Walter De Maria's 'giant-robot laboratory' going for $25 million; inside is amazing as you'd expect

Famed sculptor Walter De Maria died last July at age 77. De Maria owned one of the most intriguing buildings in the East Village — the mysterious 421 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Avenue A. The building was a Con Ed substation built in 1920. (NYC Songlines described No. 421 as "a giant-robot laboratory.") De Maria bought it in 1980 to use as a home and studio.

We had never seen any photos of the interior … or met anyone who had been inside. Who is up there? What is up there?


[Photo by Goggla]

We were curious what would happen to this after his death. (After all, it was our dream home.)

Well, Robin Finn at the Times has the story: The building and adjacent lot are ready to hit the market for $25 million.

Meanwhile, the Times got a look inside… and it is as amazing as we expected.

In keeping with his Minimalist philosophy, Mr. De Maria left the substation’s industrial origins intact: An impressive grittiness prevails throughout the raw space. Major improvements were confined to the overhead lighting that illuminated his room-size installations.

Even the elevator is a vintage artifact, as is the Viking stove in the bare-bones kitchen where he cooked steak and vegetables. But mostly he worked, dreaming up installations like Bel Air Trilogy, an assemblage of three classic, two-tone (red and white) 1955 Chevrolets, each with a silver stake embedded in its front and rear windshields. A two-story ramp at the back of the property made it possible to take the cars, and other huge objects, up to the second-floor studio.

[Katherine Marks for The New York Times]

There are a lot more photos on the Times website.

The sale will include the lot next door.



Per the Times:

The sale also includes an unimproved lot at 419 East Sixth, a 7,920-square-foot expanse of grass and gravel partially enclosed by a chain-link fence with the potential to be repurposed into gardens, a noncommercial gallery, a garage or townhouses.

The mind reels at what a developer might do to/with this.

P.S.
Can anyone lend us $25 million?

Previously on EV Grieve:
About that "giant-robot laboratory" on East Sixth Street

RIP Walter De Maria

What is your East Village dream home?

Some part of 7A will stay in the new 7A's name

[Photo by Bride of 7th]

As we first pointed out last Thursday, Paul Salmon's name is on the application that's on file at the CB3 website for the 7A space ahead of this month's SLA committee meeting. Salmon is the one of the restaurateurs behind Miss Lily's, the Jamaican bar and restaurant on West Houston, and Joe's Pub.

There's now more paperwork on the CB3 website (PDF). It's a little tough to make it all out (did they use disappearing ink?) … the paperwork shows that Moshe Hatsav is the name of the partner leaving the corporation… and Paul Salmon is joining the corporation… the form shows that his position is "full time manager, overseeing day to day operations."



The form also asks, "Will the business name be maintained?"

The answer… "As a nod to the venerable history of this establishment, the new owners plan to incorporate some variation of the current trade name, 7A, into the new trade name."



How about — "7A — You No Longer Can Afford Our Food." (Haha. Kidding! Kind of!)

One more observation about the application. CB3 has it listed this way for the meeting:

Corporate Change (not heard at committee)
• New 7A Cafe LLC, 109 Ave A (op)

So, "not heard at committee." As far as we understand how this works, this means that there won't even be a vote by the committee for approval. Seems a little strange that they will completely change the concept (with an all-new staff) … and there's not any discussion on the matter.

7A closed on Jan. 26.

Pan has closed on St. Mark's Place; so long 1 cent beer deal

Pan, the Korean pub and restaurant, has closed at 13 St. Mark's Place. They moved here from Koreatown just last July.

Didn't know much about the place, except that they always seemed to have some sort of drink incentive …



… and this one that started in December…

Flinders Lane opening today on Avenue A

The Beagle, the craft cocktail bar at 162 Avenue A, closed back in October … signage arrived last week for the restaurant taking the space — Flinders Lane.

Here's a description of the restaurant via Facebook:

Flinders Lane is an Australian inspired eating and drinking house focused on offering a boutique selection of domestic and international wines, fresh seasonal cocktails and a creative small plate food selection.

After a few previews for friend and family, the restaurant opens tonight, and the owners had this to say about it on Facebook:

So this is it! We just want to say after 4 years of collaboration over late night Chinese and gimlets I'm proud to say that Monday the 3rd Feb is a red letter day - to realize a dream with a mate. A massive thank you to all that have helped us realize this dream.

There are some photos of the interior on Facebook… such as this one:



You can find their menu here.

Sushi favorite Shima seized by the Marshal

As we noted earlier last month, sister restaurants Sapporo East and Shima suddenly closed without any warning (to diners anyway).

Per the notice on the door at Shima … the Marshal has seized the restaurant on Second Avenue and East 12th Street …



A "for rent" sign can't be too far behind here. Meanwhile, we didn't spot any notices at Sapporo East over on First Avenue and East 10th Street.

[Updated] Why Birdbath Bakery has been closed of late

A reader shared this Friday about Birdbath Bakery over at Third Avenue and NYU:

The Birdbath Bakery at 3rd Avenue and 9th Street appears to have closed. There are no signs indicating what has happened, but the store has been locked, dark and empty each day this week.

Hmm… the location on First Avenue near East 13th Street closed last March… so…

However! There is now a sign up explaining the situation on Third Avenue… Looks like a broken door has been the culprit...



Updated 2/6

Birdbath reopened today.

Crunch branding back on the Bowery

We first saw the coming soon signs for Crunch in the long-vacant retail space at 2 Cooper Square last July. Then that signage all went away… and we wondered if the gym was still opening a location here on the Bowery and East Fourth Street.

Yes, as you can see from the Crunch signs that went up last week…



There's also a Crunch Bowery website showing the floor plans.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Crunch moving to the Bowery; CB3 OKs New York Sports Club on Avenue A

Crunch announces itself to the Bowery

'Super friendly' dog in peril

An EVG Facebook friend shared this photo … these flyers are hanging around the neighborhood… From Avenue D up to B … From East Fifth Street to East Seventh Street…

Noted

Someone taped a handful of the above flyers to various trees and light poles along St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and First Avenue … we blocked out the photos of the woman accused of being a home wrecker …

In any event, someone has ripped down the flyers, which look homemade legit and not some kind of wacky marketing campaign…

Cockshark sighting reported on Avenue A

Dunno how long this has been here at East 12th Street… a reader pointed it out to us today…



The stickers were originally the handiwork of Enzo and Nio.

Week in Grieview

[Houston and Avenue C by Michael Sean Edwards]

RIP Mike Bakaty (Friday)

NYU student jumps to his death from Third North Dorm (Monday)

Ben Shaoul's Bloom 62 may fetch upwards of $70 million (Thursday)

Happy 81st birthday Ray! (Tuesday)

So long 7A (Monday)

beQu opens on East Ninth Street (Monday)

New menu for Sidewalk (Monday)

Out and About with Alex Harsley (Wednesday)

What's next for 7A and Odessa Cafe and Bar (Thursday)

Lock your apartment door, mmmkay? (Tuesday, 39 comments)

A look at 170 E. Second St. before the renovations (Tuesday)

What's next for the Peels space (Tuesday)

Brooklyn Piggies now open on A (Friday)

A rough month for East Village restaurants (Friday)

How 7-Eleven wants to be a good neighbor (Tuesday)

100 years before 7A (Monday)

Filming "Ten Thousand Saints" in the East Village (Wednesday)

Renovations for this unique East Fourth Street tenement (Friday)

Watson's first tag

Well, not much of a tag, to be honest… here at the IBM Watson building (aka 51 Astor Place). And what, exactly, is this temporary sign thingy out front? Looks like some shop class project… while a $50-million Jeff Koons rabbit sculpture sits inside the lobby.

Anyway!

… next frame, a bit of an upskirt moment…



Photos by Derek Berg

Car alarm causing some residents to lose their shit, and leave Urban Etiquette Signs

A reader who lives in the 500 block of East 13th Street (between A and B) shares this …

"The car in the enclosed pictures is now infamous for keeping many of my neighbors, wide awake, sleepless and angry for the past three nights. What’s hilarious and makes the car a symbol of the gentrified EV, are the protest fliers plastered all over it’s front and side window."





…the photo is slightly cut off… but the note is signed "your very MEAN angry neighbor." But there is a ♥

There is a Boycott 7-Eleven rally tomorrow

[Photo from the No 7-Eleven blog]

Via the EVG inbox…

Please join us for our weekly ‘Boycott 7-Eleven’ rally tomorrow, February 2nd, from 1-2PM at the corner of Avenue A and 11th Street.

In other 7-Eleven related news, the No 7-Eleven Blog had an update this past week about the fines that 7-Eleven and Westminster Management have incurred at 500 E. 11th St. regarding the store's illegally placed AC and refrigeration units — more than $17,000 to date. Workers installed the units back in September.

Granted $17,000 isn't anything for Westminster Management, a division of Kushner Companies, or 7-Eleven. (That's dinner at Masa for the gang!) But not doing anything about the situation seems to be going against 7-Eleven's "aim to win over the tough crowd."

Previously on EV Grieve:
3 new AC units at incoming 7-Eleven prompts Partial Stop Work Order

A Stop Work order at Avenue A's incoming 7-Eleven

Report: Another Stop Work Order for incoming 7-Eleven on Avenue A

A WHOOSHING AC unit update: 'We are roundly being ignored by 7-Eleven and Westminster NYC'

Mid-morning reflections on Avenue A

Photo by Grant Shaffer

With Valentine's Day approaching, secret admirer makes feelings known for Zoltar

Ah! Love is in the air! At least here outside Gem Spa… where a secret admirer has been showing his or her affection on the glass…



If we must…



Is it the flute oh-so casually tucked in the vest…? Or that voice?

Sigh. Guess we won't bother giving him these now…

Hawk shenanigans in Tompkins Square Park today

Per Goggla today, a hawk was pulling these kinds of fly-by stunts… "Hey, did you just feel a breeze?"



Meanwhile, the Hawkman always rings twice…



Check out many more of Goggla's photos here.

Some great 'Reward'

The Teardrop Explodes with "Reward" circa 1981.

Brooklyn Piggies now open on Avenue A

Smorgasburg vendors Brooklyn Piggies, which only peddles hand-rolled pigs in a blanket, opened its first permanent (brick-and-mortar?) storefront yesterday ... at 195 Avenue A near East 12th Street. (Someone at Oprah likes them.)

Their hours:

Tue - Wed: 11 am to 11 pm
Thu - Sat: 11 am to 4 am (They have a late-night to-go window)
Sun: 11 am to 9 pm

Per the Times:

The company makes about 10,000 pigs a week to sell online and frozen, and for Madison Square Garden’s skyboxes. They are available in original, spicy or chicken. Coming soon: a vegetarian style and potato puffs: about $20 for a box of 14.

Biscuits on one side of Avenue A ... and pigs in a blanket on the other. Who will win this single-food late-night throwdown?

RIP Mike Bakaty

[Photo by James Maher]

Mike Bakaty, owner of the city's longest-running tattoo parlor, died Wednesday night after a battle with cancer. He was 77.

Bakaty opened Fineline Tattoos on First Avenue near East Second Street in 1997 after the city lifted the 30-plus year ban on tattooing. He started his business during the tattoo prohibition from his Bowery loft in 1976.

We featured Bakaty in Out and About in the East Village last Feb. 13.

I grew up in Miami. I moved to Houston and Bowery in 1970 to try it out for a year or two. I was 34 when I got here and I’m 39 now. I was the same handsome, charming young man that I am now.

Fame and fortune brought me here, like everybody else. Why the hell else? If I wanted fun in the sun, I’d have stayed in Miami.

Dave on 7th first told us the news.

"Mike was a total original. He was no doubt one of only a handful of people who were able to break into and keep alive the art of tattooing in New York — if not the country — during its long prohibition. He was a fine artist as well as a tattoo artist.

"He will be sorely missed by everyone who has had the privilege and pleasure to know him."

Here's a video interview with Bakaty (and his son Mehai) from January 2009...