Summer previews: Budding sinkholes to watch

Here in the bus lane on Second Avenue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street, a pothole-sinkhole is in the early stages of development.

Derek Berg, who took the top photo last evening, sprung into action and moved the trash receptacle in front of the crumbling pavement to prevent a possible loss of an M15. 

This morning, more official cones and a single barricade are on the scene...

Anyway, something to monitor as you're coming and going from Le Fournil...

Today in 9th Street sinkhole repairs

Photos by Steven 

Today, workers began filling in the sinkhole that was entertaining us outside 315-317 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

In the process, the sinkhole expanded from a studio to a two-bedroom-sized unit...

... before getting the metal plate treatment...

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week include (with a photo from St. Mark's Place on Friday evening) ...

• St. George Church reopens a refurbished Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen on 7th Street (Friday) 

• Mount Sinai submits updated plan to close Beth Israel on July 12 (Wednesday) 

• Block Association asking for removal of the 32-foot tall 5G tower at 129 Avenue C (Thursday) 

• At the annual Loisaida Festival (Monday) 

• 37 1st Ave., once home to some East Village music history, is now rubble (Monday) • The East Village, full of bars, gets an anti bar (Thursday)

• Hit play 'Job' heads from the East Village's Connelly Theater to Broadway (Wednesday)

• Openings: Sunday Dreamin on 2nd Avenue (Thursday) 

• Soft openings: Sip + Co. on 9th Street (Tuesday)

• IHOP lops off its sidewalk dining shed (Thursday) 

• Dear Rufino has apparently moved on from 2nd Avenue (Thursday)

• Closings: Yakiniku West on 9th Street (Tuesday) 

• Reaching the top at the all-new 12-story building at 280 E. Houston St. (Tuesday) 

• A Williamsburg view of Manhattanhenge (Wednesday) ... and from Union Square (Tuesday) 

• Café Maud is the name of the new establishment in the former Dallas BBQ space (Wednesday) 

• Times Square-friendly business is now up and running on Union Square (Wednesday) 

• Budding Ninth Street sinkhole is now Citizen app famous (Tuesday)

Speaking of the Ninth Street sinkhole, it is showing some sedimentary layers. (This will be a great class field trip!) Thanks to Steven for the photo.    

Budding 9th Street sinkhole is now Citizen app famous

Photo by Steven 

The in-progress sinkhole outside 315-317 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second is gaining some notoriety, garnering a coveted mention on the Citizen app today ... joining the ranks of the true bold-face names...

[Updated] This evening in sinkholes on 3rd Street

EVG reader Mark White shared these photos early this evening from Third Street between Avenue A and First Avenue... where it "looked like the sinkhole happened just as the car was driving."

During this time, traffic on Third Street was backed up to Avenue B...

And it could have been worse.

Updated 8 a.m. 

How it looks this morning ... after being the life of the party last night...

Prepping Avenue A for a new dedicated bus lane

Photos by Stacie Joy 

The DOT has started putting down the markings for the new dedicated southbound bus lane for the M14A on Avenue A below Fifth Street... 

As previously noted, parking is no longer allowed between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. seven days a week in select corridors on Avenue A and Avenue D. (The bus lanes have already been marked on D.) 

This is one of the transit improvements the city announced as part of the "Better Buses Restart" campaign in May 2021. Per then-Mayor de Blasio's announcement during "Streets Week!" at the time:

Both new and improved bus lanes will serve bus riders citywide, with changes including new red paint and markings, signals improvements, pedestrian safety and clearer signage. 

The city identified the M14A and M14D as a "bus priority" in 2019... when the 14th Street Busway went into effect between Third Avenue and Ninth Avenue. (According to the city, the Busway improved bus travel times by 36%, among other improvements.)

Still, according to the city, speeds on the 14A and 14D are consistently slow throughout the day and early evening. (DOT presentation from June 2021 here.)

There's also a budding sinkhole on Avenue A at Second Street that could swallow a bus that Keanu and Sandra couldn't even save...

Meanwhile on 1st Avenue and 5th Street...

No. 

That's the answer to the (rhetorical) question posed in a headline on Saturday: Have we seen the last of the sinkhole on 1st Avenue at 5th Street? 

Despite the arrival of a freshly painted crosswalk and bike lanes on Fifth Street at First Avenue, a crew is back on the scene today doing more work at the intersection... 

Thanks CHurt for the tip!

Have we seen the last of the sinkhole on 1st Avenue at 5th Street?

Updated 3/14: We're back!

After multiple attempts at digging and patching, patching and digging, it appears the intersection of First Avenue at Fifth Street is officially sinkhole free.

Workers recently painted the crosswalk and bike lanes here again — a good sign that they likely won't have to do this again until the summer. 

You can find previous sinkhole coverage from this location here and here ... and here.

Thank you to everyone who wrote in about this!

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo of a large mulch mound in Tompkins Square Park by Steven) ...

 • Fire destroys Essex Card Shop on Avenue A (Monday) ... Scenes from the fire at 47 Avenue A (Monday) ... Information about a crowdfunding campaign to help the fire-damaged Essex Card Shop (Tuesday) ... Assessing the fire damage at Essex Card Shop (Thursday) 

• Exit9 reopens on Avenue A after fire next door (Thursday) ... Downtown Yarns hopes to reopen in a week (Thursday)

• The March Hare is closing so the owners can focus on health and family (Friday)

• Man shot and killed in shooting inside the Lillian Wald Houses Saturday (Saturday) 

• Sunny's Florist closed until early March (Monday) 

• Lights out: Bulb Concepts has closed on 7th Street (Wednesday) 

• Key Food is no longer open 24/7 (Wednesday) 

• Gallery Watch checks out a new show at The Hole on Walker Street (Saturday) 

• A call to revamp ABC Playground at P.S. 20 on Houston and Essex (Wednesday) 

• Irving Farm New York is opening an outpost on 10th Street (Monday) 

• Solving the Great Santa Claus Mystery of Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday) 

• City finally repairing 6th Street sinkhole (Friday) 

• Another day, another smoke shop reveal in the East Village (Wednesday) 

• Signage alert on the SW corner of Avenue A and 6th Street (Friday) 

• Chip, chip hooray! Video highlights from MulchFest 2022 (Tuesday) 

• LES Convenience is coming soon for your convenience on Avenue A (Monday) 

• Abandoned curbside dining structures attracting more attention on the NE corner of 6th and A (Monday)

As a follow-up to this Friday evening parting shot, in which two local college students tried to remove a Pete Davidson/Rowing Blazers wheatpaste ad on St. Mark's Place...  they shared a photo from their dorm room with Lola Sáenz showing how they fared...

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Hole lotta love: Checking in on the just-repaired 6th Street sinkhole

Here's a look at the now-former tree-pit sinkhole outside 338 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

As noted on Friday, city crews finally filled in the four-plus-month-old hole...

The sinkhole formed during the drenching rains from Tropical Storm Ida on Sept. 1.

Breaking! (so to speak): City finally repairing 6th Street sinkhole

Well! 

A city crew is on the scene this morning to make repairs on the tree-pit sinkhole outside 338 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Goggla shared the above photo and noted the work in progress.

As we've noted many times previously: The sinkhole formed during the drenching rains from Tropical Storm Ida on Sept. 1.

Since then, a makeshift barrier including parts of Awash's outdoor dining space and other found objects have been guarding/blocking the sidewalk. Pedestrians had to walk on Sixth Street on the south side of the street to bypass the sinkhole. The sinkhole claimed the tree here in early December. 

No word on why it took four-plus months to have this repaired ... even with numerous residents calling this in to 311 and other various city agencies. 

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo on Astor Place by Derek Berg) ... 

• Details on the Community Holiday Feast in Tompkins Square Park this Dec. 18 (Wednesday) 

• Rent hike threatens Avenue C mainstay Casa Adela (Monday) 

• Report: City continues cutting down trees in East River Park despite Temporary Restraining Order (Friday ... Saturday ... Sunday) ... East River Park closing below Stanton Street as resiliency work moves forward (Monday) 

• Preparing the former B Bar & Grill for demolition on the Bowery (Monday) 

• Here are the proposed locations for new Citi Bike docking stations in the East Village (Thursday) 

• A visit to the new East Side Ink on the Lower East Side (Thursday) 

• Caffè Bene has closed on Avenue A (Monday) 

• The pandemic in the East Village as seen through the eyes of Billy the Artist (Tuesday) 

• Original Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches closes in 2nd Avenue A location this year (Tuesday)

• Long & Short Barber Co. cuts out of 250 E. Houston St. (Wednesday) 

• Sinkhole claims tree on 6th Street (Tuesday) 

• CR7 Gourmet Deli opens on 1st Avenue (Monday)

... and we fielded a few queries this past week about the Nodega/No Shop signage that arrived at 40 Avenue C between Third Street and Fourth Street (the former Bedlam space) ... not sure what this is at the moment (thanks to Dave for this photo... and also Stacie Joy and David for the emails)...

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Sinkhole claims tree on 6th Street

The sidewalk- and tree pit-eating hole outside 338 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue has apparently claimed a victim — the small tree that was in the pit.

Several EVG readers have noted this latest development here in recent days... 

It's not known if, perhaps, workers removed the tree ahead of repair work ... or someone else decided to cut it down.

As we've noted four times previously: The sinkhole formed during the drenching rains from Tropical Storm Ida on Sept. 1.

Since then, a makeshift barrier including parts of Awash's outdoor dining space and other found objects have been guarding/blocking the sidewalk. Pedestrians must walk on Sixth Street on the south side of the street to bypass the sinkhole.

Several residents have told us that they have contacted 311, Community Board 3, Councilmember Carlina Rivera's office, the DOT, the 9th Precinct, etc., to report the sinkhole — and the swastikas someone added to the barrier a few weeks back.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo from Union Square by Derek Berg) ...

• The in-person tree lighting ceremony returns to Tompkins Square Park; save the date for Dec. 12 (Wednesday) 

• Shoring up the fire-damaged Middle Collegiate Church on 2nd Avenue (Monday)

• Random Accessories celebrates 25 years (Thursday)

• Dress Shoppe II will close in early January (Tuesday) 

• Q&A with local band cumgirl8 (Thursday)

• Gallery Watch: 'If Death Ever Learn' at Someday Gallery (Wednesday) 

• Your chance to check out Jimmy Webb's collection of iconic music photography (Tuesday) 

• Someone painted 2 swastikas on the barrier surrounding the 6th Street sinkhole (Monday) 

• Sidewalk bridge arrives ahead of planned demo of former Red Square storefronts (Wednesday) 

• A visit to Howl! Arts/Howl! Archive on the Bowery (Friday) 

• Surf's up for Patagonia on the Bowery (Monday) 

• Jiang's Kitchen is in soft-open mode on St. Mark's Place (Monday) 

• The Irish breakfast makes a triumphant return to St. Dymphna's (Thursday) 

• Openings: Bar Lula on 1st Avenue (Thursday)

• The longest partial moon eclipse in 580 years as seen from 2nd Avenue (Friday)

• Boarding up Papaya Dog (Monday) 

• A tradition like no other returns this holiday season on 9th Street (Sunday) 

• Drunken Dumpling returns (Tuesday) 

• Beyond Sushi will not be reopening on 14th Street (Tuesday) 

• Sweet Village Marketplace opens on 1st Avenue (Sunday) 

• At Key Food: Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more (Monday) 

• Blank Street debuts on Avenue A today (Friday) 

• A new florist for Sunny & Annie's (Monday)

... and a new mural arrived the other day on the NE corner of Sixth Street and First Avenue (outside the Dunkin') ... "Rise by lifting others" by Aída Miró ... thanks to Goggla for the photo...

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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

Sinkhole still life

In early October, we bid farewell for the time being to the sinkhole on Fifth Street and First Avenue. 

The former sinkhole has been receiving ample attention in the past week. (Thanks Eden for the initial tip!) 

The intersection here at Rite Aid Way now has steel plates covering the new subterranean cavern. Goggla shared the top pic today, still life with a shovel and leaves but no workers or utility vehicles in sight... 

Meanwhile, the Sixth Street sinkhole with the swastikas remains in a sinking state.

Someone painted 2 swastikas on the barrier surrounding the 6th Street sinkhole

The sidewalk- and tree pit-eating hole remains unchecked outside 338 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

The sinkhole formed during the drenching rains from Tropical Storm Ida on Sept. 1.

Since then, a makeshift barrier including parts of Awash's outdoor dining space and other found objects have been guarding/blocking the sidewalk. Pedestrians must walk on Sixth Street on the south side of the street to bypass the sinkhole...

Several residents have told us that they have contacted 311, Community Board 3, Councilmember Carlina Rivera's office, the DOT, the 9th Precinct, etc., to report the sinkhole. Repairs await. 

And now an EVG reader reports that someone recently drew two swastikas (as well as a comment about President Biden and Gov. Hochul) on the west-facing plywood. 

Over the weekend, someone covered the messages with a yoga mat...

Week in Grieview

Posts from this past week included (with a photo from 10th Street at Stuyvesant by Steven) ... 

• P&T Knitwear Co. bringing books, coffee and podcasts to the Lower East Side (Monday)

• Vandal on skateboard defaces new George Floyd bust in Union Square (Sunday) 

• A visit to Genshinkan Aikido (Tuesday) 

• The latest on the great aisle changeover at Key Food on Avenue A (Friday) 

• NYPD searching for 2 suspects in Sunday evening assault on 3rd Street (Thursday) 

• Weekend reopening recap: Blue & Gold, Tom & Jerry's (Monday) 

• 'Pipe Dreams' at the Ninth Street Community Garden & Park dioramas this fall (Thursday) 

• The Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade returns on Oct. 23 (Tuesday) 

• Like a bat out of hell, a Halloween shop pops up on Avenue A (Wednesday) 

• Mad for Chicken to roost on 14th Street (Thursday) 

• Sidewalk usage available again on the NE corner of 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place (Wednesday) 

• ICYMI: Quartino Bottega Organica has closed on Bleecker Street (Monday) 

• Must be the season: Hitchcocktober returns to 2nd Avenue and 12th Street (Wednesday) 

• Fish story: Crab Du Jour bringing seafood boils to 1st Avenue (Tuesday)

• Drunken Dumpling will be serving up its large soup dumplings again soon (Monday) 

• Today in notes about a kitten stuck in your car's engine (Wednesday) 

• Farewell (for now!) to the sinkhole on 1st Avenue at 5th Street (Tuesday) 

• Xing Fu Tang is now open on 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place (Monday)

• Y7 reopens along 250 E. Houston St. (Tuesday) 

• Superiority Burger vying for a liquor license for new Avenue A space (Monday) 

• The Brazen Fox becomes the Ugly Duckling (Monday) 

... and in recent days, workers buffed out the Bowery Mural Wall over on Houston... waiting for confirmation on who's next here... the previous work here, titled "To Open a Portal," had been up for the past year...

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Hello again, old friend: Sinkhole reforming in Tompkins Square Park

A sinkhole is starting to form again in Tompkins Square Park ... just inside the entrance at Eighth Street and Avenue B, as EVG regular Salim notes with these photos... it has been in the making now for a few weeks, getting larger, hungrier... 

This is at the site of a trashcan-swallowing sinkhole that enthralled the community a few of us during the summer of 2017. That particular in-progress sinkhole kept this entrance closed for nearly two months during that Summer of the Sinkhole.

Farewell (for now!) to the sinkhole on 1st Avenue at 5th Street

City crews were at the intersection of First Avenue and Fifth Street today... to fill in the sinkhole that had continued to grow and flourish here in recent weeks ... (thanks to James Rogala for the photo!) 

Relieve the sinkhole's glory days here and here ... and leave your favorite memory of it in the comments.  

Updated 6 p.m. 

Goggla shared this pic of the repair work...

Someone called the police about the 6th Street sinkhole

The heavy rains that Tropical Storm Ida brought on Sept. 1 caused a large sinkhole to form in the tree pit and sidewalk outside 338 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (Previously: de Blasio Spider Hole.)

Yesterday, one month to the date that the sinkhole formed, someone called the police about the situation. The report showed up on the Citizen app...

We did receive confirmation that a squad car arrived on the scene... and apparently, the officers called this in to whatever city agency would need to get here to fix this. 

Top photo by Steven yesterday