Options for this lovely East 7th Street townhouse include demolition

[Image via Massey Knakal]

There's a new listing for 253 E. Seventh St., a townhouse between Avenue C and Avenue D.

Let's check out the listing over at Massey Knakal:

The subject property is a 4-story vacant townhouse located on the north side of East 7th Street, between Avenues C & D. There are 4 floor-through units including a garden and parlor floor. The building is in an R8B zone with a residential FAR of 4.0 which would allow for a total buildable square footage of approximately 9,312 SF. The existing building is approximately 3,860 SF with an additional 5,451 SF of available air-rights. Therefore, the buyer could keep the existing structure and add floor area. Alternatively, the buyer could demolish the existing and structure and build a new ground-up development.

Whatever the option, this address will likely get much taller in the future.

Asking price: $4.25 million.

What a nice East Village 'micro loft' is going for these days

This unit at 186 E. Second St. caught our eye… a listing for an "East Village micro loft."

Here are the details via Douglas Elliman:

This affordable space has high ceilings, large windows, exposed brick, hardwood floors and a large kitchen in excellent condition. Everything you could want in a loft at a fraction of the price! Conveniently located in the heart of the East Village with amazing restaurants and nightlife at your doorstep. 186 is a boutique building that’s well managed and has an incredible sense of community.

Here are more photos and the floor plan …



… looks like the bed is tucked away under the floor of the raised living room…





So less than 400 square feet of living space here between Avenue A and Avenue B ... the price is $300,000. (Streeteasy estimated the monthly payment at $2,173 — that's with 20 percent down.)

Looks like a cool enough space, though is a single step really considered a loft?

Boulton & Watt is now open for lunch

[Image via]

And here is part of the official announcement about lunch service via the EVG inbox yesterday…

Besides the Boulton & Watt’s signature mason jar pickles (in seasonal varieties such as pineapple with habanero, mint and basil and beets with peppercorns and red wine vinegar — $5 each or three jars for $13) and modern classics such as Boulton and Watt mac and cheese (white cheddar persillade bread crumbs, $10) and “The Burger” (house-made blend on brioche bun and fries — $14 and up), new items include a refreshing baby arugula, date and orange salad with lime vinaigrette, toasted pistachio and ricotta salata ($12), soft scrambled eggs (with a side of avocado toast and watercress — $10), an heirloom tomato sandwich that is sure to be a summer favorite (baby arugula, charred red onion, basil, roasted garlic mayo on seven grain toast — $10 or $12 with bacon) and the intriguing “Hangover” (two fried eggs, cheddar, avocado, bacon, chipotle aioli on seven grain bread - $12), the perfect pick-me-up after a late East Village night.

You can find the full lunch menu here.

The restaurant at 5 Avenue A at East First Street/Houston opened in January 2013.

Listen to a wide-ranging interview with Richard Hell

[March 2013 Richard Hell photo for EV Grieve by James Maher]

In the latest RiYL podcast at BoingBoing, Brian Heater interviews novelist-poet-artist-musician Richard Hell about a whole lot of everything, from becoming a writer to living in NYC today.

The interview took place at Hell's longtime East 12th Street apartment. "It has good light, it's quiet and it's cheap."

Hell's book "I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp" recently came out in paperback.

July 15

'Tis definitely the season over on East Fifth Street near Cooper Square! Goggla spotted this beauty today.

Not sure if the owner is discarding it or just letting nature water it...

FYI

FYI - Valet service in the East Village has been cancelled this evening (7/15) due to a Severe Thunderstorm Watch.

— Citi Bike (@CitibikeNYC) July 15, 2014

2:25 p.m.

AKA, It was a dark and story day.

Photo by Bobby Williams

Anyway, no need to paaaaaaaaaaanic...

FLASH FLOOD WARNING UNTIL 5:15 PM FOR ALL OF NYC. 2" to locally 4" of rain can fall causing rapid flooding: pic.twitter.com/RKApBHY6o3

— Storm Team 4 NY (@StormTeam4NY) July 15, 2014

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[EVG did this for no apparent reason]

More about the 21-year-old woman killed by a 4 train at Union Square (Gothamist)

Bill Cashman on Homeo-Empathy, 9th and C, a zine history of 155 Avenue C (Maximum Rocknroll)

A visit to Snack Dragon ahead of its closing (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

The Elmore Leonard retrospective continues (Anthology Film Archives)

Proposals wanted for First Park murals (DNAinfo)

First Avenue market scenes from the 1930s (Off the Grid)

Eulogizing The Ramones after Tommy's death (Flaming Pablum)

Kaufman Shoe Repair Supplies and Downtown Floor Supplies leaving Bleecker and Lafayette ahead of rumored development (BoweryBoogie)

Update on the incoming Essex Crossing Park (The Lo-Down)

Soho Dive Cody's Bar & Grill closes for good (Grub Street)

...and a quick holiday greeting via Mary on E. 12th Street ...

Bright ideas: A lighting shop for East 7th Street

On occasion we'll take a quick look at a new (or old!) business around the East Village. Today we visit Bulb Concepts Inc., 13 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square.

Article and photos by Stacie Joy

Jessie Lee and Anthony Wong created Bulb Concepts in October 2013 in a tiny (less than 400 square feet) and charming sales/work space on East Seventh Street.

Jessie and Anthony (partners in business and in life) will help you design any lighting project you may have on your mind.



When I was there visiting, the store was humming with cyclists who dropped by to buy some household bulbs, a couple busy worrying/fussing over a lighting project for their apartment (Jessie very patiently wired and repaired a lamp for them while they waited) and assorted restaurant owners and locals who needed emergency Edison bulbs and lighting supplies.





I’m not a huge design enthusiast, and my knowledge of lighting is fairly poor (except, of course, for photography-based lighting concerns) so I asked a lot of questions, all of which the couple was happy to answer.

Jessie started her lighting career on the Bowery seven years ago. She began as a bookkeeper in a light shop, then worked her way up to manager.

There is plenty to look at inside the shop. I am particularly impressed by the strings of lights inside the mason jars as well as the Cooper Union student projects Jessie was crafting in the back of the shop in its wee workspace.



The couple offer free consultations on lighting needs, and will travel to businesses to scope out any lighting issues they may have.

Another BSA hearing on Ben Shaoul's illegal rooftop addition; plus, rent 1 of the contested units!

The Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) is holding another hearing today regarding 515 E. Fifth St., where the years-long saga over an illegal rooftop addition continues.

A quickie recap: The BSA had previously ruled in 2008 that landlord Ben Shaoul needs to remove the 6th and 7th floors. However, his attorneys had requested that the city grant a zoning variance to "permit the constructed enlargement, minus the penthouse, to remain" here between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Meanwhile, ahead of today's hearing, we hear that Shaoul has moved to evict one member of the Tenants Association of 515 East Fifth Street, and has offered to discuss a buyout with two of the others.

Finally, one of the contested units arrived for rent on Streeteasy last week. Per the listing:

BEAUTIFUL EAST VILLAGE DUPLEX 1 BEDROOM WITH PRIVATE TERRACE
BRAND NEW LISTING - AMAZING EAST VILLAGE LOCATION

Brand New Listing available for SEPT 1 - Move In! 1 Bedroom. Amazing Deal. This Apartment will not last!

True, the apartment will not last if the BSA grants the zoning variance … because the penthouse will need to be removed as part of the zoning variance deal.

It looks pretty nice, though…





The one-bedroom apartment is asking $3,195.

Anyway, this story promises to not end anytime soon. The extra floors were added in 2006.

You can read more about the history here at the Post, Curbed, DNAinfo and The Villager.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] 5 years later, another BSA hearing on illegal rooftop addition at 515 E. Fifth St.

Protest at 515 E. Fifth St. this morning, site of Ben Shaoul's illegal addition

The disappearing illegal penthouse of 514-516 E. 6th St.

Never-ending battle wages on over additional floors at 515 E. Fifth St.

Never-ending battle over additional floors at 515 E. Fifth St. promises to keep being never-ending

CB3 not into Ben Shaoul's zoning variance for 515 E. 5th St.

Let's step inside the all-new Eleventh and Third, which defines 'organic with an urban twist'

[EVG photo from June 30]

There are more details now about the rebranded Eleventh and Third, the 12-story residential building at 200 E. 11th St. that Benchmark Real Estate Group paid $57 million for late last year.

The first unit as well as building renderings are now on Streeteasy. A two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment is asking $9,350. (No broker's fee!)





Here's the description via Streeteasy:

High-design gets a downtown attitude at Eleventh and Third where the only rules to live by are the ones that keep life interesting. With just 53 studio, one-, and two-bedroom homes – some with private terraces, most with amazing views, and all with top-shelf interior finishes – it’s a boutique building fueled with serious style.

Building Features:
- 24 Hour Doorman
- In Unit Laundry in All 1 Bedroom & 2 Bedroom Apartments
- Communal Roof Terrace Outdoor Space
- State-of-the-art Fitness Room
- Yoga / Meditation Studio
- Private Massage Studio
- Laundry Room

Apartment Features:
- Brand New Glass Panel Windows In Every Apartment
- Walnut Flooring
- Built in A/C and Heating
- Polished Concrete Counter tops
- Bertazzoni, Fisher & Paykel, & Bosch Kitchen Appliances
- Brizo, Lacava & Toto Bathroom Fixtures
- Self Closing Drawers and Cabinetry

What would you call this look? According to the Eleventh and Third website: "Residential interiors are what we’d call ‘organic with an urban twist’. A gallery of windows invite tons of natural light, and a neutral palette soothes the soul."

There are open houses this week in the early evening by appointment only if you'd to check it out yourself and sooth your soul.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Someone actually paid $57 million for this East Village building

Reimagining this 12-story East Village building, now on the market

NY Copy & Printing forced out of longtime E. 11th St. home, opening second location on E. 7th St.

Rebranded 'Eleventh and Third' will have rentals upwards of $10k

Retail space housing The Smith and M2M asking $25.5 million on 3rd Avenue

Talk about 'ghost' signage!

Have you looked at the claims on this "office space for lease" sign that recently went up at 92 St. Mark's Place just east of First Avenue?

• "Real see-thru windows!"

• "Dry!"

• "Real walls!"

• "Three doors!!" (Why does this get two exclamation points?)

And the best:

• "No ghosts!"

So there's likely no chance that bodies will come bursting up in this space, FYI.

Good samaritan thwarts bike theft, leaves note

[Click on image to read the note]

Based only on anecdotal evidence, there seems to be more bike thefts around the neighborhood.

Here's a bike — described as an "attention-getting neon green and yellow" — that almost became a statistic.

EVG reader Randy Kato shared this note from East Second Street and Avenue A … attached to bike wheel still locked in place — without the rest of the bike.

The note explains:

"Some one tried to steal your bike — got it back from the fucker — (I didn't wanna go to the police because they make everything into an ordeal) … If you can unlock the wheel we'll know your the real bike owner — I left just left it in a nearby store — They're good guys."

Noted

Reports Newsweek:

Twenty-five years after Meg Ryan faked cinema’s most famous orgasm in Katz’s Deli, customers still follow her lead in the 126-year-old Lower East Side establishment.

Sexually charged gasps and moans fill the deli “at least a couple times a month,” says co-owner Fred Austin, who’s in the process of transferring management to his nephew Jake Dell. He’s reluctant to admit they’re staged.

The movie was released on July 21, 1989.

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

Happy Bastille Day from St. Mark's Place

Outside Jules Bistro.

Other headlines under consideration:
Citi Bike introduces new overtime fees
New landlord makes final buyout offers to rent-stabilized residents
EV Grieve is now posting photos of guillotines
Headless body found in tapas bar

Birdbath Neighborhood Green Bakery on 3rd Avenue has not been open lately

The Birdbath Neighborhood Green Bakery over at Third Avenue at East Ninth Street has not been open for at least a week … there's no sign on the door noting any temporary (or permanent) closure …



Birdbath, an eco-friendly spinoff of City Bakery, was closed for several days in February without any explanation until a sign arrived about a broken door.

As for now… calls to the location are kicked over to a generic voice-mail greeting … and the address is no longer mentioned on the City Bakery website ….



We reached out to City Bakery for more information about this location's status.

The bakery opened here in May 2011. The location on First Avenue near East 13th Street closed in March 2013.

The Bao is the latest St. Mark's Place restaurant entry

Signage arrived Friday for the new restaurant coming to 13 St. Mark's Place (above Spot Dessert Bar) … The Bao, which, as you can see, will be serving xiao long bao (soup dumplings) in the space that previously housed Pan.

No word just yet who the owners are … or when the place will open.

Well, while we're on this block between Second Avenue and Third Avenue … here's a recap of other new bar/restaurant entries …

Barcade is opening one of their bar-retro video game venues at 6 St. Mark's Place.



Something called Crab Shack is in the works for 30 St. Mark's Place, the former home of Japadog.



Also! A reader told us that the 2 Bros. outpost at 36 St. Mark's Place — the one with the glitzy $1.50 SUPREME slice — is no longer part of the 2 Bros. empire…


[EVG file photo from May]

All the 2 Bros. branding has been removed … and there's just a generic PIZZA sign now… still selling $1.50 slices though.

Demolition watch along East 14th Street

A month has passed since we checked in on the demolition progress on East 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Workers have just taken out the fire-damaged spaces of the former Stuyvesant Grocery, Pete's-a-Place, Jackson Hewitt and the beauty shop starting at the southeast corner of East 14th Street and Avenue A...





The buildings that housed Rainbow and (sniff!) the Blarney Cove are mid-rubble at the moment.



Coming soon along this corridor — two, 7-floor retail-residential buildings.

Previously on EV Grieve:
New 7-floor buildings for East 14th Street include 150 residential units

3 storefronts down in the ongoing demolition of East 14th Street

Here is your East 14th Street Dunkin' Donuts plywood

The plywood is up outside part of 542 E. 14th St., where workers are carving out space for a new Dunkin' Donuts.

A tipster told us back in May that the Dunkin' Donuts several storefronts away at 520 E. 14th St. will move here.

No. 542 is the former home of La Isla Restaurant, which closed in July 2012.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Dunkin' Donuts moving on East 14th Street