Updated: Report of a basement fire at 133 E. 4th St.

The FDNY is on the scene at East Fourth Street and First Avenue... for a fire that was reported at 11 a.m.

MAN ALL HANDS 133 E 4 ST, MULTIPLE DWELLING FIRE IN BASEMENT,

— FDNY (@FDNY) January 13, 2015

We'll update the story when we receive more information.

Photos by John Coakley

Updated 11:54 a.m.

MAN ALL HANDS 133 E 4 ST, MULTIPLE DWELLING FIRE IN BASEMENT, UNDER CONTROL

— FDNY (@FDNY) January 13, 2015

Updated 1:38 p.m.

While we haven't heard about a cause... several EVG Facebook friends noted that the fire started in the basement of Guayoyo, the delicious Venezuelan restaurant who is currently without power or gas.

Updated 6:25 p.m.

Guayoyo is closed this evening... there isn't any sign up about the closure...

New building in the works for 253 E. 7th St.

[Photo from December by EVG reader Laura Zelasnic]

Back in July, we noted that 253 E. Seventh St., a townhouse between Avenue C and Avenue D, was on the market.

The vacant building has air rights, and the listing noted that "the buyer could keep the existing structure and add floor area. Alternatively, the buyer could demolish the existing and structure and build a new ground-up development."

Looks as if the new owners have opted for the demolition route.

There is a new permit pending for a 6-floor residential building here.



Plans call for two residences plus a duplex penthouse for No. 253.

In early December, neighbors complained of illegal demolition at the site. (There aren't any demo permits on file just yet.)

The property changed hands for $4.3 million last August to an entity going by JKM 7 LLC.

At the grand opening of Sweet Generation

Photos and text by Stacie Joy

I dropped by Sunday's grand opening of Sweet Generation with my neighbor Ed and his son, baby Ed, for some cupcakes and treats, and to learn more about its "sweet" social mission.


[Baby Ed and Ed]

First of all, the bakery at 130 First Ave. near St. Mark's Place has more than just cupcakes, which is a relief, as I have been a bit cupcaked-out. There are cookies and brownies and banana breads ... and croissants, muffins and tarts, plus coffee drinks and lemonades.

Owner Amy Chasan, a former high school teacher, was kind enough to take a few minutes out of her busy and crowded-with-well-wishers day to tell me a bit more about the program at her bakery.





She introduced me to one of her interns, Elizabeth, and her piping artist, Rena (serious decorative skills here!), as well as her café manager and arts curator, Regina.

We viewed the youth artwork on a special magnetic wall, set up for rotating displays (currently titled "Selfies").



Amy explained that her mission (partnered with Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation and the Lower Manhattan Arts Academy) is to help young people by instilling a work ethic and learning food-handling as well as baking and customer service skills. In addition, a portion of the shop's proceeds go to developing arts education, which Amy is passionate about.



I took home a blackberry kolaczki, made in honor of First Avenue Pierogi and Deli, the previous tenant here whose family, who owns the building, decided to retire last summer.



You can learn more about the new bakery at its Facebook page.



Previously.

A Wind Chimes of East 7th Street postscript

[Last week]

Last Friday, an East Seventh Street resident shared the above Urban Etiquette Sign about some apparently noisy wind chimes on the block.

Given how annoyed some neighbors were about being kept up by the wind chimes ... it's likely not a surprise that there's more sign activity.

A resident passed along this sign postscript with us...



"Buy an oscillating fan and hang the darn WIND CHIMES in your own bedroom!"

To be continued?

Previously on EV Grieve:
In a strong wind, these wind chimes on 7th Street are keeping residents awake

New cafe roundup

[Photo by Stacie Joy]

Here's a quick look at several new cafes that have opened in recent weeks ... starting with Matcha Cafe Wabi (above), which debuted last month at 233 E. Fourth St. near Avenue B.

Other new offerings include Cafe Silan at 280 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue...



... aside from dairy-free ice cream, DF Mavens has coffee, tea, sandwiches and baked goods at 37 St. Mark's Place at Second Avenue...



... Spot Dessert Shoppe at 5 St. Mark's Place near Third Avenue is now open and serving things like waffles, crepes and various hot and cold drinks ...



... and coming very soon — C&B Cafe at 178 E. Seventh St. just west of Avenue B...

Casimir temporarily closes to move its bar

An EVG reader noted that Casimir at 103-105 Avenue B was closed last night ... with paper up in its windows.

There isn't any mention of this on the French restaurant's website, Facebook page or outgoing voicemail. In any event, the closure is just temporary.

The restaurant between East Seventh Street and East Sixth Street was on this month's CB3/SLA committee agenda for an alteration. According to paperwork (PDF!) at the CB3 website, Casimir's management is moving the bar from the south side (103) of the restaurant to the north side (105).

The CB3 meeting was last night. We didn't hear how this vote went ... and we don't know why this bar move might be an issue.

Also, no word yet when the work will be complete at Casimir.

Update: see first comment for more details on the renovation.

Report: Someone stole the money for Walter Kühr's funeral

Walter Kühr, the owner of the Main Squeeze Accordion shop on Essex Street, died on Jan. 2 after fighting lymphoma for seven years.

Now WABC reports tonight that someone stole $650 from Kühr's shop that is closing this week on Essex Street.

WABC quotes Kühr's friend Marianne DeMarco, who has been selling what's left of The Main Squeeze at 19 Essex St.

To WABC:

"The whole goal wasn't to make buckets of money. Though we could certainly use buckets of money," DeMarco said.

And when an older man with a moustache walked in, they gave him Walter's tool chest for free, and a slice of cake.

"He went back there, took his cake, but also took about $650," DeMarco said.

The $650 was money to pay for Walter's funeral.

"He must have really needed it to do something really cruel to people who were really nice to him," DeMarco said.

Kühr was 57.

[Photo by A. Jesse Jiryu Davis for The Lo-Down]

The Manhattan skyline like maybe you've never seen it

Thanks to Sploid, we now know about these amazing Manhattan skyline photos by Vincent Laforet, a director, photographer "and a pioneer in tilt-shift, aerial photography, and in HD DSLR cameras for shooting film."

Check out his photo essay here ... the results of him hanging out of a helicopter 7,500 feet above New York City on a very dark and chilly night...

Report: Citi Bike usage dropped in 2014

[Photo on 7th and A from Jan. 6 by Derek Berg]

The Post has some numbers today:

Annual membership in the bike-share program last November was 88,495, a 6.8 percent drop compared with November 2013, when membership stood at a robust 94,955, data show.

One-day memberships fell 33 percent, from 16,112 to 10,723, and weekly members fell 37 percent in that same period, from 1,339 to 843.

Condos rising on Avenue C will feature 'surreal views'

There's more information available about the condos rising from part of the former Kingdom Hall that was owned by the Jehovah's Witnesses at 67 Avenue C.

Signs recently arrived on the plywood pointing to the developer Natan Vinbaytel's website...



... including a shot of what the final product will look like...



There's not much information (such as pricing) on the seven units that will be available starting on July 1. The site does boast these condo amenities, including "surreal views" (?????)



Meanwhile, the plywood still features a photo of a different building than the one going up here near East Fifth Street...



Previously on EV Grieve:
First sign of the new 7-floor condo rising above the Jehovah's Witnesses on Avenue C

Maybe 67 Avenue C will eventually look like this random building some day

The Wicked Wolfe BBQ of East 14th Street has closed

EVG regular Pinch tells us that Wicked Wolfe BBQ has officially closed on East 14th Street just west of Second Avenue… the place looked suspiciously closed of late… and now the for rent sign has arrived.

The mostly to-go place, which opened last April, sold $1 pizza and BBQ … from the former Joey Pepperoni sliceria.

Hop Devil Grill says to have some Respect here on St. Mark's Place

[Click on image for a better read]

An EVG reader points us to an Urban Etiquette Sign on the door at Hop Devil Grill at 129 St. Mark's Place near Avenue A.

It reads in part:

Keep your voices down, keep your drinks inside, and in general treat this sidewalk like your mom's porch.

The people who live above your head have lived here for many years and deserve to enjoy peace and quiet while we all enjoy our party.

When you disrespect the tenants of this building you disrespect our business, our employees, and our neighborhood.

Have some common decency and keep yourself under control while outside the building.

We love you and want you to have a blast. Just do us a favor and do it in a way that doesn't ruin the night of the people who make this neighborhood awesome.

Signage arrives at Shampoo Avenue B's new home on Avenue B

Shampoo Avenue B is on the move, as we noted back in September.

The signs are now up at their new home at 14 Avenue B between East Houston and East Second Street…



Owner-operator Joel St. Yves said that they will open here on Jan. 21. He told us previously that the new space will double the amount of the chairs in their current home at 42 Avenue B. St. Yves also said they are adding two barbers "for cuts and shaves" to the salon's roster.

And as previously noted, 14 Avenue B had been vacant for nearly seven years. CB3 had nixed various bar concepts here through the years, including the infamous Italian restaurant "with an occasional D.J." and the brewpub that borrowed the Prime Meats menu.

Noted

The freshly painted 145 Avenue A at East Ninth Street has been the property of Icon Realty since last spring.

Icon will never win any popularity contests around the neighborhood (go here … here … and here for some examples of why).

Which might explain why someone took to these Icon signs in two empty storefronts (leases not renewed?) under the sidewalk bridge here along East Ninth Street… the reader who sent these photos thinks that the signs have been this way for several months…

Madonna returns to the East Village as a 'Flavor of the Month'

Finally saw the gate down this January/month at Mikey Likes It Ice Cream at 199 Avenue A near East 12th Street ... we always like the murals for their 1980s-inspired flavors... this month: The Material Girl, dedicated to the former East Fourth Street resident...



And has Madonna ever been just a Flavor of the Month?

Week in Grieview

[Friday morning on 7th and A]

Ricky hopes for a reunion with Pookie (Tuesday)

Local elected officials urge Mayor de Blasio to help return the former PS 64 to the community (Wednesday)

Open Pantry announces closure on Second Avenue (Thursday)

Those "incessantly ringing" wind chimes on East Seventh Street (Friday)

Out and About with Zachary Mack (Wednesday)

NYU neighbors Just Sweet and Everything Bagels close on Third Avenue (Monday, 30 comments)

It snowed a little bit (Friday)

Mexican food spot slated for former Native Bean space on Avenue A (Tuesday)

Moonstruck Diner reopens after another revamp (Friday)

The former Back Forty space is for rent (Thursday)

Ella Lounge closes on A (Thursday)

A skylight falls from St. Brigid's (Thursday)

East Village in images, 2014 (Part 2) (Sunday)

The life aquatic on East Fifth Street (Wednesday)

Let's take a look at the New York Sports Club on Avenue A without the sidewalk bridge (Monday)

Madman Espresso coming to University Place (Monday)

Whitehouse Hotel still occupied on the Bowery (Thursday)

The Streit’s Matzo Factory is closing on the Lower East Side (Tuesday)

Video: The "Mighty Manhattan" of 1949 (Monday)

Oyster City to replace Sliders on East 11th Street (Thursday)

Dial-a-Song by They Might Be Giants returns (Monday)

… and a faraway look at the film shoot in Tompkins Square Park last Tuesday night for the Untitled Christmas Eve project starring Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anthony Mackie.


[Photo by @roaddoggz via Instagram]

Abandoned Citi Bike of the day

Spotted near Stuyvesant Cove Park by Andrew Adam Newman on Ave C, who noted the bike "looked like it had been dipped in the sewer."

Because you an never have enough photos of Mulchfest 2015

[Photo by Greg Masters]

Day 2 in Tompkins Square Park…

Not a very big crowd today at times (likely all in the VIP section???)



Still, there was mulch to be thankful for…





Bottom three photos via Scuba Diva

The Post checks in on the former PS 64

[EVG file photo]

The Post provides a quickie today about the former PS 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street.

There isn't any new information for anyone who has been following the story… more of a primer bringing the issue to people's attention outside the neighborhood.

Anyway, a quote from Councilmember Rosie Mendez:

"We don’t need a dorm — we’ve never wanted a dorm," Mendez told the Post. "When the building was sold to this developer . . . he was supposed to develop it. He has not. The city can negotiate to get the building back."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Local elected officials urge Mayor de Blasio to help return the former PS 64 to the community

The Landmarks Preservation Commission approves application for modifications at PS 64

'Misinformation' cited as DOB issues Stop Work Order at the former PS 64; community meeting set for Sunday afternoon

Lost and found

Or maybe stolen and recovered?

Subway sign on East Second Street near Avenue A…