Officially down to 1 2 Bros. on St. Mark's Place

Workers have stripped away the remaining evidence of the $1.50 2 Bros. Pizza at 36 St. Mark's Place.

The low-budget, low-taste pizzeria quietly closed at the end of January. The $1 2 Bros. a few storefronts away at No. 32 between Second Avenue and Third Avenue remains in business.

This marks the second of the three East Village 2 Bros. to close. The location on First Avenue near East 14th Street abruptly shut down last summer.

Meanwhile, this is the third business on the south side of this block to close in recent weeks … joining the Pinkberry and Hanjoo.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The $1.50 2 Bros. on St. Mark's Place has apparently closed

Sleepy's for the rest of your retail life

A Sleepy's opened back in December at 111 Third Ave. near East 14th St.

At first glance, it's really not exciting retail news. Or is it?

Uh, anyway, Bloomberg Business had a post on Sleepy's yesterday. The Long Island-based company has 32 locations in Manhattan alone … which, as Bloomberg points out, is more than than the Gap (13), Whole Foods (7) and Best Buy (6) combined.

Per Bloomberg: "That's no mean feat, considering that the average American replaces a mattress only once every 10 years."

How do they succeed? Well, you have to watch the video report for the answer… but basically Sleepy's enjoys 50 percent profit margins… with minimal risk (low inventory) and flexible location opportunities (Sleepy's doesn't need prime window-shopping real estate, and will do fine on a second-floor spot).

Of course Sleepy's isn't completely bulletproof. The location at 138 Delancey closed last August.

That storefront between Norfolk and Suffolk remains on the market….

Enjoying the classics with Lou Reed

In case you haven't heard this interview making the rounds the last day or two… PBS released another interview in its Blank on Blank series, this time with a conversation with Lou Reed from 1987… where he puts down everyone from the Doors ("What I mean by 'stupid,' I mean, like, the Doors") and the Beatles ("I never liked the Beatles … I thought they were garbage").

And who did he like?

"I liked nobody."

H/T Dangerous Minds

Raclette now serving croques and tartines on Avenue A

Raclette is now open at 195 Avenue A just north of East 12th Street.

The quick-serve restaurant is the creation of East Village resident Edgar Villongco, who originally tried to open the cafe in 2012 on East 12th Street.

At the time, he was seeking a beer-wine license. After a handful of residents spoke out against another liquor license for the block between Avenue A and Avenue B, Villongco — who lives nearby — dropped the plans rather than pursuing the matter directly with State Liquor Authority. (You can read all the background in this article published in The Local from June 2012.)

Instead of the cafe, he opened a scooter shop, Urban Motion, at 508 E. 12th St.

However, after nearly three years, he recently closed Urban Motion to put his focus back on launching Raclette (without a beer-wine license still).

Villongco shared a little more about the cafe.

"It's got both French and Swiss Raclette dishes, but the croques and tartines are mainly French influenced with some twists. For example we have a Cubano with dijon mustard, and a tartine with that comes on naan with curried cauliflower and hummus," he said.

And here's a look at the menu...





Updated: Yes, they do serve racelettes…

Behold the miniature Cadillac with the Tiger in it!

[Photo from last June]

The 1978 Cadillac Sedan Deville — aka, the Cadillac with the Tiger in it — left its 22-year-home on East Second Street last summer.

But its memory lives on thanks to neighbor Danielle Baskin, who recently created and presented this tiny replica of the Cadillac with the Tiger in it to the former owner.

Via the site created for the Cadillac: "Every flaw & rust stain has been lovingly re-created in miniature. She even has the blue tape holding the side mirror on & the rear window we taped up for Hurricane Sandy’s onslaught."







Previously on EV Grieve:
That Cadillac that we've long admired on East 2nd St. now has a stuffed tiger on the front seat

And now, stories from the Cadillac with the Tiger in it on East 2nd Street

And now, another story from the Cadillac with the Tiger in it on East 2nd Street

Alas, the end is near for the Cadillac with the Tiger in it on East 2nd Street

Everything that you wanted to know about the Cadillac with the Tiger in it

Organic omnivore, vegetarian or vegan restaurant wanted at 12 St. Mark's Place

Hanjoo recently closed at 12 St. Mark's Place (the owners have designs on a new space on East Sixth Street).

Meanwhile, this sign appeared outside No. 12 to entice any potential restaurateurs who want to give this space a whirl…



Not sure if this is a legit request.

As noted previously, Hanjoo opened here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue in October 2012… and it seemed poised to stop the recent revolving door that included Hirai Mong, Gama, San Marcos, Siren and @Cafe. The address was also once home to the St. Mark's Bookshop.

A look at the 2 soon-to-be-demolished East Village gas stations

East Houston and Avenue C. The former Mobil station. In the works.



-----



Second Avenue at East First Street. The former BP station. In the works.

Milk and Hops looks to be opening soon on Broadway

The sign went up Sunday at 779 Broadway near East Ninth Street for Milk and Hops, the incoming cafe/market from the folks behind Astoria Bier & Cheese.



According to the shop's Facebook page: "Milk and Hops is a craft beer bottle shop, gourmet food store and grilled cheese place all in one."

A Craigslist help-wanted ad says "shifts starting as early as February 18th."

Thanks to EVG reader Shell Azar for the photos!

Previously on EV Grieve:
Astoria Bier & Cheese closer to bringing craft beer and grilled cheese to Broadway

Heights + Kenchi Bespoke Clothier coming to East Fifth Street

The menswear company is opening a retail space on East Fifth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B (a psychic was last in this storefront).



Here's their description via Facebook:

HEIGHTS + KENCHI, a menswear company based in New York City whose first retail space, The Standing Room, is located on the Lower East side of Manhattan. Specializing in bespoke suits, custom and ready-to-wear Dress shirts, as well as Bow ties, Cuff links, Handkerchiefs and Boutonnières all made in New York City.

McSorley's is/was 161 today

[Image of old McSorley's via Facebook]

Opened in 1854, as legend has it here at 15 E. Seventh St. near Cooper Square.

There was cake...


[Photo via @ueshawk]

… and Abe Lincoln … and the dudes with muskets …


[Photo by TheDustyRebel via Facebook]

And because someone will bring this up and ruin everything:

There are some doubters about when McSorley's actually opened. Per New York: "Though McSorley’s claims it opened its doors in 1854, NYC historian Richard McDermott used public records to prove it really opened in 1862." Which means Lincoln never set foot in the place.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Happy 155th birthday, McSorley's (or not)

Exclusive: Minnie McSorley's first interview

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[Blogger portal along East 14th Street]

Parishioners continue fight to spare The Church of the Nativity on Second Avenue from closure (NY1)

About the new gym opening on St. Mark's Place (DNAinfo)

A Feature on the Loisaida Center on East 9th Street (B + B)

Four Bowery buildings fetch $50 million (The Real Deal)

How East Village rents stack up to other neighborhoods (Curbed)

Marky Ramone concert etiquette (Dangerous Minds)

Photos of a frozen East River (Gothamist)

Old timer Caffe Dante looks to be closing soon on MacDougal Street (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

NYC buildings that survived demolition (Ephemeral New York)

… and via Michael Sean Edwards in Tompkins Square Park today…


[Click on image for more detail]

Sub-zero wind chills don't prevent Zoltar from seeing the future

Hard at work outside Gem Spa this morning at 8:30, reports Derek Berg…

Ralph Feldman's East 8th Street

Ralph Feldman, a former FDNY fire marshal, died on Feb. 5. He was 79.

Here are some of the photos that he shared with us last fall from the block he lived on since 1969... few photos included building addresses or dates... though all were on East Eight between B and C, where he said there could be up to five fires a week in the abandoned buildings during this time period.

As he wrote for the Local in January 2012, "At the same time when the Bronx was burning, the East Village was burning. All of Brooklyn was burning. In the ’70s and ’80s, big portions of the city burnt down."




[1970]


[1982]





















The Villager has more on Feldman this week here.

Valuable lots to be sold in the neighborhood — in 1836

[Click on image for more details]

Something from the Museum of the City of New York.

Here's the description:

Valuable Lots to be Sold by Jas. Bleecker & Sons on Thursday 19th of May 1836

Map of area from 6th to 8th Streets betwen 1st and 4th Avenue.

Missing from the description: There goes the neighborhood!

Check out more from the Museum's collection right here ... and all available for purchase.

Reader report: A mixed reception for a potential new East 7th Street resident

A dispatch from EVG reader Leslie yesterday...

Like many in today's real-estate market, everyone's willing to look even further east.

Today, a familiar face was checking out homes on 7th between C and D and received a mixed reception. Some longtime neighborhood residents exhibited marked hostility; others had fingers crossed that this newcomer would choose to stay.

The well-wishers fantasized a new laser focus on reduction of the blocks rodent population.

But the haters, per eyewitness accounts, made their hostility known.

Multiple members of a local blue-jay clique jeered sharp jaay-jaays and repeatedly dive bombed youngblood hawk.

The clannish residents entered attack mode, pecking at his noggin as he sat placidly upon a branch pondering the new location.

Fans tried but failed to capture documentation of the skirmish (see photo below). Nest shopping stopped when a kit of pigeons circled 6th Street, ending the outing to the east.

At the Tompkins Square Greenmarket today

Just two vendors — Meredith's Bread and Pura Vida Fish — are braving the wind chills today. Also, from the Greenmarket folks: "Sangmin from the compost team will be here til 1 to collect your food scraps, but there is NO textile recycling today."

How windy will it get today?

[Photo on East 13th Street near First Avenue by paddy523]

From the weather people…

Winter Weather Advisory, Wind Chill Advisory
Statement as of 3:59 AM EST on February 15, 2015

...Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect until 1 PM EST this
afternoon...
...Wind Chill Advisory remains in effect from 6 PM this evening
to 9 am EST Monday...

• locations...New York City...Metro New Jersey...Long Island and coastal Connecticut.

• Hazard types...periods of snow...blowing snow and high winds into early this afternoon. Hazardous wind chills after midnight through Monday morning.

• Accumulations...snow accumulation of 1 to 5 inches.

• Winds...northwest 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.

• Temperatures...3 below to 20 above zero.

• Wind chill...as low as 22 below due to temperatures 3 below to
16 above zero...and winds northwest 20 to 30 mph with gusts up
to 45 mph.

• Timing...the strongest winds will occur through early this afternoon. The lowest wind chills will occur after midnight through Monday morning.

And not the first time that we have used the Wind of the Century tag.

Love in the overnight

St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Avenue A. (People drew other things on cars as well, as usual.)

Photo by Michael Sean Edwards

Ray's now has onion rings

Last night, Ray introduced fried onion rings to his menu, per EVG regular Peter Brownscombe.

They are freshly cut and fried, not frozen...



113 Avenue A near East Seventh Street

Dallas BBQ is for lovers

The scene on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place via Derek Berg...

Are the red-tailed hawks building a nest on the Tompkins Square Library?

[Photo from the other day in Tompkins Square Park by Bobby Williams]

As we noted earlier this week, red-tailed hawk parents Christo and Dora likely won't be able to build their nest on the Christodora House on Avenue B and East Ninth Street this year. So, they will need a new home for a nest.

To the EVG inbox this morning…

Sadly I don't have a photo, but I spotted a hawk, hopefully Christo or Dora, flying out of Tompkins with nesting materials in his talons. He was headed toward the library on East 10th between A and B and appeared to land in that general area. Maybe a new nest location on a building in the vicinity??

I guess we'll see!

Yes!