Whatever happened to the Champagne's of East Village storefront signs?

Photo from June by Stacie Joy

Back in the summer, the new owners of Nizga Liquors, now LES Fine Wines & Spirits, removed the classic signage — Fine Wine & Champagne's — that anchored the NE corner of Avenue A and Fourth Street for years.

Understanding how much people liked the signs (especially unnecessary apostrophe fans!), management there announced the two signs were for sale.

As we noted, Irena Lasenby, a former East Village resident who now lives in Bushwick, bought the smaller of the two signs.

She recently shared a photo of its new home in a garden space outside her apartment... currently paired with an old wheelchair she found discarded on the street...

Long live Fine Wine & Champagne's!

Back in the East Village, the new (as of last fall) landlord has created universal storefronts — sans any signage — for the businesses along 58-72 Avenue A between Fourth Street and Fifth Street. 

The East Village Fine Wine & Champagne's sign has a new home

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

The (iconic? beloved? confusing?) Fine Wine & Champagne's signage that anchored the NE corner of Avenue A and Fourth Street for decades has a new home. 

As reported last week, workers removed the sign from outside the former Nizga Liquors, now under new ownership and going as LES Fine Wines & Spirits. 

Understanding how much people like the signs (unnecessary apostrophe lovers unite!) management there announced they two signs were for sale.

Irena Lasenby, a former East Village resident who now lives in Bushwick, is the proud new owner of the smaller of the two signs, the (iconic? beloved? confusing?) apostrophe one.

"I bought it because I love old signs, and it triggers nostalgia," she said. 

Priced at around $500, the sign is en route to its new home in Irena's garden space.

The other signs is still available, as per Rich, manager of LES Fine Wines & Spirits. If you are interested you can stop by the store or message him via Instagram. 

Universal signage for all the businesses on this block is on the way, a directive from the new landlord who bought 58-72 Avenue A last fall for a reported $64 million.

Farewell to the Champagne's of storefront signs in the East Village

Photos, past and present, by Stacie Joy 

As we first reported on May 8, the always confounding but excellent Fine Wine & Champagne's signage would be coming down in the weeks ahead here on the NE corner of Avenue A and Fourth Street. 

And yesterday, workers removed the neighborhood's greatest sign featuring an unnecessary apostrophe.

The decades-spanning Nizga Liquors is under new ownership... the new shop is going as LES Fine Wines & Spirits. (IMO, to keep with tradition, the name should be LES Fine Wine's & Spirit's.) 

We're not sure about new signage. As we understand it, the private-equity firm that bought the block-long residential building last September for a reported $64 million wants uniform signage/awnings for all the storefronts here between Fourth Street and Fifth Street. 

However! The two sections of the Champagne's signage — now safe in storage somewhere — are up for grabs. (Hello, MoMa permanent collection!) Rich, the manager, said he that he might auction them off for a "good cause" or they may be available for sale. Either way, stop by the shop or DM @the.rich.brand on Instagram for details. (Several people have already inquired, he said.) 

Otherwise, you can lovingly gaze at the sign as seen during the filming of "Hawkeye" with Hailee Steinfeld and Jeremy Renner on the corner in December 2020..

Pour one out for the champagne of East Village storefront signs

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

The days are numbered for one of the neighborhood's great signs featuring an unnecessary apostrophe. 

On the NE corner of Avenue A and Fourth Street, the decades-spanning Nizga Liquors is under new ownership. 

You may have noticed that workers spruced up the previously cluttered front window and interior — even removing that awkward turnstile at the entrance.

We're told that the new owners will start hosting wine tastings and other related events. (It looks like they will continue on with the sale of lottery tickets and more mini bottles than an airline.)

Nizga was always convenient, though, despite the "Discount" on the sign, the last-minute items we picked up on the way somewhere always seemed to be about $5 more than other local shops.

Then there is Fine Wine & Champagne's portion of the sign... which, through the years, perplexed copywriters and grammarians for the misuse of the apostrophe to indicate a plural...

Unfortunately, that sign will be coming down in the days ahead... and we understand that the tentative new name is LES Liquors.

We're also told that the sale of the shop, which saw the departure of the longtime manager, is also unrelated to the new landlords who bought the block-long residential building last fall for a reported $64 million.  

Two years later, Walid Menswear has gone out of business

Walid Menswear starting the going-out-of-business process on 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue in May 2010 ...
[June 2010]

However, the store managed to hang on for longer — more than two years. However, the store is now for rent, as EVG reader Ron Z. noted.

We always liked the sign. So did James and Karla Murray, who included Walid's in their book "STORE FRONT: The Disappearing Face Of New York."

While they may not have been selling the most expensive clothing, the proprietors always took great pride in showcasing their goods in the window displays. Now, it's just another one of the little interesting storefronts, like The Royal Wigs, that are disappearing along this stretch of East 14th Street...

Forgotten NY on Peter's grocery

Thanks to EV Grieve favorite Forgotten NY for featuring the now-shuttered Peter's grocery on Madison Street. As FNY noted:

Peter's had an odd geometry because the store was located on one of NYC's sharpest triangles. NYC's downtown area doesn't have the strict grid arrangement found uptown; St. James Place was once part of the colonial-era Post Road to Boston, which meandered thither and yon all over the east side of Manhattan Island. When other streets were laid out the Post Road met them at sharp edges.

A Forgotten NY reader said that Peter retired and sold the building.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Peter's: A disappearing face of New York disappears

Peter's: A disappearing face of New York disappears

Last July I did a post titled The grocery stores of St. James Place. I've always liked Peter's grocery at 25 Madison St. on the corner of St. James Place down on the outskirts of Chinatown and the LES. And for good reasons. You don't see many old-school storefronts like this anymore.



A great sign.



And I love the corner angle.

Unfortunately, when I went by the other day, Peter's was gone. I'm not sure how long ago it disappeared.






Peter's is featured in "Storefront: The Disappearing Face of New York," by James and Karla Murray. Peter's was owned by Peter Migliorini, who took over the business from his father (also named Peter).

Knickbocker Village has a post on Peter's.

So what will become of this unique space?