Former Strand Annex now a Lot Less closeout store

The Strand Annex at 95 Fulton Street in the Financial District closed in October 2008... due, in part, to a 300 percent rent hike on its 15,000-square-foor home...



...and now, I just noticed that a Lot Less closeout store has taken over the space...



One more strike against the reinvention of Fulton Street and FiDi...

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition

For months and months and months we've been waiting to see what takes the former Max Brenner/Chocolate Bald Man/Slowly Rot My Teeth space on Second Avenue at Ninth Street. You bet we made the obligatory "will probably be a bank branch" joke...



As Jeremiah is now reporting... it's becoming a HSBC branch, the fourth bank branch in two blocks. Uh, at least it's better than a Starbucks?

More Avenue A woe: Lucy's business not so hot either (Neither More Nor Less)

Please do NOT click on this link if you loved the Cedar Tavern. You will likely want to punch something or someone (Curbed)

East Village resident ID'd as victim of last week's bus-bicycle tragedy on Delancey (DNAinfo)

A Madison Avenue movie mystery (Flaming Pablum)

Lobby bars for the Chelsea Hotel? (Chelsea Now via Grub Street)

Brooks is understandably aggravated about several things (Lost City)

Downtown Pix show kicks off today (Stupefaction)

From Fork in the Road:

At last night's Community Board 3 meeting, the owner of Plan B appeared to apply for a license transfer for — wait for it -- the tavern and salon he's planning to open in the Plan B space on East 10th Street. "We're re-tooling the concept," he explained. No, really?

A Dunkin' Donuts closed and moved on Fulton Street downtown...




Perhaps the former location will be replaced by another Dunkin' Donuts.

NYU de-dorms 200 Water St.; preps the 12th Street residence hall

As we noted yesterday, NYU plans on expanding into parts of New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Well, there are plans for developing up to 6 million square feet of additional space by 2031 in the area around Washington Square Park.

Meanwhile, what else is happening in the NYU dorm world? First, 200 Water St. in the the Financial District is getting de-dormed. Since 1998, NYU has housed some 1,200 students in these 32 floors. As the Times reported on April 3, 1998, the building went up in 1971 as an office tower for the securities and insurance industry. It was converted from office space to residential space for NYU by the Rockrose Development Corporation.

The decision to lease the Water Street building comes as part of the university's drive to provide housing for a student body that includes fewer New York residents than ever before.

"Ten years ago, half of a typical freshman class was from New York," said John Beckman, a spokesman for NYU. "Now that is about 20 percent."

According to the Water Street home page, "Our theme for the 2008 – 2009 year is "Leave your Watermark" inspired by Water Street’s last year as an NYU residence hall." What's going in this space? Not sure! (According to a commenter here, Rockrose is converting the units to rentals.) But at least they have that new Duane Reade anchoring Fulton and Water. So the students will be moved to other dorms closer to campus.




In recent weeks, all the old dorm mattresses -- hope the students didn't leave their watermarks here! -- were stacked up in the lobby at 200 Water St. and carted off to...




... I don't know, perhaps the new eyesore called the 12th Street dorm that sort of, but not really incorporated the façade of St. Ann's into the residence hall's entrance. This 26-floor dorm between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue will house 700 freshman starting this August.



Here are a few of the articles The Villager has done on the 12th Street dorm in recent years.

See you at the Village Pourhouse in August kids!

EV Grieve Etc.: Random things from around and stuff

A newsstand that hasn't been Cemusa-ed on Park Avenue South and 23rd Street...



The Fulton Street transit hub project continues to win over riders...



From a recent trip to Greenpoint, and a shot of one of the 1,734 new developments...



...where I couldn't tell if this new building was sporting a pool table or air hockey...



The new American Eagle on Times Square that replaced Howard Johnson's is really big and bright and ... horrible...




The goodburger on the formerly historic Pearl Street opens today...

Reader report: Cheap-eats fave Papaya Dog looks done on 14th Street

Several EVG readers noted that Papaya Dog has been dark recently on the northwest corner of 14th Street and First Avenue ... and yesterday, KT spotted a worker cleaning out the space. He confirmed that the closure is permanent. (All pics here by KT.)

Later yesterday, some furniture and other PD items were placed on the curb...

A look inside shows that many of the fixtures have been removed...

Papaya Dog seems as if it was here forever. However, Manhattan Sideways listed its opening in 2005. 

There's a Papaya Dog still in business on Sixth Avenue (and on Fulton Street?), though other quick-serve hot dog joints have dwindled in numbers in recent years. (The circa-1932 Papaya King is still serving up the grilled franks and papaya drinks on the UES.)

While prices here inched up lately, you could still get two hot dogs, fries and a drink for $7.99 late into the night. 

This corner also seems primed for development. But at this point, there's nothing official about anything coming to this corner ... for now.

A model condo: An angel will try to earn her wings while living at the District

So, per usual, I was reading talkingmakeup.com, you know, the daily makeup and beauty blog, and I came across this item of interest.

For the first time ever, Victoria’s Secret has opened its legendary runway to the public by holding open casting events in New York City, Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago where the country’s most beautiful women competed for a chance to be the next Victoria’s Secret’s Runway Angel.

A Victoria’s Secret panel of experts have narrowed down the field to 10 finalists, who were flown to New York City to take part in “Angel Boot Camp,” a series of challenges where the contestants will show their photogenic qualities, prove their abilities as a spokesmodel, show off their red carpet star quality and radiate charisma while walking a runway in lingerie.

Yeah, yeah, blah, blah...(Oh, wait: radiate charisma?)

While in New York, the finalists will stay at The District, a luxury condo building in the heart of Manhattan’s financial district boasting spectacular views of downtown Manhattan. Throughout their stay, the aspiring models will also enjoy such amenities as a roof deck with four pools, a lounge/library with fireplace, a billiards room, screening room and such elegant furniture by RentQuest.

That's one way to lure some horndogs to live in the District at 111 Fulton St., where some units are available.

Oh, and the weekly webisodes from Angel Boot Camp started airing last night, pervs. And I can't wait for the webisode where the models have to radiate charisma while walking past the MTA's Fulton Street pit and working a shift in the Nassau Bar...

Buka bringing Nigerian cuisine to 1st Avenue

Photos by Steven

The Brooklyn-based Buka is bringing its homestyle Nigerian cuisine to 137 First Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street ... 

This will be a second outpost for Buka, which has a new location on Fulton Street in Bed-Stuy after launching in 2010. (This piece at Eater offers more details about what to expect from Buka.)

Per the Buka Instagram account, this East Village spot is expected to open on Oct. 1 with hours of 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. You can find a menu here.

The space was previously home to Drunken Dumpling, which debuted in the fall of 2016 and received favorable press for its gigantic soup dumplings created by the mother-son team here. The restaurant was closed for a good part of the pandemic, reopening back in November before going dark again in the spring. 

East Village-based activist curates BLM art displays in Brooklyn

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

East Village artist/activist Holli Porreca and the team at J&M Special Effects collaborated with NYC-based black artists to project their work onto public spaces, including, recently, the Washington Square Arch.


[Holli Porreca]


[J&M special effects team]

This action, the one I am documenting, is projecting onto two spaces in DUMBO — the walls of St. Ann’s Warehouse and the side of a building near Old Fulton Street and Everit.

Artists selected for this installation are street photographer Kobie Proctor, whose images include several shots from recent Union Square and Astor Place-based peaceful protests. His slideshow is shown on the St. Ann’s Warehouse walls, with permission from the performance space.


[Kobie Proctor]













A few blocks away, the collage work of Patrick Dougher and graphic illustrations of Kiriakos "Yako 440" Prodis are shown...













The team expects to do more site-based Black Lives Matter installations in the days and weeks to come.

Neon still burns brightly at the Blarney Stone

The Blarney Stone, an EV Grieve favorite down on Fulton Street, closed nearly one year ago... And the neon still has it going back on the former bar's Ann Street entrance...

"For lease" signs still adorn the front gate.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A fond farewell to the Blarney Stone

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition

L.E.S. Jewels will be sentenced on June 1 (The Villager, third item)

Goodbye to the OTB on Delancey? (BoweryBoogie)

Looking at Ray's new ice cream machine (Neither More Nor Less)

Update on the Lora Deli wall (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

A lonely wall on St. Mark's Place (The Gog Log)

An amazing photo from Hell's Kitchen circa 1989 (Flickr via NYC Taxi Photo)

Astor Place Mud Truck hit by DOH (Eater)

A random fiber interlude....




Go see the group exhibit Structured (details via Nathan Kensinger Photography)

Pizza bloggers have their say on Pulino's (Grub Street)

The East Village Idiot signs off (East Village Idiot)

And three great posts this week at Blah Blog Blah:

Where Beth Israel is

The history of trolley cars on Avenue A

A post on diarrhea and a real-estate broker

And Eater reported this earlier... and I just saw the sign for myself... my beloved Blarney Stone on Fulton Street is really gone...



Which means these signs must be updated...

T-shirt for tourists proof that bad old days are back?

And are they the bad old days of the 1970s or the 1980s? On Fulton Street near the South Street Seaport.

(Jumping ahead to) Day 7: The Blarney Stone is still closed

The fellows at the shoe repair shop next door are equally mystified as to why the Blarney Stone isn't open...and they said it closed last Friday, not Monday as I previously thought. Commenter Stewie at Eater mentioned yesterday that several businesses along this stretch of Fulton Street have had problems with water pipes of late. True...a very likely cause for a closing. However, looking in the BS's back entrance on Ann Street, nothing looks out of place. No signs of construction...or work of any kind. One minor thing: The five pieces of tape on the front gate -- from which a sign had been telling us what was what? -- are now gone...

One of those days

On Fulton Street near Water Street.

A fond farewell to the Blarney Stone

Sigh. It looks as if EV Grieve favorite the Blarney Stone on Fulton Street is done. As Eater reported, the bar has been closed by a court order. It was one of the few places that opened at 8 a.m. around there...

Perhaps it will all be worked out... and, one day soon, I'll be able to see the row of ketchup bottles that you're not supposed to take...



I leave with this memory from a few weeks ago...



He put about $50 in the jukebox and danced and danced and danced. And this isn't really the kind of bar that people dance in, mind you. The fellow then went outside and smoked a funny smelling cigarette and yelled something about Sinatra.

Always had an interesting crowd here

And I still think switching signs did this place in....

That's it for the New Amsterdam Market at the South Street Seaport

This is outside our usual coverage zone. However, we know several East Village residents who used to frequent the market at the South Street Seaport. The following letter is via the EVG inbox...

I am sorry to announce that New Amsterdam Market has ended, and will no longer take place on South Street.

Founded in 2005, New Amsterdam Market was first staged at the site of the Old Fulton Fish Market in Lower Manhattan on December 16, 2007. Over the ensuing seven years, the market grew in frequency and scope while nurturing an evolving community of small businesses dedicated to sustainable food production, regional economies, and fair trade.

Through our steadfast presence under every adversity, we also championed the preservation of New York City's oldest commons, where public trade has been conducted since 1642. We held a total 88 markets and numerous innovative celebrations of our region's bounty; supported nearly 500 food entrepreneurs; and contributed to the creation of more than 350 jobs.

However, I was never able to raise the funding or attract the influential backers needed for our organization to thrive. Furthermore, we were dealt a mortal blow in 2013 when Council Member Chin, who had long professed to support our cause, betrayed the community in favor of a suburban shopping mall developer, Howard Hughes.

As a result, Lower Manhattan has already lost more than one acre of beloved and irreplaceable public space and is now seeing its most precious public asset ruined by inappropriate programming and terrible waterfront design.

Our last market at this location was held on Saturday, June 21, 2014.

I thank all of you who supported this endeavor.

Sincerely,

Robert LaValva, Founder
New Amsterdam Market