Construction watch: 319 Bowery

Landlord Steve Croman received DOB approval last September to convert the former Amato Opera house at 319 Bowery into a commercial and residential building.

Documents show that there will be one residence on each floor above the retail space here between East Second Street and East First Street.

Workers have been on site since the fall… and the other day, EVG reader Roger took a look inside the open door ...



… to see what was going on with the interior. Per Roger: "The photos don't show much but I thought it was interesting that the place is getting completely gutted."





We're unsure about the incoming retail space here. We'd seen several listing for it. One at Croman's 9300 site says that the storefront — with the rent listed at $34,995 — is rented.

Amato Opera ended its long run on May 31, 2009.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Life after the Amato Opera

Costume drama on the Bowery as the Amato Opera empties out

Ruin of the Bowery nearly complete: Last season for the Amato Opera

Amato Opera looks to be getting an encore as city OKs residential use

Work permits arrive at the former Amato Opera on the Bowery

Reminders tonight: Films on the Green in Tompkins Square Park

Tonight is the second of the two screenings in Tompkins Square Park in the Films on the Green series ... the free outdoor French film festival in NYC parks... Here's what's playing tonight at 8:30ish...

"Zarafa" from 2012:

The plot of the film has a grandfather telling his grand kids the story of Maki, a young boy who escapes from slave traders, befriends a giraffe (the title character), cross the desert, meet a pirate, and a few other things on a trip that takes him from Africa to Paris.

It is a kids movie, though unnamed sources tell us that adults might enjoy it as well. (Plus, you can hide the alcohol in the kids' belongings.)

Find more about the Films on the Green series here. They'll be more free screenings in other city parks throughout the summer.

Reader mailbag: How many wall renovations does one school need?

From the EVG mailbag…

Can anyone explain what these workers have been doing outside East Side Community School on East 12th Street for the past month or more, besides spending millions of tax dollars? This is the second time in five years they've reconstructed this wall. Cheaper to tear down the existing structure and replace it with a state of the art school, no?

The school had to be evacuated on September 2012 when the wall was found to be separating from the rest of the structure. The emergency renovations displaced the students for four months.

[Updated] Belgian fries coming to St. Mark's Place

EVG correspondent Steven notes that the sign's up for the new food place at 36 St. Mark's Place ... and as you can see, Belgian fries will be the speciality of the house here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Perhaps this will make up for the loss of Pommes Frites, whose home of 18 years was destroyed in the deadly Second Avenue gas explosion this past March 26. (The Pommes Frites owners will reopen near Washington Square Park after finding a bigger space with lower rents on MacDougal Street.)

The previous tenant here, Fasta ("Pasta Your Way"), lasted less than six weeks in business.

The previous tenant, the $1.50 branch of 2 Bros. Pizza, closed in February. As we understand it, the owners of 2 Bros. still hold the lease on this space.

And h/t EVG reader Russell!

Updated 2 p.m.

Word is they will open in the next day or two... and a reader shared the Friterie website.

Here are the sauces...



Updated 6:03 p.m.

A reader tells us that they are opening tonight. Right now!



Previously on EV Grieve:
With space too expensive in the East Village, Pommes Frites will reopen on MacDougal Street

Pasta in the works for St. Mark's Place

Pet store signage unleashed on Second Avenue

EVG reader Christina passes along photos of the new signage that has arrived at 31-33 Second Ave., aka The Luxe East, Ben Shaoul's new retail-residential complex here between East Second Street and East First Street...

As you can see the storefront will be an Unleashed (by Petco) outlet...



What is Unleashed?

As pet stores go, we’re anything but ordinary. Unleashed by Petco hit the pet scene in 2009, with our first store in San Diego’s Hillcrest neighborhood. Our concept is simple – provide the same knowledge and know-how offered by Petco in a unique, smaller package.

Anyway, perhaps the storefront will help residents determine whether they are looking at the front or the back of the building.

BoweryBoogie first reported that a Petco-branded store was set for the retail space.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Ben Shaoul planning a 3-story addition at 31-33 Second Ave.

Bracing for 3 new floors at 31-33 Second Ave.

Checking in on the work in progress at 31-33 2nd Ave., where Ben Shaoul is adding 3 new floors

Ben Shaoul's bland new 2nd Avenue building is called The East Luxe

The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space announces 3rd annual film fest for Aug. 1-8

Via the EVG inbox...

Building on the popular appeal of its two previous summer outdoor film festivals, The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS), an East Village history museum with a mission to archive the social activism of the neighborhood, will partner with local activist and grassroots organizations to present its Third Annual Film Fest — I ❤NRCHY: Advocacy & Anarchy Shaping a City.

This series of shorts, documentaries and features will focus on New York City and each night feature a different theme, current and historical, to explore movements on such issues as Reviewing Renewal (hosted by 596 Acres); Sustainability (hosted by 350NYC); Bio-Terror, Manufactured Fear, and State Repression (hosted by ABC No Rio); Work & Rebellion (hosted by the Tenement Museum); Community and the Arts as Resistance (hosted by Interference Archive); Bicycle Activism (hosted by Times Up!) and more to be announced.

The festival will run Aug. 1-8 with screening times at 8 p.m. in various outdoor garden locations in the East Village. A limited supply of all-inclusive passes for $20 will be on sale here or by visiting MoRUS, 155 Avenue C between 9th and 10th Streets during hours of operation. Admission to each individual screening will otherwise require a suggested donation of $5.

Bikes, By George! space is for rent

As we noted earlier last week, a rent hike is forcing George Philbert to close his bike shop at 193 E. Fourth St. at the end of the month.

Several readers have noted that the for rent sign has arrived in the storefront just east of Avenue A.

The listing at Bond, which appears to show a different business in the space, notes that a restaurant is OK for the space. The asking rent is $3,750 for 340 square feet.

After working in bike shops for 10 years, George finally opened his own place in 1980 on East 12th Street. A rent hike saw him move to his current location at 193 E. Fourth St. just east of Avenue A in 2008.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rent hike will force Bikes, By George! to close on East 4th Street

Last day for Excel Art and Framing Store ahead of move up the block

Today is the last day in business for the 21-year-old Excel Art and Framing Store, which lost its lease at 38 Third Ave. between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street. However, as we've been noting, Excel was able to secure a new storefront a short distance away on Third Avenue between East 11th Street and East 12th Street…



According to various tipsters, the Duane Reade on the southwest corner of 10th Street is planning on expanding into the adjacent storefronts, taking up the space housing Excel and East Village Cheese in the process. (East Village Cheese is moving to East Seventh Street later this summer.)

The new Excel storefront should be open in mid-July, per the signs at the new space. Visit their website for updates.

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

Excel Art and Framing Store relocating nearby on 3rd Avenue

[Updated] Veggie burgers confirmed for former Dirt Candy space on East 9th Street

An EVG reader has noted a steady stream of people coming in and out of the former Dirt Candy space on East Ninth Street this week. Paper still covers the windows on the storefront between Avenue A and First Avenue.

As we first reported on April 28, a menu for a jokey place called Chickens arrived in the window (Chicken Dip with Chicken Chips!)...


[Photo from April]

... later we heard that this will be a quick-serve restaurant serving vegetarian sandwiches. Eater confirmed yesterday that Del Posto pastry chef Brooks Headley is opening Superiority Burger, specializing in veggie burgers and other vegetarian fare.

Headley's creations have been attracting lines wherever he has sold them, including Christmas Day from the Dirt Candy location.

The space is expected to open to the public very soon. As soon as today maybe.

Dirt Candy closed here at the end of last August to move to a larger space on Allen Street.

Updated 6-25

The space is now open as of tonight.

Previously on EV Grieve:
What the cluck? Chickens in the works for former vegetarian hotspot Dirt Candy on East 9th Street

Rumor: Vegetarian sandwich shop in the works for former Dirt Candy space

Large limb down on Avenue B

[Photo via EVG reader JL]

Several EVG readers noted that a tree branch from Tompkins Square Park came crashing down onto the sidewalk on Avenue B at East Ninth Street this afternoon...

Crews arrived on the scene to survey the damage and remove the fallen limb...


[Photo by EVG reader Lola Sáenz]


[LS]

We're not sure at this moment if workers will need to remove the whole tree or just the branch.