Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former personal attorney and fixer who pleaded guilty to eight criminal counts in federal court on Tuesday, has reportedly sold stakes in two buildings, including one on Avenue D.
According to The Real Deal, Cohen sold four stakes to Vintage Group, his joint venture partner in the ownership of 133 Avenue D, for $4 million.
Back in April, Bloomberg reported that 133 Avenue D, which is between Ninth Street and 10th Street, had at least $5 million of equity not tapped by a mortgage.
Cohen and Vintage Group bought No. 133 — which has 20 apartments as well as two retail spaces — for $10.5 million in 2015. Per TRD: "It’s not clear what percentage of it Cohen owned and how much the value has changed overtime."
Streeteasy lists one unit available for rent in the building — a recently renovated three-bedroom apartment with an ask of $3,195 per month.
On Tuesday, Cohen pleaded guilty to eight counts related to tax fraud, excessive campaign contributions, making false statements to a financial institution and unlawful corporate contributions.
Tonight, B&H Dairy owners Ola and Fawzy Abdelwahed (pictured above) and their many longtime staffers are celebrating the lunch counter's 80th year in business here on Second Avenue between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. (Read details about the celebration here.)
Ahead of that, EVG correspondent Stacie Joy stopped by (during a less-busy time on a recent weekday) to document the cozy atmosphere of the B&H ...
Here's part of New York magazine's recap of the kosher dairy restaurant:
Midweek is more Hopperesque, the profiles of solo diners washed in the sallow glow of the diner’s hanging milk-colored lights. No matter when you step up to the counter, a double stack of sweet-soft challah, schmeared with butter and served on a small Dixie plate, accompanies every order.
Tina Barth has been a regular at B&H since 1965...
Here's a condensed version of B&H's history via Facebook:
It was opened in 1938 by Abie Bergson and Sol Hausman (B&H) and the interior and menu has changed little since. In 1970, Bergson & Hausman sold the restaurant, which since has had two subsequent owners before being purchased May 1, 2003 by Fawzy Abdelwahed, who runs B&H with his wife Ola, who he met when she worked at the Stage Diner (now closed), across the street. (She cleaned his glasses one day, and that was it!)
The rental period (h/t Curbed!) has kicked off over at The Niko, the 12-story retail-residential building via L+M Development Partners on Avenue D between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. (The previous businesses here were part of the 79-89 Avenue D parcel, though the Niko is using 751 E. Sixth St.)
And let's head to the website for what's in store here...
Curate Your East Village Life at The Niko
The birthplace of downtown cool, the East Village is one of the most diverse, creative and eclectic neighborhoods in New York City. From its enviable location on quiet East 6th Street between Avenues C and D, The Niko offers sweeping views of New York City, from the World Trade Center to the Empire State Building to the glinting East River.
The Niko’s twelve stories feature 82 residences that range from alcove studios to spacious three-bedrooms. The building’s brick exterior resonates with warmth and character and the residences have a crisp, contemporary design. And at The Niko, you are minutes away from Tompkins Square Park, a retreat from the bustle of the East Village.
You're also minutes away from East River Park — adjacent to the glinting East River — though that's not mentioned here. Amenities at the address include a fitness center, landscaped roof deck and an outdoor terrace.
The lots previously along here housed one-level storefronts that included a Rite Aid, which relocated one block north to the ground floor of Arabella 101. Rite Aid signed a lease to return to the retail space in this building.
Last month, the owners of the Molecule Project, which offers a variety of clean drinking water alternatives, announced that they were closing their shop on 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue in mid-August.
The East Village Queer Film Festival is underway (as of last evening) at the Wild Project on Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B. You can find the lineup of films and accompanying events, playing through Sunday, right here.
And here are a few more films that may be of interest...
• "Madonna: Truth of Dare" — Hedda Lettuce is hosting an interactive cinematic experience for the documentary that chronicled Madge's Blond Ambition tour in 1990. Aug. 22 (tomorrow!) at 7:30 p.m., City Cinemas Village East (Details here)
• Larry Clark retrospective — The Metrograph down on Ludlow Street is hosting a slate of Clark's films, including "Bully," "Wassup Rockers" and "Another Day in Paradise," starting on Saturday. (Details here.)
• Utterly Winona — The Quad Cinema's Winona Ryder retrospective continues on 13th Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. Upcoming screenings include "Edward Scissorhands," "The Age of Innocence" and "Mermaids." (Details here.)
• Rock 'N' Film — The Anthology Film Archives, on Second Street and Second Avenue, has several titles left to screen in its rock 'n' roll retrospective including the documentaries "Wattstax" and "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars." (Details here)
• "Suddenly, Last Summer" — The 1959 Southern Gothic classic with Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn and Montgomery Clift plays for free tomorrow evening at 5 at the Tompkins Square Library branch on 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B. (Details here)
The owners, who hail from Melbourne, Australia, shared the closing message earlier this month on Facebook:
It’s with a heavy heart after much thought and consideration we feel the time has come to close the doors to our New York location.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved our over the past 5 years bringing life to this little space in the East Village day after day creating memories we’ll never forget — the incredible guests, our beloved regulars, the friends we made, the laughs shared and of course all the amazing staff. Without you none of his would have been possible. You truly are rockstars 🙏❤️
Our last service will be Sunday August 26 and we’d love to see you in to raise a glass one last time.
Thanks for the memories NYC
The Australian restaurant drew praise in the Hungry City column at the Times upon opening.
The all-new 253 E. Seventh St. is still shrouded in construction netting and scaffolding... however, the first two units in the 6-story condoplex here between Avenue C and Avenue D arrived on the market yesterday.
The building (rendering below) is going by 253 E7 (not to be confused with Seven East Village down the block) ...
A brand new, ultra-modern luxury boutique Condominium, designed by renowned master architects, Isaac & Stern. Located in Alphabet City in the heart of the East Village, one of New York City’s most desired and eclectic locations. 253 E7 [is] a six-story edifice featuring 8 superbly appointed apartments with soaring 9’ ceilings, ranging in size from 709 to 1,653 square feet. Most apartments feature a private outdoor space and an allotted few have access to private keyed elevator landings. The Penthouse apartment boasts a private paved roof; the Townhouse apartment features a private grass planted garden.
Here's a look at a rendering of a living room in 253 E7...
The available units range in price from $1.275 million (one bedroom) to $2.795 million (three bedrooms).
Workers demolished the former four-story residence that stood here back in late 2015.
A new venture called Dua Kafe Wine + Beer is set for 520 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B... in a storefront of the tenement squeezed between the all-new EVGB retail-residential complex at 524 and 510 E. 14th St ...
The folks from Dua were on this month's CB3-SLA docket for a beer-wine license, though not required to appear before the committee.
The questionnaire (PDF here) at the CB3 website notes that Dua will sell "finger foods, sandwiches and cold plate bowls." The Kafe/cafe will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Don't expect Dua to open any time too soon — the interior is still pretty much gutted.
