Rakka Cafe has not been open lately

Some regulars are concerned about Rakka Cafe, which has not been open for the past five weeks here at 81 St. Mark's Place at First Avenue. 

There isn't any signage noting a temporary closure on the front door. The quick-serve Middle Eastern restaurant's website is still active ... while the phone goes unanswered.

According to a listing at Loopnet, this space has been on the rental market since August 2020 (with an update last Wednesday).

If this is the end, then they've had a helluva run. The current signage says established in 1978. (The previous signage stated 1982!) The space underwent a renovation and name switcheroo from Cafe Rakka to Rakka Cafe in 2013.

Cafe Rakka's Avenue B outpost closed in late 2013.

Yesterday, we noted that Rakka Cafe's neighbors at 83 St. Mark's Place and 135 First Ave. — Stromboli and Dan & John's Wings — were closed due to a gas issue in the building. We're told that there's a separate line for this address.  

H/T Steven!

The expanding and shrinking pedestrian passage on St. Mark's Place at 3rd Avenue

Yesterday's news from 1 St. Mark's Place (Madison Realty Capital moving to foreclose on Real Estate Equities Corp.'s leasehold) prompted another look at the construction barriers along the construction site.

As noted in late June, the pedestrian passageway on the north side of St. Mark's Place at Third Avenue continues to shrink. At times, the passage is about a foot wide at its most narrow point ...

A few more pics from our summer collection... 

The game of barrier accordion should continue for the foreseeable future as the foreclosure proceedings continue with the developer. Who knows when construction may actually start. 

As a P.S. ... Eden spotted a familiar carpet-clad figure on the Third Avenue side of the site on Sunday...

Stuyvesant Deli Grocery debuts on 14th and A

Stuyvesant Deli Grocery opened this week on the southwest corner of 14th Street and Avenue A. (The flower business on the Avenue A side started at the beginning of the summer.)

As noted previously, some of the gang from the old Stuyvesant Market on the southeast corner of 14th Street and Avenue A (RIP May 2010) are behind the counter here.

They've been working at Adam's Deli & Convenience at 416 E. 14th St. closer to First Avenue. (We don't know at this moment when is going to happen to that business.)

The market takes over from Dion Cleaners, which closed in November after 35 years in business.

Thanks to Steven for the photos!

Kestrel maneuvers to rescue this fledging along Avenue B

Late last week, some residents discovered a kestrel stranded in a storefront on Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. She was unable to get too far off the ground. (Thanks to Ali for the above pic!)

Ranger Rob (aka Rob Mastrianni, a Manhattan Ranger supervisor), who has a long history of East Village bird rescues (here and here, among many others), was called to the scene.

"She fledged a bit early and her tail and wing feathers weren't fully grown out," he told me. (He has an Instagram post on it here.)

The young kestrel is now in the capable hands of Bobby and Cathy Horvath at the Long Island-based Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation (WINORR). Once the kestrel has developed her flying skills, Ranger Rob will release the bird back safely into the 6th Street and Avenue B Community Garden.

He said that a kestrel family lives along here ... in fact, he released two fledglings here last year.

Report: Madison Realty Capital moving to foreclose on leasehold for 3 St. Mark's Place

The Real Deal is reporting that Madison Realty Capital is moving to foreclose on Real Estate Equities Corp.'s (REEC) leasehold interest at 3 St. Mark’s Place.

Some numbers and background from TRD's report:

Madison has owned the $48 million loan package backed by REEC's East Village property since 2019. The real-estate private equity firm acquired the debt from South Korean financial services firm Hana Financial group, which provided REEC $79.1 million of debt and sold the $48 million portion to Madison Realty Capital.

Madison filed a complaint with the state Supreme Court in Manhattan, alleging that REEC defaulted on the $48 million mortgage, which combines an acquisition loan and construction loans.

An REEC spokesperson said that they "are working on a recapitalization plan and are optimistic that this will be resolved in the near future."

This is the latest drama for the high-profile corner. As previously reported, a 10-story office building has been in the works here at 3 St. Mark's Place at Third Avenue. 

This past October, the City Council's Zoning Subcommittee voted down REEC's application seeking to transfer air rights from the landmarked 4 St. Marks Place to the new building across the street.

With the air-rights transfer, REEC would have been allowed to build 8,386 square feet larger than the current zoning allows on the northeast corner.

Regardless of an extra 8,000 square feet, the project's architect, Morris Adjmi, has said a building of a similar height size would be built as of right.

REEC picked up the 99-year leasehold for the corner properties for nearly $150 million in November 2017. The Gabay family had owned the buildings for generations.

The previous buildings here, which included retail tenants such as Korilla BBQ, the Continental and McDonald's, were demolished in the summer of 2019.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• New building plans revealed for 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

• Concern over potential air-rights transfer for new office building on St. Mark's Place and 3rd Avenue   

Gas problem in building has temporarily closed Stromboli and Dan & John's

Stromboli Pizza and Dan & John's Wings have been forced to temporarily close for the past week... signs on the two quick-serve businesses note emergency repairs...

We're told that there's a gas-line issue with the building at 83 St. Mark's Place/135 First Ave. The retail tenants are waiting for an update from the landlord. We're told that the gas issue impacts the building's residents as well.

Meanwhile, one neighbor took the opportunity to leave a note on Stromboli's front door reading: "Stay closed. You're [sic] neighbors sleep better without you."

Neighbors have complained about the raucous early-morning scene at the longtime pizzeria.

Thanks to Steven for the photos and reporting.

In the midnight hour, East Berlin will start a weekly film series

East Berlin is adding a weekly midnight movie series to its entertainment slate.

To kick things off tomorrow (Aug. 18!) at midnight, East Berlin will screen a 4K version of "2001: A Space Odyssey" here at 169 Avenue A between 10th Street and 11th Street.

There isn't an entrance fee, though there is a two-drink minimum. (And no shouting "I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.") 

The music venue and lounge recently rebranded to East Berlin (sibling to Berlin at 25 Avenue A) from Lola.

Like a diversion: Former local resident celebrates a birthday

Madonna was born on this day in 1958. And on this occasion, the Village Preservation repurposed a piece on the pop singer's time in the East Village in the early 1980s. You can read that post here.

Their post mentions that she lived at 230-232 E. Fourth St. We always thought it was 234 E. Fourth St., which is between Avenue A and Avenue B (and next to the entrance for Van Da).

In any event, here she is talking about her old EV place here in the "Madonna Rising" special from 1998 with Rupert Everett...

   

In the next segment, Madonna and Rupert go to (RIP!) Kate's Joint on 4th and B.

Madonna wheatpaste by The Postman as seen on First Avenue.

The NYPD is collecting donations for earthquake victims in Haiti

Every NYPD precinct in the city is now collecting donations for the residents of Haiti after Saturday's 7.2-magnitude earthquake killed more than 1,300 people. 

According to NBC News, the Haiti Civil Protection Agency said that 13,694 homes were destroyed and 13,785 were damaged by the quake. 

The NYPD is accepting donations of: 

• medical supplies 

• personal hygiene items 

• non-perishable food 

• bottled water 

• clothing 

Local precincts include the 9th at 321 E. Fifth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue ... and PSA4 at 130 Avenue C and Eighth Street.

Your chance to attend a virtual Rat Academy

Via the EVG inbox... Council Member Carlina Rivera's office and Community Board 3 are sponsoring a free Rat Academy tomorrow from 10 a.m. to noon. 

The virtual session will provide training for building supers and staff, residents, community gardeners, managing companies, etc. 

You can find the registration form at this link.

Animal collective: Pillow-Cat Books coming to 9th Street

Updated: The shop opened on Sept. 16.

Pillow-Cat Books, specializing in books for animal lovers, is opening this fall at 328 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Here's more about the shop via a recent Instagram post:

Pillow-Cat Books is the first animal-focused bookshop in New York ... it is small, green, and filled with used, vintage and antique books in several languages and of all types: art, photography, design, literature, comics, children, etc. The books' only common denominator is that an animal or animal character has to be present.

Look for a September opening.

 

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Cure Thrift Shop opening later this month in new space on 3rd Avenue

As we first reported back on May 3, Cure Thrift Shop was moving to the northeast corner of Third Avenue and 12th Street.

The owners have been getting the larger space ready for an opening, which, according to the Cure Instagram account, could happen as soon as Aug. 28.

Cure, the eclectic nonprofit that benefits juvenile diabetes research and advocacy, closed its previous location at 111 E. 12th St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue in early July.

As previously reported, Basics Plus was set to close in this storefront — 91 Third Ave. — in the spring of 2019. However, the housewares shop that opened here in August 2014 ended up consolidating the space, and making do with a smaller footprint in the building.

Thanks to Steven for the photos earlier this month!