Friday, December 16, 2011

This Seventh Street co-op studio fetched nearly $200,000 at an auction

An EV Grieve reader told me about attending the New York County Public Administrator's real-estate auction on Dec. 8. I've heard about these, but have no idea what's involved... (To bid, you take a certified or official bank check equal to 10 percent of the minimum bid and payable to the public administrator.)

The auction took place at The Surrogate Court Building on Chambers and Centre. Two of the properties that people bought were in the East Village, according to Malcolm Carter's blog at Charles Rutenberg Realty:

• 512 E. 11th St., #2D, estate of Carl Grimmett, 295 square feet, studio, $300 maintenance, income limited, $110,000 minimum bid/sold for $152,000

• 204 E. 7th St., #12, estate of Gary Walden, 304 square feet, one bedroom, $375 maintenance, $43,000 minimum/sold for $194,000

Per Carter:

The first property offered, a 304-sf co-op in poor condition at 204 E. 7th St., had 15-20 bidders jammed in front of a long conference table at which city officials and lawyers were seated as the sale of Unit 12 began.

Bids for the apartment rose in uncharacteristically high increments, skyrocketing to $194,000 versus the $43,000 minimum. The winning amount was an unlikely 451 percent of the upset price.

The reader noted that both East Village units were in "really bad shape," but "could be very cool renovation projects."

So how bad is "really bad"? Here are two photos from 204 Seventh St.:



Interesting that even a 300-square-foot studio in this current state would fetch nearly $200,000. And some people consider this a good deal. Tells you something about the current state of real estate here.

Noted

Rent 2012UCBcomedy.com
Watch more comedy videos from the twisted minds of the UCB Theatre at UCBcomedy.com

Via the Upright Citizens Brigade — "The hit musical Rent is updated for the hip East Village of today."

Things we like: Odessa's business card

Just when you thought it was safe to venture out again on a holiday Saturday...


If you can't make it early, then don't worry — drink specials run until 4 a.m.! Woo!

[Photo by Bobby Williams]

This weekend: It's the 7th annual d.b.a. holiday fair (part 2)

Thursday, December 15, 2011

NYPD shuts down the Sunburnt Cow

A little earlier this evening, several readers noted that a strong force of NYPD detectives zoomed in on the Sunburnt Cow on Avenue C near Ninth Street...


Detectives at the scene weren't talking, though one did offer "they won't be open this weekend." According to a flyer attached to the front gate ... the NYPD closed the bar-restaurant for ...


"Criminal sale and possession of controlled substances  — marijuana."

We left a message for the Sunburnt Cow's rep.

People are still throwing away Christmas holiday trees before Christmas Dec. 25

Earlier today, EV Grieve reader Corina spotted this on Sixth Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square... Although this is very likely not a tree leftover from last Dec. 25, she quickly found a paper to use for authentication purposes... just in case...


Indeed, Europe is still straining world's banks...


Currently, we are in the lab trying to determine the tree's age...


Previously.

Tompkins Square Bagels open for a test run

Over at 167 Avenue A at 10th Street, Tompkins Square Bagels is inching toward its grand opening... and owner Christopher Pugliese is going for a test run this afternoon...


... and he found some willing test subjects for his bagels...


Previously.

Still drilling at the Mystery Lot


@robbyohara passes along a photo from The Mystery Lot, where work has continued all week...

In October, The Real Deal reported that developer Charles Blaichman paid $33.2 million for the site. As Curbed noted at the time, Blaichman was a partner with Jay-Z and Andre Balazs on the hotel that never happened on West 14th Street; and as a partner with Balazs on a doomed project on West 21st Street.

A commenter on our last Mystery Lot post wrote, "this is going to be a condo. it was purchased with a new jersey developer who builds condos."

First sign of Michael White's fancy new pizza place on Second Avenue


The pizzasphere was buzzing back in November when the news broke that Michael White, who apparently causes chow chubbies with his fare at places like Marea and Ai Fiori, is opening a pizzeria called Nicoletta on Second Avenue at 10th ... the former Cafe Centosette, which closed in April.

Yesterday, blue glass noted that workers erected the pizzawood ...

(Grub Street heard the rumors about a Whiteout here going back to September.)

Landmarks Preservation Commission expedites hearing on East 10th Street Historic District


Last Friday, we reported that Ben Shaoul's Magnum Real Estate Group bought 315 E. 10th St. from The Educational Alliance. Renovations continue to convert the building into residential use.

[Dave on 7th]

There is also a pending permit to add a fifth floor to the existing four-floor structure, which the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation believe dates to 1847.


The building is located within the calendared East 10th Street Historic District, though the Landmarks Preservation Commission had yet to schedule a date for a hearing.

However, last night, Lisi de Bourbon, the communications director at the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), told us that the LPC is expediting the date for a public hearing on its proposal for the East 10th Street Historic District.

"The reason we're scheduling the date earlier than we expected is that DOB notified the Commission's staff this past Sunday that the owner of 315 East 10th Street had filed an application for a permit to construct a rooftop addition that could potentially affect the character of the proposed district," she said.

The Department of Buildings has a mandatory maximum of 40 days to review its permit applications. When owners of buildings that are calendared — meaning under formal consideration for designation by the commission — file for DOB permits, LPC has 40 days to vote whether to landmark it.

The proposed East 10th Street Historic District comprises 26 buildings on the north side of East 10th Street between Avenues A and B that reflect the 19th and 20th century history of the East Village. (Read more about the Ben Shaoul rooftop additions here via the GVSHP.)

According to de Bourbon, The LPC has notified property owners in the proposed district that a hearing on whether to designate the buildings a historic district will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 17 — the earliest date a hearing can be scheduled.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A bid to protect the integrity of 315 E. 10th St.

RIP Anthony Amato



Anthony Amato, the founder and artistic director of the Amato Opera, died on Tuesday. He was 91. According to The New York Times, he had been battling cancer.

Founded in 1948 by Tony and Sally Amato (she died in 2000), the Opera has called 319 Bowery home since 1964. The Amato Opera closed in May 2009.


The building remains on the market at 319 Bowery. Plans for a "bar/restaurant/theater experience" never materialized. The asking price is $6.5 million. Per the listing: "The neighborhood is now lined with luxury hotels, fashionable restaurants and stylish fashion stores. Bring your architect and your imagination."


For further reading:
Amato Opera (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

Life after the Amato Opera

Costume drama on the Bowery as the Amato Opera empties out

Ruin of the Bowery nearly complete: Last season for the Amato Opera

Go inside the Amato Opera here.

Speaking of new locations of The Bean...

Fresh from Monday's opening of the Bean at Second Avenue and Third Street ... we were curious about progress of the Bean's location coming soon to Ninth Street at First Avenue... Here's how the place is shaping up Tuesday via photos by Bobby Williams.



We asked Ike Escava, a Bean partner, for a quick progress report.

"We are waiting for the landlord to turn over possession of the space to us," he said. "We are not sure when that will be, but expect it to happen in January or February and will be open about 8 weeks after that."

Previously.

$1 pizza getting less expensive on Avenue C

99 cents!


Here's what is coming soon to Avenue C between Ninth Street and 10th Street... The Mosaic Cafe closed here in September.

Wait till you see their array of latkes this Passover!


Over at Whole Food Bwoery... via a post by Marjorie Ingall, who wrote: "We appreciate the sentiment and accept your slightly confused but well-intentioned holiday wishes."

St. Brigid's at night

How the under-renovation church on Avenue B and Eighth Street has looked at night this week...



Yes, we've been posting a lot about St. Brigid's of late, but it is one of the few really positive constrction-related stories around here ...

Photos by Bobby William.

Coming soon to the former Heartbreak space: Boukies


In his Nov. 10 column at The Villager, Scoopy had news about Heartbreak, the Swiss-German eatery that closed here in October on Second Avenue and Second Street. Scoopy got the word that Heartbreak owner Christos Valtzoglou would open a small-plates Greek place.

Yesterday, Diner's Journal had more details on the new venture: Boukies is scheduled to open in March. "It will specialize in small plates of Greek food, mainly meze, and offer only two main courses: whole grilled branzino and lamb chops."

As you probably know, Valtzoglou also owns Pylos on Seventh Street.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Breaking: Holiday lights are off again in Tompkins Square Park

Oh no!

@angel_chao just passed along this photo...


And just hours after our post that the lights had returned... Too many holiday lights highs and lows for one night...

Joy to something! The holiday lights are back on in Tompkins Square Park


After three nights without the lights illuminated on the holiday tree... Earlier today, a park official told us they were having electrical problems... Can't wait to start complaining when the lights are still on in February!

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Previously.

[Updated] City temporarily closes Affaire on Avenue B


A tipster notes that the city temporarily closed Affaire, 50 Avenue B at Fourth Street, for operating without a "permit." Not sure what kind of permit. (According to the State Liquor Authority, the bistro/lounge has an active license through September 2012.) We'll see if we can find out some more information here shortly...

Update: An Affaire rep called it a "bureaucratic hiccup."

UPDATED: They are back open

The EV Evil Triumvirate (IHOP, 7-Eleven and Subway) sends David Cross packing to Brooklyn

In an interview with Gothamist today, our friend David Cross says that he's leaving the neighborhood behind for Brooklyn... He specifically mentions 7-Eleven, IHOP and the various Subway sandwich shops as helping hasten his exit ... "It's mildly heartbreaking. It's just becoming more and more like a mall. I might as well be in St. Louis. It's very, very quickly, rapidly losing a lot of its character."

We hope that he still stops by here to visit, especially when people start badmouthing UCBeast and cargo shorts again.

Anyway, the East Village stuff is one small part an interview where he talks about the upcoming season of "The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret." (Begins Jan. 6 on IFC! Woo!)

Why the lights are out on the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree

Now... (Well, the other night... not now now)


Yesterday, we wondered why the lights weren't illuminated on the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree.

So we asked Robert McLean, parks and recreation manager, Manhattan District Three, what was wrong. He said that Park officials were aware of the problem.

"The tree lights worked one night and were off the next morning. We tried to fix the electrical hook up yesterday, but we could not get the lights to stay on," he said via email. "We have contacted the electricians and they should come out right away."

And soon!

[Bobby Williams]

[Updated Again!] Astor Place cube pranked

Our friends at Welcome to the Funhouse spotted this early today ...


Credit then to the the Caltech Prank Club ...?


Yes, it has been turned into a Weighted Companion Cube ...

@mylestanzer noted that the Astor Place cube police have removed the gag...


Runnin' Scared has more on all this here.

The Mildred is for sale


619 E. Fifth St. is now on the market. Price: $12,225 million. Here is part of the listing:

Massey Knakal Realty Services has been retained to sell 619 East 5th Street, also known as “The Mildred.” The property is a 40 unit, 6-story walk-up apartment building located on the north side of the East 5th Street cul-de-sac between Avenue B and Avenue C. The freestanding building consists of +/- 25,200 gross square feet and is fully occupied. Apartment layouts consist of 16 studio/one bedroom units, 4 one bedroom units, 9 two bedroom units, 9 three bedroom units, and 2 three bedroom duplex units. The 2 duplex units are located on the ground floor and go down to the lower level of the building with separate entrance/exit ways on the east side of the building. Of the 40 residential units, 27 units are Free Market and 13 units are Rent Stabilized.


On the plus site, the listing DOES NOT mention anything instantly alarming such as "includes 87,000-square-feet of air rights" or "building will be delivered vacant."

I'm curious, does anyone know why it's called The Mildred?

BMW Guggenheim Lab did great things here, BMW Guggenheim Lab says

From the EV Grieve inbox yesterday ... a news release titled "BMW Guggenheim Lab Site Officially Returned to the City of New York, Transformed into Community Park" ... Here are the three best passages...


Richard Armstrong [Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation] stated, “We are deeply grateful to the City of New York for joining with us in this adventure by allowing a Parks & Recreation property to be the inaugural site of the BMW Guggenheim Lab. We were convinced that the vitality and creativity of this dense, urban East Village location would be the ideal place to launch this experiment. Thanks to the understanding and cooperation of the City, this prediction was realized beyond our best hopes.”

And!

The Lab’s wide range of programs encouraged community engagement and offered insight about today’s dense and changing urban environments, including the need for: the increased activity and involvement of community and neighborhood groups to institute urban change; stronger personal relationships and social interaction within cities to help achieve community cohesiveness; an increased focus on the reuse and revitalization of existing physical and organizational structures; and a growing interest in understanding urban interactions through the use of open-sourced data and models.

Love it when you talk about open-sourced data and models!

The BMW Guggenheim Lab New York received a highly positive response from the public, many of whom have praised its ability to bring individuals together, evoke a sense of community, generate positive energy, provoke questions and then listen to what people have to say, and ignite dialogue that can continue on long after the departure of the physical Lab structure.

Generate positive energy? They must have missed the comments here ... and here...

In any event, the Park is back in the community's hands... a subject we'll have more on later...

FRIDAY: BoweryBoogie has a rundown on Saturday's festivities here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Guggenheim wants our rat-infested First Street lot

Residents pitching in to help refurbish First Street garden

Designs for urban life apparently don't include trees

Continuing to question the BMW Guggenheim Lab's benefits to the local community

6th Street Kitchen space for rent

This past Jan. 4, a fire destroyed the 6th Street Kitchen between Avenue A and Avenue B. (You may read our coverage here.)

[EV Grieve reader Jamie]

At the time, owner Chris Genoversa had hoped to reopen. In early spring, chef Andrew Kraft moved on to a new gig on the Upper West Side. With that announcement, the 6th Street folks said "the space is still boarded up but we’re optimistically hoping for something fantastic there in the future."

This is how the space looked in September...

[Dave on 7th]

And this week, "for rent" signs appeared over the rolldown gate...


We reached out to Genoversa for comment last night.

Demolition returns to 11-17 Second Avenue

Last Wednesday, a worker at the site of the demolition of 9-17 Second Avenue suffered a leg injury after being struck by falling debris.

The city promptly issued a full stop work order...

Yesterday, the city rescinded the stop work order ... (hope that you can speak DOBese...)


Bobby Williams noted the crews back on the scene yesterday...




Seems to be just a shell left here ...

Noted


Spotted recently on the gated driveway outside 52E4 — the 15 stories of condo on the Bowery and East Fourth Street.

Back in 15 minutes? What happens if we have an important delivery for John Legend that can't wait?