Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Nublu moving up Avenue C; restaurant in the works for new space


We continue to look at this month's CB3/SLA committee agenda. Here's another item of considerable interest: Nublu, the eclectic cosmopolitan music venue, is planning to move from its current home at 62 Avenue C to 151 Avenue C between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street, according to paperwork on file with CB3.

Plans call for a "restaurant/music performance space" with daily hours of 9 a.m. to 4 a.m. seven days a week. According to the paperwork, "a sidewalk cafe license application will be made at a later time."

Starting in August 2011, Nublu had to temporarily relocate to under Lucky Cheng's on First Avenue ... it's a complicated story that features a liquor license snafu involving the club's proximity to the Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall across the street. (You can read more about it at the Voice in this Q-and-A with Nublu owner Ilhan Ersahin.) Nublu, which opened in 2002 with a location now also in Istanbul, moved back to No. 62 in January.

Ersahin and three friends bought 62 Avenue C, as a feature in the Times from June 2011 points out, making it safe from the usual club killers. (High rents, etc.) However! "[I]t's my dream to move the club into a larger space nearby and then make Nublu into a recording studio. That's what we need to be even more productive," Ersahin said at the time.

As we noted back in August 2009, 151 Avenue C and its "4,186 buildable square feet of additional air rights" hit the market for $2.3 million. The space was billed as "a rare opportunity for ... developers."

City documents show that the two-story building at 151 Avenue C was purchased in June by 151 Ave C Holdings LLC (with an address of 62 Avenue C) for $1.75 million.

Saints Tavern appears on St. Mark's Place


The Typhoon Lounge closed back in May on St. Mark's Place just west of First Avenue. And now the bar that is taking its place has revealed itself  — Saints Tavern.

The proprietors went before the CB3 back in August to to open a bar and "American grill." They previously were licensed for the bar The Brews Brothers on Second Avenue in Yorkville from January 2009-2011.


The hours were expected to be 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. No word on an opening date just yet.

Please keep this tree house's living room tidy

Spotted on First Avenue near East 14th Street...




...and pick up your CDs too.

It sure is dark on Avenue A and East Houston

A few readers have noted how dark it is now at the East Houston-Avenue A-East First Street intersection....


The streetlights on both sides of the Avenue are out... (and it doesn't help that the corner business, the former Nice Guy Eddie's, is still boarded up during renovations...)


To the always popular Grievestrator...


One reader said that he reported the outage to 311, though changing lightbulbs may not top the city's post-Sandy priority list at the moment... so take notice: This is always a dicey intersection, made even more so without proper lights...

Monday, November 12, 2012

Sandy vs. East Village Fruit & Vegetable



Monday evening, Oct. 29 on Avenue B at East 14th Street. Video by Karla Murray.

East Village gas shortage over ...?

You've seen the long lines for gas the last 9 days or so... A quick look tonight found that one car was waiting at the BP on Second Avenue at East First Street...


...while the Mobil on East Houston and Avenue C was out of gas at the moment...


However, there weren't any cars waiting. And the NYPD still had a presence at both stations.

Acme-Indochine owners aiming to take over Lucky Cheng's space


We now know who the unnamed applicant is for the Lucky Cheng's space on First Avenue. According to documents on file with CB3, the owners of the new apparent hipspot Acme on Great Jones — Jean-Marc Houmard (co-owner of Indochine) and Jon Neidich (who used to manage the bar at the Standard Hotel's Boom Boom Room) — are aiming to open a still-unnamed restaurant-lounge.

Per CB3 paperwork, the establishment will serve Asian cuisine, with planned hours of noon to 4 a.m. Hui Chi Le, an owner of Indochine and Republic, is the other partner named in the new project.

The applicants will appear before the CB3/SLA licensing committee next Monday at 6:30 p.m.

Lucky Cheng's recently relocated to Times Square.

2 weeks later: The lingering effects of Hurricane Sandy in the East Village


On East 11th Street and Avenue B yesterday. Photo by Goggla.

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On East 11th Street near Avenue C Saturday. Photo by Shawn Chittle.

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East 14th Street near Avenue C yesterday.

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Avenue C just past East 14th Street yesterday.

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Near East 10th Street yesterday.

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Avenue C at East Ninth Street Friday night. Photo by Andrew Adam Newman on Ave C.

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East Eighth Street near Avenue C yesterday.

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East Ninth Street near Avenue C Saturday.

Are you getting a rent abatement?

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Dear Residents,

We are writing to you after one of the most devastating storms in New York City’s
history. While most of our tenants were largely unaffected by the storm, those of you receiving this letter had to endure a lack of electricity, heat, hot water, and, in some cases, cold water as well. Many of you were lucky enough to have friends and family who could provide you with shelter during this time. Others were able to find hotel rooms. Some of our residents had nowhere to go aside from a city shelter. Regardless of your specific situation, we want to express our sympathy for all that you went through last week.

As we’re sure you know, all of your building superintendents remained onsite for the duration of the blackout. They did an amazing job making sure that the buildings remained secure and checking in on all of our tenants, especially those who are elderly or infirmed. They continued doing their jobs with a great attitude and exceeded our expectations in every way.

In addition to the supers, we know that many of you checked in on your neighbors during this time. Some of you even invited your neighbors over to your homes. Because of your empathy for others, you are helping to build real communities within your buildings. We thank you for your good humor and good spirits during a tough time.

While we recognize that there are plenty of people who are far worse off than you, we wanted to do our own small part to compensate you for the headache caused by the storm. On your December rent bill, you will see that we have abated your rent for the period of time that your building was without power. For 229 East 12th Street, 339-345 East 12th Street, 75-81 Orchard Street, and 101 Avenue D, your rent will be abated for 5 days. For 201-207 West 11th Street, your rent will be abated for 6 days.

We hope that you are all comfortably back in your homes and back to your normal routines. We also hope that all of your friends and family members are safe and sound.

Best regards,

Dermot Realty Management Company

Anyone else care to share how his or her landlord is handling the days without power? I've heard from a few tenants who said their landlord is doing something similar to the above. I've also heard from tenants who don't even think their landlord realized that there was a hurricane...

Meanwhile, Curbed has a handy, post-Sandy when-you-should-pay-rent guide right here.

Fundraising campaign under way for Kasadela on East 11th Street


Several readers have pointed us to the crowdsourcing fundraiser under way for Kasadela, the popular Japanese cafe on East 11th Street near Avenue C ... an intersection that was hit hard by Sandy's storm surge.

Per Go Fund Me:

As many of our fans know, we've sustained about 70% worth of damage. Damages include: sewage all over the entire basement, inventory destroyed ... broken kitchen appliances, two freezers, a refrigerator, the gas line is malfunctioning effecting the stove, fryer, broiler, and grill, the dining room's warped wood floor, soiled furniture, records and paperwork, computer, fax machine, printer/scanner, the list is endless seriously; we had a pretty big basement so we kept pretty much everything down there.

It is mind boggling to write this we have no idea what to do with ourselves. Our goal of $50,000 is to clean and sanitize the premises, adequately replace inventory, repair appliances worth salvaging replace those unworthy, renovate the floor, and return most things back to normal at least enough to get back on our feet.

[W]e will continue to put forth our best efforts to re-open but have faced several challenges and a lack of support from our Insurance co. We were reluctant to use this website, but friends & fans insisted that we accept their support now more than ever instead of relying on the system. Thank you for your continued support since 2003 ...

Here's the site with more information on the fundraising campaign.

51 Astor Place puts away its giant crane

You know that big crane over at 51 Astor Place...


On Saturday morning, workers disassembled the thing...





Another ceremonial step in the construction of the 430,000-square-foot tower... after workers packed it up...


... we jogged alongside, waving and tossing flower petals as it headed out of the neighborhood ...


Previously on EV Grieve:
51 Astor Place demolition begins July 1; 17 months to build new black-glass tower

East Village — the new Midtown?

Zoltar officially welcomed to the East Village


Awww...

EV Grieve Eatery Etc.: Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken says hello (sort of); Flea Market Cafe closes for renovations

Didn't notice this one... On Avenue A, the concepts keep changing at the former Avenue A Sushi, which closed in the spring of 2010. It has been the Avenue A Bistro Bar. The Avenue A Bistro Cafe. Anyway, it's now called La Lune, a hookah bar serving Lebanese cuisine...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Avenue A Sushi is confusing us

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The first sign of the incoming Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken has arrived on the northwest corner of Second Avenue and East First Street...


The Blue Ribboners are aiming for a beer-wine license at this month's CB3/SLA meeting next Monday...

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Oh. Just a photo of these guys repainting the Phebe's sign on the Bowery at East Fourth Street on Saturday...


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And on Avenue A, the Flea Market Cafe is closed for renovations, as the sign shows...


To be honest, we've lost track of what's happening with the cafe. There have been a lot of rumors about its future, including new ownership.

Halloween City unceremoniously closes

Well, like many area businesses, Halloween City in the Shoppes at Red Square on East Houston closed on Oct. 28 pre Sandy's arrival.

And the store never reopened.


The store seemingly didn't move too much merchandise. No last-minute Halloween shoppers this year. We thought they would have at least thrown some post Oct. 31 sales. What else do you do with, say, all those Mitt Romney masks?


Freak On, Halloween City...

Sunday, November 11, 2012

[Updated] Nino's is back open, but...


We noted the other day that Nino's on Avenue A at St. Mark's Place had closed... either for renovations or to become something else... No one ever got a straight answer ... anyway, a sanitized Nino's is now back open (no xmas decorations or fountain drinks so far) ... a reader said that he tried it, and the pizza didn't quite seem the same... and he didn't recognize the workers... Anyone else try the new Nino's?

[Interior photo by Shawn Chittle]

A game of cat and mouse, and the squirrel won

Tompkins Square Park today. Photos by Bobby Williams...



This afternoon on Avenue C

Noted


One way to give rid of a storm-damaged car: Leave the keys on the hood. Photo by Bobby Maher.

Unless someone just forgot their keys on the hood...

14 photos of the post-Hurricane Sandy blackout in the East Village

Many readers sent photos from the blackout after Hurricane Sandy. I didn't have the chance to post them at the time. So... here's a look back... thank you to everyone who shared their work...

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Photos by Shawn Chittle.



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Photos by Michael Rosenthal.





(C) 2012 Michael Rosenthal

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Photos By Kevin Shea Adams
@kevinsheaadams
Find more photos of his photos here.





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Via Downtown in the Dark. Find more photos here.