New Clinton Street Baking Company emerges from behind the plywood

An EVG reader let us know that workers have removed part of the plywood at the all-new Clinton Street Baking Company on East Houston and Clinton Street …



As previously noted, the pancake-line-waiting hotspot is expanding into the space last held by Min's Market on the corner.

Here's co-owner DeDe Lahman talking with Gothamist this past December:

The new space will boast 55 seats — up from 32 in the old space — which should help ease some of the brunch time congestion. Lahman says the old space will also stay open, eventually transitioning into more of a take out spot for coffee, baked goods and pickup orders. "The rest of the plans for that spot will take shape as we open the new space and suss out what will work for us and our guests," she explains.

BoweryBoogie reported this morning that the owners hope to have the expanded dining room open Sept. 15.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Clinton Street Baking Company expansion underway

Today in $370 million loans

[EVG photo from last fall]

Here's news concerning 51 Astor Place/the IBM Watson Building/Death Star via the Commercial Observer:

Two major lenders took to Astor Place for another mega-deal in the hip college neighborhood.

Bank of America and Barclays provided New York-based Edward J. Minskoff Equities with a $370 million loan on the firm’s 51 Astor Place office tower ...

The real estate acquisition and development firm is using the loan to refinance and pay off construction financing on the office building...

According to estimates, development of the building cost some $300 million. The office part of the building is fully occupied ... with the first retail tenant — CVS, woot — on its way.

What would you do with a $370 million loan?

[Updated] The former P.S. 64 appears to be for sale

[EVG file photo]

Updated: Several people have noted that this listing is a fake, so enjoy the humor then

Perhaps developer Gregg Singer is giving up his plans to convert the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center into student housing.

An ad for the long-empty space arrived yesterday on Craigslist.



Per the listing:

East Village Development Site

Area: East Village (between Avenue B & Avenue C)

Plans: Approved with Community Facility

Zoning District code: C1-5/R7-2
Other district code: C2-5

No Due Diligence as Development Site comes with approved plans.

Seller wants to close this out very quickly!

Asking price: $33 million.

While the Craigslist ad doesn't mention the specific address for the landmarked, block-thru building between East 9th Street and 10th Street, there aren't any other properties that fit this bill on the block.

The number on the ad is for Cornerstone Properties, which provides commercial and residential sales in New York City and surrounding area. (This listing doesn't appear yet on the Cornerstone website. We reached out to them for details.)

The building last hit the market in March 2012. That listing didn't come with an asking price.

As reported on Monday, the DOB approved permits for conversion of the existing building to a dorm on June 19, a move that caught local activists and politicians by surprise. However, the approved permits may be short-lived. Last Friday, the DOB added a "notice to revoke" message atop the permit.

Singer bought the formerly city-owned building in 1998 for $3.15 million … and has to date unsuccessfully been able to convert the long-emtpy space into student housing. Meanwhile, there continues to be a movement to return the building between to use as a cultural and community center.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood

Deed for 'community facility use only' at the former P.S. 64 now on the market

Efforts continue to fight the dorm planned for the former PS 64 on East 9th Street

Testimony Of Councilmember Rosie Mendez regarding the former PS 64

[Updated] At the 'Save Our Community Center MARCH AND RALLY'

Landmarks Preservation Commission asks to see modified plans for former PS 64

The Landmarks Preservation Commission approves application for modifications at PS 64

'Misinformation' cited as DOB issues Stop Work Order at the former PS 64; community meeting set for Sunday afternoon

Development drama continues at the former P.S. 64, where the city approved dorm-conversion permits (again)

Bikes, By George! — now as a sidewalk shop

[Photo by Greg Masters]

As we reported earlier this summer, a rent hike forced George Philbert to close his bike shop at 193 E. Fourth St. just east of Avenue A. (The landlord doubled the rent, according to George's partner Dash).

However, after a short break, George is back with a pop-up shop of sorts. According to EVG regular Greg Masters, George sets up each day on the sidewalk on the north side of East 11th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue (by the school playground).

Before East Fourth Street, George had a shop on East 12th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A from 1979 to 2008. George has been repairing bikes in the city since 1970.

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

Lit Lounge hasn't been open lately

Earlier this summer, the owners of Lit Lounge said that the 13-year-old music club was closing in the months ahead to relocate to Bushwick.

Perhaps that time has come: The gate has been down at 93 Second Ave. between East Fifth Street and East Sixth Street since last Thursday.

There's no mention of a move or closure on Lit's website or Facebook page … and the bar's voice mailbox is full.

A neighbor noted that the closing happened on the same day that news broke that a prep school teacher was arrested for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old girl in a bathroom at Lit on June 19.

Meanwhile, there is a new tenant seeking a liquor license for the space. There isn't much information on file just yet ahead of this month's CB3 SLA committee meeting on Aug. 17. The application on file does mention the unnamed applicants will have live music and a disc jockey … just like Lit Lounge did.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Confirmed: Lit Lounge is closing on 2nd Avenue

Reports: Prep school teacher arrested for having sex with 16-year-old girl in bathroom at Lit Lounge

Let's try 'Dog Day Afternoon' again tonight in Tompkins Square Park

[Image via]

The Films in Tompkins series was set to get underway on July 8 with a free screening of "Dog Day Afternoon." But, being a Thursday in the summer, it was rained out.

So the organizers are doing a make-up movie tonight...



You may arrive at 6 for the film, which starts at sundown. The band City of the Sun will play a set before the movie.

You can head to the Films in Tompkins Facebook page for any updates. But the forecast isn't calling for any rain, shocker.

Or! For another outdoor film option, head over to La Plaza Cultural on the southwest corner of Avenue C and East Ninth Street … where the third annual MoRUS Film Festival continues. Tonight: "Rezoning Harlem" and "The Rink." Visit the MoRUS website here for more details. The films start at 8 p.m. There is a suggested $5 donation.

Couch trip

Photo this evening on St. Mark's Place and Second Avenue via Derek Berg.

The couch is getting around. Spotted in front of the Orpheum yesterday.

St. Mark's Bookshop seeking buyers with an ownership interest

St. Mark's Bookshop opened in its new home at 136 E. Third St. just west of Avenue A last July 19 after well-documented financial struggles with escalating rents and declining business at its previous home on Third Avenue.

Despite lower rents in the new location, the bookshop is still in arrears. Here's part of a letter that Bookshop co-owner Bob Contant sent out to patrons this morning:

We love our new space. It recently won the American Institute of Architects award for Interior Design.

Unfortunately, we were undercapitalized for the cost of the move. We were forced out of our old space before our new one was ready, and the cost of going into storage plus construction overruns left little money with which to buy inventory. Those of you who have visited our new store in recent months may have noticed the understocked shelves.

For 37 years St. Mark's Bookshop has been a beacon of culture in the East Village, attracting people from across the city, the nation, and around the world. We remain committed to providing a showcase for the life of the mind as expressed by the best books and periodicals being published today, as well as stocking the best of the past. We hold readings and events you cannot find elsewhere. To continue in our mission we need people who value our work and goals to help us.

Please consider buying an ownership interest in a new St. Mark's Bookshop. We have been approached by an investor who is interested in funding a rebirth of the bookstore, reorganizing and restructuring the business with an eye to long term viability. He is looking for others to join him in an investment team. Please contact me if this prospect interests you.

So many people have told us that they need us here in the East Village. We want to continue to serve you and the world of thought and literature. Please help to make that possible, and as always, we appreciate your continued support.

Co-owner Terry McCoy told DNAinfo's Lisha Arino today that the shop isn't in in danger of closing in the immediate future.

"We are in a difficult situation financially and every day is a new challenge. But we don't have any plans to close. That's why we’re pursuing this, we want to take action now to be able to continue."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: St. Mark's Bookshop prepping fundraiser ahead of possible move to Avenue A.

Is this the new home for the St. Mark's Bookshop?

Report: St. Mark's Bookshop signs lease for East 3rd Street space

Renovations at the future St. Mark's Bookshop on East 3rd Street

WE HAVE BACKBOARDS NOW IN TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK

Progress to report at the Tompkins Square basketball courts! Last week, workers installed the backboard supports. This week, the backboards arrived. Perhaps if all goes well, we will have the hoops (and nets maybe???) next week!

The court also received another coat of black…



Workers started digging up the Tompkins Square Park basketball courts on May 29. City officials said that the courts were expected to reopen by the end of June, when NYC schools were out, per DNAinfo.

Oh, and a courts-are-closed sign finally arrived Monday, two-plus months into the project…



According to the signs, the exercise equipment is off limits through Aug. 12 as well.

As previously cut-and-pasted, the New York City Parks Department teamed up with YouTube for the renovations. YouTube is funding the operation, estimated at $300,000.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Tompkins Square Park basketball courts closed for renovations; YouTube-backed hoops on the way

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: Norman
Occupation: Retired, Economist for NY Department of Transportation.
Location: 5th Street and 2nd Avenue
Time: 4:15 pm on Friday, July 31

I’m Puerto Rican. I moved to the city in 1981 to finish my studies. I was exposed to the neighborhood in the 1970s because my maternal grandmother used to live on 11th Street between 2nd and 3rd. I moved to 11th Street and 2nd Avenue, then I moved to Clinton Street for a couple of months, but it was drug heaven with too much heroin. That was in 1983. I couldn’t stand it. Then I moved to 13th Street, lived there for 15 years, and I’ve been living here on 2nd Street since 2000.

In the 1970s, when I was is my teens, my grandmother told me, ‘Norman don’t go below First Avenue.’ However, on Avenue B, I remember in 1973 or 1974, I used to get lunch for $1.25. Italian — a good meal. I was about 15. The baby boomers had just moved. People were moving and the baby boomers were moving along.

It was a low-key working neighborhood. We used to play ball in the streets. We were skateboarding. There is no graffiti now. There used to be graffiti everywhere. It was a good community. Rent was cheap. Food was really cheap. There were plenty of supermarkets. A beer cost 35 cents; soda cost a quarter; cigarettes were $1.30, I think. I worked in a hardware store in the 1970s. I used to earn $2.30 an hour. I learned my grandmother was paying my salary because she didn’t want to see me in the street.

The buildings started to get burned, badly, by 1974 and 1975. It was really bad. My building was a burnout building. The whole street was burned out. There was no traffic.

I moved to 13th Street in 1983. They used to have an Italian Street festival and there was a grotto, a small church that later burned. It was used as a shooting gallery. A lot of artists moved in. People were carrying their canvases through the neighborhood. That’s when they started changing the neighborhood. The buildings started getting renovations. The city started to give them away for a dollar to do whatever you want.

Back in the early 1980s as a gay guy here, it was kind of heaven. There were a lot of gay bars. [I remember] going to the gay bathhouse for the first time, underage. I went there when I was 16. I saw men going in there and I asked one of them who was a little bit older to take me along. It used to be on 1st Avenue – the building that had Lucky Cheng’s. They called it Club Baths. If you go to the basement you can still see one of the whirlpools.

I retired last year. I did economics for the New York Department of Transportation. I pushed paper. Pushing the paper. When I started working we didn’t have computers in our office. I used to have an adding machine and a typewriter. We used to have Teletype in the office.

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