Rumor: East Village Cheese Shop relocating to East 7th Street

[Photo via]

As previously reported, East Village Cheese Shop has until July 31 on its current lease at 40 Third Ave. between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street.

According to Off the Grid, the owners had considered a move to Avenue A and East 13th Street. However, that plan never materialized.

Now comes word that the shop, which has been at its current location for nearly 20 years (after starting on East Ninth Street), will move to East Seventh Street.

An EVG reader left this comment the other day on our previous East Village Cheese post: "They told me they are moving to 7th St betw 1st and 2nd."

And yesterday a reliable source told East Village Eats specifically that the shop will relocate to 76 E. Seventh St., former home of Warwick and Framus Custom Shop, which closed at the beginning of the year.



In January, we heard that the Duane Reade on Third Avenue at East 10th Street was going to expand into adjacent storefronts on that block, forcing out several businesses, including East Village Cheese Shop and Excel Custom Framing. There aren't any permits on file yet with the city to indicate any expansion/renovations here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rumors: Duane Reade expansion will take over adjacent storefronts, including East Village Cheese (74 comments)

[Updated] Confirmed: East Village Cheese will be moving to Avenue A later this year

Rumor: Moonstruck Diner opening location on Avenue A

Ethos Meze East Village closed for renovations at 167 Avenue A back in late March... and there hasn't been much activity in the space here between East 10th Street and East 11th Street ... except for someone removing the Ethos Meze sign.

The restaurant is owned by the same folks who run the Moonstruck Diner chainlet in the city. Now comes word via the rumor mill that the owners will convert the space into another Moonstruck, similar to the one on Second Avenue and East Fifth Street.

The space remains on the market, however.

Rumor: Tompkins Square Bagels possibly opening a 2nd East Village location on 2nd Avenue

[EVG photo from January]

Open Pantry, the 45-year-old coffee shop/grocery at 184 Second Ave., closed for good at the end of January. The proprietors, who also own the building here between East 11th Street and East 12th Street, have had the storefront on the rental market these past few months.

Now comes word, via the rumor mill, that Tompkins Square Bagels is looking to open a second East Village shop at this location.

We'll update when/if we hear back from TSB owner Christopher Pugliese.

Tompkins Square Bagels opened on Avenue A near East 10th Street in December 2011.

Previously on EV Grieve:
After 40-plus years, Open Pantry looks to be closing on 2nd Avenue

Rumors: Duane Reade expansion will take over adjacent storefronts, including East Village Cheese

A tipster tells us that the Duane Reade on Third Avenue at East 10th Street is expanding, and will gobble up the adjoining spaces that include the 21-year-old Excel Art and Framing Store and East Village Cheese.

The owner of the Frame Shop received word this past Saturday that his lease will not be renewed; "that a handshake deal was already made with Duane Reade in early December."

Per the tipster: "Both of these small businesses are very important to the community."



The convenient store and clothing boutique Project 36 have already been emptied out ahead of the expansion…



The tipster noted that there's already a huge Walgreens on Astor Place. Not to mention the recently expanded Walgreens on East 14th Street and Fourth Avenue … and the Duane Reade locations on East 14th Street and Third Avenue … and East 14th Street and Broadway.

And this won't be the first time that Duane Reade looks to KO beloved neighborhood businesses.

RUMOR: Gas station going, boutique hotel coming on Second Avenue?

IF the rumors are accurate, then the BP station and MRM Auto Repair at 24 Second Ave. at East First Street will close this summer to eventually make way for something the area doesn't seem to need — a boutique hotel.



Again, this is only a rumor… traced to workers at the station. There's nothing on file yet with the DOB for this address.

Of course, news of BP's closing wouldn't be so shocking, after all.

On Tuesday, WYNC featured a story titled "Say Goodbye to Manhattan's Gas Stations."

Per the article:

In 2004, the borough had more than 60 places to fill up, but now there are just 39. Fuel prices and consolidation are driving the nationwide trend, but in Manhattan, it's all about real estate.

"It's kind of like the gas station has a red flag on it that says: 'Call me. I'm the next site,'" said Adelaide Polsinelli, a broker with the real estate investment firm Eastern Consolidated.

Thanks to skyrocketing real estate prices, Manhattan gas stations are worth much more than the money the owner can make selling gas. Last year, a Getty near the High Line sold for $23.5 million. A few months later, another station in the borough went for $25 million.

And IF this is true, this means the East Village will no longer have any gas stations in another year or so. In March, Hakimian Property filed plans to erect a 9-story mixed-use building on the site of the Mobil station on East Houston and Avenue C. (The station was expected to be open until next year.) Meanwhile, the BP station on East Houston and Lafayette will be home to this one day.

Said Eastern Consolidated's Polsinelli to WNYC: "You see everything that was once industrial — auto body shops, garages, gas stations — and now they're all holes in the ground with cranes in them."

Previously on EV Grieve:
How much longer will the East Village have gas stations?

The East Village will soon be down to 1 gas station

The Mobil on Avenue C is still going strong — for now

You have a little longer to get gas on Avenue C

Plans filed for new 9-story building at site of Mobil station on East Houston and Avenue C

[Updated] Rumors: 7A space will become a 2nd outpost of Miss Lily's and Melvin's Juice Box

That's the word we're hearing from three different sources. Of course, nothing official has been mentioned yet about the former home of 7A, which closed on Avenue A and East Seventh Street on Jan. 26.

As previously mentioned, Paul Salmon, one of the restaurateurs behind Miss Lily's, the Jamaican bar and restaurant on West Houston, will be overseeing the new restaurant's day-to-day operations.

CB3 documents noted the following: "As a nod to the venerable history of this establishment, the new owners plan to incorporate some variation of the current trade name, 7A, into the new trade name."



So perhaps the name would be something like "Miss Lily's at 7A."

As for Miss Lily's, here's a recap of the place by the Underground Gourmet at New York magazine from September 2011:

This week, the Underground Gourmet pays a visit to Miss Lily's, Serge Becker's (La Esquina) hip luncheonette-themed eatery, where both the service and the food are much better than expected. "The mood was festive, the old-school ska and reggae thumping at a lively but non-deafening decibel level, the multiculti, multigenerational crowd exuberantly gnawing on their spareribs," they write of a recent Friday-night visit. Also worth eating: "golden craggy codfish fritters," "moist and meaty jerk chicken garnished with mango chutney, a truly sensational curried goat with a mouth-tingling heat, and a rich oxtail stew with bits of sweet potato and broad beans." The restaurant earns three stars.

If this rumor is true, then this would also mean the third outpost in the city for Melvin's Juice Box, operated by "downtown juicing legend" Melvin Major, Jr. The juice shop has a separate entrance and is just one part of the Miss Lily's complex over at West Houston and Sullivan.

The application for the Avenue A space was never brought before last month's CB3 meeting. It was listed as "not heard at committee," which meant that there wasn't even a vote by the committee for approval. As we noted earlier, it seems a little strange that they will completely change the 7A concept (with an all-new staff) … and there's not any discussion on the matter.

There was plenty of discussion at the Community Board level in June 2010 when Miss Lily's went for a liquor license. Neighbor Anna Wintour was among those who spoke out against Miss Lily's during a contentious CB2 meeting.

Updated 1:19 p.m.

From Eater today:

A rep for the Miss Lily's team explains that the new place will "pay homage to the cafe history of 7A," but it will also have "elements of Melvin's Juice Box and Miss Lily's."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Some part of 7A will stay in the new 7A's name

Details emerge about what's next for former the 7A, Odessa Cafe & Bar spaces

[Updated] Reader report: 7A will close at the end of the month

Renovations underway at former 7A space

Is this the new home for the St. Mark's Bookshop?

Last Thursday, Publishers Weekly reported that St. Mark's Bookshop had found a new retail space "in the East Village in a space near Avenue A and Third Street." The article didn't mention where, exactly, the rent-challenged new store will be.

According to the article, the shop will leave its Third Avenue home and its Cooper Union landlord for a space that "would be about half of the store's current size, or 1,300 sq. ft."

So where exactly is this relocation going to happen? We understand that the owners aren't ready to divulge the details. Readers made some guesses on Friday.

The most practical space is 136 E. Third St., where Landmark Bicycles was housed before moving to the northwest corner of East Third and Avenue A.

The NYCHA is the landlord at No. 136. Here is a description of the space:

136 East 3rd Street
Rentable Square Footage: 1,328
Rent: $60.00 per square foot
$79,680 per year/$6,640.00 per month

The square footage is right. And the space is ready for a new tenant. The NYCHA notes that an application is in process for the space.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: St. Mark's Bookshop prepping fundraiser ahead of possible move to Avenue A

A skateboard shop for East 4th Street?

The rumor on East Fourth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D is that the long-defunct Brazilian tea shop will soon house a skateboard shop ... run by the tea shop owner's son.

H/T Steven Matthews

More speculation on the 'saint' who saved St. Brigid's

In May 2008, the Archdiocese of New York announced that it had accepted an anonymous $20 million donation to restore St. Brigid's on Avenue B and save it from demolition.

To date, the donor's name was never made public. But there was a lot of speculation... including, but not limited to: Matt Dillon (he spoke out to help save the church), Donald Trump and George Steinbrenner.

Now another name has emerged from a reliable source — Mel Gibson.



Apparently the actor-director donated to a lot of religious causes, including for preservation... (And this was pre-divorce settlement.)

If this is true, then thank you Mr. Gibson. Nice that one historic church was spared the condo after-life here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
13 keys dates in the 165-year history of St. Brigid's, reopening on Sunday

Crêpes for First Avenue?

The plywood is down at 135 First Ave. near St. Mark's Place... a tipster says that the space will be a cafe specializing in crêpes (and they look to have a to-go window) ... the address was previously home to Iconic Hand Rolls, which closed in April after 10 months in business.

From the tipline: Former Diablo Royale Este space will be home to a Greek restaurant

[From December 2012]

Neighborhood scourge Diablo Royale Este closed at the end of August 2012 after some ongoing issues with the State Liquor Authority ... and the space at 167 Avenue A has been on the market for nearly a year with at least two different brokers...

Now, word along here is that the space will soon yield a Greek place from restauranteur John Kapetanos, who operates Ethos Gallery, Ethos Meze and the Moonstruck Diners, among others.

A tipster says that the new restaurant will include a raw bar ... and serve seafood, ceviche as well as other traditional Greek fare. No word yet on an opening date. The listing was recently removed from the RKF site.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Diablo Royale Este owner blasts the 'blasphemous lies' of residents, invites the State Liquor Authority to investigate

Diablo Royale Este apologizes for 'Boats 'N Hoes' bash

For lease signs up now at the former Diablo Royale Este on Avenue A

Reader rumor report: 504-508 E. 11th St. has been sold

A tipster shares this report... which we're posting verbatim...

As if 11th Street wasn't under enough stress with that plastic scourge from the 'burbs, 7-11, on the verge of puking up its burnt weenies and Slurpees all over the corner of 11th and A. Now it seems that the nearby building of 504-508 E 11th Street has been recently sold to a real estate investment cabal with big plans to cash in on the current East Village real estate feeding frenzy.

And there's certainly copious amounts blood in the neighborhood waters these days. Word has it that the new dollar sign eyed owners intend to clear the 28 unit building of its tenants asap, "renovate", and then jack up the rents to the grotesque amounts commanded by landlords utilizing the rapidly fading vapors of EV hipness to entice the legions of eager neighborhood newbies waving fistfuls of dollars. Boy howdy, what could cooler than having a brand spanking new 7-11 right on your corner!

To date, nothing in the NYC property records indicates that the building has recently changed hands. But, given the frenzy described above, it's certainly not surprising to learn that a deal is in the works ...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Your guide to construction hell on East 11th Street

Coming and going on Fourth Avenue

First, let's look at the retail space on the southeast corner of Fourth Avenue and East 13th Street. Word is the former Brothers Deli space will become a Juice Generation, which has 11 locations in Manhattan. Construction crews have gutted the space, so there's still work to get it juice ready.

And next door, at the former Dryden Gallery, the word here among the locals is that a Pie Face pizzeria is opening here. (We heard a pizza rumor going back to last October. Well, different kind of pie.)

Moving up to the northeast corner... reliable sources tell us that the Blimpie sub shop and the Young Chow Restaurant are goners. The two spaces will be combined for an asking rent of $36,000. (After all, you need nice things for that new hotel across the way.)

True to that, Young Chow has already closed.



If you're a fan, then you're in luck — Young Chow is moving. Somewhere, per the dueling signs on the gate.




We'll go with 96 Third Ave., where there's this sign...



No word on a closing date for Blimpie.

RUMOR: FroYo for Avenue A

Work continues at 70 Avenue A, part of the storefront that previously housed East Village Pharmacy. (They moved to East Third Street and Avenue A in 2011.)

According to multiple tipsters, some kind of FroYo operation is rumored to be moving into this space. No other details at the moment — just FroYo...

Reader report: Yoga studio for 7th and B

Amaran, the imported home goods store, closed on Avenue B at East Seventh Street back in February. Reliable sources on the block have told us that a yoga studio will be taking over the space... No other details at the moment... Except that someone recently covered the interior windows...

About the swimming pool rumor at the former Cabrini Center

Last week, some neighbors adjacent to the former Cabrini Center were hearing rumors of an outdoor pool at the incoming luxury apartments on East Fifth Street and Avenue B... perhaps what would be the end product of all that jackhammering out back.

However! A resident spoke to the construction manager at the site of the former health care facility for elderly patients ... According to the manager, they are putting in an "at grade" recreation area, with benches and a little lawn/garden.

Per the resident: "We'll see."

Previously.

Will the luxury apartment building at the former Cabrini Center include an outdoor pool?

Well, that's the rumor anyway... some neighbors adjacent to the property are convinced of this development here behind East Fifth Street and Avenue B... perhaps the end product of all that jackhammering out back here.

The former health care facility for elderly patients continues to be converted into luxury residences via developer Ben Shaoul. DOB permits show 81 units here, including a rooftop "public recreation space" as well as retail space.

Previously.

UPDATED: Did you hear the rumor about the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office branch closing?

So have you heard the rumors that the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office on East 14th Street near Avenue A will close this fall? We have. Again, it's just a rumor.

After all, in July 2011, when USPS officials released a list of thousands of post offices being studied for possible closure to save money, this one wasn't on the list. Maybe all this is just wishful thinking by the patrons who have expressed their exasperation-disgust, etc. at this branch. (See comments in the links below.)

Or maybe a developer is starting this rumor. Why, what a prime chunk of East Village real estate! Think of the condos we could have instead of some dumb mail!



Or maybe it's just an unhappy postal worker, like the letter carrier who has been telling residents on his or her route that this branch is closing in September, and most likely absorbed into the PO branch on East 23rd Street between Third Avenue and Lexington.

Updated 8:56 a.m.:

OK! Well, apparently this is more than a rumor... more like a done deal.

There's a Town Hall scheduled on the matter between Community Board 3 and Community Board 6 on April 22. Location: — Campos Plaza Community Center (gym) at 611 East 13th Street (btwn Aves B & C)



Updated noon:

And this was in a recent issue of Town & Village (story now online)...




Previously on EV Grieve:
Today in rants: the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office

Meanwhile, at everyone's favorite local post office branch...

Has anyone taken advantage of this 'great news' at the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office?

Nobu chef Toshio Tomita opening Cagen on East 9th Street

A tipster told us last month that a 15-year-alum of Nobu plans to take over the former Kajitsu space on East Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. (Kajitsu moved to East 39th Street.)

Nobu chef Toshio Tomita will open Cagen on East Ninth Street, according to CB3 documents. (PDF) The space will house 10 tables, seating 33 people, and will serve dinner from 5:30-11:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturdays.

The documents on the CB3 website include menus... showing two full meals — one for $85 and one for $120...





Cagen reps will be applying for a beer-wine license at next Monday's CB3/SLA meeting. The 9th Street A-1 Block Association has entered into a "memorandum of understanding" with the applicant.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Claim: Nobu alum taking over Kajitsu space on East Ninth Street

Claim: Nobu alum taking over Kajitsu space on East Ninth Street

Kajitsu, the highly-regarded vegetarian kaiseki restaurant, recently made the move from East Ninth Street to East 39th Street.

Now a tipster passes along word that a 15-year-alum of Nobu plans to take over the space for a restaurant featuring an upscale traditional Japanese menu. The new name is said to be Cagen. They will be applying for a beer-wine license at an upcoming CB3/SLA meeting.