Late summer opening date now for Union Market

We continue to watch the northeast corner of Avenue A and East Houston... where workers have been renovating/rehabbing the space for a new Union Market. Various construction issues have delayed the opening, once set for last fall.

Here's the latest, via an email sent to residents of 240 E. Houston:

The contractors for Union Market have nearly completed their foundation work and are moving quickly forward to build out their interior space. The store's exterior work is scheduled to commence in the next week and the UM owners will be installing new brick, full-height glass panels, and a clean, continuous signature awning that should give our Building a much improved look!

In addition, unlike the previous Commercial tenants, the UM contractors will be weatherproofing all seams, to minimize the street-level erosion that occurred in the past. This Board is partnering with UM to make certain the 240 east Houston entrance to our residences is clearly delineated.

The current goal is for a Grand Opening in late August or early September.

We understand the East Village storefront will look similar to the Seventh Avenue location in Park Slope...

[Via the Union Market website]

Previously on EV Grieve:
About Union Market coming to Avenue A and Houston

Mid-summer now at the earliest for Union Market on Avenue A and Houston

35 Cooper Square is looking pretty awesome

We were, of course, saddened to see the demolition of the historic, circa-1825 building at 35 Cooper Square in May 2011...

At the same time, we are enjoying what has taken its place — an empty lot that continues to attract an array of graffiti. And some new work went up in the last few days...

Perhaps this can become our own 5Pointz ...

The 8 Rs outside the former Cabrini Center

East Fifth Street at Avenue B.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Cabrini Center patients out by the end of today; closes for good June 30

Water cafe now open on East 10th Street

Back in May, we pointed out the signs for Molecule, the incoming water cafe on East 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue... Several readers told us that the cafe, which sells "hyper-filtered, perfectly pure, eco-conscious" water and various related supplies, is now open.

Unfortunately, it wasn't open for the day when we went by...

We'll stop by at some point. Anyone else try it?

Losing another Mystery Lot

Catching up with some news from late last week... The Lo-Down reported that an unknown buyer has purchased the two vacant lots at 327 and 329 E. Houston St. for $8.4 million, as well as two adjoining parcels at 331 E. Houston and 163 Ridge St. for another $4 million.

Of course, the Mystery Lot off East 14th Street/East 13th Street will soon be a new development too...

It's part of the portfolio that belonged to reclusive real-estate baron William Gottlieb ... The lot has been empty for seemingly eons ...

[File photos via EVG]

Venus and Jupiter over the Con Ed power station

Avenue C and East 14th Street around 5 a.m. Shawn Chittle, who took the photo, also sent along this handy map ...

Dueling Tompkins Square Park signs on Avenue B at East 10th Street

Earlier today at Union Square

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Shredding it on East 12th Street

Spotted by Shawn Chittle on East 12th Street between Avenue B and C this afternoon.

We have collected all of the paper, and will put it back together to see what it was. Before completion in 2017, any guesses what these documents were? (No serious replies please.)

Chico's Healthy Choice gates

Chico is keeping busy... fresh off the former Nice Guy Eddie's plywood project ... today, several readers spotted him at work on the incoming New York Healthy Choice market at Avenue C and East 11th Street....

[By Andrew Adam Newman on Ave C]

[EVG reader David]

The last tenant, the Monk Thrift Shop, closed in December 2010. At the time, neighbors heard that a bank branch would open here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Monk Thrift Shop is closing — but, it remains open for now

2 signs of summer on East 12th Street

Near Avenue B.

East Village Radio celebrates Johnny Thunders, who would have been 60 today

Via our friends at East Village Radio ... this afternoon at 4, "Jesse Malin will be celebrating the life and legacy of Johnny Thunders. Malin will be playing the music of Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr. on July 15, 1952, as well as the artists and sounds that inspired the Queens-born singer and songwriter."

Thunders, an original member of the New York Dolls, died in 1991.

Find more info (and videos) here at East Village Radio.

If you want more Johnny Thunders, then you can check out the annual Johnny Thunders birthday bash tonight at Bowery Electric.

Lick it up

East First Street at Avenue A.

Previously.

Headline h/t via

Tonight: 'NYU and the Destruction of New York'

From the EV Grieve inbox from McNally Jackson Books...

NYU and the Destruction of New York
Tonight at 7, Peter Carey, Fran Lebowitz, Kevin Baker, Joseph McElroy and Jefferson Mays will all be in the store to protest NYU’s Sexton Plan.

The Sexton Plan may not be familiar to those of you who don’t live in the Greenwich Village or are affiliated with NYU, but it should. This is a proposal that anyone who cares about New York should know about, and be concerned about.

NYU’s expansion plan, as proposed, will erect up to 2.5 million square feet of new building space in the Greenwich Village. In the process, they will destroy three acres of green space. That includes the Sasaki Gardens, the Mercer Street Dog Run, the Key Park Playground and a beautiful grove of trees. It also will require 20 years of continuous construction, without any delay, to begin this August.

The replacement? A number of NYU buildings, including eventually, a pedestrian mall slung between two skyscrapers. This is not the Greenwich Village you think of when you think of Dylan Thomas and James Baldwin and Jackson Pollock and John Cage living in its streets and making art. It’s not even the Greenwich Village you think of now, full of young people and old, dogs and stragglers, tourists and long-time residents. Imagine Washington Square Park. Now imagine it in the shadow of a 48-story hotel tower.

Peter Carey, Fran Lebowitz, Kevin Baker, Joseph McElroy and Jefferson Mays (reading the work of Eileen Myles) will all be present to speak against the plan, and refreshments (wine) will be provided.

They’re mad. We’re mad. And you should be too.

McNally Jackson Books is at 52 Prince Street between Lafayette and Mulberry.

[Image via Curbed]

This afternoon in Tompkins Square Park: Miss Guy, Transgendered Jesus, more...

Good lineup today from 2-6...

Miss Guy
Liquid Blonde
Hussle Club
Transgendered Jesus
Little Annie
Two Times the Gun
MC-Stiletto from Roma

Third Avenue is now nice and smooth

Freshly paved. Nice for skateboarding at the moment. Or falling down on dead drunk next weekend. Or tonight!

Two weeks ago... torn up for paving... Not so good for skateboarding. Or falling down on dead drunk.

7:54 a.m., Avenue A, July 15

Reel around the Fountain

Tompkins Square Park today... photo by Bobby Williams.

Report: Former Internet millionaire part of 9th Precinct gun heist story

The story of the officer who allegedly stole guns from a locker room at the 9th Precinct on East Fifth Street is getting really, well, fucked up, for lack of a better description on a Saturday morning.

According to published reports, the officer, Nicholas Mina, is addicted to prescription painkillers. He reportedly stole the weapons to pay a drug debt to a Queens drug and gun dealer, prosecutors said yesterday.

Police also arrested Ivan Chavez, described by Assistant District Attorney Chris Prevost as "a prolific and daily drug dealer" of heroin, oxycodone and other prescription drugs, as the Post reported.

That's one part of the story. Also involved in all this is Jennifer Sultan, who along with her boyfriend Adam Cohen, sold their Web streaming-media company Live On Line for a reported $70 million in 2000.

The couple is now penniless, living in a 10-room penthouse with a private elevator on East 17th Street. They have filed for Chapter 11, per the Post.

However, the NYPD also arrested Sultan for, as prosecutors said, pulling "large-scale drug deals" with Chavez in Queens. From the Post: "Prosecutors said cops found at least 60,000 pain pills that Sultan had sold in Chavez's Woodhaven apartment when they raided it on Thursday."

You can read the rest of the Post article here ... and the piece from the Times is here.

Meanwhile, I'll await the piece in Vanity Fair this fall about how this $70 million Internet couple lost it all.

An article on the upcoming summer in the Hamptons from May 2000 in the Observer noted that Cohen and Sultan rented a $400,000 house in Quogue with 11 bedrooms. They also had a pool installed for $35,000. Said the broker about the couple: "There are people who just don't know what to do with [their money]."

A warning

@evgrieve Some tweaked out lady just kicked our puppy and assaulted a woman on 14th and B, cops are after her- watch out she's violent

— David Ban (@d_ban) July 14, 2012

Noted

Matt LES_Miserable spotted this along Tompkins Square Park near St. Mark's Place this morning... No word on any free samples.

The Dark Knight Razzes

East Houston near Chrystie.

Noted

Last Saturday!

Today!

Fourth Avenue at East 10th Street.

How you can mend a broken heart

Dave on 7th spotted this on Second Street and Avenue B...

East 11th Street, 11:01 p.m., July 13

Photo by Shawn Chittle.

A man with both temperance and faith?

Tompkins Square Park today. Headline and photo by peter radley.

A place in the Sun

Blondie. Late 1976/early 1977 with "In the Sun."

Bus stoooooooooooooop

10th Street and Avenue C.

Photo by Bobby Williams.

All Tomorrow's Parties coming to Pier 36 this fall

As you may have heard today, the All Tomorrow's Parties music festival is moving to the Lower East Side this year. (Well, technically, it's "I'll Be Your Mirror" — a series of artist curated music, film and art events launched in 2010 to serve as "sister events" to the ATP Festivals.)

Anyway!

Per Ben Sisario at The New York Times, the festival takes place from Sept. 21-23 at Pier 36 between the Manhattan Bridge and the Williamsburg Bridge. Greg Dulli of the Afghan Whigs is the programmer this year. Other headliners include Philip Glass with Tyondai Braxton, the Roots, the Make-Up, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, the Dirty Three and Chavez, among others.

The official site is here with ticket information and all that.

Report: Cop arrested in 9th Precinct gun theft

The NYPD arrested a fellow cop last night on charges that he was breaking into lockers at the 9th Precinct on East Fifth Street and stealing guns that were sold on the street, the Post reports today.

Alleged gun-trafficking officer Nicholas Mina, 31, boosted four 9mm firearms from the seventh-floor locker room at the Ninth Precinct in the East Village, a law-enforcement source said yesterday.

Mina — a six-year veteran who worked midnight patrol tours — was assigned to guard the lockers as part of a 24-hour security detail created by department brass after the embarrassing thefts began in February.

The NYPD also arrested three civilians involved with the thefts, the Post notes.

Previously.

[Image via New York Songlines]

The best East Village bar that no one goes to

[Photo from Tuesday night by Shawn Chittle]

The Odessa Cafe and Bar at 117 Avenue A. Always a little surprised why more people don't drink here. Or not. It's exactly the kind of bar that people tell me they wish we had more of around here in the era of artisanal cocktails and fratty chicken-wing-fueled woo.

You now have more (warning) time to cross the Bowery

The other day we pointed out that this woman didn't have enough time to cross the Bowery at East Fourth Street... there's a newish 7-second countdown to cross six lanes of traffic... Other readers had raised concerns about this as well...

We heard from a local activist and EV Grieve reader who reported that he contacted the Department of Transportation to implore them to take quick action to have this rectified...

Anyway, last evening, as we were crossing the intersection, we noticed that the Don't Walk countdown began at 20-seconds... so pedestrians now have an additional 13 seconds (if our math is correct!) to make it across ...

Well, the photo shows 16 seconds because we didn't have our camera out in time...

Updated — Good point in the comments:

I would guess the timing of the traffic signals didn't change. You likely don't have more time to cross. Instead of, let's say, a walk signal for 23 seconds with a 7 second countdown there's a 10 second walk signal with a 20 second countdown.

Here's Arabella 101 on Avenue D

The Post yesterday noted the arrival of Arabella 101, the rental building that sits atop the new Lower Eastside Girls Club on Avenue D between Seventh Street and Eighth Street.

And the leasing office opens next week. Arabella 101 has 78 apartments (half of which are market-rate, the other half affordable).

Per the Post:

"Starting prices [for market-rate units] are about $2,500 for a studio, $2,900 for one-bedrooms," says Drew Spitler, director of development for the Dermot Company, Arabella 101’s developer. "And they're going up from there."

And the Arabella website has more details on the units... as well as the amenities like gym and roof deck...

Here are photos of the apartments from the website...

As we understand it, the Girls Club space is 30,000 square feet... while the residential portion of the building is 50,000 square feet. The main entrance into the Club will be on East Eighth Street while their cafe-bakery will have an entrance on Seventh Street, per Girls Club executive director Lyn Pentecost.

And the Girls Club is not developing or managing the residential component of the project, according to their website.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Passion and progress at the new home of the Lower Eastside Girls Club

Why there's an Airstream trailer inside the new Lower Eastside Girls Club home

Here is the new home for the Lower Eastside Girls Club

Here's what the Bea Arthur Residence will look like on East 13th Street

Here's a follow-up to the news that the long-vacant building at 222 E. 13th St. near Third Avenue is becoming the Bea Arthur Residence, providing housing for up to 18 homeless LGBT youth.

Serena Soloman's coverage of the story at DNAinfo including floor plans and a rendering for the space, seen above ...

And how the building looked earlier in the week...

h/t via Joe. My. God.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A haunted house on 13th Street?

Abandoned 13th Street building becoming the Bea Arthur Residence for homeless LGBT youth