Full sidewalk returns to Cooper Union's Foundation Building

Photo by Jacob Ford 

Workers this afternoon have removed the barricades from outside the NW corner of the Foundation Building on Cooper Square after three months of sidewalk/concrete repairs ... looks pretty smooth for skating!

A 2nd Avenue sidewalk now and then

Last Monday, we noted the above fresh patch of sidewalk on Second Avenue between Fifth Street and Sixth Street ... in which a lot of people decided to adorn with their initials.

Now!

Over the weekend, Carol from East 5th Street told us that workers redid this section of sidewalk outside 100 Second Ave. ... there was even a guard on duty all day Saturday to keep the cement taggers away until things were dry...

Noted

There is still room for one or two more sets of initials here on this fresh patch of sidewalk on Second Avenue between Fifth Street and Sixth Street — hurry!

Wednesday's parting shots

Photos by Steven

As seen today on the west side of First Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street... workers prepping new tree wells for — new trees!...

You can follow this link to request a street tree on your block.

No new trees for these 2 East Village spots

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

On Dec. 1, the city dug up spaces on multiple East Village sidewalks to plant new trees.

Days later, however, we were surprised to see that the newly created tree wells in front of 40 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street and 26 Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street were filled in ...

We tracked down a city official who told us the following: "The trees can't go in by 40 Avenue B and 26 Avenue A because the buildings have basements under the sidewalks that Parks found when they excavated. [That is likely] true of the others, though without specific addresses cannot confirm."

Meanwhile, you can follow this link to request a street tree on your block — hopefully in a spot not above a basement. 

Farewell to the rat-infested tree pit of 5th Street

Workers tore up part of the sidewalk and the tree pit on Fifth Street just east of Avenue A along the Con Ed substation here...

Workers cut down the tree in recent months (last fall?). Not sure about the condition of the tree, but the roots had caused the concrete to lift. 

And anyone walking here at night likely saw the large rat population. We've spotted up to a dozen rats darting back and forth between the holes in the tree pit and underneath the fencing on the Con Ed building.

Resurfacing the sullied sidewalk on 1st Avenue and St. Mark's Place

Back on Friday, we noted that workers put in a new sidewalk around the recently renovated storefront on the southwest corner of First Avenue and St. Mark's Place... and they left the freshly poured sidewalk unattended overnight. Which resulted in the top photo.

Anyway, here's a look at the sidewalk now ... workers were able to buff it out (or to smooth it over via, say, QUIKRETE® Concrete Resurfacer?)... thanks to Steven for these photos...





Previously on EV Grieve:
A new East Village walk of fame? (31 comments)

A new East Village walk of fame?

Workers yesterday were putting in a new sidewalk around the recently renovated storefront on the southwest corner of First Avenue and St. Mark's Place... and they left it unattended overnight.

And so this morning...





And obviously...



Anyway, workers have divided this former single-occupant storefront into three spaces. Eiyo Bowl, a vegan quick-serve restaurant specializing in acai and rice bowls, will be the first tenant here at 131 First Ave. (now going by 82 St. Mark's Place), as previously reported.

The previous tenant, Foot Gear Plus, closed in July 2018 after nearly 40 years in business.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• After nearly 40 years, Foot Gear Plus is closing on 1st Avenue and St. Mark's Place

• What's next for 131 1st Ave., the former Foot Gear Plus space?

• A look at 131 1st Ave., currently being divided into 3 retail spaces

Noted

A reader shared this today from along the Verizon building on 13th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

On the bright side, per the reader — at least the truck isn't parked in the bike lane.

P.S.
Might need to revisit the Brown Paint Wars

Noted

Checking in on those sidewalk repairs on First Avenue near 10th Street ... just outside Gizmo...

Perfect!



Hopefully there was room left for you to leave your initials or foot prints...



Thanks to Steven for the photos!

Today in sidewalk finds

Earlier today, EVG contributor Derek Berg spotted this Singer antique treadle sewing machine with cabinet table up for grabs on Seventh Street ... a short time later, he spotted this couple taking it home...

Noted

This sidewalk addition apparently occurred last evening outside 421 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Just because the photo isn't of your face doesn't mean they can't identify you. At this very moment this picture is on its way to Washington where the FBI has experts in this type of identification. If you turn yourselves in now, you may escape a Federal charge.

Completing pedestrian ramp work along Avenue B

A quick follow-up post on the neighborhood curb work (first post here) ... Vinny & O shared these photos from yesterday... showing workers filling in the pedestrian ramps along Avenue B...







... and curb work will take place Monday and Tuesday along Avenue A, per the barrel signage...





Public Advocate Letitia James has been critical of the city's sidewalk accessibility, citing that they fail to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Curb repairs continue on Avenue B

Crews were out today (at least on Avenue B) continuing work on replacing curbs/upgrading pedestrian ramps ... Vinny & O shared these photos from this morning on 11th Street and Avenue B...





After the initial work last week, some residents were concerned that, perhaps, this was it — that the new ramps were not flush with the street, with the gap filled in "with some sloppily placed extra concrete," as one resident put it.

... and tonight on Fourth Street and Avenue B via another reader...





Signs on the barrels point to continued work tomorrow.

Previously

[Updated] Curb your enthusiasm: Sidewalk work prompts questions

[Photo on 11th and A from Thursday evening]

In recent weeks workers have been replacing curbs/upgrading pedestrian ramps on corners from Avenue A to Avenue D.

Several residents have questioned the quality of the work.

A reader shared these images from Avenue B...







Per the reader: "They failed to seal or finish the concrete, which will fill up with water and crack as soon as we get a freeze this winter."

Another reader has a few questions, such as, Is the work actually finished?

ALL of them are terribly constructed. [This is] the one on Avenue B and 10th Street, southwest corner.



You'll notice that the new ramp is not flush with the street, so the gap was filled in with some sloppily placed extra concrete. This is at every new curb ramp, and most of them are worse than the one pictured here. I imagine many of these will have pooling when it storms.

Is this a case of a sloppy contractor who does bad work without repercussion? Or did the contractor do it properly per spec and these streets are going to get milled and repaved soon and will then be flush to the ramp?

[Northeast corner of 6th and B from yesterday]

No word at the moment if crews will be returning to smooth out those ramps ... or if this is it.

Updated 9/7

A reader shared this photo from this morning... showing a crew doing some new curb work on Avenue B at 11h Street...



Updated 9/9

Ramp work is wrapping up. Update here.

[Updated] Avenue A is getting part of its sidewalk back

City Crews look as if they're finally finishing up their work outside 28 Avenue A between East Third Street and East Second Street, as this photo by EVG reader Carl Bentsen shows. (Apparently workers needed to remove an abandoned oil tank beneath the sidewalk outside New York Sports Club, per the club's GM.)

The orange barricades have been blocking much of this sidewalk in recent months, prompting at least one person to write signs asking for the return of this part of Avenue A.

Updated

A reader noted that the sidewalk is open … and Manny seems to be fully restocked.

Big word alert: From the front lines of the Avenue B brunch war

An EVG reader noted the arrival of sidewalk graffiti outside bonkers brunch spot Poco on Avenue B and East Third Street …



Per the reader: "I had to look up the word but sums it up about right. Haha."



Also…



…there's a similar message across the Avenue outside Mama's Bar…



One fed-up neighbor describes Poco as a "horror show."

"Poco is constantly crowding the sidewalk, and attracted people from many different areas to come and have a free-for-all of drinking and not realizing that we actually live here," the neighbor said.

Poco's website advertises that it has the "Best boozy brunch on the island."