Monday, July 30, 2018

Former Santander space for lease on Avenue A



This Santander branch closed at the end of April here on Avenue A at Fourth Street (southwest corner). And the for rent signs finally arrived late last week.

According to the listing via Newmark Knight Frank, "dry uses" are preferred...



The listing notes that the neighboring tenants are the coming-soon Equinox next to Katz's, Blink, New York Sports Club and Duane Reade.

The asking rent is $95 a square foot for the 3,700-square-foot space.

Pizza for 20 Avenue A



While on the topic of former bank branches on Avenue A ... the long-vacant former Chase space at Second Street (20 Avenue A) may finally have a tenant... the for lease banner came down on June 20.

On Friday, work permits were filed with the city for the following (in the ALL-CAP DOB style): TO INSTALL PIZZA OVEN AND DELI EQUIPMENT IN EXISTING STORE SPACE INCLUDING MINOR FLOOR AND WALL FINISHES AS PER PLAN.

Didn't spot any other info at the DOB ... such as the name of the new business. The monthly asking rent here had been $36,000, per the last listing for the address.

Chase vacated this storefront in November 2015. There were six or seven different brokers for the space in these past three years.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The retail-wine bar possibilities for the former Chase space on Avenue A and East 2nd Street

The retail space at 20 Avenue A no longer looks like a bank branch

Another broker for the former Chase branch on Avenue A

Pado bringing 'Modern Japanese Cuisine' to 2nd Avenue



EVG regular Shiv shared this photo ... showing the signage up at 199 Second Ave. for Pado, which will serve "Modern Japanese Cuisine." No sign of an Internet presence for Pado just yet (other than a placeholder on Facebook...).

This space between 12th Street and 13th Street was previously Oishi Village Sushi, which closed in late December after nine months in business.

Silky Kitchen in soft-open mode on 13th Street



Silky Kitchen is now serving its "Authentic Hunan Delicacies" at 137 E. 13th St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue.

Signage points to a soft opening, with hours of 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. This link goes to Yelp, which has the Silky Kitchen menu, including a variety of house-made dumplings and entrees, such as Hot and Sour Chicken Gizzard, Pork and Pepper, and Stewed Beef.

And FWIW, in its first week, Silky garnered 21, five-star reviews on Yelp ... (and 13 of the raves are from first-time Yelp reviewers).

Previously on EV Grieve:
Silky Kitchen set for 13th Street

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Week in Grieview


[Photo on St. Mark's Place by Derek Berg]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

East Village Fruit and Vegetable is closing on Avenue B (Tuesday)

New owner in the works for Downtown Yarns (Tuesday)

Report: 14th Street busway debuts in January to prep for the upcoming L-train stoppage (Thursday)

Consider donating clothes to the Bowery Mission this summer (Friday)

At the rally outside the former P.S. 64 Friday evening (Monday)

Demolition watch: 321 E. 13th St., future home of the new Mt. Sinai Beth Israel Hospital (Wednesday)

Vegan Love arrives on 10th Street (Thursday)

A request not to leave any more bread at the Great Jones Cafe (Friday)

This week's NY See (Thursday)

It's never too early to think about Halloween this July (Monday)

Viking Waffles opens on Avenue C (Friday)

Revamped McDonald's ready to reopen on 14th Street (Thursday)

A reminder to lock your doors and windows (Tuesday)

The Moxy East Village tops out on 11th Street (Monday)

On Avenue A, Key Food deploying 12 new self-checkout machines (Tuesday)

Inkstop Tattoo has left Avenue A (Monday)

Woman crashes Porsche on East River Park bike path (Saturday)


[Urban Etiquette Sign on 3rd Street b/t A and B]

Up to 4 more retail spaces available to join Target on 14th Street (Friday)

The EVG podcast: A 'Vanishing New York' conversation with Jeremiah Moss (Friday)

This year's Summer Streets celebration includes rocks and bubbles on Astor Place (Tuesday)

Report: Madam Vo team opening Madam Vo BBQ on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday)

Tatsu Ramen debuts on 1st Avenue (Wednesday)

Remembering some disappearing storefronts courtesy of Karla and James Murray (Wednesday)

For rent on St. Mark's Place (Tuesday)

And among the tweets of the week...



-----

Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter

On the wall: Mural of Michael Jackson, as a child and an adult, in progress on 11th Street


[Photo by Goggla]

Here's an in-progress look at the building-size mural going up on the southeast corner of 11th Street and First Avenue... Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra is creating mural showing Michael Jackson as a child and adult...


[Photo by Lola Saenz]

... and by early evening yesterday...



Kobra expects to have the mural completed by Wednesday.

His work "utilizes bright colors and bold lines while staying true to a kaleidoscope theme throughout his art. The technique of repeating squares and triangles allows him to bring to life the famous people he depicts in his images."

And a sampling of his work from around the world...

🌙

A post shared by Eduardo Kobra (@kobrastreetart) on


#martinlutherkingday #mlk

A post shared by Eduardo Kobra (@kobrastreetart) on


💫

A post shared by Eduardo Kobra (@kobrastreetart) on


Saturday, July 28, 2018

Saturday's parting topless shot



The Abracadabra Field Trip Mobile music jam bus on St. Mark's Place heading to Tompkins Square Park this evening... photo by Steven...

Previously

Today in photos of climbing walls being transported on 2nd Avenue



Photo by Derek Berg...

Porsche — there is no substitute


ICYMI... A woman driving a Porsche Cayenne wedged the car on the bike path adjacent to the Con Ed Power Plant at 15th Street early yesterday morning.

According to the Post, the wayward driver — "a woman who appeared to be in her 20s" — fled the scene. (The car has Pennsylvania inspection tags.)

It wasn’t immediately known how the driver ended up on the bike path ... or whether the Porsche was stolen.

Headline H/T!

Black swan



Photo on First Avenue via Grant Shaffer...

Noted


[Screengrab via CBS 2]

CBS 2 filed a report last evening with the headline "Summer Brings Wave Of ‘Crust Punk’ Homeless Nomads To East Village."

Here's an excerpt:

“It’s getting worse now than it was before,” said Tania Martinez who lives in the East Village. “Me paying a lot of money being here, I shouldn’t see things like this.”

The homeless nomads – known to hop freight trains – pop in and out of cities across the country like Seattle and San Francisco, often ending up in and around Tompkins Square Park when it gets warm out.

The pilgrimage dates back to the late 1970s when many began migrating for the neighborhood’s punk rock music scene. Like most subcultures, rejecting the status quo was a conscious choice by its members.

“It’s absolutely a choice,” said Dallas, one of the movement’s adherents. “We just hate our government system, the way it affects us as a whole.”

And...

NYPD sources say there are more transient people this summer because of the city’s increasing opioid epidemic. The narcotics division has been patrolling the park to help, with police doubling arrests this year – many of them drug related.

Police sources say because of the stepped up enforcement, many “crust punks” have started sleeping inside abandoned buildings in the outer boroughs instead.

Friday, July 27, 2018

Friday's parting Instagram post

'The Figurehead' on the door



Here's the Cure in an early-goth phase with "The Figurehead" circa 1981 ... when they were working as a trio. This track appeared on the band's fourth studio album, the poorly-received-at-the-time Pornography.

The EVG podcast: A 'Vanishing New York' conversation with Jeremiah Moss


[Image via Vanishing New York]

This episode of the EVG podcast features a conversation with Jeremiah Moss, the writer behind the blog Vanishing New York. The paperback edition of his book, "Vanishing New York: How a Great City Lost Its Soul," is out this week. (The paperback launch event is tonight at 7:30 at Books Are Magic, 225 Smith St. in Brooklyn.)

Jeremiah joined me in the East Village Radio studio on First Avenue to discuss moving to NYC 25 years ago, starting his blog and attempting to save small businesses from extinction. We also talk about how he encouraged me to start the EV Grieve blog 11 years ago.



Previously on EV Grieve:
The EVG podcast: Red-tailed hawk talk with Laura Goggin

The EVG podcast with Mike Katz and Crispin Kott, the authors of "Rock and Roll Explorer Guide to New York City."

Consider donating clothes to the Bowery Mission this summer

In case you are doing some late-summer closet cleaning this weekend or next...


This link has donation details. The Bowery Mission is at 227 Bowery between Stanton and Rivington at Prince.

Viking Waffles opens on Avenue C


[Photo by Vinny & O]

The Viking Waffles retail space is now open at 137 Avenue C near Ninth Street.

The storefront now sells the popular protein-rich waffles that were previously only available online and in several health-food stores and gyms, including Barry's Bootcamp. (Benedicte Engen, a Crossfit trainer, is the founder of Viking Waffles.) There are several tables and chairs inside, and you can order your waffles with a variety of toppings.

Here's the menu...



The space will continue to serve as the HQ for Viking's wholesale manufacturing business.

It's a new era for the address, which went under extensive renovations (it's basically a new building) in recent years. The building's ground-floor was previously home to drunk-brunch magnet Sunburnt Cow until April 2014.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Former Sunburnt Cow space on Avenue C is the new home of Viking Waffles

Renovations in store for 137 Avenue C, home to the Sunburnt Cow

The Sunburnt Cow closes for good at the end of this month

A request not to leave any more bread at the Great Jones Cafe


[Photo from July 14]

The Great Jones Cafe remains closed (since July 10) ... yet the bread deliveries continue. The box that arrived on July 14 sat outside for several days before someone eventually emptied it.

Yesterday, an employee in the garage next door put up a sign asking the delivery people to stop leaving the bread...



The 35-year-old restaurant near the Bowery has not opened for business since the untimely death of owner Jim Moffett on July 10.

The status of the Great Jones Cafe is unknown at the moment. One tipster said that a broker was showing the space on Wednesday.

Up to 4 more retail spaces available to join Target on 14th Street



In case you missed the hoopla, Target opened last Wednesday on 14th Street and Avenue A. (Recaps of what transpired on Saturday with the store's homage to the neighborhood's past can be found at the following outlets, among others: Racked ... Noisey ... Pitchfork ... The New York Times ... Jezebel ... Vice ... Forbes ... The Architect's Newspaper ... Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal ...)

So that takes care of just one of the retail spaces in the new EVGB residential complex at 500 and 524 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

There are potentially two more storefronts for rent adjacent to Target...



...and two more at No. 524 toward Avenue B...


[Confusing, because this photo is looking to the west]

Newmark Knight Frank has the listings... the storefronts are part of what's being billed as "the East Village's most dynamic block" ...







Perhaps in the future we will see a CVS No Rio (that is @danieltbrennan's joke!) or a Sam's Club 57.

Also, on the north side of Avenue A, we're still waiting to learn what's coming to the retail space in the former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office... Trader Joe's still? Doesn't seem like the best time for any business to open with the ongoing L-train entrance work ...



Anyway, in case you needed a reminder of Target's arrival... along Avenue A...





... or Sixth Street and First Avenue...



... or 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B...



... or The Weather Channel app...

Thursday, July 26, 2018

A fledging in Tompkins Square Park, and in rehab

As Goggla reported yesterday, Urban Park Rangers removed the older of Amelia and Christo's fledglings, who fell sick, in Tompkins Square Park. (More on that in a minute.)

Meanwhile, the younger fledgling continued to entertain in the Park ... Steven shared these photos from today...













... eventually the fledgling took a bow...



... and then went up into a tree and ate a pigeon or something...



As for this fledgling's sibling... Bobby Horvath of the Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation Inc. (WINORR) posted an update on Facebook. Per Bobby:

After being delivered to the Animal Medical Center the exotics dept. did blood work to check for West Nile virus, lead and rodenticide poisoning. Early results showed anemia and exposure to rodenticide so immediate treatment was started. It may also have either of the other 2 ailments but those results won't be known for a day or 2. Medication and supportive care hopefully can reverse any damage and this young male can recover.



Interestingly enough, he's at the same facility as Dora... I'm not sure how you'd describe this relation...

Updated 7/29

Unfortunately the fledgling died early this morning. Early test results showed anemia and exposure to rodenticide. More to come...

Free stuff alert in the former Paquito's space on 1st Avenue



Steven shares this from First Avenue just south of Ninth Street... inside the old Paquito's Restaurant space... there are free dishes, glassware, coffee cups, etc. ...



The sit-down Paquito's closed last December after 25 years. That storefront is for lease. Paquito's maintains a to-go counter and delivery service in the space next door.

Grant Shaffer's NY See


[Click on image for more detail]

Here's this week's NY See, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's comic series — an observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood (and sometimes elsewhere).

[Updated] Sick red-tailed fledgling taken away from Tompkins Square Park for evaluation


[Photo by Goggla]

In recent days we've enjoyed watching the younger of the two red-tailed fledglings frolicking in Tompkins Square Park.

However, as Goggla noted, Amelia and Christo's older fledgling has kept a lower profile, staying perched in a tree.

And yesterday, the hawklet looked unwell. NYC Urban Park Rangers Rob Mastrianni and Nick Baisley came to the Park, and took the hawklet to the Animal Medical Center for testing and evaluation, Goggla reported.

Here's a video of the capture...



Visit Goggla's site for more photos and updates.

Updated 7/29

Unfortunately the fledgling died early this morning. Early test results showed anemia and exposure to rodenticide. More to come...

Vegan Love arrives on 10th Street



Vegan Love is now in soft-open mode (as of Tuesday) in the former Quintessence space on 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue.

As we understand it, the chef from Quintessence is behind this raw-food venture. Vegan Love offers a smallish menu featuring several burgers (guac and mushroom) as well as a variety of create-your-own salads. In addition, there are sides, including daily soups, air-baked sweet potatoes and squash mac and cheese, as well as smoothies and desserts.

While there are several tables and stools inside, given the menu items, it looks to be a good to-go option.

Quintessence, the 17-year-old raw-food cafe, closed back in late June without any notice for patrons on its website or social-media properties. The space has been under renovation this past month.

Previously

Revamped McDonald's ready to reopen on 14th Street


[Photo from July 2 by Tara Cox]

The McDonald's at 404 E. 14th St. near First Avenue closed back on July 2 for an interior-exterior renovation combo... and yesterday, a new McDonald's sign arrived ... EVG regular Greg Masters shared these photos...



This McDonald's was expected to reopen sometime today...



You can see the difference now in the facade...


[Google Street View from November]

Not sure of the extent of the makeover inside just yet. The McDonald's on Essex and Delancey reopened in April after a five-month renovation. Changes there included the arrival of digital self-order kiosks, table service and mobile ordering.

Perhaps the renovation will help boost those Yelp reviews here. Some one-star Yelpers state that this is among the worst McDonald's in the city.

Report: 14th Street busway debuts in January to prep for the upcoming L-train stoppage


[Not really an M14 bus]

The city and MTA have decided to get an early start on converting 14th Street into a bus-only corridor ... beginning on Jan. 6 — three-plus months ahead of L-mageddon time.

City officials said that they need the extra months to test M14 SBS service and make adjustments before the shutdown begins.

amNY first had the story:

To ensure buses are up to the task of absorbing some of that crowd, the city and MTA plan to institute bus-only restrictions on 14th Street between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m., seven days a week. The restrictions will be in place between Ninth and Third avenues eastbound, and Third and Eighth avenues westbound. A DOT spokeswoman said the city is hashing out “specific access points” for local traffic and trucks.

The SBS route will initially make five stops between First Avenue and Tenth Avenue. The SBS route will complement existing M14A and M14D service so that buses will arrive every two minutes during morning and evening rush hours. Combined, the local and SBS service is expected to handle about 84,000 riders per day.

The shutdown of the L — between Bedford Avenue and Eighth Avenue to repair the Sandy-damaged Canarsie Tunnel — is expected to last 15 months.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Cars to give way to a bus-only corridor most hours on 14th Street during the L-train shutdown