Clearing out Third Rail Coffee

Workers were spotted clearing out Third Rail Coffee yesterday on 10th Street ... presumably bringing an end to the cafe here just west of Second Avenue.

There hasn't been any official notice about a closure. Third Rail Coffee had shut down at the start of the NY PAUSE in March.

Earlier this summer, we spotted a Termination of Lease notice on the door that stated rent was due for April, May and June on the storefront. (This despite the state’s eviction moratorium.)

Third Rail, an outpost of the original on Sullivan Street, opened here in the summer of 2013. It was a nice spot that offered views of the historic St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery across the street.

Thanks to Dan Scheffey for the photo!

Lease termination notice at Third Rail Coffee; Future You Cafe has closed

An EVG reader points us to legal documents on the door at Third Rail Coffee on 10th Street just west of Second Avenue ... there is a Notice of Termination...



The paperwork states that rent is due for April, May and June on the storefront, an amount that totals nearly $26,000. Third Rail Coffee had closed at the start of the NY PAUSE in March.

Not sure how all this might play out: Gov. Cuomo announced in May that he had extended the state’s eviction moratorium through August, though critics have said the new version of the order is weaker, and favors landlords.

Per City Limits:

[T]enant and housing advocacy groups say the fine print of that order will allow for eviction proceedings to move forward through the New York courts e-filing system, increasing the burden of proof on tenants to show they could not pay rent because of COVID-19 related financial hardship.

Meanwhile, in other coffee-related news, Future You Cafe is officially closed on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue...



Owner Roberto Levinson, who opened the shop here in November 2018, announced the decision to close at the end of May on Instagram.

As the economy is slowly reopening, I have taken a lot of time to carefully assess the current situation, including the health risks involved, as well as the economic hardships most businesses in our industry are going through. After carefully deliberating for weeks, it is with great sadness I must announce our decision not to reopen.

Third Rail Coffee is now (semi) open on East 10th Street

[Saturday]

As we first noted back on Dec. 31, the the second NYC location for Third Rail Coffee is taking over the former Stogo space on East 10th Street just west of Second Avenue.

And the shop had a quiet opening Sunday ... though people noticed.

Coffee-loving East Villagers rejoice: THE NEW THIRD RAIL IS OPEN AND IS KICKING ASS!!!!!
— Chris Thile (@christhile) July 1, 2013

Co-owner/barista Humberto Ricardo told us that they're "semi open." He and his team are still working out a few kinks with the new space. He'll likely have a more formal Grand Opening after the July 4 holiday.

In early January, Ricardo shared more about the space with us.

"I'm really excited to get back to the East Village. It was the first place I lived on my own in New York City when I moved there," he said. In particular, he always liked this picturesque stretch of East 10th Street — near the St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery and the circa 1860s row houses designed by James Renwick Jr.

You can read the rest of that post here.

H/T Bill the libertarian anarchist

More about the second location of Third Rail Coffee, opening soon on East 10th Street

As we first noted back on Dec. 31, the the second NYC location for Third Rail Coffee is taking over the former Stogo space on East 10th Street just west of Second Avenue. (Thanks to Bill the libertarian anarchist for that tip.)

Co-owner/barista Humberto Ricardo shared more about the space with us via Facebook.

"I'm really excited to get back to the East Village. It was the first place I lived on my own in New York City when I moved there," he said. In particular, he always liked this picturesque stretch of East 10th Street — near the St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery and the circa 1860s row houses designed by James Renwick Jr.

He was friendly with Angelo Fontana, the proprietor of the beloved A. Fontana Shoe Repair. He loved the shop, and the location. He figured it would be the perfect location for his business when the time came. (This was before the Sullivan Street location of Third Rail.)

"I started talking to [Angelo] about it in case he ever did retire. Also because he was a nice man and I have a deep respect for craftsmen who do one thing well forever," he said. "When he was forced out and into an early retirement, however, I backed away from the whole thing — too much bad karma. And I'd be damned if I was gonna be that guy.

A huge rent hike caused the shoe repair to close for good after 45 years in business in February 2008. Stogo, the vegan ice cream shop, opened in December 2008. They closed at the end of November.

"So I watched as Stogo took it and well — I'll leave the story there," he said. "I know some people still have some sore feelings about Angelo's being run out of that space. I hope that once people get a sense of who we are and what we're about ... they'll be happy about [the new coffee shop]."

He said he expects the new Third Rail to be open in the next few month.