[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

Week in Grieview

[Photo from East 10th Street Friday by William Klayer]

Author/bar owner Evelyn Dahab dies in East First Street apartment fire (Wednesday)

International owners planning seafood market-restaurant for the space (Monday)

More about the world's smallest screening room coming to Two Boots on Avenue A (Tuesday)

Ben Shaoul's bland new Second Avenue building is called The East Luxe (Friday)

Ray's Candy Store hit with $200 fine for inadequate doughnut labels (Wednesday)

Here is the New York Sports Club building on Avenue A (Friday)

Wechsler's Currywurst and Bratwurst has closed on First Avenue (Tuesday)

MoRUS turns 2 (Thursday)

Part two of our interview with Arthur Nersesian (Wednesday)

Partial dorm reveal on Cooper Square (Friday)

A 14-screen Regal Cinemas theater with electronic reclining seats coming to the LES (Monday)

Fire destroys two apartments at 542 E. 14th St. (Wednesday)

One way to support the trees in Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday)

The former Gracefully space is for rent on A (Monday)

Bendy thing action at 185-193 Avenue B (Tuesday)

City Comptroller audit finds poor maintenance and shoddy oversight of the Citi Bike program (Friday)

Jared Kushner East Village buying spree continues (Thursday)

The latest Steve Croman legal news (Tuesday)

The Dee Dee Ramone exhibit is now open (Wednesday)

Rendering mix-up at 67 Avenue C (Monday)

BARA debuts on East First Street (Tuesday)

… and yesterday, the NYPD removed the month-old patrol tower on East Third Street and Avenue C …

Week in Grieview

[Why did Zoltar move? He loves Paul's! Photo by Derek Berg]

Gracefully is closing on Avenue A (Monday)

Q-and-A with Vanessa McDonnell, director of the John's of 12th Street documentary (Thursday)

East Village Radio is returning (Friday)

Native Bean moving soon on Avenue A (Thursday)

Q-and-A with activist Kelly Cogswell, author of "Eating Fire: My Life as a Lesbian Avenger" (Tuesday)

Pizza Bagel Cafe yielding to a T-Mobil store on East 14th Street and First Avenue (Tuesday)

City's first cat cafe opening on the LES (Thursday)

Out and About with Ben Bahud (Wednesday)

Coming soon to First Avenue: Sweet Generation, "A Bakery for Arts Education" (Monday)

Facebook is here now in Midtown South (Wednesday)

The Marshal seizes Cafe Cambodge on Avenue C (Thursday)

$73 million and Ben Shaoul's Bloom 62 is all yours (Friday)

John Lurie's new live Internet radio show debuts (Wednesday)

LaVie in rubble (Friday)

zPizza closes on First Avenue (Monday)

A Building condo returns to market WITHOUT THE SLIDE (Tuesday)

Heavenly Market opens on Third Avenue (Friday)

Awwwwwwwww: Christo and Dora make cute in the sunset (Tuesday)

Momofuku-French Louie vets bringing BARA to East First Street (Monday)

Refurbished El Sombrero debuts (Wednesday)

New residential building for former Mobil station lot will be 10 floors with 0 zero affordable units (Wednesday)

57 Second Ave. available for $30 million (Thursday)

Mystery mounds (Friday)

Mile High Run Club is up and running (Monday)

… and we realized that we never noted the arrival of the recently relocated Cloak & Dagger boutique at 334 E. Ninth St. … in the former Archangel Antiques space…

Out and About in the East Village

In this weekly feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village.



By James Maher

Name: Jamie (he declined to have his photo taken)
Occupation: Check Cashing Guy
Location: 5th Street between 1st and 2nd
Date: 4:30 pm on Monday, Aug. 25

I’m from Brooklyn, East New York. I grew up in the projects. I had a great time. Projects back then were a little bit different than they are now. I thought they were great.

When we were growing up the playground consisted of monkey bars, one round cement thing and a seesaw. Concrete everywhere. There was no rubber or nothing like that. Everybody who has ever played on that would tell you that they either busted their shoulder or something like that. Everybody got hurt on one of those things.

The thing that I loved about the projects was that you had to negotiate within your building, then this building across from you might not have liked your building, so you had to negotiate with them, and not only that, but your development might not have liked the development across the street.

But the best thing was that it was a community. Everybody knew you. If you did something wrong you were in trouble before you even got home. When they said that the night has a thousand eyes, believe me, they knew. It was a good time, plus we had an imagination. We had nothing indoors, so everything was outdoors. A stick was everything in the world to us. Now if you give a stick to a kid he’s just going to hit you with it.

My grandparents opened this store in 1946, so for 67 years this place has been around. It used to be on East 2nd Street and when they closed that they moved here. My grandparents used to take me into the store when I was 8 years old. They had four stores. All the brothers and my grandfather had a store. There was another store on Broadway and Bleecker. I was always taken to that store. That was where my grandmother would take me, away from my grandfather and uncle. I was always the guy running up the bills, when everything was pen and paper. On the weekends if I didn’t run out fast enough it was, ‘You’re helping grandma today.’ That was how I got started.

Back then there were not many check cashers. Now there’s a whole flood. You had this check casher here, then you had one on Essex, Broadway and Bleecker, 14th Street, and 23rd Street. That was it. So if you’ve lived in this neighborhood, or you know anybody who was ever on the fringe, they went in, whether they paid a bill or cashed a check. We had celebrities from here to there. It’s amazing when I look at the old card file. In every walk of life there are a lot of interesting people and I won’t talk about them, but they made a lot of colorful nights that made your day go quick. It was always a warm feeling when people came in and they didn’t hate the store.

A lot of people misunderstand check cashing stores. You can’t just look at something now. You’ve got to take history into account. Back in the old days there were no banks around here. There was nothing here, and if there was a bank you needed $5,000 or $1,500 and they really didn’t want to deal with that type of population. They didn’t want the mother coming in with the two kids filling out all the forms. So check cashers arose to fill that need. We were the first ATM machines. Banks were 9 am-3 pm Monday through Friday, then say goodnight. There was no 24 hours. We filled the void that we would be open earlier and closed later. At the same time, there are a lot of people, whether they want to say it or not, living week to week with their paycheck. The majority of United States people owe a lot of money on credit. I think [all the banks around now] are a major write-off for them because you can’t have that many customers.

My father was killed during a holdup, working in his own store. That was 1972. So life changed at that point. I was 13. I don’t think my father wanted me to go into his line of work. He wanted me to be my own person. He used to say to me, ‘Jamie, I want to be known as Jamie’s father, versus you being known as Sidney’s son.‘ That was his biggest wish. School was very important. To get into a city school back then you needed an 85 average. There was no deviation from it. So I made sure I was in the 90s. It wasn’t a suggestion; it was a fact of life. You’re going to college.

Who knows, life would have been a little bit different. My mother suffered very badly from asthma and we were going to be going to Arizona at the time. That’s where the doctors recommended to go. We were ready to pick up and go. She was the one that stopped us. So that was it, we stayed around. Then my uncle passed away in 1988 and he offered the store to everybody else and nobody wanted it so I bought it from the rest of the family. I’ve been running it ever since then. The major thing is that when I walk in there it’s not a job. When I walk in there I see my grandmother, I see my grandfather. Cleaning out things, I come across handwriting. It’s a whole life in there and when I walk out and look at the neighborhood, it’s completely changed.

A job is one thing, but this is history. I cannot tell you how many people come in and say, ‘I was here when I was this big.’ They leave the neighborhood and come back and say, ‘You’re still here?’ I joke and say that they never gave me the key to get out. You see, there’s happiness. There’s a conversation. I know everybody, I know your name, I know your kids, I know if you’ve had an operation. There were a lot of colorful people, people that only wanted the money from their left hand. I couldn’t give it to you with my right hand.

We always charged less than other check cashers. I made a living, my kids were taken of and my wife was taken care of. I knew that there was a lot of hardship and if I could have helped, if I could put a dollar, or two or three or four in your pocket… so we always charged less. That was my way of giving back to the neighborhood. Unless you had been to another place, you didn’t know. So what happened was when I was closed for that one week people would come back and say, ‘Oh my God, I’m so glad you’re back!’ They would be shocked.

There’s a lot of hurt; you see it. When you work the window it’s worse. You hear the pain; you hear things; you see the aging. You’ve got kids just starting off and parents with two kids… if I can give you a happy meal. My accountant hates my guts. A lot of check cashers hate my guts because I make them look bad. They wouldn’t give me certain services unless I raise my rates. I tried to explain to people that they’re not charging you more, they’re not stealing from you, they’re charging you the legit rate that I could charge you, but I’m not. It put a smile on me.

So far nothing has been happening [getting back into the store]. I’m trying to get in. That’s the most important thing. I’m trying not to make waves, just trying to get inside. I just don’t understand why it’s taking so long. What happened was there was some construction being done [in the building] and a person put their foot through the ceiling. The person below them had enough and finally called the fire department and police department. Because of the condition of the place, the fire department looked, didn’t like what they saw, didn’t see any permits, and they went around the whole building. By the end of the day, it was everybody out — full vacate.

There’s hope because we know that there are people in the building [on the 4th floor]. So I don’t understand why they don’t let us back there. We were hoping for a resolution a little bit faster than it has. It was supposed to be a lot faster. It was a, ‘Ra ra, we’re going to get you guys in.’ I thought it was going to be one or two days, but then I saw that wasn’t happening. But I’m learning a little history. This is one building but it used to be two buildings. In the 1950s these were two separate buildings and they combined the two. So that’s why the other side is back in. They’re in a different structure.

A lot of people don’t see me now [in an armored truck across from the store]. I had to rent the truck. This was supposed to be a stopgap and next thing you know it’s becoming a way of life.

What’s upsetting is that no matter what happened, we were always open. If there was a blackout, we were open. During Hurricane Sandy and the blackout, we were open. People knew. They would come around the corner. People would come from the Bronx and Brooklyn. They had check cashers right underneath them, but they’d say, ‘You know what, you treated me like a person. I walked in, I was just going on recovery or something like that, you didn’t talk down to me, I’m your customer for life.’ They knew no matter what happened, there’s a light on. That’s what’s hurting me the most is that I’m not in there.

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

Demolition watch along East 14th Street

A month has passed since we checked in on the demolition progress on East 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Workers have just taken out the fire-damaged spaces of the former Stuyvesant Grocery, Pete's-a-Place, Jackson Hewitt and the beauty shop starting at the southeast corner of East 14th Street and Avenue A...





The buildings that housed Rainbow and (sniff!) the Blarney Cove are mid-rubble at the moment.



Coming soon along this corridor — two, 7-floor retail-residential buildings.

Previously on EV Grieve:
New 7-floor buildings for East 14th Street include 150 residential units

3 storefronts down in the ongoing demolition of East 14th Street

Week in Grieview

[Supermoon over the East Village photo by Allen Ackerman]

After 76 years, Bowlmor Lanes has closed (Monday)

How Kushner is treating residents at 170-174 E. Second St. (Thursday)

Snack Dragon closing this month (Friday)

Starbucks-owned Teavana coming to the former Silver Spurs space on Broadway (Tuesday)

Stage Restaurant returns from holiday (Wednesday)

Car fire! (Wednesday)

There's not much left of 324 E. Fourth St. (Tuesday)

NYU adding building to former Plantworks garden center space (Wednesday)

IHOP on East 14th Street now has a sidewalk cafe (Thursday)

It's always nice to hear from Kita the Wonder Dog of East 10th Street (Friday)

Rodeo Bar is closing (Thursday)

GNC opening at 79 Third Ave. (Monday)

Goat Town has closed (Monday)

Mimi Cheng's Dumplings now open on Second Avenue (Wednesday)

The Second Avenue BP station is gone (Tuesday)

The first batch of books arrive at the new St. Mark's Bookshop (Thursday, and the former location has been gutted)

Sushi proposed for former Cafe Rakka space on Avenue B (Tuesday)

A look at those new condos on East Seventh Street (Thursday)

Sketchy pink box update (Tuesday)

A summer moment (Sunday)

Week in Grieview

[2nd Avenue bus on fire lane photo from July 4 via Derek Berg]

LIGHTNING STRIKES (Wednesday)

Painting the Dodge heading West (Tuesday)

We will miss First Avenue Pierogi and Deli (Wednesday)

Pricing for new condos at 227 E. Seventh St. (Tuesday)

99-Cent Discount Center latest lost-lease casualty on East 14th Street (Monday)

Your new Dunkin' Donuts has arrived on Cooper Square (Monday)

Golden Cadillac closes (Wednesday, 29 comments)

Sketchy pink boxes alert (Tuesday… Thursday)

Closing date for BP station on Second Avenue (Monday)

Exclusive: It was the the Fourth of July (Friday)

Bass thief (Thursday)

Rendering reveal for 76 E. Houston St. (Thursday)

Financial help for Citi Bike (Wednesday) … not to mention a valet service (Thursday)

Opening for new St. Mark's Bookshop pushed back (Tuesday)

Retro crotch grab at Mousey's (Thursday)

The Mobil station reopens (Monday)

The townhouse at 356 E. Eighth St. is back on the market (Thursday)

Check out this "charming studio" (Wednesday)

Transforming Eleventh and Third (Tuesday)

… and you always post photos of macaws on East Ninth Street …


[Photo yesterday by Derek Berg]

And check out the placement of the Times with the photo of Brazil star Neymar … Was the macaw's owner rooting for Colombia?

Say goodbye to the temporary fire truck garage on East 14th Street

[EVG file photo from August 2013]

Workers today disassembled the temporary structure outside Engine Company 5 on East 14th Street near First Avenue. For the past 10 months, the pen had been housing the truck from Ladder Company 3 on East 13th Street near Fourth Avenue ... while that station house underwent repairs ...


[Photo by EVG reader Pinch]

Previously on EV Grieve:
This open, airy, East Village studio seeks $2,600 a month

The demolition gets serious on East 14th Street

Last Monday, workers began taking apart the single-level buildings on East 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

The crew has moved on from hand tools now, as the above photo by James and Karla Murray shows. (This looks to be the former ABC Animal Hospital.)

Workers are making room for two, 7-floor retail-residential buildings featuring 150 residential units.

Also, as EVG Facebook friend Michael Paul noted, Monday marked the 4-year anniversary of the fire on East 14th Street and Avenue A that wiped out Stuyvesant Grocery, Pete's-a-Place, Jackson Hewitt and the beauty shop ... an event that perhaps set this whole development in motion?

[Photo by EVG reader Sergey]

Previously on EV Grieve:
New 7-floor buildings for East 14th Street include 150 residential units