Week in Grieview

[1 explanation for the recent cold weather via Derek Berg]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Bea Arthur Residence nearly ready to accept first tenants on 13th Street (Thursday)

After 42 years on St. Mark's Place, the Grassroots Tavern closes on New Year's Eve (Monday)

Permits filed to renovate Webster Hall (Tuesday)

MTA, DOT outline plans for life without the L train (Thursday)

Fire at 80 E. Third St. (Friday)

Sidewalk bridge finally hauled away from the Verizon building on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday)

The latest installment of I Am a Rent-Stabilized Tenant (Friday)

EVG contributor James Maher has an exhibit at the Manny Cantor Center titled "Storytelling in our Immigrant City" (Monday)

Traffic lights for the East Houston-FDR-East River overpass (Monday)

$1 coffee talk (Thursday)

Another case of stolen packages from an East Village lobby (Wednesday)

243 and 245 E. 2nd St. asking nearly $18 million (Wednesday)

Citi Bike of the week (Thursday)

Honeyhaus is the latest departure on 11th Street (Monday)

Opossum drama in Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday)

A look at the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree (Sunday)

Checking in on the Moxy hotel project (Tuesday)

Applicants looking to bring live jazz to the former East Village Tavern (Monday)

The "other" hawk (Sunday)

More about Poke N' Roll, coming soon to 9th Street (Tuesday)

Gramercy Kitchen debuts on 3rd Avenue (Tuesday)

Chat 'N Chew looks closer to reopening on Union Square (Wednesday)

Boris and Horton, the dog friendly coffee shop, now hiring on Avenue A (Monday)

House of Fluff pops up on the Bowery (Tuesday)

Construction watch: 606 Broadway and 300 Lafayette (Wednesday)

... and yes, these were seemingly everywhere after Friday evening's snowfall... plenty more where these came from...


[Photo by Steven]


[Photo by Lola Sáenz]

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Report: Law firm files lawsuit against Jared Kushner for unpaid bills

Cornicello, Tendler & Baumel-Cornicello, a law firm that represented Jared Kushner’s real-estate company in dozens of eviction and housing court cases, is now suing him for unpaid bills, the Daily News reports.

Per the report:

The law team Cornicello, Tendler & Baumel-Cornicello filed a lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court on Dec. 7 against Kushner Cos. and 19 of its subsidiaries that own or manage properties. Cornicello seeks $102,000 for work it did between December 2014 and May 31, 2015.

In 2014 and 2015, Cornicello represented Kushner properties in at least 32 landlord-tenant cases, mostly involving apartments in the East Village, records show.

A Westminster rep told the News that they are "working to resolve the matter."

As the News notes, East Village tenants and local elected officials have accused Kushner Cos. and its property manager, Westminster, in lawsuits and in other complaints of using harassment-as-eviction tactics through the years.

In 2013, Kushner started buying up some 40-plus buildings in the East Village. According to the Cooper Square Committee, only Steve Croman owns more residential buildings in the East Village than Kushner does.

Kushner removed himself as the company’s CEO back in January to become a senior adviser to his father-in-law, President Trump.

Reader photo at 118 E. 4th St. from March 6.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Tenants claim: Kushner and Westminster want to destroy this building's beautiful garden

Reports outline how Kushner Companies is aggressively trying to empty 170-174 E. 2nd St.

Local politicos join residents of 2 Jared Kushner-owned buildings to speak out about poor living conditions, alleged harassment

Jared Kushner's residents at 118 E. 4th St. would like gas for cooking and some heat

Jared Kushner's East Village tenants wish he'd resolve issues closer to home

Saturday's parting shot

Photo on Avenue A from this morning...

Report: Sidewalk sinkhole injures 1 on 4th Street

Person falls in large hole in East Village sidewalk, officials say https://t.co/UrwFHyzKnL

— NBC New York (@NBCNewYork) December 16, 2017

There's not much information available at the moment about a 5x4 section of sidewalk that gave way this morning on the north side of Fourth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. The Daily News and NBC 4 report that one person was taken to Bellevue with unspecified injuries.

At the 9th Precinct's holiday party

EVG contributor Derek Berg stopped by the 9th Precinct's annual holiday party this morning on Fifth Street ... and shared these photos of the festivities...

Video: Opening night at MoMa's Club 57

[Image via]

As you likely read about somewhere, "Club 57: Film, Performance, and Art in the East Village, 1978–1983" opened last month at MoMa ... the retrospective explores the influential venue at 57 St. Marks Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (This exhibit has generated a lot of press... most recently with this interview published Thursday at The Brooklyn Rail with guest curator Ann Magnuson.)

Yesterday, MoMa posted this video from the opening...



You have until April 1 to catch "Club 57" at MoMa.

H/T Christine C.!

Santa is coming (came) to the 9th Precinct

The 9th Precinct's annual holiday party is going on right now ... until 1 p.m. on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

And there's probably a SantaCon joke here somewhere...

Nobody makes a better entrance then #SantaClaus arriving at our #EastVillage neighborhood party #NYC @NYPDCommAffairs #NYPDConnecting pic.twitter.com/oJ0mzrkjy8

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) December 16, 2017

[Updated] Report of a fire at 80 E. 3rd St.

FDNYalerts MAN 2-ALARM 80 E 3 ST, MULTIPLE DWELLING FIRE IN THE SHAFT BETWEEN BUILDINGS,

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) December 16, 2017

The address is between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

Fire in East Village pic.twitter.com/bkPOcgIKBF

— Nick Shippers (@nickshippers) December 16, 2017

Updated 12/16
NY1 reports one person was injured. (The report described it as non-life threatening.)

FDNY officials said the fire started in a shaft on the third floor of the five-story building. No word on a cause yet.

Updated 9 a.m.

A look at the building now...





Updated 10:45

An EVG reader who lives in the building shared these photos of the apartment where the fire started...



The resident of this unit has apparently lived in the building for a very long time...



The reader lives in the back of the building ... and that apartment only suffered minor water damage. People living in the front needed to leave. Those apartments have extensive water damage.

Much ado about 'Nothing'

"Nothing Feels Natural," the debut record from Washington, D.C.'s Priests, made a few top-10 lists this year... the above video features live versions of "JJ" and "Nothing Feels Natural."

Noted

10th Street and Avenue B this afternoon...