Week in Grieview

[Pumpkins arrived at St. Mark's Market this past week]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Lenin comes down at Red Square (Tuesday ... Wednesday)

Avenue A bomb scare turned out to be broken glass and golf balls (Tuesday)

Fire at Caracas Arepa Bar (Thursday)

Former Guayoyo space for rent on First Avenue (Tuesday)

There will be several eating-drinking choices at the incoming Moxy hotel on 11th Street (Wednesday)

Last call for the Edge (Friday)

The demolition of the Mobil station and full NEKST reveal (Monday)

The former St. Mark's Bookshop is for rent (Monday)

A few more details on the Swiss Institute's move to the East Village (Friday)

JuiceGo opening in the former Cadillac's Castle storefront on Ninth Street (Thursday)

A change in the crap sold at street fairs (Thursday)

130 St. Mark's Place is for rent (Monday)

Desi Galli, now with beer and wine on Avenue B (Wednesday)

Croman case adjourned until November (Tuesday)

About the Stop Work Order at the incoming Taberna 97 on St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

Checking in on 500 and 524 E. 14th St., where work looks to be past the halfway mark (Monday)

East Village IHOP closed for "makeover" (Wednesday)

Activity in the long-empty lot that will house 8 floors of condos on First Avenue (Tuesday)

Activity at Nino's, and brown-paper action on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

Fresno II Gourmet Deli signage arrives on Third Street and Avenue C (Tuesday)

255 E. Houston St. is disappearing (Friday)

... and a moment with Christo in Tompkins Square Park via Steven...

Week in Grieview

[@nyyankeedog out for a ride. Photo by Bobby Williams]

Permits filed to demolish 5 buildings on 11th Street to make way for new hotel (Monday) ... Preservationists say city ignored pitch to designate part of 11th Street as a historic district (Tuesday)

Report: Red Square has been sold for $100 million (Wednesday)

Target offers details about its flexible-format store opening summer 2018 on 14th and A (Friday)

Debate over commercial overlay for 255 E. Houston St. and surrounding blocks continues (Thursday)

Box Kite Coffee now looks to be reopening on St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

4 years of Out and About in the East Village (Wednesday)

Former Mercadito space on Avenue B will be home to Guac (Friday)

On 10th Street, Prime & Beyond has closed; popular Japanese steakhouse coming next (Monday)

Workers are putting in the foundation for the return of the Alamo (Wednesday)

The Quad Cinema reopening pushed back to the fall (Wednesday)

Reader report: M2M to move; Wagamama on the way (Wednesday)

Cafe-office space in the works for Cooper Square dorm retail space (Monday)

Roof fire at 190 Bowery (Monday)

Former Barbone space for rent on Avenue B (Monday)

Signs of life at Lanza's (Friday)

The VNYL will feature Long Island Iced Teas on tap, candied-bacon quinoa sushi (Thursday)

The Christodora House in print now, and soon, on TV (Tuesday)

The PokéSpot opens on Fourth Avenue (Friday)

Kotobuki back in action on Third Avenue (Thursday)

Double rainbow (Thursday)

... and last week someone put up this memorial flyer with a rose on St. Mark's Place where performance artist Klaus Nomi once lived ... he died on Aug. 6, 1983, at age 39...

More on Target, and a look at its incoming home on 14th Street and Avenue A

In case you missed this news from late Friday afternoon, Target has reportedly signed a lease for the retail space at 500 E. 14th St., Extell's new development between Avenue A and Avenue B. (The Real Deal had the scoop.)

First, a look at how the development is developing... Extell is putting up two 7-floor retail-residential buildings ... 500 E. 14th St. at Avenue A will have 106 residential units … while, further to the east, 524 E. 14th St. will house 44 residential units. (It's still unclear whether these will be rentals or condos.)







As previously noted, construction has been slow going here. The excavating started in June 2015.

Meanwhile, not sure what all this is about... the pipe has been attached to 220 Avenue A for several months... now there's also a protective rooftop shed ...







As for Target, this will be a small-format store, like the one opening in Tribeca. The marketing copy at RKF says the retail space at No. 500 totals 42,367 square feet, including 24,735 square feet on the street level with 17,632 square feet down below. The corner space has some 250 feet of frontage on East 14th Street and another 52 feet on Avenue A.

The Tribeca location is 45,000 square feet — a third of the size of a regular Target, according to Fortune.


[255 Greenwich St. rendering via Target/Fortune]

Here's more about what we can expect from the small-format stores, via Fortune...

Much like the stores it has opened near Fenway Park in Boston and downtown San Francisco, the Manhattan location will have an assortment of products aimed at catering to local needs. For instance, at the Fenway store, Target offers locally brewed Samuel Adams beer. While Target is still refining its plans, the TriBeCa store will proportionally offer more grab-and-go food options for harried office workers, more organic foods for those finicky TriBeCans, and a lot of apparel. Target will adjust its home goods selection to fit smaller New York City homes.

Seeking to capitalize on what is a major hassle for the many New Yorkers whose buildings don’t have doormen to receive packages, the TriBeCa Target will be equipped for in-store pick-up of orders placed on target.com, allowing it to offer customers the same assortment they’d get in a big-box location (except for grocery items).

This Target, rather development at No. 500, replaced a row of single-level buildings that housed, starting at Avenue A: Stuyvesant Grocery, Pete's-A-Place, a hair salon and Jackson Hewitt Tax Service (before they were destroyed by fire on May 12, 2010), Rainbow, the Blarney Cove, a jewelry shop, a laundromat (which relocated closer to Avenue B) and Rite Aid.



It was also reported last week that Extell received a $140 million construction loan for the development.

And there is no timeline on when all this will be complete. The retail listing for No. 500 states possession will be available "Fourth Quarter 2016." As you can see on the progress to date, that isn't a realistic timeline any longer.

Updated 9:45 a.m.

For some perspective on the size of this incoming Target with the Kmart on Astor Place... let's go to this article from The New York Times, dated Oct. 1, 1996:

In a major push, Kmart is opening two huge new stores, one on 34th Street adjoining Pennsylvania Station, which opens tomorrow, the other on Broadway between Eighth and Ninth Streets, which will open next month. The company, swallowing the high operating costs, is going for volume. Each store will be expected to contribute more than $50 million in sales.

A kind of cultural exchange has begun as well.

"People don't realize how normal New Yorkers are," said Myles Johns, who was appointed general manager of the 34th Street store two months ago. "They're just like everybody else."

The new stores, each with more than 140,000 square feet, are not flagships in the usual sense -- Kmart has larger stores elsewhere in its 2,144-store chain -- nor are they even the first in New York City. Kmart opened stores in Queens and the Bronx in the early 90's, not to mention in the 60's on Staten Island.

Previously on EV Grieve:
East 14th Street exodus continues

Conspiracies: What next for 14th Street and Avenue A?

Those ongoing rumors about the future of East 14th Street between Avenue A and B

Petland is moving away from East 14th Street, fueling more new development rumors

The disappearing storefronts of East 14th Street

[Updated with correction] 8-lot parcel of East 14th Street primed for new development

New 7-floor buildings for East 14th Street include 150 residential units

Breaking (pretty much!): Target is coming to 14th Street and Avenue A (40 comments)

Week in Grieview

[Avenue A last evening]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

22-year-old man gunned down outside the Lillian Wald Houses (Friday)

CB3 committee to hear more about Mount Sinai Beth Israel's future plans in the neighborhood (Thursday)

Joggers pull suicidal man from the East River (Wednesday)

At the 29th annual Loisaida Festival (Sunday)

Fake Uber driver robs woman after a night in the East Village (Wednesday)

Out and About with fifth-grader Ceasar Noel Soto (Wednesday)

So long to the Yaffa Cafe mural (Sunday)

Police looking for suspect who tackled woman and stole her purse on East 10th Street (Thursday)

New residential building on Eighth Street and Avenue D called THREE99OnEIGHTH; condos start at $685k (Friday)

Getting to know Raphael Toledano (Thursday)

Vegan doughnut shop coming to St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

Report of a fire at 500 E. 12th St. (Thursday)

Checking in on the Bea Arthur Residence (Wednesday)

What might become of this vacant lot on East 14th Street? (Wednesday)

Icon Realty announces public art project for the East Village (Friday)

Charlie Parker's neighbor is for sale on Avenue B for the first time in 50 years (Tuesday)

Building no longer receiving mail (Tuesday)

Plans to convert the haunted beauty 104 E. 10th St. into a single-family home with two extra floors (Thursday)

Lab -321 is now open on St. Mark's Place (Friday)

You may now report your annoying Airbnbers directly to Airbnb (Tuesday)

The stacked townhomes of 347 Bowery are now available for purchase (Friday)

...and several readers have noted the arrival late last week of these stickers in various sizes... like this one on Avenue A and Third Street...

Week in Grieview

[Members of the Alice Farley Dance Theater during the Dance Parade yesterday. Photo by Steven]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Residents at 444 E. 13th St. will receive a $1 million settlement over claims of harassment by Raphael Toledano (Wednesday)

ABC No Rio set to close next month ahead of demoliton for new building (Tuesday)

First look at the all-new 26 Avenue B (Monday)

Report: Mount Sinai Beth Israel "will cut its inpatient capacity" (Wednesday)

A new sign on Avenue A from Donald J. Trump, President of the United States (Monday ... Saturday)

The return of the night heron! (Wednesday)

Spotting Christo and Dora's latest offspring in Tompkins Square Park (Thursday)

Will a car-free 14th Street make life more bearable during (and after) the L train renovations? (Tuesday)

The Tang bringing Chinese noodles and wraps to 120 First Ave. (Thursday)

The Ignited Lighter Project at Exit9 (Tuesday)

Rolled ice cream for Seventh Street (Wednesday)

The Neptune's new breakfast special to go on First Avenue (Friday)

On this Urban Etiquette Sign, grease is the word (Wednesday)

Reader report: Have you heard Verizon test its emergency generator on Second Avenue? (Friday)

Cava Grill coming soon to Fourth Avenue (Monday)

Guaco Taco now open on East Second Street (Friday)

Small kitchen fire temporarily closes McDonald's on First Avenue (Thursday)

Historic 25 Bleecker St. one step closer to being demolished for a 6-story building (Thursday)

Thor Equities is the new owner of Patricia Field's former retail condo on the Bowery (Wednesday)

Donald Trump dog poop bags (Tuesday)

[Updating] Danger of falling bricks on 9th Street and 3rd Avenue

[Photo by Steven]

In case you wandered what all the helicopters were doing circling...

According to NBC 4, someone noticed a 10-by-10 foot section of the facade starting to separate from the building on the 15th floor at the St. Mark, 115 E. Ninth St. at Third Avenue.

We'll update when more info comes through...

6:09 p.m.

Yikes... you can see where the problem is...here between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street...


[Photo by Steven]

6:31 p.m.

There are at least six firetrucks on the scene... and several small rescue vehicles. There isn't any word of injuries. And there are conflicting reports if any bricks actually fell to the sidewalk bridge below...







Thanks to Steven for the photos...

Updated 9:33 p.m.

Crews are on the scene shoring up the facade this evening...





Photos via EVG reader Christopher

Updated 10:30 p.m.

A resident of the building shared this "this poem/rant/list of questions" that someone put in the elevator tonight. "Tenants are pissed too," the resident told us.



Here's part of an updated report from CBS 2:

Initially, there were reports that bricks fell from the building, but the FDNY later said that was not the case.

There was no immediate threat to public because there was already a sidewalk shed in place, the FDNY said. Only three apartments were evacuated.

Late Wednesday, Third Avenue remained closed between 9th and 10th streets. It was not known when the street would reopen.

5/12

As of around 7 a.m.





Third Avenue remains closed between Ninth Street and 10th Street ... and East Ninth Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue is also shut down.

Per ABC 7:

Firefighters have built a temporary wooden brace to keep bricks from falling from the 14th through 16th floors. The New York City Fire Department will remain on the scene with one engine until the facade is inspected by the engineer.

A boom truck is being used for more permanent repairs.

The building has 17 open Buildings Department violations, including one for facade safety. There is also an ongoing violation for failure to certify correction of a prior violation, which will require payment of a penalty to DOB.

On the ground level, workers have been tearing down the walls and gutting the former P&P Convenience Store, East Village Cheese (now on Seventh Street!) and Excel Art and Framing Store (now on the other side of Third Avenue!)... to help expand the Duane Reade on the East 10th Street corner.

Updated 1:30 p.m.

The streets around the building remain closed...



... and from the look of the photo via Steven... it appears just one worker is on the job now. Perhaps there are others inside...



Updated 2:30 p.m.

OK, there are several workers in the hanging scaffolding... as these photos via EVG reader Robert F. show...



...and the scene around the zone... Most of the storefronts between Ninth Street and 10th Street are vacant...





Previously on EV Grieve:
Rumors: Duane Reade expansion will take over adjacent storefronts, including East Village Cheese (74 comments)

East Village Cheese makes move to 7th Street official

Out and About in the East Village, Part 2

By James Maher

Name: Rafael Hines
Occupation: Sales Director, Morningstar, Writer
Location: Café Mogador, St. Mark's Place
Time: 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9

In part 1, Hines talked about growing up with his mother on Avenue D and East Third Street starting in 1961. "We were there until 1968. Our upstairs neighbor was trying to date my mom. She said no, so he set our apartment on fire." They eventually moved to St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Being part of the community has been fantastic. On the positive, the artist culture and the music — one of the things that kind of pushed me to be a writer, is all the creativity, which is still here. I see so many of the same people, who were quote-on-quote citizens like myself.

Back then, you were a citizen or involved in this whole other life. Those people I still see, and many of them are still on the block. My wife says, ‘Oh you’re going to the store, so you’re going to be back in two hours,’ because I have conversations every step of the way. All these people moved here, created a healthy economy in the neighborhood, and have been that fabric outside of this other stuff that’s been going on, which kind of comes and goes. There are just so many good people in this neighborhood.

I want to give Mogador a plug, because this place right here is magic. It’s been around for about 30 years. The hostess would carry each of our kids around when they would seat people. My kids eat here three times a week for dinner, and I come here for breakfast.

There was this guy Steven, who lived upstairs, and for year and years he would print out the Good News Newspaper, from newspapers all around the world. It was all articles about people helping other people, and he would staple it together and hand it out here in the morning. There was me and probably six other regulars and we would read our own newspaper and have this morning dialogue about people helping other people. He passed away about six months ago now. He was a really interesting guy.

I remember, the Boys Club and the 14th Street Y for me was just like home. I’m on the board there now. I went there as a kid and now I’m on the board and I’m part of the scholarship committee. The way people impacted my life and mentored me, I try to do the same thing. My mother was on the board there for years. My mother was such a part of this community as well.

That Y does such amazing things. I could talk about that for two hours. It’s a community center. They have a theatre, and then there’s the early childhood program ... a nursery school, a community center for the elderly and yoga classes — all under one roof. They also have a special-needs program, where no one is turned away, where the whole family can be involved. There’s basketball, soccer. All the counselors and everyone involved are deeply committed to caring about this community and the people who it serves.

My mother also had a bridal store on East 9th Street, until she got really sick last year. At one time, I actually had three bridal stores. I was going to be the gown king. It was a total side project. I had three stores on 9th Street between 1st and 2nd, which started out as a little side gig and then grew and grew, until they all kind of imploded.

Now I work for the company Morningstar, which does the ratings for mutual funds and everything else. I’m on the energy side. They acquired the company I worked for in 2009. We were a family-run businesses for commodities and energy.

I’m also a writer. In the past, I used to fly all over the place for work, and I would always pick up the latest thriller and the latest bestseller. I kept thinking, ‘You’ve got a story in you.’ And then during 9/11, my office was in the south tower. Obviously the whole tragedy was overwhelming. At the time, I think a lot of people thought there would be follow-up attacks, although it never happened.

That was my thought and from there that was the genesis of my book that’s coming out this week. I started by just putting small stories together that I thought were funny and then characters started showing up and dialogue started appearing out of nowhere and now I’ve got a full suspense thriller, "Bishop’s War."

It’s an action thriller about a guy who stops a terrorist attack in Union Square Park. The terrorists come after him and his family, but his family is a crime family on the Lower East Side, so it comes full circle. The characters are based on all the people who I grew up with, basically the cops and gangsters. I did a ton of research and I have friends who are over in Afghanistan, who I was sending chapters to.

It’s funny. The first agent I went to said, ‘You know, the dialogue doesn’t ring true.’ I said, ‘That’s funny, because that is word for word what that guy said.’ I didn’t even make that up. I was just using someone’s lines.

Read Part 1 here.

James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.

Week in Grieview

[Early morning at the Odessa the other day]

Watch this guy take all the packages from an East Third Street building lobby (Tuesday)

Floors collapse at under-renovation 356 E. Eighth St. (Thursday)

The new Tompkins Square Bagels will arrive before the 2nd Avenue subway, probably (Monday)

Bluebird Coffee Shop has closed on East First Street (Tuesday) and here's its replacement (Saturday)

The CBGB restaurant is open at the Newark airport, though you won't be able to order the Marquee Moons Over My Hammy (Thursday)

Prepping to repair fire-damaged wall next to the Second Avenue explosion site (Wednesday)

Details on the legal battle over the ownership of 80 St. Mark's Place (Monday)

Danny's Cycles has closed on East 14th Street (Thursday)

Number of national retailers increases in the East Village, report says (Wednesday)

Minca Ramen Factory remains closed on East Fifth Street (Tuesday)

Incoming 99¢ pizza place on Avenue A will be called 99¢ Pizza (Tuesday)

Some more details on the condos at the former East Sixth Street synagogue (Monday)

About the East Village-based podcast mürmur (Wednesday)

A question about Extell construction noise on East 14th Street (Monday)

Raphael Toledano's Brookhill Properties gives tenants $20 gift cards for the holidays (Wednesday)

Live painting with Mike (MiMo) Mozart at 212 Arts (Tuesday)

Another juice shop in the works, this one on First Avenue (Monday)

AMC Village 7 premieres renovated theater, reclining seats (Thursday)

Manhattan Cryobank wants Stuy Town sperm (Sunday)

Anecdote about a photo of framed sheep (Monday)

Candles for Joe Strummer (Tuesday)

EVG turns 8 (Monday)

... and a last look at some holiday cheer on Avenue B...

EV Grieve Etc.: Sheldon Silver on trial; the Beastie Boys on 'Soul Train'

[2nd Avenue & East 6th Street assist via Derek Berg]

Sheldon Silver on trial (The Lo-Down … The New York Times)

Checking out the menu items at Arepa Factory on Avenue A (Gothamist)

The $12.5 million penthouse at 10 Bond sells after 2 weeks (Curbed)

Hunting and eating (well, swallowing) rats with Christo in Tompkins Square Park (Gog in NYC)

Sally Davies on photographing the East Village (The Phoblographer)

"3 by Tom DiCillo" next week at the Anthology Film Archives ... includes 20th-anniversary screening of "Living in Oblivion." DiCillo and Steve Buscemi will be doing a Q-and-A on Nov. 11 (Anthology Film Archives)

Family heirs battle over movie chain, which could prompt a sale or break-up. The company owns several theaters in New York City, including the Angelika and Village East Cinema on Second Avenue and East 12th Street (The Deal ... H/T The Real Deal)

Squeezing the juice out of Organic Avenue (The New York Times)

The Beastie Boys on "Soul Train" in 1990 (Dangerous Minds)

The Ludlow House grows (BoweryBoogie)

Positive thoughts for Dr. Know of Bad Brains (Flaming Pablum)

Four female probationary firefighters will graduate from the FDNY Fire Academy, bringing the number of women firefighters to a total of 49 — a landmark high in the FDNY’s 150-year history (The Village Voice)

In defense of gentrification (The Atlantic)

An East 10th Street townhouse inspired by India (Ephemeral New York)

Artie's hardware store on West 14th Street has closed (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Details of the murder case of a well-known dentist on Bond Street in 1857 (Off the Grid)

21 great NYC diners (Eater)

Week in Grieview

[Outside St. Brigid's today on Avenue B via Bobby Williams]

RIP Shane Keogh (Sunday)

The Birdman of First Avenue is retiring, will close Rainbow Music next month (Thursday)

Rooftop fire on Third Avenue (Thursday)

New, confusing signs up at the former Lit Lounge space (Monday)

At the East Village Vintage Collective (Friday)

Another report of stolen packages from an East Village lobby (Wednesday)

Out and About with George Cameron (Wednesday)

Report: Uncle suing nephew broker Raphael Toledano over $100 million East Village deal (Friday)

A refurbished 330 Bowery comes into view (Thursday)

Le Marécage closes on First Avenue (Monday)

Superiority Burger adding another night to its schedule starting next week (Friday)

Highlights from the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival in Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday)

Cow tippers at large (Monday)

Caracas Arepa Bar back open after an 18-day, gas-related hiatus (Thursday)

Former Russian Souvenirs shop for rent on East 14th Street (Monday)

A new marquee for the First Avenue McDonald's (Tuesday)

Several trees coming down in Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday)

There'll be no more trespassing at the Cooper Union academic building (Monday)

NYPD busts the 2nd Ave. Convenience Store (Tuesday)

Reader report: Bike room burglarized at Icon's Second Avenue residential building (Wednesday)

Details on Black Seed's soon-to-open First Avenue location (Tuesday)

Virgola bringing oysters to East Seventh Street (Friday)

City removes Sandy-damaged willow from 9th Street Community Garden Park (Tuesday)

Yummy Asian Food coming to East Third Street (Wednesday)

New tape shop for East Second Street (Monday)

Something new in the works for 25 Avenue B (Thursday)

Arthouse cinema, bookshop planned for Ludlow Street (Tuesday)

Former Jones Diner lot on Lafayette primed for new development (Thursday)

Nicoletta looking to upgrade to a full liquor license (Wednesday)

… and apologies for not telling you about the pop-up shoe shop on Cooper Square on Friday…


[Photo by peter radley]

Signage spotting: Sea Beauty Spa on Avenue B

[EVG photo from 2013]

As we noted last month, a nail salon was taking over the Amor Bakery space at 224 Avenue B near East 14th Street.

And now the signage has arrived for Sea Beauty Spa ...



There's a web address for the salon on the awning, but the site is still under construction. So for now we don't know the various services they will offer, and if they will serve acai bowls.

A small fire broke out at Amor on April 22, 2013, and the family-run bakery was never able to reopen.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Updated: Fire reported at 224 Avenue B

Amor Bakery will not reopen on Avenue B

Nail salon in the works for former Amor Baker space on Avenue B

Nail salon in the works for former Amor Baker space on Avenue B

A small fire broke out at the Amor Bakery at 224 Avenue B on April 22, 2013. Unfortunately, the family-run business was never able to reopen here near East 14th Street.

Now from reliable sources comes word that workers are fitting the space for a nail salon…



And that's all we know about that.

As for Amor, we always enjoyed looking at the specialty cakes in the window display… (always wondered why the guy posing in the Speedo had a greenish tint to his body … except for his head)




[Cake photos by Robert Sietsema via Fork in the Road]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Updated: Fire reported at 224 Avenue B

Amor Bakery will not reopen on Avenue B

Firefighter chases down alleged phone thief

Firefighter Kevin Ruiz of Engine 28 on East Second Street busted an alleged phone thief today.

WABC 7 has the story:

"She had her bag completely open and a gentleman snuck up behind her and he went into her bag and he took her phone," Ruiz said.

"At first we thought it was a joke," said Commissioner Sandy Guzman, FDNY.

But the woman wasn't laughing.

"That's when Firefighter Ruiz started screaming at the guy and tells him, 'Hey give the phone back,'" Guzman said.

Possibly stunned at being caught in the act, the suspect quickly gave the phone back, but then took off.

Ruiz was not letting him get away so fast, and chased the man two avenues and about six blocks, where his fire truck caught up with him.

The story doesn't mention where the theft took place ... but Ruiz, who was food shopping with his fellow firefighters, caught up with the unnamed suspect on East 13th Street near Avenue B.

Updated 5-19

CBS New York reports that the incident occurred on First Avenue between East 13th Street and East 14th Street.

Week in Grieview

[Outside Davey's Ice Cream on 1st Avenue yesterday via Derek Berg]

A makeshift memorial for East Village explosion victims Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Ismael Locón Yac on 2nd Avenue (Thursday and Saturday)

How your donations helped people in need at The Bowery Mission in 2014 (Friday)

The Wall Street Journal on the ongoing issues at Icon Realty's 128 2nd Ave. (Tuesday)

Ben Ari Arts is a shell of its former self on Avenue A (Tuesday)

San Marzano reopens (Friday)

The Stage donates its bulk food and supplies (Friday)

Out and About with Mildred Guy (Wednesday)

Rumor: Tompkins Square Bagels possibly opening a 2nd East Village location on 2nd Avenue (Monday, 32 comments)

The 'Postmodern Polynesian' of Mother of Pearl replacing Gin Palace on Avenue A (Friday)

More about Babu Ji, opening next month on Avenue B (Wednesday)

Reader report: 421 E. 6th St. will house Peter M. Brant's personal art collection (Thursday)

Tuome back in business after a kitchen fire (Wednesday)

Johnny Favorite's now serving slices (and sorbet) on East 4th Street (Thursday)

T-swirl crêpes for where Subway's 6-inch subs once roamed on East 14th Street (Monday)

Ben Shaoul and friends paid $75 million for the one-level group of properties next to Katz's on East Houston and Orchard Street (Thursday)

SenYa now open on 1st Avenue (Wednesday)

5 weeks in, Long Bay closes for now (Wednesday)

First Avenue bagel update (Tuesday)

And a Black Seed bagels check-in (Tuesday)

Earth Day rainbow! (Thursday)

First look at Pancake Paradise on Avenue C (Monday)

NatureEs calls: About the organic cafe coming to where Mars Bar 2.0 was in the works (Tuesday)

What lies beneath the Moishe's sign (Wednesday)

From pudding to macaroni at 102 St. Mark's Place (Monday)

Zoltar moves to the left (Friday)

And Rosie's opened on Friday, and by Saturday the "s" was burned out here on Second Avenue and East Second Street …


[Photo via Spike]

2nd Avenue update (March 29)

[Photo yesterday by Derek Berg]

The latest headlines

Possibility of criminal charges in New York City building collapse growing (ABC News)

Months before East Village blast, utility found gas line was tapped in dangerous way (The New York Times)

Investigators question whether cause of East Village explosion is criminal (WABC-7)

East Village explosion underscores city's infrastructure woes (Crain's)

Heartless visitors snap selfies at East Village blast site (New York Post)

Donations and Services

• The Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC continues to collect donations to help address the needs of residents displaced by the explosion. Find the website here with more details.

• A parishioner from Church of the Nativity, Mildred Guy, lost her home in the fire. Today, Nativity will be collecting clothes, sheets and funds for displaced victims from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Donations will be going to the Red Cross. The Church is at 44 Second Ave. between East Second Street and East Third Street.

• Theater for the New City on First Avenue is offering FREE clothing from their costume collection ("costume" street wear) to its neighbors displaced by the explosion. They have coats, jackets and other clothing. Call 212-254-1109 to make an appointment.

• From 5-8 p.m. today, Professor Thom's is hosting a fundraiser for their Second Avenue neighbors. Per a Professor Thom's manager: "100 percent of all donations collected will go directly to helping our neighbors who have been affected by this."

The Loft at Professor Thom's (219 2nd Avenue between East 13th Street and East 14th Street) A $25 donation gets a bracelet for $1 well drinks & domestic beer, $2 wine and imported beer.

• EVG reader Sierra writes in to say:

We have an apartment on 9th Street and Avenue C. We can easily live in half of it as it's currently two apartments not yet combined. Our home is furnished and completely private. A single person or couple would be best for the size of the space. We can offer a two-week stay, just ask for proof of address.

Email her here

• EVG reader Gojira also has an extra room for a displaced resident. "I have a large, unused room in my apartment, free to a displaced single or couple, but you must be okay with cats. Email me here. I can host for a month. Proof of address required."

• A displaced resident named Alex left this comment on a previous post:

Hello! I live at E 41 7th, and we are displaced and awaiting news. If anyone is interested in volunteering anything, you can contact the Red Cross...or take things to 169 Avenue B. They already have lots of things. But as a displaced person who will most likely be in long term shelter for a while, a few things that needed (and got elsewhere! Yay!), but others may need are: ear plugs and eye masks (for sleeping in shared housing), slippers, pajamas, mittens/gloves/hates/scarves (I had a coat, but didn't need gloves on Thursday when I left, but needed them today). New underwear & simple socks. Laundry detergent, even small containers of it, shower caps, bathrobes, travel things, small individual instant coffee things, simple cups/mugs, plates & cutlery (I'm in shelter and got food, but don't have a cup for coffee).

• Manhattan Mini Storage is offer free storage for displaced residents. Details here

SUVs now catching on fire outside the Con Ed plant

A scene on East 14th Street at Avenue C around 4 p.m. … outside the Con Ed plant, which likely had nothing to do with this SUV fire.

Thanks to @soaperynyc for the photo!

The breaker pop heard 'round the neighborhood

[Photo from Feb. 16]

We talked with several people about the noise/bang/pop/explosion at the Con Ed power plant and subsequent flicker in the power on Saturday night... it didn't go unnoticed (as is usually the case) ...

@fnytv @ConEdison sure was and I saw a flash of blue light towards the east

— M. Dunn-Srimuangboon (@BuckLikeBronco) February 22, 2015

The Villager talked with Con Ed spokesperson Sidney Alvarez to see what happened at the plant on East 14th Street and Avenue C.

“Basically, in a nutshell, we had some equipment malfunction within our facility. In a nutshell, a breaker popped — and the cause was freezing rain.”

The Fire Department responded but there was no fire, and there were no injuries, Alvarez reported.

The spokesperson didn’t disagree that East Villagers had likely heard a thunderous bang.

“I’m sure they would have heard something,” he said.

As for a white flash in the sky, he said, there was no information regarding that in an internal report he was reading from, but he didn’t deny that it could have happened.

“But there was no fire, no spark,” he noted.

Previously on EV Grieve:
East Village residents ask: WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT NOISE LAST NIGHT?

Con Ed making strides so that the East 13th Street substation doesn't explode again