Wednesday, December 22, 2021
EVG Etc.: Appreciating the photography of Alex Harsley; visiting a new Chinatown bookstore
Sunday, November 21, 2021
Week in Grieview
Update: the alarm on the BMW outside Sophie’s at 507 E. 5th St. near Avenue A in the East Village is still going off — now 24 hours in. People egged the car, stole the NJ plates and left a passive-aggressive note. pic.twitter.com/wQcRY8oCAr
— evgrieve (@evgrieve) November 15, 2021
Sunday, October 31, 2021
Week in Grieview
Sunday, August 8, 2021
Week in Grieview
Sunday, June 6, 2021
Week in Grieview
Sunday, April 25, 2021
Week in Grieview
Sunday, March 7, 2021
Week in Grieview
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
Reader report: A mini return of the former Stuyvesant Market on 14th Street and Avenue A?
Sunday, January 10, 2021
Week in Grieview
Sunday, December 20, 2020
Week in Grieview
Saturday, December 19, 2020
EVG Etc.: Crowdfunding for B&H Dairy; Selling off Gem Spa
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Reaching the top at Zero Irving (aka tech hub)
Here's what is turning out to be a monthly look at 124 E. 14th St., aka Zero Irving (and formerly the Union Square Tech Training Center and 14 @ Irving ... and tech hub for life!) ... workers are apparently up to the tippy top here at Irving Place...
The latest Zero Irving e-newsletter (14th @ Irving Construction Update #36, and, by the way, #2 is already a collector's item) states the following updates:
Superstructure Concrete
The project’s superstructure contractor will be completing the 23rd floor slab the week of 9/7. They will continue to place stairs at the top of house, in addition to mechanical pads, curbs and the buildings parapets. Upon completion of this miscellaneous concrete the contractor will begin demobilization. This will include cocoon removal, removal of shoring and decking material and other demobilization tasks.
Cellar
The project’s electrical contractor is finishing installation of Switchgear Room equipment and feeder conduits in coordination with Con Ed’s site visits. End line boxes will be completed, along with overhead conduits throughout the cellar. Con Ed is anticipated to complete their pulls and tie-ins to switch gear room. The project is expecting permanent power by October 2020.
General Site
The project’s mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection contractors continue work on site to install sleeves and layout embeds and all other materials being placed into the deck on the 23rd floor.
The new building — long contested by local preservationists and community groups (see links below) — sits on the former site of a P.C. Richard & Son on city-owned property.
Previously on EV Grieve:
• Behold Civic Hall, the high-tech future of Union Square — and NYC
• Speaking out against a 'Silicon Alley' in this neighborhood
• City Council unanimously approves tech hub; some disappointment in lack of zoning protections
• The conversation continues on the now-approved tech hub for 14th Street
• P.C. Richard is gone on 14th Street; preservationists want answers about tech-hub commitments
Sunday, July 19, 2020
Week in Grieview
[Tompkins Square Park this morning]
Posts this last week included...
• Body of dismembered, decapitated man found inside residence on Houston and Suffolk (Tuesday) Reports: Police arrest former personal assistant in murder of tech CEO (Friday)
• The final days at I Need More, the late Jimmy Webb's rock 'n' roll boutique on the LES (Saturday)
• Bali Kitchen closes on Aug. 1: "COVID-19 was too much for us" (Thursday)
• Gemini Rosemont buys third parcel on 2nd Avenue for future development (Friday)
• Odessa's longtime manager says the diner is closing for good; co-owner later says they're just closing for renovations (Monday)
• The Russian & Turkish Baths have NOT permanently closed on 10th Street (Monday)
• New community coalition helping keep Avenue B safe for cyclists and pedestrians (Monday)
• These East Village streets are now part of the expanded Open Restaurants initiative (Saturday)
• Veeray Da Dhaba bringing the "authentic roadside cuisine of Punjab" to 1st Avenue (Tuesday)
• This week's NY See panel (Thursday)
• Checking in on Pause Cafe (Thursday)
• Flashback Friday: Take a virtual tour of the Brant Foundation's Basquiat exhibit from 2019 (Friday)
• Report of a fire at 67 Avenue D (Wednesday)
• Retail space at 4 St. Mark's Place, onetime home of Trash & Vaudeville, is for rent again (Wednesday)
• Stranded Records is back open (Friday)
• INA NYC closes 13th Street outpost (Wednesday)
• On 2nd thought, C&B finishes its curbside seating with the help of the DOT (Tuesday)
• Mystery dig behind the St. Brigid School (Wednesday)
• Shell shock! Lost turtles return to La Plaza Cultural (Wednesday)
• Calling out a plant thief on 7th Street (Thursday)
• Oscar watch on 2nd Street (Monday)
• The new-look 151 Avenue A (Thursday)
• Formerly interesting new business closes on 1st Avenue and 14th Street (Monday)
• The Standard East Village sets reopening date (Monday)
... and as seen on Avenue B at East Houston...
[Photo by Vinny & O]
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Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.
Monday, July 13, 2020
New community coalition helping keep Avenue B safe for cyclists and pedestrians
[Via @loisaida_oscc]
You may have noticed a few changes along the Open Street of Avenue B... this is courtesy of the newly formed Loisaida Open Streets Community Coalition, described as "a community-led program providing safe, socially distanced recreation for our neighborhood."
For starters, volunteers have painted and repaired some of the barriers that are up along the Avenue from Sixth Street to 14th Street daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ...
[Top 2 photos by Stacie Joy]
The group has launched a Twitter and Instagram account...
As the newly formed Loisaida Open Streets Community Coalition, we believe this should be a community-led program providing safe, socially distanced recreation for our neighborhood. pic.twitter.com/RiCfc7yzG3
— Loisaida Open Streets Community Coalition (@Loisaida_OSCC) July 9, 2020
... where you can learn about upcoming events... and receive news alerts...
🚨Barrier protection alert!🚨 Strong winds today—please dismantle and set any barriers you see out today on Avenue B to the side, not blocking building entrances, with legs stacked behind crossbars to keep them from getting blown around. Safety first!
— Loisaida Open Streets Community Coalition (@Loisaida_OSCC) July 10, 2020
If you're interested in volunteering to be an Avenue B Open Streets Ambassador, you can find a sign-up sheet here.
The city announced the Open Street plan in late May to help residents safely get some fresh air while social distancing. As we've noted, people have hidden or vandalized the barricades or they've been clipped by motorists or the FDNY...
A related item of interest... tomorrow (Tuesday night!), CB3's Transportation, Public Safety, & Environment Committee will hear the following item — FDNY: Fire safety concerns regarding Avenue B Open Street.
Here's the meeting info:
Tuesday, July 14 at 6:30 p.m.
Online: https://zoom.us/j/97511826911
By Phone: +1 646 518 9805, +1 929 205 6099
Meeting ID: 975 1182 6911
Updated: Streetsblog has a post on this story here.
Sunday, June 21, 2020
[Updated] Police barricades continue sad existence on Avenue B Open Streets
Readers continue to note the sad state of the Open Street concept on Avenue B between Sixth Street and 14th Street. Since the last post on Friday, the police barricades meant to block off the Avenue to through traffic from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. aren't faring so well.
The barricade was smashed and discarded on Ninth and B. The one at Eighth Street is hanging on...
The one at Seventh Street was clipped by a fire truck this weekend...
And someone dragged one of the pieces about 50 yards to the east on Seventh Street...
And at Sixth Street...
The city announced the Open Street plan in late May to help residents safely get some fresh air while social distancing.
Updated 1 p.m.
Via the 9th Precinct...
Thanks for the calls and messages regarding the barriers on Avenue B needing to be replaced to ensure safety while the open space is being utilized. The replacement should be up today. Thanks for your patience!#EastVillage #NYC pic.twitter.com/08NKtxE3QK
— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) June 21, 2020
Monday, June 15, 2020
Tech hub nears halfway mark
Here's another in our periodic looks at the high-profile Zero Irving (aka tech hub) on 14th Street at Irving Place.
Construction here was deemed essential, and work restarting on the site in early May.
According to the 14th @ Irving Construction e-newsletter out this past Friday, work is up to the 10th level of what will be a 21-floor building.
And if you want some super specifics:
The project’s superstructure contractor will complete wall systems cycle for forms on Level 9 (supporting level 10), strip forms on deck below, install rebar in wall forms and close walls starting from East to West. It is anticipated that the East walls will be poured on Wednesday 6/17 and West on Thursday 6/18.
And!
The project’s mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection contractors continue work on site to install sleeves and layout embeds and all other materials being placed into the deck. Stairs and fire standpipes will continue to jump with the building progress, staying (2) floors behind working deck. Plumbing Rough-in work is ongoing on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Fuel oil and storm risers will be installed up through 8th floor. Water risers and duct risers are expected to be up to the 5th floor by 6/26.
The building, developed jointly by the city’s Economic Development Corp. and RAL Development Services, will feature 14 floors of market-rate office space as well as "a technology training center and incubator, co-working spaces, state-of-the-art event space, and street level food hall on the seven floors beneath," per the Zero Irving announcement issued last October.
The new building sits on the former site of a P.C. Richard & Son.
Previously on EV Grieve:
P.C. Richard is gone on 14th Street; preservationists want answers about tech-hub commitments
Sunday, May 31, 2020
A look at last night's damage along 2nd Avenue
Yesterday's mostly peaceful protests turned ugly last night, as demonstrators broke windows along Second Avenue and Broadway, and set fire to multiple police vehicles around Union Square.
Citywide, NBC 4 reported that 345 people were arrested and 33 police officers injured as the protestors and cops clashed late night around several different hotspots, including Union Square.
Along Second Avenue between Houston and 14th Street, windows of each bank branch were smashed ... as well as at the Verizon store and Urban Outfitters. Bus stops and LinkNYC kiosks were also vandalized. In addition, trash cans were upturned and tossed into Second Avenue. There were also reports of several mattress fires ...
[Photo by Steven]
[TD Bank at 1st Street via Stacie Joy]
Smaller businesses were also hit: The front windows were broken at Kona Coffee and Company between Third Street and Fourth Street, The Gray Mare between Third Street and Fourth Street, Plant Food & Wine at Fourth Street, Cooper's Craft & Kitchen at Fifth Street, Le Fournil Bakery at Seventh Street and B&H between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.
The protests, which took place in all five boroughs, were in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis while in police custody.
[St. Mark's Place]