Monday, April 1, 2019

A quick look at Webster Hall a month before it reopens



Webster Hall officially reopens on April 29 with a two-night stint by Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía followed by Patti Smith on May 1-2. All four of these shows are sold out. (And there are the rumors that a band such as the Strokes, the National or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will christen the new space at the end of the month before the official slate of acts.)

Ahead of the debut this month, here's a look at how the landmarked venue is shaping up outside here on 11th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue...





As previously reported, Webster Hall is now owned by BSE Global and The Bowery Presents, who's booking the acts at the venue.

And here's a recap from a previously released press announcement:

The renovations at Webster Hall aimed to preserve the iconic features of the venue, while modernizing it to meet today’s entertainment standards and enhance the guest experience. The Lounge (formerly The Marlin Room) has been revamped to serve as a bar and meeting spot for ticketholders both before and after shows in the Grand Ballroom.

Design details of The Lounge include elegant gold stenciling on the walls that pays homage to the original historic design, and fluted glass along the bar that mimics the venue’s former windows.

In the Grand Ballroom, the original stage remains, while acoustics were enhanced to create an optimal live event experience. Fans and artists returning to Webster Hall will notice other new features such as central air conditioning, expanded restrooms, additional stairwells for smoother entry and exit, and the venue’s first-ever elevator that will serve guests with disabilities and speed up each show’s load-in and load-out process.

Behind the scenes, an artist compound was built with upgraded amenities to provide direct access to the Ballroom stage, creating a more comfortable and inviting environment for performers and their management. The venue’s basement level, formerly known as The Studio at Webster Hall, will also return, with more details to be announced at a later date.

The architect of the revived venue is OTJ Architects, the contractor is Shawmut Design and Construction, and acoustic design is by L’Acoustics. Once open, Webster Hall will employ an estimated 70 people across various positions in the venue, between front of house and back of house, on any given event night.

This landmarked building has been around since 1886. It re-opened as Webster Hall in October 1992 after the Ballinger family purchased and renovated the space that was known as The Ritz during the 1980s.

And for making it this far in the post, here are bonus photos of the Moxy East Village across the street from Webster Hall...



The 13-floor hotel via Marriott is expected to open at the end of the year.



Previously on EV Grieve:
When Webster Hall reopens, there might be a Moxy Hotel across the street

First sign of upcoming renovations at the former Webster Hall

Permits filed to renovate Webster Hall

The Webster Hall marquee looks to be in danger of falling

Ride on, Cowboys: Stillwater Bar & Grill closes after 15 years on 4th Street


[Image via @stillwaternyc]

Multiple EVG readers shared the news that the Stillwater Bar & Grill closed its doors on Fourth Street last night after 15 years on the block here between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

At least one regular chalked up the closure to a "landlord dispute."

Since 2008, the neighborhood sports bar also served as home to the NYC Cowboys — the official alumni group for Oklahoma State University.

News of Stillwater's closure made it all the way to this Oklahoma State superbooster ...


The bar was actually not named for the city in north-central Oklahoma, but rather owner Matt Keane's love for fishing.

Stillwater Bar & Grill opened in August 2004.

A reminder that H Mart is coming to 3rd Avenue



We've been waiting for word of H Mart's arrival in the long-vacant shops along the base of NYU's Alumni Hall on Third Avenue between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

There's now a new "coming soon" banner for the Asian-American supermarket on display...



We first spotted the branding for H Mart here last August. Still no exact opening date for the chain, based in Lyndhurst, N.J. This will be the third H Mart in Manhattan (the others are on West 32nd Street and Broadway on the Upper West Side). Overall, H Mart has more than 70 outposts in the United States and Canada.

H Mart is taking the place of the former Birdbath and Citi Habitats office. Both of these businesses left in the summer of 2014. ... and the storefronts have sat empty ever since.

While we're over here... the departure date for Metropolis Vintage has been pushed back from April 1 to May 1...



As we first reported on Jan. 2, Metropolis is moving to a larger space at 803 Broadway near 11th Street after 23 years at 43 Third Ave.


[Photo by Steven]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Metropolis Vintage is on the move to a larger space nearby on Broadway

299 Bowery arrives on the rental market 20 months after DBGB closed



A for-rent sign has finally arrived on the former DBGB space at 299 Bowery.

JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle Brokerage, Inc.) has the listing. There's not much info, such as the asking price, on the 6,600-square-feet of space. Per the listing: "Fully built restaurant space with infrastructure, kitchen and bar in place (no key money)."

DBGB shut down in August 2017 after eight years in the Avalon Bowery complex here between First Street and Houston Street.

The former Tatyana Boutique next door is also still for rent. That storefront has been vacant for three-plus years.

Previously on EV Grieve:
DBGB has closed, and erased from the Bowery

[Updated] Sage Kitchen announces itself on the Bowery



The signage is up now for the opening-soon [UPDATED: Now open!] Sage Kitchen at 356 Bowery between Great Jones and Fourth Street.

This is the first restaurant/marketplace (first announced back in February) for the five-year-old catering company. Per their website: "Our favorite seasonal menu features sandwiches, grain bowls, market salads and sweets — all made to order. Our Chef Jazzie describes our menu as, 'fresh, vibrant, simple.'"

You can find a (catering) menu here.

And you can hit up their Instagram for nice food pics...


The Bowery Bond, an artist collective, was previously in this retail space.

Updated 4/4

EVG regular Lola Sáenz notes that Sage is now open...

Work permits issued for the former (and future?) Sidewalk space on Avenue A



The city issued a work permit last week for 94 Avenue A, the former (and future?) Sidewalk Bar and Restaurant at Sixth Street.

Nothing too exciting per the permit: "INTERIOR REMOVAL AND RENOVATION WORK AT THE 1ST FLOOR AND CELLAR."



The work is estimated at $50,000, per the DOB paperwork.

The permit arrives amid rumors that the building had been sold. There's nothing in public records about a recorded sale. (The asking price had been $11.9 million.)

As previously reported, new owners have taken over the former Sidewalk, which closed after service on Feb. 23. So far not many details about what's to come here have been made public. There have been rumors that the new establishment will retain the Sidewalk name... and at least one of the open-mic nights.

Auction at Croissanteria today



Croissanteria is now officially closed at 68 Avenue A between Fourth Street and Fifth Street.

There was a small sign on the door announcing an auction today (Monday, April 1) at 1 p.m. Everything left in the restaurant is for sale, per the sign.

Several people mentioned an interest in the cafe's antique wall clock...


[Image via Yelp]

The bakery and cafe began selling coffee and croissants here in October 2012. There wasn't any reason for the closure made public.

Noted (bagel edition)


[Image via Black Seed Bagels]

Of possible interest to bagel fans... Black Seed Bagels and Violet, the grilled pizza place that recently opened on Fifth Street, have partnered to create the East Bay Bagel Sandwich available starting today for the month of April.

Via the EVG inbox...

Inspired by Violet’s Rhode Island roots, the sandwich is made with chorizo, fried egg, melted provolone cheese, grilled and sautéed kale, topped with sliced banana peppers and served on an everything bagel. ($13)

The sandwich is available at all four currently open Black Seed locations, including First Avenue between 10th Street and 11th Street.

Sunday, March 31, 2019

6 posts from March


[1st Avenue looking south toward 13th Street]

A mini month in review...

A visit to Peter Jarema Funeral Home on 7th Street (March 22)

The mystery of Moishe's (March 21)

New York Attorney General intervenes to stop eviction of tenants in Raphael Toledano-owned building on 13th Street (March 14)

Photos: "Best Wishes" from Harley Flanagan at the Pyramid Club (March 13)

A Repeat Performance, until July 31 (March 13)

I Am a Rent-Controlled Tenant (March 7)

Week in Grieview


[Free things on 9th Street the other day via Steven]

Posts on EVG this past week included...

Remembering Nicholas and Moises: the Figueroa family marks the 4-year anniversary of the 2nd Avenue gas explosion (Tuesday)

A visit to Lui’s Thai Food on 4th Street (Friday)

Report: Man dies from stab wounds at 9th Street shelter (Tuesday)

Your chance to discuss proposed changes coming to the M14A and M14D bus lines (Friday)

What's in your empty storefront? Capital One is closing both of its East Village branches (Tuesday)

You can vote on what neighborhood projects receive funds from Councilmember Rivera's office (Friday)

Report: Arrest made in hit-and-run death of East Village cyclist (Tuesday)

Screening of this Bowery film classic benefits the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors (Wednesday)

Neighborhood bar Local 138 moving from Ludlow to Orchard this spring (Friday)

The first sign of Japanese ramen shop Sanpoutei arrives at former Kabin space on 2nd Avenue (Thursday)

After bankruptcy auction, 113 E. 2nd St. returns to market for $1.1 million more (Monday)

Plans for an East Village outpost of the Wild Son moving forward; steakhouse no go for St. Mark's Place (Wednesday)

This week's NY See (Monday)

What might have been at 51 Astor Place in the early 1960s — and beyond (Wednesday)

Japanese cafe pops up on 4th Street (Monday)

Remembering the victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire 108 years later (Sunday)

Timna announces April 14 closing date on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

The Asian Taste awning has arrived on 3rd and B; China Wok redux? (Monday)

There's not much left of the former St. Denis Hotel on Broadway (Monday)

97 2nd Ave. is for sale — again (Thursday)

At the start of the 3 Blind Mice alley cat for Aurilla Lawrence (Sunday)

'Heeere's Kubrick' returns to the City Cinemas Village East (Monday)

At long last, activity at 75 1st Ave. (Thursday)

As the sushi rolls on 1st Avenue (Wednesday)

Incoming: Me ❤️ Cue on St. Mark's Place; Empire Smoke Shop on 1st Avenue (Tuesday)

... and gut renovations continue inside the storefront on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Fifth Street (the former Mary Ann's and, for a sec, 100% Healthy Blend)... still waiting for the official word of the new tenant... photos here this past week by Derek Berg...





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Celebrating Hattie


[Image via Howl! Happening]

Friends of Hattie Hathaway, aka Brian Butterick, are gathering in Tompkins Square Park tomorrow evening for the start of "a giant sendoff." The downtown nightlife legend died on Jan. 30 from lung cancer at age 62.

Here are more details via the Howl! Happening website:

This public memorial of the beloved gay cultural icon will begin with a parade and continue to La MaMa’s Ellen Stewart Theater, 66 E. Fourth St., 2nd floor. Free and Open to All.

Drag March: Those wishing to join the parade and processional please dress for a “Second Line, or Drag March.” To find us gather in the middle of Tompkins Square Park ... Parade leaves at 6:30 p.m. Bring small walking instruments, i.e. wild womyn drums, tambourines; or pictures of Hattie.

Memorial: La MaMa.

Howl! Happening and Jackie Factory welcome everyone to this night of memories, performance, dancing, and celebration. Johnny Dynell will spin the Hattie-centric soundtrack along with remembrances, video, performances and other tributes. Video curator is Aldo Hernández.

'FEAST: A Performance Series' returns to a revamped Under St. Marks Theater



The latest production from FEAST: A Performance Series — a monthly showcase of new work from playwrights, musicians, comics, poets, choreographers, etc. — is tomorrow (Monday!) night at the Under St. Marks Theater.

Via the EVG inbox...

FEAST3: April is Monday, April 1 at 7 p.m. (and is NOT an April Fool's Day joke!!!)

This month we're featuring brand new performances from:
• The all-female sketch comedy team Thank You For Your Cervix
• Devising director Benjamin-Ernest Abraham
• Musician Matthew O'Koren

Folks can use the discount code TSAEF online for $10 tickets, or buy them at the door for $15.

This show also marks good news about the Under St. Marks Theater, 94 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

In February, the theater had to close for emergency repair work after a broken pipe caused water damage in the space.

We're told the venue reopened for rehearsals this space week... the repair work included other enhancements, such as the addition of a second restroom.

Under St. Marks, currently run by the Horse Trade Theater Group, has operated here as an experimental theater since the 1970s.

Noted



The Hells Angels get the tabloid treatment today over at the Post... giving the bikers the wood about their move away from Third Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

To the article:

“We’re being harassed by the yuppies down here [who are] sitting on our bikes and pissing on the sidewalk,” griped one burly biker outside the infamous motorcycle gang’s clubhouse at 77 E. Third St., which has been sold and mostly cleaned out.

“When the neighborhood was s–t, nobody minded us because we kept the place clean,” the biker, Tony, continued. “It comes a point where it’s useless to be down here because of the harassment. [We want to] go somewhere we can live comfortably.”

Tony, who once lived in the HQ and is now homeless, turned up at the all-but-abandoned bunker last week for a meeting with the building’s buyer, Nathan Blatter of Whitestone Realty.

Blatter told the tabloid that a deal hasn't been finalized yet.

And where will the members go? Per the Post: "The gang hopes to relocate to a neighborhood where they won’t be bothered by Starbucks traffic, pushy tourists and nosy cops."

The Hells Angels have had a presence on Third Street since 1969. They eventually bought the six-floor building, which includes their clubhouse and member residences, from Birdie Ruderman in the Bronx for $1,900, according to public records.

Previously (and exclusively) on EV Grieve:
After 50 years on the block, the Hells Angels appear to be selling their 3rd Street clubhouse

Saturday, March 30, 2019

Spring break in Tompkins Square Park



Spring scenes today via Goggla...

Early afternoon sky break



Today from Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue...

Street fair! Street fair! Street fair!



The VERY FIRST street fair of 2019 — aka the Astor Place Festival — is underway now on Astor Place between Lafayette and Broadway... all your favorites are here, from mozzarella sticks to Bob Marley "One Love" silk posters ...



Thanks to Vinny & O for the photos!

See the Stiv Bators documentary tonight at Theater 80



Sorry to say that I was unaware of this screening until now (thanks to the commenter for mentioning it). So we missed the first night. But there are still tickets available for tonight.

Here's more about "Stiv, No Compromise No Regrets" and tonight ...

The New York premiere of a film by Danny Garcia. A Q&A with the director will follow the screening. Music by Frank Secich and friends will close the evening.

Stiv Bators was a punk pioneer, canonized by his exploits in life and untimely death. Now his story is being told by in "Stiv, No Compromise No Regrets," a long-awaited doc, that is both poignant and exhilarating.

The film covers Stiv’s formative years in Youngstown, Ohio, before the Dead Boys and his time with projects such as The Stiv Bators Disconnected Band, The Wanderers, Whores of Babylon feat. Johnny Thunders & Dee Dee Ramone, then onto The Lords of The New Church, through his last days in Paris.

Complete with never released 8MM footage from private collections, a killer soundtrack, and accounts from the people who were with Stiv through various phases and projects of his life and career.



Seating is at 9:30 p.m. and the show starts at 10. You can buy tickets here. Theater 80 is at 80 St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Friday, March 29, 2019

These 'Eyes'



Here's a new video from Thick, a Brooklyn-based trio ... the track is for "Green Eyes" off the band's new EP.

Report of a fire at 505 E. 13th St.



An EVG reader shares the above photo... the FDNY is responding to a report of a fire at 505 E. 13th St. at Avenue A...



One witness says "smoke is pouring out of the top floor apartment on the back right side of the building." The retail space on this corner is currently vacant (the former Percy's Tavern).


[Photo by Christine Champagne]

The @fdnyalerts account reports that the fire was under control in less than 30 minutes...



No word on cause or extent of the damage just yet.

H/T dwg

You can vote on what neighborhood projects receive funds from Councilmember Rivera's office


[Click on image to go big]

Local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera is kicking off Council District 2’s first-ever round of Participatory Budgeting (PB) voting, which begins tomorrow (Saturday!) and continues through April 7.

Here's more via the EVG inbox...

To celebrate the start of Vote Week, Rivera is hosting a PB Vote Week Kick Off tomorrow (Saturday!) at the LES Girls Club (402 E. Eighth St. at Avenue D) from noon to 3:30 p.m. Individuals interested in attending the celebration can RSVP online by going to this link or calling her office at (212) 677-1077.

At the event, residents will get the opportunity to learn about all the Participatory Budgeting projects on the ballot and vote for their favorite projects. PB allows for residents to decide how to spend capital funds, allocated by the Council Member, for community improvements. This year, out of the 135 ideas submitted, 11 projects were placed on the final PB ballot. (Up to $1 million of projects will be funded based on the votes of residents.)

The final list of projects on the ballot:

· Fence installation at El Jardín del Paraiso Garden, 710 E. Fifth St.
Replacing old fence with a new iron fence.
Estimated cost: $225,000

· Water system construction at 6BC Botanical Garden, 630 E. Sixth St.
Designating a water source, includes new tap, piping, hydrant, and RPZ to support the 6BC Garden.
Estimated cost: $300,000

· An accessible lift at PS 40, 320 E. 20th St.
Install a lift to help disabled seniors and children entering the building.
Estimated cost: $350,000

· Gym renovations at PS 188, 442 E. Houston St.
This would include replacing walls, seating, padding around the walls, gym equipment and installing storage space.
Estimated cost: $150,000

· Science mobile carts for PS 34, 730 E. 12th St.
Two science mobile carts for students to do laboratory work.
Estimated cost: $140,000

· Countdown clocks along the M9, M14A, and M14D routes
Countdown clocks for routes along the M9, M14A and M14D in District 2.
Estimated cost: $200,000

· Street resurfacing district-wide
Many of the roads are in bad condition, and constituents are seeking road resurfacing throughout the district.
Estimated cost: $250,000 per lane mile

· Garbage compactor upgrades at Straus Houses, 243 E. 27th St.
Upgrades to two interior compactors and compactor room.
Estimated cost: $100,000

· Playground renovations at Lillian Wald Houses, Avenue D between Fourth and Fifth Streets
Upgrade to play equipment, new set of monkey bars and new slide
Estimated cost: $500,000

· Playground renovations at Jacob Riis Houses, 178 Avenue D
Renovations would include new monkey bars, a new slide and a new sprinkler system.
Estimated cost: $500,000

· Basketball court renovations at Jacob Riis Houses, 178 Avenue D
Basketball court will be re-painted, install new basketball hoops and overall upgrade to court.
Estimated cost: $500,000

Residents who live in District 2 and are older than 11 years of age can vote for up to five of the 11 ideas on the ballot.

Rivera's office will have specific sites set up throughout District 2 where residents will be able to vote (the image at top of this post has the locations). Residents can also vote online at pbnyc.org/vote (note – the link will go live at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow).

A visit to Lui’s Thai Food on 4th Street



Photos and interview by Stacie Joy

Getting Pimnapa “Lek” Sunthatkolkarn, chef/owner of Lui’s Thai Food, 128 E. Fourth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, to sit still for a minute for our interview is no easy task.

I stopped by the small restaurant during a break in service, which happens every day from 4 to 5 p.m. Although she confesses to being tired, she’s in almost constant motion, a 62-year-old one-woman powerhouse.



She first addresses a common misconception with me — that she must be the eponymous Lui.

But no, lui in Thailand means, roughly, “go for it!” Still, enough people call her Lui that she good-naturedly answers to it along with Lek, her actual nickname.

Lek used to own Holy Basil, a much-loved, now-shuttered Thai spot on Second Avenue near Ninth Street. She opened Lui's in late 2013.

An East Village resident (she’s lived on 11th Street for more than 30 years), Lek says having a restaurant here is hard work and wonders aloud if the East Village has changed, speculates how it might have changed, and worries about keeping the restaurant busy enough going forward.

She mentions how many people, her long-term customers, are leaving NYC now. When I ask her if she’ll be staying, she tells me she has five years left on her 10-year lease.






[Kris the waiter]

When she first opened Lui’s Thai, she had only nine items on the menu. And she didn't offer pad thai.

She laughs and tells me that “you must have pad thai or you die.”

She’s changed the menu since opening day. Today, she not only has the mandatory noodle dish but also traditional curries and some locally sourced small-batch specials. Some of those plates get playful names like Ooh la la Salmon Belly or Grilled Squid with Spicy Sexy Sauce.

If something doesn't sell, then she takes it off the menu. Current best-selling dishes are the crispy duck and the garlic chicken.

Lek would like customers to try new things and expand their palate but doesn’t want to tell them what (or what not) to eat. She wishes she could instruct them “don’t eat only pad thai, try the drunken salmon noodles.” Her favorite item on the menu is the Thai eggplant with soft tofu, a recipe from her grandmother.


[Crispy duck with garlic chives and basil]


[Tofu and vegetables soup with ho choy, watercress, tomatoes and spicy broth]


[Crispy calamari and shrimp w/garlic chives and green beans in spicy sauce]


[Beef drunken noodles with chilis, Chinese broccoli and basil]

There’s no alcohol at Lui's, though you can bring in your own bottle of wine (without a corkage fee). When I ask her why she doesn’t want a beer/wine license, she laughs again and tells me that people linger too long at a place serving alcohol. You need high turnover in a space this small or a business can’t survive.

Despite her worries about the business, Lek has a cheerful disposition and laughs a lot. As I am leaving she tells me, “Eat, then dance. Have fun!”





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Lek is old-fashioned and doesn’t do social media. Restaurant hours include a lunch service from noon until 4 p.m., then dinner from 5 to 10:30 p.m. No reservations.

H/T to Kathleen McMillan for helping facilitate this interview.

Your chance to discuss proposed changes coming to the M14A and M14D bus lines



There's a town hall with MTA officials this coming Tuesday night from 6-8 (details below) to discuss proposed changes to the M14A and M14D bus routes on Avenue A and Avenue D.

As previously reported, with the the new planned SBS route, the MTA may eliminate M14A and M14D stops throughout the East Village and Lower East Side.

The proposal would turn the M14A and M14D into an SBS route, lowering the number of stops on Avenue A and Avenue D and along Grand Street.

Last Friday, local elected officials spoke out against these proposed moves during a rally on Avenue A and Fourth Street. (You can read coverage of this at Curbed and Patch.)

Here's a statement released following the rally:

With the partial shutdown of the L train fast approaching, this compromise SBS route would eliminate a number of local stops near senior centers and NYCHA developments, while not removing enough stops to provide significantly improved speeds.

A real M14 SBS with supplemental, local service, would service vulnerable populations while improving on the proposed SBS plan and providing real “express” travel times that other routes have. In fact, there is already a successful model for this kind of plan just a few avenues away, where the M15 SBS runs parallel to an M15 local route. The MTA must pursue a similar strategy for the M14 route.

The Lower East Side, which encompasses most of the future M14 SBS route, is home to one of the 10 largest senior populations in New York City who rely on the current M14A/D to get to medical appointments, supermarkets, and social activities. The current proposal also ignores the challenges that stop removal will pose for residents living in NYCHA developments and the 28 percent of residents of the Lower East Side and Chinatown who live below the Federal Poverty Level.

"Our M14 bus is the second-busiest bus route in Manhattan and sadly also the second slowest: I believe we must and can do better in serving our East Side residents," said City Councilmember Carlina Rivera. "We need solutions for both those who need faster transit options and those will be forced to walk over half a mile between the proposed new bus stops and their homes, with no other affordable options. The current M14 SBS plan not only fails seniors and low-income New Yorkers – it also diminishes how transformative an SBS route could be for the area."

Tuesday night's meeting is at the 7th Precinct, 19 Pitt St., which is just south of the Williamsburg Bridge and Delancey Street.



Previously on EV Grieve:
Local elected officials urging the MTA/DOT to keep local service in M14 SBS plan

Neighborhood bar Local 138 moving from Ludlow to Orchard this spring



Local 138 is on the move on the Lower East Side.

Bar reps last night announced that Local 138 will leave its home since 1996 at 138 Ludlow St. between Stanton and Rivington next month for a new space at 181 Orchard St. between Houston and Stanton...



The last call at Local 138 on Ludlow is April 27. No word yet on when they will open on Orchard Street.

A bar rep said — long story short — that the lease was up at 138 Ludlow St., and the owners couldn't come to terms on a new lease.

No surprise, really. Michael Shah's Delshah Capital bought the building for $19 million in January 2018.

Earlier this year, lead levels in the building were found to be as high as 36 times the federal government’s acceptable health standard, according to a report commissioned by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.