Saturday, December 23, 2017

Immaculate Conception flea market will return on Jan. 13



In case you had plans for last-minute holiday shopping at the Church of the Immaculate Conception flea market ... no flea marketing again here on 14th Street at First Avenue until Jan. 13...



The flea market moved here from Mary Help of Christians in the fall of 2012.

Friday, December 22, 2017

Report of a manhole explosion on 2nd Avenue


It reportedly happened around 8 p.m. on Second Avenue just below Third Street.

Per ABC 7:

Con Edison responded to the scene and they say that no one was injured and there are no outages as a result of the explosion.

They are now making repairs.

So far, it's not yet known what led to the explosion.

EdenB has some video here.

'Foo' fighting



This is "Yuk Foo" from Visions Of A Life, the second record from the UK's Wolf Alice.

The opossum has pretty much made Tompkins Square Park her/his home now



Nicodemus Punch Sugarpop (OK — that's not really working as a name), the opossum of Tompkins Square Park, is apparently feeling more comfortable now roaming around.

EVG reader Mark Cyr shared these photos from today... showing Parachute ChingChing Yanoonoo enjoying some discarded takeout (where is the mayor with the opossum-proof trash cans????).

Mark also noted that the squirrels would run away from Rasta Jenny Ju...









Per Mark: "We better name him soon — he looks like he is moving in."

[Updated] Someone is inside East Village Cheese



EVG reader Steph shared this photo from around 1:15 this afternoon... you can't quite tell from the photo, but the front door is open at the East Village Cheese shop, 80 Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

There's an unconfirmed report from a tipster on the block that the landlord (or landlord rep) is inside the storefront assessing the situation.

As reported yesterday, the shop has been closed for two weeks — and the electricity has been shut off during that time. No one has seen any member of the Cheese staff these past two weeks.

Meanwhile, the aroma of ripe cheese is now noticeable in adjacent spaces. (A commenter on the Fox News story on the EV Cheese suggested that "the smell is the filthy, disgusting liberals living on the sidewalk and alley.")

One reader is particularly concerned about any unpasteurized and raw-milk cheese products that might have been left unrefrigerated and in the open air. (You can read the FDA's statement on this here.)

Updated


[Photo by Derek Berg]

Co-owner Lobsang Tsultrim was spotted at the storefront later in the afternoon... there was also a Remove All My Junk truck parked in front of the store.

Not sure what the next steps are. For now, Yelp is listing the shop as Permanently Closed.

Santa delivers sacks of coal to Madison Realty Capital, Rafael Toledano's lenders



The following is from the EVG inbox via Tenants Taking Control ...

A festive group of holiday carolers from the TTC (Tenants Taking Control, formerly the Toledano Tenants Coalition) visited the Midtown offices of Madison Realty Capital on Monday morning. But the songs they sang were much more ironic than celebratory.

"Madison is Coming to Town" was sung to a familiar tune, but featured such lyrical enhancements as "♫ They’re making a loan ♪ They’re raising the price ♪. They’re funding a landlord who’s not very nice ♫ Madison is coming to town ♪"



In 2015, Madison Realty loaned $124 million to Rafael Toledano, a 25 year old with no track record as a landlord and a conviction for aggravated assault, so that he could buy a "portfolio" of 15 buildings in Manhattan, mostly in the East Village.

Through demolition that generated lead dust, outright neglect of the properties, aggressive buyout offers and threatened lawsuits, Toledano removed about a third of the 450+ rent-regulated tenants from those buildings before defaulting on Madison's loan and then facing foreclosure in February 2017.

On Monday, the group of remaining tenants also sang "I Had a Little Landlord" (to the tune of "I Have a Little Dreidel"). One verse went: "♪ I had a little landlord ♫ He bought the place one day ♪ He got a check from Madison ♫ And then he couldn’t pay! ♪"

The LLCs once controlled by Toledano staved off the foreclosure in March 2017 by each declaring bankruptcy. Through bankruptcy court, control of the buildings was given over in April to Silverstone Properties, the property management arm of... Madison Realty Capital. If you think that sounds kind of circular, you're not alone. It's a bit like singing a round.

In May 2017, the New York State Attorney General's office filed a massive objection (PDF here) and declaration, accusing Madison Realty Capital of practices “Consistent with a Predatory ‘Loan to Own’ Business Model.” The filings dissected the striking irregularities of the deal. Among other oddities, it references...

• "fatal flaws" in the underwriting of the loan, as evaluated by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development. • clear evidence that Signature Bank (an investor in the loan) foresaw that Toledano would default, and that Madison was well positioned to take over the properties.
• floor plans for the apartments that show newly-added, windowless bedrooms, which are illegal in NYC.

Bankruptcy court hearings regarding the case have been repeatedly postponed by Madison since the AG and the DHCR's Tenant Protection Unit publicized through its filings that the ongoing investigation of Toledano had been expanded to include Madison.



On Monday morning in Midtown, Santa Claus himself made an appearance. He had a special gift for the principals of Madison: Gift-wrapped little sacks of coal. Bellowing loud enough to (possibly) be heard on the 37th floor, he pronounced that the company had been naughty.





Previously on EV Grieve:
Amid claims of being a rent-stabilized tenant, Raphael Toledano faces eviction from his home
Foreclosure notice arrives on Raphael Toledano-owned building on 12th Street

Claim: Landlord of 444 E. 13th St. threatened 'to drop dynamite on the building'

Cleaning up 444 E. 13th St.

Report: State investigating East Village landlord Raphael Toledano

Health Department to inspect Raphael Toledano's East Village properties for toxic levels of lead dust

Foreclosure notice arrives on Raphael Toledano-owned building on 12th Street

Report: Raphael Toledano files for Chapter 11; $145 million deal for EV portfolio is off the table

Raphael Toledano tenants take to Midtown streets to speak out against their landlord and his lenders

East Village tenants pay landlord Raphael Toledano a visit at his Upper West Side home

GG's closes tomorrow

As previously reported, GG's ends its three-year run tomorrow on Fifth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Owner Nick Morgenstern told Eater that business is good at GG's, but he and his partners want to focus on new projects, such as a restaurant for the Ace Hotel on the Bowery.

Here's the message GG's left on their social media....

Customers, Neighbors, and Friends,

For the past three years, GG’s has proudly served the East Village with the highest quality of pizza, drinks and service possible. We are grateful for the many meals and memories that you have shared with us.

After much consideration, we have decided to hand over the keys to 511 East 5th St to a new owner and operator.

This means that GG’s will close its doors permanently on Saturday, December 23rd.

We are proud of the success that GG's has seen over the years, and we're excited for what our individual futures hold.

It has been a joy to serve our friends and neighbors every day...

Something relatively similar will be taking over — Emmy Squared. The Williamsburg pizzeria serves Detroit-style pizza via the wife-and-husband team behind Emily on Downing Street.

No word on when they might be open for business here.

The address has been home to several restaurants since Le Tableau closed in December 2007. Before GG's, there was Goat Town, Seymour Burton and Butcher Bay.

Previously on EV Grieve:
GG's looks to be yielding to Emmy Squared on 5th Street

Thursday, December 21, 2017

A reminder not to bother Christo when he's eating



A scene from Tompkins Square park today via Steven...



Although it sorta looks like it from the photos, Christo was NOT eating a rack of ribs.

Neighbor: East Village Cheese, closed now for 2 weeks, is starting to smell


[EVG reader photo from Dec. 8]

Two weeks have passed, and there hasn't been any sign of life inside East Village Cheese at 80 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (See the previous posts here and here.)

The shop was last seen open on Dec. 7. And the gate has been down ever since, without any notice indicating a temporary or permanent closure. The telephone has been disconnected ... and worse, the power has been shut off inside the shop these past two weeks, neighbors say.

All this is particularly troubling to Julia Knox, who owns East Village Hats next door.

"The smell of cheese is seeping into my hat shop, and I am looking for ideas for how to get the place emptied before it rots," she said. "My biggest concern is that the smell is going to be unbearable pretty soon, and a potential rat problem."

Here's a photo via EVG reader Jeremy Block looking inside the space from Dec. 14. That bread and cheese is still there...


[Via @jeremyblock]

As I understand it, the landlord (76-80 East 7th Street Limited Partnership) is aware of the situation, though apparently there are legal concerns about entering the storefront.

East Village Cheese moved here from Third Avenue in September 2015. By April 2016, regulars started worrying about the shop's longterm financial health. "These guys never really got on their feet after the move," Knox said.

As previously noted, the place wasn't always a very patron-friendly shop on Seventh Street, with a cash-only policy and an early close that prevented way-home-from-work shopping, among other things ... including the lack of ambiance and suspect expiration dates, according to regulars.

Past news article on the shop list Lobsang Tsultrim and Thupten Tenphel, immigrants from Tibet, as the owners. They reportedly took over from its founder, Alvin Kaufman, in 2005.

Updated Dec. 22

NBC 4, ABC 7 and PIX 11 all picked up the story, though they didn't offer any new developments.


AG's office: Steve Croman agrees to pay $8 million to the tenants he harassed



Steve Croman's civil case came to an end yesterday as he agreed to pay $8 million to the tenants he was accused of bullying out of their rent-regulated apartments.

Here's the official release from the Attorney General's office:

New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced an unprecedented settlement with Steven Croman ... for engaging in illegal conduct, including harassment, coercion, and fraud, to force rent-regulated tenants out of their apartments and convert their apartments into highly profitable market-rate units.

The consent decree requires Croman to pay $8 million into a Tenant Restitution Fund – the largest-ever monetary settlement with an individual landlord. The settlement also requires over 100 Croman residential properties to be run by a new, independent management company with no ties to Croman, for five years – the longest-ever term for independent management in OAG history. Moreover, the settlement requires seven years of a monitor who will oversee compliance with the terms of the consent decree and provide regular reporting to the Attorney General – the longest-ever monitorship required in any tenant harassment case.

Croman is currently serving one year in jail and paid a separate $5 million settlement as a result of criminal charges brought by Attorney General Schneiderman.

Eligible tenants will be able to apply for restitution; the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) will announce details of a claims process early next year. Tenants will be eligible for restitution if they are or were a tenant in a rent-stabilized or rent-controlled apartment owned by Croman between July 1, 2011 and the date of the agreement (Dec. 20, 2017); they received a buyout of less than $20,000, not including any amount that purported to cover rent or arrears; and no other tenant in their apartment received money from the restitution fund.

The Attorney General’s office will approve both the independent management company and the monitor. The independent management company will oversee operations and institute new policies at the Croman properties to ensure full compliance with the law and correction of all past violations. It will also post a comprehensive set of Tenants Rights in every building it manages.

The monitor will provide quarterly reports to the Attorney General, which will include at minimum any complaints received from tenants and actions taken; the total number of rent-regulated apartments that became deregulated during the reporting period, the reason for deregulation, and all supporting documents; and the monitor’s assessment as to whether Croman has complied with the consent decree.

The consent decree also ensures that Anthony Falconite – another defendant in the Attorney General’s lawsuit whom Croman allegedly referred to as his “secret weapon” in intimidating rent-regulated tenants – will have no interaction with any Croman tenants.

Croman is currently in jail (though not at Rikers as originally billed via the AG's office) for mortgage fraud. Back in June, he pleaded guilty to three felonies for fraudulently refinancing loans and committing tax fraud and will serve up to a year in prison and pay a $5 million tax settlement. Public records show that Croman (in the system as Steven Crowman) is currently at the Manhattan Detention Center (aka the Tombs).

Croman's real-estate portfolio via 9300 Realty includes 47 buildings with 617 units in the East Village.

Meanwhile, a Croman tenant shared the holiday card that 9300 Realty sent out last week...

Out East has not been open the last few days



Out East has been dark the last two nights during announced business hours here on Sixth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B, a curious development given that this is traditionally a busy holiday period for restaurants.

There's nothing to note a temporary closure on the front door or on their website or social media properties.

The Out East Facebook page posted this yesterday ... even though the restaurant wasn't open ...



Out East opened back in the spring. The operators of the two-level, 124-seat seafood-centric restaurant here have been involved with hotspots such as Beauty & Essex and Stanton Social.

OpenTable shows that reservations aren't available at Out East until Jan. 13.

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Opossum where art thou?



The (an?) opossum was spotted traipsing around Tompkins Square Park again today... (this time without a plastic bag) ... Steven shared these photos...









... while EVG regular Cheyenne passed along these shots...







To date, the opossum doesn't have a name/branding/Instagram presence. Found a website that generates opossum names...



Other favorites so far from the generator have been Rasta Jenny Ju, Nicodemus Punch Sugarpop and Parachute ChingChing Yanoonoo.

EV Grieve Etc.: Robber hits 2nd Avenue TD Bank; Veselka featured in 'Ocean's 8' trailer


[Lion running wild on the L train platform today via Grant Shaffer]

Remembering sword swallower Johnny Fox, proprietor of the Freakatorium on Clinton Street (The Lo-Down)

Nick Zedd, who spearheaded the Cinema of Transgression film movement in the 1980s while living in the East Village, is currently fighting eviction in Mexico City. (Page Six ... previously)

NYC added 25 miles of new protected bike lanes in 2017 (Curbed)

Man makes off with $1,900 from the TD Bank on Second Avenue at First Street (Patch ... B+B)

Fire destroys apartment at 287 Avenue C in Stuy Town (Town & Village)

Developers of 88-unit apartment building at 255 E. Houston St. score $40 million loan (Commercial Observer ... previously)

Veselka featured in "Ocean's 8" trailer debut (The New York Times ... previously) And an ode to the restaurant (Guest of a Guest)

New York medical marijuana activist Dana Beal pleads not guilty to two pot charges in California (Daily News)

Thoughts on the "Gentrify This" mural outside Rag & Bone (Flaming Pablum)

Last show of the year for Hedda Lettuce at the Village East Cinema tomorrow night: "Auntie Mame" (Official site)

If you're a fan of the Lincoln Plaza Cinema (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

... and the washer-dryer combo is no longer with us at 10th and B...




Workers remove the sculpture fence and prep lot at 89 1st Ave.


[Photo yesterday by Goggla]

Workers yesterday dismantled the sculpture fence that had lined the empty lot for years (since the late 1980s, per one estimate) here on First Avenue between Fifth Street and Sixth Street.

As I understand it, the fence was created at the former Gas Station (aka Art Gallery Space 2B) on Avenue B and Second Street by Claire Kalemkeris and Johnny Swing in collaboration with Linus Coraggio. (In an email, Coraggio said that he wanted to salvage the fence and place it in the Kenkeleba Sculpture Garden on Third Street between Avenue B and Avenue C where more of his work is on display.)

For now, it appears that at least one section of the fence is lying inside the lot...


[Photo by EVG reader Mona]

Aside from removing the fence, workers — once again — cleared out some of the weeds in the space.



Plans were filed in the spring with the city for a 6-floor building. According to the pre-filing info at the DOB, the building will house eight dwelling units in nearly 7,400 square feet of space. The nearly 1,000 square feet per unit suggests condos. There's another 900 square feet listed for the ground-floor storefront. (The city has yet to approve these permits.)

As previously reported, Florence Toledano was the owner of this lot. In 2013, public records show that the deed for the property was transferred from the Florence Toledano Living Trust to 89 First Avenue LLC. The DOB permit lists Daniel Toledano as the manager of the property. (We do not know the relationship between Daniel Toledano and Florence Toledano. One reader said Daniel is a nephew of Florence.) Andrew Fredman is listed as the architect of record for the new building.

In recent weeks the fence had started to sag... there was an opening in the front...


[Photo from Sunday]

It looked as if someone or something rammed the fence...


[Photo from Sunday]

And someone had written a lyric from "Chinese Rocks" back in the summer...



Updated 5:30 p.m.

EVG reader Rik Rocket shared this photo of the new fence going in...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Will this long-empty lot on 1st Avenue yield to affordable housing?

Drilling and soil testing commences at the long-empty lot at 89 1st Ave.

Permits filed for 6-story building in long-empty lot at 89 1st Ave.


[Photo from 2014]

Hotel Tortuga, now with morning espresso service on 14th Street


[Photo from Monday morning]

Back in October, Hotel Tortuga temporarily closed as new ownership took over the Mexican restaurant on 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Hotel Tortuga reopened in early November with Lance Marlo, who previously operated Luna Espresso on the Upper East Side, as the new owner. He bought Hotel Tortuga from David and Jean LaPointe. (The LaPointes opened Tortuga here in 2010. They also ran Curly's Vegetarian Lunch one block to the east on 14th Street until the end of 2011.)

"We still have the same menu, serve breakfast all day, carry vegan, vegetarian and traditional meat options. There may be possible menu changes in the near future as per the new owners," Idalja, the manager, told me. (The previous staff remains as well.)

They also still offer the $7.95 lunch special from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ...



One change: Hotel Tortuga has a new La Marzocco espresso machine and are open in the mornings for some espresso drinks ...


Hotel Tortuga is also awaiting a new liquor license. You can get a Mexican Coca-Cola in the meantime though.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Hotel Tortuga, under new management, will reopen soon still as Hotel Tortuga

How many East Village properties do the Kushner Cos. actually own?


[Compilation of Kushner-owned EV buildings from 2013]

Bloomberg delves into the Manhattan properties owned by Kushner Cos., including a large number in the East Village. In an article published yesterday, Bloomberg finds that, in 60 percent of the properties, the Kushners own less than half of each; in nearly half, they own less than 20 percent.

One estimate puts the number of Kushner-owned East Village buildings at 31. (Only Steve Croman reportedly owns more East Village buildings.)

So who actually owns these properties?

[T]he vast majority of the money behind the purchases didn’t belong to [Jared] Kushner or his family. Rather, it came from an obscure Israel-based company called Gaia Investments Corp. and related entities. Gaia has almost no public profile in New York real estate. Its principals have held roles in enterprises owned by the diamond-trading Steinmetz family, with close ties to Raz Steinmetz, the nephew of billionaire Beny Steinmetz.

A 2015 deal for 16 apartment buildings had a similar structure. Again, the Kushners were publicly credited with the acquisition, and again, most of the money belonged to someone else. The investors in this case, not previously reported, were C-III Capital Partners, a Texas-based asset manager run by Andrew Farkas...

From 2012 to 2015, Kushner Cos. purchased more than 40 Manhattan apartment buildings that they still own. In at least 80 percent of them, they’re minority partners to well-heeled investors.

Bloomberg notes that it's not unusual for landlords/developers to be minority owners of their properties or projects, serving instead as the public face for behind-the-scenes investors.

However, there's some concern in this case for the company, previously run by current White House adviser Jared Kushner.

Per Bloomberg:

The finding that the company is most often a junior owner heightens concern over conflicts-of-interest a year after Kushner entered the White House. As his family has hunted for investors overseas in countries as far-flung as China and Saudi Arabia, many inside and outside of government worry about the potential for quid-pro-quos — public policy driven by private business. In the partnerships where the Kushner Cos. have minor stakes, there’s pressure to make returns for the investors who put up most of the money.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Inside a classic East Village tenement before the whole building is renovated

Jared Kushner not done buying every walk-up in the East Village

Tenants claim: Kushner and Westminster want to destroy this building's beautiful garden

Reports outline how Kushner Companies is aggressively trying to empty 170-174 E. 2nd St.

Local politicos join residents of 2 Jared Kushner-owned buildings to speak out about poor living conditions, alleged harassment

Jared Kushner's residents at 118 E. 4th St. would like gas for cooking and some heat

Jared Kushner's East Village tenants wish he'd resolve issues closer to home

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

A visitor



An unknown juvenile red-tailed hawk paid a visit to Tompkins Square Park this afternoon... the juvenile hung around for a few hours taking in the sights ... Steven shared these photos...






[Photo by Bobby Williams]


[Photo by Cheyenne]

Later, a blue jay started dive bombing the juvenile, who didn't seem to mind...