Signs of dinner life at Prune

An EVG reader shared this photo, noting "more activity picking up at Prune. There was what appeared to be a private event there the other night."

Prune officially remains closed to the public at 54 E. First St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue — as it has since the NY PAUSE of March 2020. 

The website for Gabrielle Hamilton's popular destination says to please check back for updates about a reopening.

Prune fans remain hopeful that the restaurant, which opened in 1999, will return one of these days. Hamilton's compelling essay — "My Restaurant Was My Life for 20 Years. Does the World Need It Anymore?" — in the New York Times Magazine during the worst days of the pandemic in April 2020 raised doubts.

The site of the lit-up space was a good sign for the reader, who noted: "Hopefully, it means it is reopening soon!" 

Monday's parting shot

Filming scenes for a TV pilot ("Flawless," per signage) today at Le Fournil on Second Avenue ... pic by Derek Berg...

Reminders: The Virtual Rat Academy for East Village business owners, gardeners and residents is TOMORROW

As a reminder... reposting this from Aug. 9...

Community Board 3, the Cooper Square Committee and the East Village Merchants Association are sponsoring a Virtual Rat Academy on Tuesday, Aug. 23 from 5-7 p.m.

You can register to learn about rat prevention methods via this link.

Here's the first look at the new residential building coming to 2nd Avenue and 2nd Street

The rendering has arrived on the plywood along Second Avenue between Second Street and Third Street... offering the first look at the 11-floor mixed-use building that will rise on the east side of the avenue... brace!

As previously reported, Gemini Rosemont Development is behind this 100,568-square-foot new building ... the development, using 42 E. Second St. for its address, will feature 88 residential units (likely condos given the square footage) and 9,600 square feet for retail.

In 2020, Gemini Rosemont bought the former La Salle annex at 38 Second Ave. and Second Street. The $14.5 million purchase of the four-story building was the third of three contiguous plots that they acquired. The Los Angeles-based commercial real-estate investment company closed on 42-44 Second Ave. and 46-48 Second Ave. (the former Church of the Nativity) in March 2020 for $40 million. 

The rendering lists a 2025 completion date.

Asbestos abatement to begin at the former East River Park amphitheater — 9 months after it was demolished

Nine months after workers demolished the East River Park amphitheater, asbestos abatement is starting this week at the site near Corlears Hook, the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) announced.

The work is expected to take place for the next four to six weeks during daytime hours, according to the weekly construction bulletin.

The abatement raised concern among some local residents and activists. From an Instagram post last week by 1000 People 1000 Trees: 

A little late, the amp was demolished by ESCR last year in December 2021 when, after we raised concerns, the DDC told us there was no asbestos at the amphitheater. 

For months the earth & foundation have been exposed. Video from March 2022 show no signs of protection against asbestos. @NYCDDC previously claimed there was no asbestos at the amp, yet now they announce asbestos abatement? 

For months the path used to access the Corlears Hook Ferry went through this area and is adjacent to the small patch of land, "passive lawn," that was set up as a replacement park which is currently open to the public. 

We asked Ian Michaels, a spokesperson for the DDC, about the abatement. 

"We had studied that structure and believed it to be asbestos-free. The Parks Department had also worked there in 2001 and said the same," Michaels said. "Then after the demolition of the above-ground structure, a new underground area was found. Work stopped, testing was done and asbestos was found on some pipe insulation in the new area. As a result, the job was stopped and a licensed asbestos abatement contractor has been hired to clean the site." 

Michaels shared a diagram showing where the new underground area was found, in a spot behind the amphitheater.

Here's more from the weekly construction bulletin about the asbestos work: 

[T]he public's safety is a priority and our team will ensure abatement work will be done in accordance with all local, state, and federal guidelines, and safely contain and dispose of material. In addition to the continued use of air monitors in the work area. 

The removal of materials containing asbestos will be completed by a subcontractor certified in asbestos removal, with environmental oversight performed by an independent consultant. The public may see workers in Tyvek suits as it is necessary for these individuals to wear protective gear because they will be in close proximity with the asbestos-containing materials on a daily basis. 

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is also mandatory for their work. All asbestos materials will be isolated and contained in a fully enclosed Containment Zone, and within this zone, materials will be placed in sealed containers and trucked offsite. 

Meanwhile, this past Thursday, activists gathered outside local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera's East Village office calling for her resignation — and for her to drop out of the race for New York's open 10th Congressional District seat. 

To date, work on the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency project in East River Park has focused on cutting down trees and demolishing the amenities, mostly below Stanton Street. Workers will bury the 57.5-acre land under fill and elevate it by 8-to-10 feet above sea level to protect the area from future storm surges. 

The city has said they will maintain public access to a minimum of 42 percent of the park throughout construction, which is expected to be complete by the end of 2026.  

Wegmans is hiring on Astor Place

A good sign for people who CAN'T WAIT for the Wegmans to open on Astor Place... and also a good sign for someone looking for a job...

WEGMANS IS NOW HIRING.

For starters, the jobs listing states the store is opening next summer... and for now, they are only hiring for full-time positions. 

Details via the listing (and H/T Stacie Joy!): 

Our first Wegmans store in Manhattan, the supermarket will be located at the corner of Astor Place and Lafayette Street. 

The store will have all the traditional departments: Bakery, Produce, Pizza, Deli, Meat/Seafood, Sushi and more for customers to enjoy while experiencing the great Wegmans service they know and love.

And as a reader noted, Wegmans opened an office in the former Douglas Elliman space on Broadway between Ninth Street and 10th Street...

As previously reported, Wegmans signed a 30-year lease last July for what will be the grocer's first Manhattan outpost. (The one in Brooklyn opened in 2019.) 

Kmart closed in this space after 25 years in July 2021. Wegmans had agreed to buy out Kmart's lease to make this deal possible.

A 'retail opportunity' at the former Whitehouse Hotel on the Bowery

An interesting development at 340 Bowery between Great Jones and Bond ... a "retail opportunity" banner now hangs by the front door of the former Whitehouse Hotel, the last of the flophouses on the Bowery...

Management is offering 2,000 square feet on the ground floor, with an "optional 500 SF cafe + courtyard."

There is a lot of history with the Whitehouse, a four-story building erected in 1916 that has served as a single-room occupancy hotel. A handful of residents remain here, and their presence has reportedly hindered any new building plans. 

We hadn't heard anything about the building since late 2018, when Alex Vadukul profiled the artist Sir Shadow, one of the six remaining residents of the Whitehouse, in a feature at The New York Times.

As Vadukul noted: "A few residents have died, and buyouts have lured away others. The men who remain in the flophouse have refused these deals. The Whitehouse Hotel's future appears to now hinge on a grim but simple waiting game."

At this point, there aren't any new permits for development. So perhaps retail is the solution for now to generate revenue for the property.

Some recent history: The building was spruced up in 2011 to appeal to the thrill-seeking backpacking set. (For $45, guests could stay in a tiny room where the walls don't go up to the ceiling... while the long-term residents remained on another floor.)

However, the Whitehouse stopped accepting reservations in September 2014. Plans were previously filed via Sam Chang in 2014 to "convert 4-story lodging house into a 9-story hotel," according to DOB records. Those plans never materialized. The Renatus Group now owns the property. 

Dunkin' to make triumphant return to 250 E. Houston St.

Photo by Stacie Joy

Don't look now, but a Dunkin' is returning to 250 E. Houston St. 

Signage is now up in one of the recently remodeled storefronts here between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

The Dunkin'/Baskin-Robbins combo was a casualty late last summer when the storefronts on the eastern end of the retail strip were emptied ahead of demolition for a new residential building. (See those plans here.) 

Anyway, this looks to be a solo Dunkin' operation. No sign of Baskin-Robbins. So you'll have to settle for doughnuts/donuts.

Report: Trader Joe's closed the Union Square wine shop after learning of plans to unionize

According to published reports from this past week, workers at the Trader Joe's Wine Shop, which abruptly closed on June 11, were making plans to unionize. 

Per The Huffington Post: 

Workers at the Trader Joe’s Wine Shop ... spent the last four months laying the groundwork to unionize their store. A small organizing committee met regularly to discuss strategy around building support to join the United Food and Commercial Workers union, and they planned to go public with their effort the week of Aug. 15. 

But in the early morning hours of Aug. 11, Trader Joe’s abruptly informed them it was closing the popular wine shop, its only one in New York City. 

In a statement to Gothamist, a company spokesperson said that its decision to close the store had nothing to do with the unionizing efforts.

A spokesperson called the 15-year-old outpost on 14th Street at Irving Place an "underperforming wine shop." 

Meanwhile, the workers, whom Trader Joe's said they would pay through Aug. 28, have launched a petition demanding that the store reopen as it heads into the busy back-to-school season.

The petition reads in part: 

Like our customers, we were shocked and saddened by the abrupt closure of the Trader Joe’s Wine Shop in Union Square. Most of the staff has been with the company for over 5 years, some since the store opened 15 years ago, and we have loved being part of the neighborhood and our customers’ lives for so long. 

Trader Joe's is not being transparent about its motives for closing the shop. This sudden closure comes just days after our coworkers in Minneapolis, MN, and Hadley, MA, successfully voted to unionize. 

Management in our store knew we were having organizing conversations and were planning on signing union support cards. Closing our store is textbook union busting. This kind of retaliation is exactly why we want a union at the Wine Shop — to guarantee we have real job security, consistent schedules, and wages we can live on. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Here's the midnight email that employees of the Trader Joe's Wine Shop received about the closing on Union Square (Aug. 12)

First sign of the new gallery opening in September at 313 Bowery

Temp signage is now up in the window at 313 Bowery for Spazio Amanita, which is opening a gallery next month here between First Street and Second Street...

We first reported about the gallery, founded by Caio Twombly, the son of sculptor Alessandro Twombly and grandson of the painter Cy Twombly, last month. You can revisit our post here for more details. 

This space last housed a Patagonia shop.... and the storefront adjacent to the one-time home of CBGB housed the CBGB Record Canteen and, later, the 313 Gallery.   

At the Nuyorican Poets Café's annual block party

Photos by Stacie Joy 

The Nuyorican Poets Café held its annual (No. 9!) block party yesterday afternoon on Third Street between Avenue B and Avenue C... featuring poetry and music ... food and dancing ... face painting, games, BOUNCEY HOUSES...

EVG contributor Stacie Joy shared these photos from the family-friendly (save for the table selling items like bondage dice and Gummy Pecker Rings) event...

Week in Grieview

Posts from this past week include (with a photo of Blondie at Pier 17 Thursday evening) ....

• VIDEO: Watch the Nissan Sentra drive through Tompkins Square Park on Sunday morning (Tuesday) ... Reader report: A chaotic scene as man drives car into Tompkins Square Park; no arrests (Sunday) 

• Another day, another car drives into Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday) 

• Report of a fire at 313 E. 6th St. (Wednesday) 

• Rake Wine debuts on 3rd Street adjacent to Urban Wine & Spirits (Thursday) 

• On 12th Street, Hi Noona says goodbye (Monday) 

• Residents come together to pick up trash around Tompkins Square Park (Friday) 

• The Gallery Watch Q&A: Tilde Thurium and Nicole Aptekar on 'Anaphoric Fractures' (Friday) 

• Love Thy Beast departing 5th Street for Brooklyn (Tuesday)

• Free fitness classes return to Avenue B (Wednesday) 

• Boot party: Why so many immobilized vehicles in the East Village? (Thursday)

• Masked garbage bandit spotted on 12th Street (OK, it's just a raccoon) (Thursday) 

• Days of wine and closures (Monday) 

• A new residential building for this block of 9th Street (Wednesday)

• Shinzo Omakase set to debut on 2nd Street (Wednesday) 

• A sticky situation this morning at the Keith Haring sculpture on Astor Place (Tuesday) 

• A smoke shop for this block of 4th Street (Monday)

... and also at Pier 17 before Blondie, the Damned's David Vanian looking cool in the high-80s temps...

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Follow EVG on Instagram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

[Updated] Someone crashed this Hudson River Park golf cart at 5th Street and Avenue A

A buzzy morning on Avenue A as passersby came across this golf cart/maintenance vehicle from the Parks Department up on the curb with two smashed tires at Fifth Street. 

EVG reader Concerned Citizen shared these photos of the vehicle... apparently the victim of a joyride (we don't know that officially, but)...

... which is all the way from Hudson River Park ...

And we whipped up a map to show you where the 4-mile-long Park is (in case you don't know exactly) ...

At the moment, we don't know any of the particulars — the when, the who, or, importantly, the why. 

The NYPD and the Parks Enforcement Patrol were at the scene. 

Updated 12:30 p.m.

Derek Berg spotted the stricken vehicle on First Avenue and Seventh Street at about 11 a.m. heading back to the west side...

Sunday's opening shot (and HBD Joe Strummer!)

This morning's view of the Joe Strummer mural outside Niagara on Seventh Street and Avenue A... the co-founder of the Clash would have been 70 today.

Dr. Revolt and Zephyr created the original mural back in 2003... after Strummer's untimely death in December 2002.

And a new box set, Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years, is on the way.

Reminders: Tompkins Square Park Cleanup Day tomorrow (Sunday)

As mentioned yesterday, Assemblymember Harvey Epstein has organized a volunteer cleanup day in Tompkins Square Park for tomorrow.  

 Details: 

• What: Tompkins Square Park Cleanup Day
• Who: Assemblymember Harvey Epstein and neighbors 
• When: Sunday, Aug. 21 at 10 a.m. 
• Where: Tompkins Square Park (Enter on Seventh Street and Avenue A) 

Epstein's office said they would supply everything needed for the cleanup.

Trash talk

Trash pickup in Tompkins Square Park has been a popular topic in recent days... 

So on this topic. Several readers have pointed out that someone used insulating spray foam to seal shut an easy-open trash bin in the middle of the Park. (Eden first pointed this out about two weeks ago.) 

The foam-goop-whatever has been cleared off enough to open the bin... though some Parkgoers choose not to...

An early 1960s look at the SW corner of 14th Street and Avenue A

OK, for starters: the above photo IS NOT an early 1960s look at the SW corner of 14th Street and Avenue A. It is an early morning Aug. 20 look at the SW corner of 14th Street and Avenue A. 

Anyway, yesterday, Bayou shared the photo of the ghost signage for "Appetizers" on what was most recently New Herbal World. 

As a follow-up, EVG regular Edmund John Dunn, who grew up nearby with his family, shared the following photo... of his brother (photoshopped to protect his privacy!) from the early 1960s... the photographer is looking to the east, with the corner of Avenue A visible in the background... as well as the ConEd plant in the distance ... 

Here's a blown-up look without getting too grainy...

On the corner is a Horn and Hardart retail store (not an automat) ... then a greeting cards store... then Mindy's luncheonette... then the deli/shop with the appetizing sign. 

The previous post on the ghost signage has a little more history about the place. 

Meanwhile, back to that top photo, workers dispensed with the ghost signage in combining the storefronts — New Herbal World and Lower East Side Coffee Shop for the next tenant: Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.

Saturday's opening shot

The morning sky view from Third Avenue and 14th Street...

The grit and glamour of 1982's 'Smithereens' coming to Metrograph in the days ahead

"Smithereens," the dark comedy from 1982 filmed in part in the East Village, makes a return engagement this weekend (and next week) to the Metrograph, 7 Ludlow St. between Hester and Canal.

The film, which marked Susan Seidelman's directorial debut, is set in the East Village (and other downtown locales). Wren (Susan Berman), a suburban New Jersey native, is eager for downtown fame, plastering "missing" posters of herself on the subway and elsewhere. She sees a meal ticket in Eric (Richard Hell), the hot guy with a short attention span in a band. And there's the too-nice Paul (Brad Rijn), who pursues the uninterested Wren. Love!

Go here for showtimes. You can read the EVG interview with Seidelman from 2016 here.

And a making-of featurette for you with Seidelman and Berman ...

'Metal' as anything

 

West Coast-based surf-noir outfit La Luz will be at the Bowery Ballroom next Friday (Aug. 26). Ahead of that, here's a video for their single, "Metal Man."