Today is the last day for Davey's Ice Cream on 1st Avenue

Photo yesterday by Steven

After eight-plus years, Davey's Ice Cream is closing its original outpost at 137 First Ave.

Today is the last day here between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. And there are free scoops. 

However, owner David Yoo promises a return. According to the Instagram post announcing this closure: "Stay tuned for our new East Village relocation announcement!" 

The Davey's in Greenpoint remains in service ... with another location coming to Moynihan Train Hall ...

 

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So long to the Union Square Walgreens

Seeing this one through... the Walgreens on the SE corner of 14th Street and Fourth Avenue is now permanently closed (as of Thursday) ...

The sizeable retail imprint includes a second level that reaches 13th Street...

Despite what the New York Post wants you to believe with its crime-chaos narratives, drug stores aren't closing because of shoplifting. This piece from Curbed last week explains what has been going on, including pandemic-related supply-chain issues and losses due to online competition.

Per the article: Walgreens says that when it closes stores, its reasoning is rooted in "the dynamics of the local market and the changing buying habits of our customers."

Walgreens customers can now go to the Walgreens-owned Duane Reade 50 steps away at 1 Union Square.

Verameat closing Monday on 9th Street

Vera Balyura has made up her mind about the future of her storefront at 315 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue: Verameat's last day is Tuesday, Feb. 22 now Monday, Feb. 21, per an announcement on Instagram. (Her Brooklyn outpost is closing then too.)

And until the close, the owner-designer of the jewelry company is offering a 65-percent sale in-store and online. 

As noted previously, Balyura announced (via Instagram) last month that her lease was up here in April... and she was debating what to do next. (The landlord was not offering any deals to stay, and placed a for-rent sign in the front window.)

Verameat will continue with online sales while figuring out the next chapter of her business.

The shop, which debuted on Ninth Street in 2011, is open from noon to 8 p.m.

Photo yesterday by Steven

Looker has closed on Avenue B

A for-lease sign is hanging now on the door here at 42 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street, marking the official closure of Looker. 

The bar-restaurant, serving vegan bar food and cocktails, debuted this past April... a sibling to the former occupant here, Post. (Post is open in a larger space around the corner at 217 E. Third St. between B and C.) 

In an Instagram message, ownership told us that business was off, which was made worse during the omicron-fueled COVID surge in December and early January. 

Thank you to Vinny & O for the photo

Eileen Fisher makes 9th Street closure official

Photos by Steven

As a follow-up to our previous post (from Feb. 7) about the Eileen Fisher storefront on Ninth Street: The shop has made its closure official.

The Eileen Fisher sign was removed from the storefront ... and there's now a note on the front door  ...

The note reads in part: 

After much thought, we have decided to close our 9th Street Eileen Fisher store. 

We thank you for being part of this special community and will miss you.

The outpost had been closed since late August for "building maintenance." There were rumors the shop had closed in early February, though there wasn't anything official about it made public.

This was Fisher's first location, opening in 1987. Her brand grew to 50-plus shops around the country and sales in various department stores.

As Manhattan Sideways wrote this about the Ninth Street outpost: "[I]t is not even owned by the larger corporation behind the other shops, but rather by Eileen Fisher herself. Sample garments are sold here – some that never made it into production. Many of the pieces found here are different from what is in the rest of the line each season." 

Uncle Johnny is closing on Avenue D

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Updated: Uncle Johnny's last day is now Feb. 21.

Uncle Johnny Grocery Deli Supermarket is closing at the end of the month on the SW corner of Avenue D and Fifth Street. 

Sources told EVG contributor Stacie Joy that the lease is expiring at this grocery where the hot prepared foods, such as roasted chicken, rice and beans and tostones, are a draw. 

We don't know how long Uncle Johnny has been here (a long time) ... Stacie recently stopped by the store as the shelves were starting to empty ahead of the March 1 close date...

Avenue D is also served by Met Fresh Supermarket, Food Emporium, USA Super Stores and various small markets-delis.

[Updated] Thai Direct is open for now

Updated 2/19: Thai Direct has reopened amid an ongoing COVID-related rent dispute with the landlord, per the restaurant's ownership. 

Thai Direct has closed at 131 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.

A rather stern note on the front door tells would-be patrons that the landlord "has taken possession of the premises effective February 11" ... with a "DO NOT ENTER" thrown in for anyone attempting to access the door with three new padlocks...   

Steven took these photos Friday night — someone removed the sign by Sunday.

There isn't any mention of a closure of the restaurant's website or Instagram account. 

The quick-serve establishment, which billed itself as offering a healthy take on Thai street food, opened here in September 2018. It was a nice spot. 

The space was previously Yoshi Sushi, which got the boot in 2015.

Farewell to Dress Shoppe II

For the first time in 20-plus years, 83 Second Ave. is without retail tenant Dress Shoppe II. 

The storefront was cleared out last week... with the signage coming down on Friday. (H/T Lola Sáenz.)

As previously reported, the Indian clothing boutique closed on Jan. 30 ... wrapping up a challenging few years for owner Saroj Goya, who did her best to keep the shop going after her husband of 50 years, Purushottam Goyal, died in September 2019. 

There were some well-reported financial challenges, and thanks to the efforts of Humans of New York and New York Nico, there was an outpouring of support to help Saroj make arrangements on the back rent and to take care of herself as she underwent treatment for breast cancer. (In the previous post, you can read more about the closing and the financial arrangements with the landlord, the Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association II.)

The business dates to 1978, first starting on Broadway, per this 2016 feature in The New York Times.

Moving forward, you can still find Dress Shoppe II's unique offerings via Etsy (link here).

 Here are a few photos of the warm, colorful shop from a previous visit by EVG contributor Stacie Joy...

Hopefully, Cooper Square will find something just as unique to fill the storefront ... (we're good on smoke/vape shops!) ... 

ICYMI: That oddly configured Walgreens is closing on Union Square

This has come up a few times in emails and in comment threads...So!

As posted on Jan. 24, the Walgreens on the SE corner of 14th Street and Fourth Avenue is closing on Feb. 17, per the window signage. 

Walgreens customers can then go to other Walgreens, Duane Reades or Duane Reade by Walgreens locations, including the outpost at 1 Union Square. (For the sake of journalisming, we walked from the soon-to-close Walgreens to the Duane Reade — 50 steps!)

This corner Walgreens was renovated and expanded into the space above the quick-serve restaurants on Fourth Avenue back in 2010...

What could possibly fit in this space now (?).

Oddly configured Walgreens is closing on Union Square

The Walgreens on the SE corner of 14th Street and Fourth Avenue is closing on Feb. 17, per the window signage here...

This comes following this branch's pharmacy pulling out at the end of 2021. Customers of the location are instructed to visit other Walgreens or Duane Reades, including the big one about 75 feet to the west at 1 Union Square.

The Walgreens here was renovated and expanded into the space above the quick-serve restaurants on Fourth Avenue back in 2010... (this far-flung layout is what the headline meant by "oddly configured" ...)

Anyway, this is the latest Walgreens or Duane Reade to shutter... the Walgreens on Astor Place closed in August 2020 ... three neighborhood Duane Reade by Walgreens locations have closed in recent years. The outpost on Avenue D at Houston and First Avenue between 14th Street and 15th Street shuttered in November 2019 while the storefront on 10th Street and Third Avenue shut down in early March 2019.

5 Napkin Burger closes on 3rd Avenue and 14th Street

After nearly 10 years on the SW corner of 14th Street and Third Avenue, 5 Napkin Burger has closed... signage on the front door points would-be patrons to other locations of the chainlet...

The burger joint opened here in February 2012... and in the summer of 2019, downsized the space, which became 5 Napkin Burger Express for two years ... which became Tamam Falafel, which closed at the end of 2021. (Both 5 Napkin and Tamam Falafel share the same ownership.)

This space was previously home to Robin Raj Discount Health & Beauty Aids (that seems like a long time ago!). 

There will be some speculation about the future of this high-profile corner with single-story structures — seemingly ripe for development. Not sure what kind of air rights there might be with the newer 21-floor 110 Third Ave. on one side and NYU's 17-floor Palladium Hall on the other.

Thanks to all the EVG readers who shared this news!

Updated: Flashback to the 1980s and Disco Donut here

Lights out: Bulb Concepts has closed on 7th Street

Bulb Concepts has closed at 13 E. Seventh St., just east of Cooper Square.

EVG regular Salim shared these photos... showing that the small shop's exterior has been cleaned out.

There wasn't any mention of a closure on their lightly used social media properties.

Jessie Lee and Anthony Wong opened Bulb Concepts in October 2013 (read our feature here), offering a nice variety of light bulbs, commercial and residential light fixtures, lamp parts and more. They also had many hard-to-find items and always provided friendly and attentive service.

The couple sold the business at some point, though the service remained the same.

Bulb Concepts was one of those little specialty shops we'd love to see more of in the neighborhood. They will be missed.

Boilermaker is closing on 1st and 1st

Boilermaker, the retro cocktail bar, is closing after service on Thursday night after seven years on the NW corner of First Avenue and First Street. 

The bar made the announcement on its website and social media platforms yesterday.

In an Instagram post, Greg Boehm, owner of Cocktail Kingdom, whose properties include Boilermaker, the Cabinet, Mace and the Miracle Christmas and Sippin' Santa pop-ups, wrote, in part: 

It is with a heavy heart that we are closing Boilermaker. So many amazing memories, late nights, great cocktails, fantastic burgers and wings ... Thank you to all of the staff! Thank you to the bartenders for all of the good times.

Boilermaker opened in the fall of 2014... taking over the space from Golden Cadillac, a similar retro bar from the same ownership that packed it in after eight months. 

No word if Cocktail Kingdom will try a new concept here or vacate the space.

Boca Chica, the well-liked Latin American restaurant, was in this space from 1989 to 2013.

Images via @BoilermakerNYC

Tamam Falafel has closed on 14th Street; new location in the works

After a year at 150 E. 14th St. at Third Avenue, Tamam Falafel has shut down its operations here.

However, ownership, which includes Simon Oren who runs 5 Napkin Burger next door, announced that Taman will reopen elsewhere (and their UES location remains in service).

Per an Instagram post last evening...

The plant-based Tamam Falafel took over this space from 5 Napkin Burger Express in January 2021.

H/T @vegan.nyx ... top pic via @tamamfalafel