 200 Avenue A what was what... we heard from the Superdive Team firsthand:

We are currently closed through the summer for completion of our PA work and AC upgrade. In addition, we are scheduled to appear before CB 3 for an alteration application. This gives us more time to enjoy the sun and surf during this torrid summer.

As one of our favorite bands says " Catch a wave and you're sitting on top of the world!"

Fear not — the SUPERDIVE sign burns brightly!

Keep cool and try to minimize water and electric usage. (yes those are low wattage energy efficient bulbs in our sign!)

Enjoy the rest of your summer and we will keep you updated on any new and exciting developments at the super bar SUPERDIVE!

Gate down at Superdive this weekend

In the 13 months that Superdive has been open here on Avenue A, this is the first time that I've ever seen the gate down. I dialed up their phone number too, maybe order a keg or something. And I got a message saying that this "was not a working number" and to check the number again... I did, via their website...

So what's this mean? Nothing, really... probably just decided to close for the slow summer weekend... and they have a new phone number that they haven't made public yet...

Superdive not going 5 for 5 this CB3/SLA meeting

So, you know tonight is the July meeting for the CB3/SLA folks.

Meanwhile, for the first time in four months, Superdive is not on the CB3/SLA agenda for a transfer, alteration, etc. They were on the docket then scratched each time.

However! A trusted source says Superdive will be on the August CB3/SLA docket for an alteration. Unless they bow out. Again.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Another month, another Superdive scratch; Plus, Avenue A bars give it another go tonight

Happy Birthday Superdive!

Oh lordy! A reader reminded me that I did absolutely nothing to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Superdive! Wow. Has it been a year already?

Yes! June 25, in fact.

Relive a reader's brave opening night here.

We try to figure out the bar situation. Confusing. It looks like there is no bar and patrons are just doing whatever, but really there is a bar. It's just surrounded by patrons. We eventually get drinks. My mixed drink is quite strong. This is good, as it took an eternity to get it. It was served by a bartender wearing legwarmers on her arms. As we're trying to secure drinks, we're hit by a blast of flatulence. Did I mention this place is fratty?

And, uh.... a lousy hidden-camera video from Superdive, apparently....



Feel free to sing along. It may be better if you played a few hours of beer pong first.

Talking away
I don't know what I'm to say
I'll say it anyway
today's another day to find you
Shying away
I'll be coming for you love O.K.

Take on me
Take me on
I'll be gone
in a day or two

So needless to say I'm odds and ends
But that's me, stumbling away
Slowly learning that life is O.K.
Say after me
It's no better to be safe than sorry.

Take on me
Take me on
I'll be gone
in a day or two.

The things that you say
Is it live or just to play
My worries away
You're all the things I've got to remember
You shying away
I'll be coming for you anyway

Take on me
Take me on
I'll be gone
in a day or two

Thanks for the 4,793 posts this last year guys!