Tomorrow morning from 10 to noon, supporters of Casa Adela are holding a "fair lease" rally for the longtime restaurant here at 66 Avenue C between Fourth Street and Fifth Street.
As previously reported, the building's landlord — a Housing Development Fund Corporation — is looking to increase the rent from $1,350 to, eventually, $6,750, a number that the current owner Luis Rivera, the son of founder Adela Fargas,says is not feasible.
Rent negotiations are underway, though the two sides haven't reached an agreement, said Frank Gonzalez of Loisaida Realty, who helped organize the Save Casa Adela Committee.
Adela Fargas started serving her Puerto Rican cuisine here in 1976. She died in January 2018 at age 81.
We last checked in with East Side Ink’s attitude-free tattoo, laser and microblading shop on Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street during the pandemic’s third-stage PAUSE order from then-Gov. Cuomo.
The shop recently moved to a spacious yet cozy second-floor loft at 88 Rivington St. between Orchard and Ludlow.
I dropped by to talk with owners Jen Terban-Hertell and Josh Lord (the third partner, “shop mom” Yadira Mendez-Firvida, was off at the time of my visit) about the move, their new location and the shop’s history in the neighborhood. Josh was busy inking, so Jen answered my questions.
Why did you leave Avenue B for Rivington Street?
Everybody knows the pandemic year was a struggle for most businesses. We were sad to see so many closed.
However, because of our amazing artists and clients, we survived. We learned a lot about what our clients and artists want for the future of tattooing. So, we created a space that was private and warm yet open and inviting. We were all separated for so long that we just wanted to be together again. Safely. We wanted a studio that worked better for the artists and their needs. A studio that supports the artistic growth and privacy of our clients. We wanted a studio that was for us, our little artist family.
You mentioned this is your fifth location (since inception) in the neighborhood. Why is the East Village/Lower East Side area vital to you?
Well, besides being respectful of our original name…the East Village/Lower East Side has nurtured art, diversity and culture. Growing up in NYC, I remember being genuinely inspired by the scene in the East Village and Lower East Side. The art, music and fashion you could find on most blocks in the East Village were like nowhere else in the world. East Side Ink has been a part of that culture since the 1990s.
Even if the rents get high and the landlords don’t respect the neighborhood’s culture, it will always be our home, and we will prevail.
Were all your artists able to make the move with you to the Rivington Street shop?
Yes! And both the artists and clients have expressed how happy they are in the new studio, and they even say they like it better. It was difficult to physically and mentally move, so we couldn’t be happier with everyone’s reaction and support. It was important that the artists feel at home at the shop. We considered every detail to make a space our artists would be inspired to create in. We want to support them as best we can to give each client and tattoo the attention it deserves.
How is the new space different from previous ones, and has the clientele changed?
Our clientele has always been diverse, from Oscar-winning celebrities to locals on the block. Unlike our previous locations, our new studio provides a sense of inclusion and warmth. A professional coziness. I could describe the artwork and the wood floors and the lighting, but really, it’s a vibe.
What can we expect from East Side Ink going forward?
You can expect us to grow old! We are not going anywhere. We have always been ahead of our time in the tattoo industry, leading the way with how a shop looks and feels. We are a close-knit little artist family. We’ve been through 9/11, hurricanes, flooding, blackouts and pandemic. We prevailed!
Over the last few years, we’ve grown, we’ve gotten married, we had babies, we’ve broken up, moved on, and moved up! You can expect to see us for a long time. Come visit: bring your dogs and your kids. We have made it this far because we have always had the support of our artists, clients and neighbors.
Admittedly overdue on a follow-up on this story... last month, DOT reps provided Community Board 3's Transportation, Public Safety, & Environment Committee an update about Citi Bike's expansion in the East Village and Lower East Side.
That presentation is online now right here. (The DOT is making presentations to other Community Boards this month, and find all that via this link.)
According to the presentation, "demand shows 1,804 docks [are] still
needed in CB3." For now, though, the proposal calls for an installation of 683 docks ... with more capacity coming by extending existing
stations.
The maps below (click on the images for more detail) show where the infill is slated. The green dots are extensions at existing stations (the only EV extension on the map is at 13th Street and Avenue A) ... while the red circles denote new stations (11 in total, with an "equipment swap" on 10th Street between A and B) ...
A study by the DOT and Citi Bike found that the ride-sharing service was falling behind in keeping up with the cycling demand of New Yorkers.
Citi Bike announced that it needs the DOT to provide it with sites for an immediate Lyft-funded infusion of docks and bikes because the system is under "added stress [in] its original service area, which serves a disproportionate number of the total rides."
In other words, too many people are either showing up at docks that are empty or trying to return bikes to full racks. Even as it is breaking its own records, Citi Bike estimates that it lost 4 million rides in 2021 because customers are getting frustrated. The company cited the ridership increases as well as "unpredictable commuting patterns as a result of the pandemic.
"An unbalanced system results in riders finding empty or full docks during periods of peak demand," a problem that cannot be totally mitigated through rebalancing or Bike Angels, the company said.
Stories of Citi Bikers wandering around for 30 minutes looking for an open dock — or just a bike — in the evening have become common in recent months. (East Village resident and cycling advocate Sophie Maerowitz wrote an op-ed on the topic for amNY on Nov. 15.)
The Timeschecked in with an article on the topic as well the other day, reporting that through Nov. 17, Citi Bike had recorded 25.2 million rides in 2021, 4 million more than in all of 2019. (Citi Bike debuted here in 2013.)
But!
[A]s the city has sought to accommodate the surge in both bike-share use and overall cycling by adding hundreds of miles of bike lanes, it has provoked a backlash from drivers and some elected officials who complain that parking and driving are now more difficult.
No word on when the infill might happen within the confines of Community Board 3. The DOT and Citi Bike said they plan to add 8,000 more docks and 4,000 more bikes by the end of 2022, mostly in Manhattan.
Today, Court of Appeals Judge Rowan Wilson has issued a new Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), halting construction underway in East River Park as part of the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency project.
According to East River Park Action, who has been opposed to the city's current plan for the park, the TRO remains in effect at least until the next hearing on Dec. 20.
Arthur Schwartz, an attorney for the activists, told the Post: "We will be asking for all fences to come down and for the bike path and park south of Houston Street to be reopened [as soon as possible.]" (NY1 has more here.)
This is the second TRO advocates have been granted since the start of the demolition work on Nov. 1. (Last week, the Appellate Division lifted the TRO that had been in place starting on Nov. 2.)
As previously reported, the community lawsuit is challenging the project because it still needs an "alienation" vote by the state Legislature.
On Monday, workers fenced off East River Park south of Stanton Street. An estimated 13 trees were removed yesterday, witnesses said.
East River Park Action and other activists have said some alternatives could preserve much of the park and protect the Lower East Side and surrounding neighborhoods from a 100-year-flood event and sea-level rise — one that doesn't cause 1,000 mature trees to be chopped down.
In late 2018, the city surprised community stakeholders by announcing a complete overhaul of a plan discussed over four years of local meetings. As Gothamist reported: "City officials cited fears about maintaining a floodable green space, as well the disruption to motorists on the F.D.R. Drive and potential dangers to Con Ed's power lines under the previous proposal."
The current plans call for gutting East River Park — burying the existing 57.5-acre park under fill and elevating it by 8-to-10 feet above sea level.
Meanwhile, still pending: A nonprofitsued the city for allegedly not including enough minority- and women-owned businesses in the construction contract for the ESCR.
A third lawsuit (dating to the spring) was brought against the city by The Tully Group, a large contractor that issued one of the two bids for the ESCR.
Updated: With the threat of rain on Dec. 18, the Feast will now take place on Dec. 19. Same time and place.
On Dec. 18, a group of East Village residents, including author Jeremiah Moss and EVG contributor Stacie Joy, is hosting a Community Holiday Feast in Tompkins Square Park.
From 2-4 p.m., volunteers will be serving free hot meals provided by East Village businesses and residents.
Organizers are currently looking for volunteers and welcome additional food and other donations. Interested residents and merchants can use this email to contact the group.
Long & Short Barber Co. has closed its outpost at 250 E. Houston St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.
EVG regular Salim shared the photos here ... including one of a goodbye note for patrons... Long & Short will continue with its shop in Brooklyn and the new location at Columbus Circle...
This is just the latest retail change along this strip, though this one may not have anything to do with the future development on this block.
Businesses in the storefronts just to the east of this — in the unrenovated portion — have all vacated, a list that includes Dunkin'/Baskin-Robbins, Subway (sandwich shop) and China Town. Workers boarded up the unrenovated section last month ahead of its demolition for an unspecified new development.
You can read our previous posts (all 34,567) on the topic right here.
Billy the Artist has unveiled his latest book — "East Village Closed."
The book, a year in the making, is "a photo illustrative experience of life in the East Village during the pandemic," as seen through the eyes of the longtime neighborhood resident.
This past Saturday, he signed copies at one of his favorite local haunts — the International on First Avenue.
You can read more about the 86-page book as well as find ordering info via this link.
After a year off with the pandemic in 2020, SantaCon returns for in-person binging and bar crawling at the expense of the rest of the city this Saturday. (First reported here.)
Yesterday, SantaCon organizers unveiled the 2021 route, which starts at 10 a.m. at 40th and Broadway. Per the SantaCon website: "We will be dancing in the streets and will unleash a holiday celebration NYC has never imagined possible!"
A $13 donation gets your Santa Badge and access to participating bars, mainly in Midtown West and East. Six of the bars are in the East Village: The Grayson, 16 First Ave., Amsterdam Billiards & Bar, 110 E. 11th St., Doc Holliday's, 141 Avenue A, Horseshoe Bar/7B, 108 Avenue B, the Phoenix, 447 E. 13th St., and Solas, 232 E. Ninth St.
However, as we've seen in previous Cons, bars not on the official list are often all too happy to participate, including the 13th Step. (The SantaCon website states that participants must have proof of COVID vaccination.)
Meanwhile, ahead of the 2021 bar list, someone launched a Cancel SantaCon petition...
Per the petition:
SantaCon is the worst day of the year in New York City. Each year thousands of belligerent drunk people in Santa costumes flood New York City streets, leaving behind a trail of fistfights, vomit, urine and garbage. John Oliver did a segment on the event which highlighted the faux-charitable nature of the pub crawl. He stated that each SantaCon participant only raises $1.66 for charity, which is hardly enough to excuse the violent and inappropriate behavior. The evidence is crystal clear: Santacon does more bad than good.
This year New York City residents have had enough! We are calling for Mayor Bill de Blasio to show leadership and order the cancelation of Santacon. We believe that this is an issue that unites New Yorkers of all races, religions, and political beliefs.
Please sign this petition so we can end SantaCon in New York City once and for all.
The Original Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches outpost has closed at 216 Avenue A (the storefront on the right in the pic) between 13th Street and 14th Street.
The shutter comes nearly seven months after the quick-serve restaurant moved into the space from the SW corner of Avenue A and 13th Street. We didn't hear any reasons for the departure, or whether Nicky's might turn up in another storefront sometime soon.
The sidewalk- and tree pit-eating hole outside 338 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue has apparently claimed a victim — the small tree that was in the pit.
Several EVG readers have noted this latest development here in recent days...
It's not known if, perhaps, workers removed the tree ahead of repair work ... or someone else decided to cut it down.
Since then, a makeshift barrier including parts of Awash's outdoor dining space and other found objects have been guarding/blocking the sidewalk. Pedestrians must walk on Sixth Street on the south side of the street to bypass the sinkhole.
Several residents have told us that they have contacted 311, Community Board 3, Councilmember Carlina Rivera's office, the DOT, the 9th Precinct, etc., to report the sinkhole — and the swastikas someone added to the barrier a few weeks back.
The 24/7 deli offers a variety of fresh-made sandwiches, salads, smoothies and juices... as well as your usual corner market fare.
CR7 takes over the space from Spiegel, the European-style cafe that closed in the summer of 2020 and was rumored to be returning here.
As previously noted, this is now a competitive corner with Food You Desire 3, the Deli & Smoke Shop and another new arrival — the Manhattan Smoke Shop a few steps away on Second Street ...
This holiday mural — an interpretation of Will Ferrell in "Elf" — went up over the weekend outside the Second Avenue F stop... work by @paolo_tolentino and @turtlecaps.
The folks at La Plaza Cultural are hosting a winter fundraiser on Thursday evening for their solar pavilion at the community garden on the SW corner of Avenue C and Ninth Street.
Per the invite:
We are raising money to install solar panels to power the garden and take us off-grid. The pavilion will also serve as a four-season classroom offering workshops for the community.
The event, from 7-9 p.m., will feature fresh-made Neapolitan pizza, seasonal drink offerings and s'mores from the Wayland, hot chocolate, tarot card readings, live music by Eric Hoffman and Ken Hatfield, and a raffle.
The future of Casa Adela at 66 Avenue C is potentially in jeopardy with a rent hike the owner says is not feasible.
Friends and supporters of the restaurant that has served authentic Puerto Rican cuisine here between Fourth Street and Fifth Street since 1976 sounded the alarm last week, reaching out to media outlets and local elected officials.
According to organizers and other published accounts, the building's landlord — a Housing Development Fund Corporation (HDFC) — is looking to increase the rent from $1,350 to, eventually, $6,750.
The old lease expired a few years ago. Under it, they were paying $1350 per month for the 715 sq ft space. They offered their landlord, a limited equity HDFC cooperative, that they would start to pay $3000 per month, plus 3% increases for each year for 10 years. The landlord refused the offer: their bottom line is $4000 in year one (backdated to august) and $6,750 starting in year two of the lease, and 3% increases after that, which is a 480%+ increase in rent and sure to force the business to close.
On Thursday, community members met at the restaurant and created a Save Casa Adela Committee.
For now, there is hope a deal can be worked out between owner Luis Rivera and HDFC reps.
According to Frank Gonzalez of Loisaida Realty, who helped organize the Save Casa Adela Committee, the two sides will meet today. [UPDATE: The meeting is now at 6 p.m. on 12/8]
"[We] hope they can work out a fair deal for our beloved Casa Adela," he said. "As of right now, we are praying for the best but preparing for the worst."
They previously scheduled a press conference at the restaurant for tomorrow and a rally on Saturday morning. Gonzalez said that depending on what happens today, they'll move forward with both events.
Adela Fargas started her namesake business here in 1976.
Before opening Casa Adela at 66 Avenue C, she ran a luncheonette one block to the south. It was there, as a feature in The New York Times from 2015 points out, that she perfected the seasoning for her famed rotisserie chicken.
East River Park below Stanton Street shuts down today as the most significant work to date gets underway here on the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency project.
According to the weekly construction bulletin, these park amenities will now be locked up to the public: the amphitheater, southern athletic fields, basketball courts, lawn and water play area, Delancey Street Bridge, Brian Watkins Tennis Center, and the dance circle.
The bulletin states that the work includes "installation of protective fences and site preparation, including clearing and grubbing." East River Park Action reported that the city will start cutting down the trees in this area south of Stanton as early as tomorrow. Under the city's resiliency plan, they'll need to remove 1,000 trees in total from East River Park.
Click on the map below for more details ... everything within the pinkish zone is closed as of today...
Also today, the construction will close the East River Greenway that runs along the FDR between Montgomery Street and 10th Street.
Looking at the city's advisory, it's not immediately apparent what cyclists traveling north are supposed to do upon arriving at Montgomery Street. Presumably, cyclists will have to turn on Pike at the Manhattan Bridge and head north along Allen, then to First Avenue across Houston, etc. ...
Commuters need to use the Corlears Hook Bridge for public access to the ferry.
Park amenities north of Stanton Street will remain open for public use, with access at East Houston Street, Sixth Street and 10th Street. The city has said they will maintain public access to a minimum of 42 percent of the park throughout construction.
As previously reported, the former Compost Yard was converted into green space to make up for some of the lost park access during construction/demolition over the next four-plus years. This lawn area is expected to be open for public use by the end of 2021. (The photo below is from Saturday.)
Work continues in Project Area 2 between East 15 Street and 25th Street, including Asser Levy Playground, Stuyvesant Cove Park and Murphy Brothers Playground.
Construction on the East Side is expected to wrap up by the end of 2026.
Read our previous posts for more background on the ESCR and the opposition and controversy over the city's current plan.
East River Park Action and other activists say they will continue to fight for alternatives to preserve much of the park and provide interim flood control.
Updated 11 a.m.
There are reports of police arresting activists at the scene. The @1000people1000trees account is providing updates from the park.
Updated 5 p.m.
According to Gothamist, there were three arrests today. Activists say they plan to be back at it tomorrow.
Plywood now surrounds the former B Bar & Grill on the Bowery at Fourth Street... signaling that the demolition of the one-level structure is likely imminent...
As we first reported in January, permits were filed for a 21-floor mixed-use development — a 283-foot-tall office building. (For comparison, the Standard East Village, a block to the north, is 21 floors.) The city approved the permits on Nov. 16, per public records.
According to plans, the well-employed architect Morris Adjmi's building will encompass 98,799 square feet, with 26,000 square feet set aside as an unspecified community facility.
As pointed out here in August, a billboard for the new building looms over the doomed property (right below the "Licorice Pizza" spot)...
Meanwhile, here's a look through the blogger portal on the plywood...
CB Developers paid $59.5 million for a stake in 358-360 Bowery, a gas station before its conversion into the bar-restaurant. B Bar owner Eric Goode, who owns a handful of hotels, including the Bowery Hotel across the way, assembled air rights to build the more extensive development on this corner space.
As for the B Bar, the one-time hot spot (circa the mid-1990s) was expected to close for good in August 2020. However, the place never reopened after the PAUSE in March 2020. On April 3, 2020, nearly 70 B Bar employees were laid off without any extension of benefits or offer of severance pay.
