Exit9 reopens on Avenue A after fire next door

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Exit9 Gift Emporium reopened yesterday — just two days after the two-alarm fire destroyed neighboring business Essex Card Shop late Monday afternoon here on Avenue A between Third Street and Fourth Street. 

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the shop yesterday, where she found a thankful co-owner Charles Branstool in the retail space in the base of the 13-floor Ageloff Towers... 

"I feel incredibly grateful and lucky to have been spared such an unthinkable tragedy. It was difficult to comprehend the surreal events as they unfolded....watching Exit9 remain virtually untouched while witnessing the destruction of my neighbor's family business," he said. "Thanks to the solid construction of the Ageloff Towers, the fire could not spread so easily. The outpouring of love and support from this community has been both humbling and heartwarming." 

However pleased Branstool was to be back open, his thoughts remained with his neighbor to the south. Essex Card Shop relocated next door at 47 Avenue A in June 2020. However, like Exit9, the Card Shop has been an Avenue A mainstay for more than 20 years.

"Let's not forget the real tragedy here is the loss of Essex Card Shop. My heart goes out to Muhammed and Jay and their family. I can't imagine what trauma they must be experiencing at this moment," Branstool said. "If there's one thing this community has taught me is that we know how to be resilient. Let's help them rebuild." (He then mentioned their GoFundMe effort. "Every little bit helps during times like this.") 

Given the dramatic photos at the scene on Monday, it's incredible that Exit9 remained intact, free of any water damage. A faint odor of smoke hung in the air. (There's an air purifier running in the shop.) A fire official told Stacie that the solid cement ceiling and brick walls in the storefronts served as a firebreak and prevented further damage to the building. 

"As for Exit9, she is a survivor. We just needed one day to rest and freshen up. We've cleaned up our floors and shelves, and a HEPA air filter is scrubbing the air," he said. "New Valentine's Day windows have already been installed. A fluffy feather baby cradled in a giant white heart, so things are already looking up for us."

Exit9, now in its 27th year, is at 51 Avenue A. Store hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with Sunday hours of noon to 6 p.m.

For further reading on EVG: 

• Downtown Yarns hopes to reopen in a week

• Assessing the fire damage at Essex Card Shop

Report of a fire last night at Nublu

The FDNY responded to a report of a fire last night around 11:30 at Nublu, 151 Avenue C between Ninth Street and 10th Street... (thanks to Louise & Danny for the pics!)

The @FDNYalerts account first reported the fire at 11:23 p.m., with an "under control" several minutes later at 11:32. We're told that the music venue filled with smoke, though there was minimal damage to equipment... and everyone safely exited the two-story building. 

[Updated: The folks at Nublu said everything is OK and they will be open tonight. Someone tossed a cigarette butt in a trash can in the entryway, we're told.]

During the time of the fire scare, there was a sold-out party hosted by The Drunken Canal (your favorite newspaper).

Do not come! Do not come! (literally a fire) pic.twitter.com/VxdjgpUUJs

— the drunken canal (@thedrunkencanal) August 4, 2021

This morning, you can find the issue — usually found only down in the box off Canal and Essex — on the southeast corner of 10th Street and Avenue C... (thanks to the reader for the pics!) ...

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...

2nd Avenue reopens to traffic; workers remove more of fire-ravaged 48 E. 7th St.

Second Avenue is open again to through traffic below St. Mark's Place... after the fire on Saturday morning, southbound traffic was rerouted across St. Mark's Place to Avenue A. 

For now, one lane ... as well as the floating parking lane and bike lane, are closed off for the work crews to use for access between Sixth Street and St. Mark's Place...

As for the southeast corner at Seventh Street...

Workers have mostly cleared out the rest of what was 48 E. Seventh St., where the six-alarm fire started ...

Looking north from Sixth Street, you almost can't even tell that Middle Collegiate Church suffered such massive damage...

There hasn't been any official word on the cause of the fire... or the fate of the remaining structure at the church.

Derek Berg got this dramatic shot yesterday of two fire marshals outside the church's north-facing wall...

The Williamsburg warehouse fire 4 days later

EVG reader Daniel Root was back in East River Park this afternoon ... where you can see FDNY crews still pumping water onto the smoldering ruins of CitiStorage, a record storage facility, in Williamsburg.

The fire broke out early Saturday morning at 5 N. 11th St. (at Kent Avenue).

Officials reportedly said this afternoon that it might be days before authorities had any information on how the fire started.

According to various published reports, such as NBC New York, the warehouse primarily stored records for more than 100 health care organizations and law firms, according to Recall Holdings, the parent company of CitiStorage.

The Times reported that charred medical records, court transcripts, legal letters, sonograms, bank checks and more — many marked confidential — were found around the neighborhood.

"They're like treasure maps, but with people's personal information all over them," Spencer Bergen, 24, said of the half-charred scraps that he said he had seen strewn around the Williamsburg neighborhood as far inland as Berry Street, several blocks from the warehouse.

The fire required more than 60 units and 275 firefighters to get under control.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Scenes of the 7-alarm fire in Williamsburg from East River Park

Fire shutters the recently opened Gjelina on Bond Street

A fire yesterday just before noon has temporarily shuttered Gjelina, a popular L.A. import that just opened at the start of 2023 at 45 Bond St. 

The FDNY responded to a report of a fire here between the Bowery and Lafayette around 11:30 a.m.

According to the @FDNYalerts account, the fire was in the ductwork between the first and second floor... with firefighters on the scene for several hours before announcing the "under control" ...

Manhattan All Hands Box 0365, 45 BOND ST, COMMERCIAL

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) January 30, 2023

Manhattan All Hands Box 0365, 45 BOND ST, COMMERCIAL, DUCTWORK 1/2 FLR, Under Control

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) January 30, 2023

The Citizen app reported that two firefighters sustained minor injuries during the blaze. No other injuries were reported.

Earlier today, a fire broke out at the recently opened Gjelina. We’re thankful nobody was hurt and want to extend a big thank you to NoHo’s own @FDNY station on Great Jones Street, Engine 33 and Ladder 9 for responding so quickly. #NoHo #NoHoNYC #ExploreNoHo pic.twitter.com/15piR42qsA

— NoHo (@NoHo_NY) January 30, 2023

Gjelina, a vegetable-centric restaurant that opened in Venice, Calif., in 2008, debuted here at the start of the year with a breakfast-lunch service. Grub Street noted that Gjelina was "already Manhattan's hottest lunch." 

The restaurant's Instagram account noted — via its Stories — that it was closed for now...

A look inside the restaurant last evening didn't reveal much, if any, damage — at least from the front.

Week in Grieview

[Signs of fall in Tompkins Square Park]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Report of injuries during major fire at 188 1st Ave. (Wednesday) ... Watch this drone footage of the fire at 188 1st Ave. (Wednesday) ... After the fire: A look at 188 1st Ave. (Wednesday) ... A look at the fire-damaged Uogashi; plus video of when the fire started at 188 1st Ave. (Friday)

Exclusive: The Boys' Club of New York puts the Harriman Clubhouse on the sales market for $32 million (Friday)

Report: NYU student dies jumping in front of L train at 1st Avenue (Tuesday)

CB2 SLA committee OKs license for new ownership of Great Jones Cafe (Wednesday) ... Petition asks new owners of the Great Jones Cafe to keep the wings on the menu (Friday)

East Village history at the Tompkins Square Library branch this month (Tuesday)

Playground renovations underway in Tompkins Square Park (Monday)

This week's NY See (Thursday)

Liquiteria closing 2nd Avenue outpost after 22 years in business (Monday)

Feltman’s moving away from Theatre 80 on St Mark's Place (Monday)

On 6th Street, the Ukrainian Museum debuting Andy Warhol exhibit this weekend (Friday)

It's October, which also means it's Hitchcocktober (Wednesday)

Why El Jardín del Paraíso is temporarily closed (Tuesday)

Marshalls opens on Houston Street (Thursday)

A look at the coming-soon signage at the Moxy East Village (Thursday) ... and a few Moxy East Village details (Monday)

A note for a bicycle thief (Monday)

Tropic Bowl brings the açaí bowls to 1st Avenue (Monday)

787 Coffee now open on 7th Street (Wednesday)

Milestones for LinkNYC; ongoing concerns about tracking movements (Tuesday)

Here's Mister Paradise (Wednesday)

Full reveal at 363 Lafayette (Monday)

The return of the cowboy on Avenue A (Thursday)

Report: Supreme leasing temp space at 190 Bowery (Wednesday)

The 13th Step loses the 13th on 2nd Avenue (Thursday)

... and flyers/stickers from a tumultuous few weeks...


[1st Street]


[11th Street]


[Avenue A]


[2nd Avenue]


[The Bowery]

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A late-day look at the fire-damaged 131 Avenue A

Photos by Steven

A fire broke out early this morning at 131 Avenue A on the NW corner of St. Mark's Place. 

According to ABC 7, five residents sustained minor injuries while vacating the six-floor building. 

Starbucks was open today for business in the retail spaces, while TabeTomo next door told us that they suffered “substantial damage.”

Next door, Bad Habit hope to be back open tomorrow...

As for the rest of the building, there is a Partial Vacate Order limited to two residences. 

Per the Department of Buildings: 

FIRE HAS CAUSED EXTENSIVE WATER, SMOKE AND FIRE DAMAGE IN APT#1, ALSO FIREFIGHTER OPERATIONS IN APT#7. WINDOWS AND WALLS HAVE BEEN REMOVED LEAVING STRUCTURES OPEN TO THE ELEMENTS. THESE POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS HAVE THEREFORE RENDERED UNSAFE TO OCCUPY. VACATE APT #1 AND 7. EGRESS WAS NOT COMPROMISED. 

Firefighters recovered a lithium-ion battery from a unit, per ABC 7, though fire officials haven't stated that was officially the cause. Another resident mentioned talk of an "electric scooter explosion."

[Updated] Report of a fire at 133 E. 7th St.; Yuca Bar remains closed

[Photo by Shawn Chittle]

There were reports of a fire at 133 E. Seventh St. at Avenue A just before 6 this evening...


[SC]


[Mark Cyr]


[MC]

The FDNY was on it quickly...


[Photo by Perri Silver]


[Reader submitted]


[Reader submitted]


[Photo by Vinny & O]


[V&O]

About 30 minutes after the initial report, the fire was under control, per the FDNY...

MAN ALL HANDS 133 E 7 ST, MULTIPLE DWELLING FIRE ON 2ND FLR, UNDER CONTROL

— FDNY (@FDNY) March 6, 2016

Updated 7:35

The FDNY remains on the scene... Yuca Bar is closed... there's broken glass all over the sidewalk... Avenue A is closed off at St Mark's Place and East Sixth Street... and there's no through traffic on East Seventh Street...





As of this moment, there isn't any information on the cause or extent of the damage...

Updated 9:49 p.m.

Word from the scene is that a candle in an apartment started the fire. There weren't any reports of injuries.

Updated 7:30 a.m.

Here's a look at the East Seventh Street side of the building... firefighters needed to break the windows on the upper floors ...



Updated 4:50 p.m.

Ground-floor tenant Yuca Bar is closed tonight...



The dining room is also empty at the moment. It appears that the restaurant sustained some damages too...



Updated 6:15 p.m.


[Photo this evening by Steven]

Conspiracies: What next for 14th Street and Avenue A?

It didn't take long for the conspiracy theorists to say what IF yesterday's fire turns out to be suspicious ... after all, 14th Street and Avenue A is prime real estate ... and many of the storefronts along this stretch of single-level businesses have been for rent for months and months...

As I noted last summer: "This area on 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B is ripe for development. So when when the 'space available' signs went up last summer (2008)...Hello Marc Jacobs! Hello huge Chase branch!'"



Well... according to the Post, the fire started at Pete's-a-Pizza, where a welder was working on a fire-access door. There, his welding torch apparently set some grease on fire. And that was it.

Anyway, Rainbow took over a big space here last July.




The area here also falls outside the East Village/Lower East Side Rezoning ... Noted one reader, "a nice fat dorm here would solve NYU's missing square footage."

Anyway, I'm not suggesting that anything happened here aside from a terrible, accidental fire that destroyed four local businesses... but, it is something to think about... and we've been around long enough to see the unthinkable happen... luxury hotels on the Bowery? An NYU dorm popping up at the site of a venerable pool hall/concert venue//club?

Meanwhile, I've been told that the owners of Stuyvesant Grocery do have insurance. No word just yet on what their plans are. I meant to add that I hope all the businesses will be able to rebuild and reopen here.

Police officer injured looking for intruder on St. Mark's Place

Bob Arihood shared this report ... as well as the photos... Around 3:30 yesterday afternoon, a resident in an apartment on Seventh Street noticed a man on the fire escape at 126 St Mark's Place building across the backyard. The man broke the window of an upper floor apartment and entered. The Seventh Street resident called the police.



Several NYPD units, including the 9th Precinct commander Deputy Inspector Lehr, arrived on Seventh Street, St Mark's Place and in Tompkins Square Park in response to the call. Officers went to the apartment that had been broken into and also up to the roof above the apartment.

"One investigating officer exited the apartment onto the fire escape and , we were told , slipped on some broken glass and fell through the opening in the fire escape down the fire escape stairs from the 5th floor to the 4th floor . Luckily the officer was able to stop his free fall descent part way down the fire escape stairs ."

Bob said that the officer, far left in glasses, did not appear to be seriously injured beyond some scrapes, cuts and perhaps some bruises, though he was taken to a hospital in an ambulance.



The man who broke into the apartment was gone before the police arrived on the scene.