ICYMI: LES landlord hit with $1.2 million Airbnb lawsuit; 536 E. 14th St. among the properties

[Photo of 536 E. 14th St. last December by Michael Paul]

In case you didn't already see this story from earlier this week...the city slapped LES landlord Rose King with a $1.2 million lawsuit. City lawyers allege that she illegally rented multiple units in three buildings through Airbnb.

According to the Post:

King has been hiding behind a middle man and at least nine aliases to create a network of transient hotels at 536 E. 14th St., 123 Ludlow St., and 127 Rivington St., according to the Manhattan Supreme Court suit.

And one of the building’s permanent residents told city officials that King is trying to evict rent-stabilized tenants from her properties to convert even more units into cash-cow ­Airbnbs, sources said.

Last December, as we noted, the city booted the longtime psychic at 536 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. City documents said that the storefront was illegally converted without "means of egress." There were also complaints on file that the landlord was operating an illegal hotel here.

As for King's alleged operation, the Post quotes the Mayor: "It's outrageous, it’s illegal, and we will stop bad actors from hurting our neighborhoods. New Yorkers can’t afford to see affordable homes turned into hotels." (Maybe someone can tell the Mayor about this on 11th Street.)

The annual Essex Street Market block party is Saturday

Via the EVG inbox...

On Saturday, May 20, Essex Street Market is throwing its annual Block Party from 12-5 p.m. outside on Essex Street. This springtime affair features the latest and greatest food vendors from both the Essex Street Market and Lower East Side.

Find more details, including a list of vendors and musical guests, here.

Super-8 films and poetry Friday night at Le Petit Versailles

Via the EVG inbox...

Local poet-filmmaker Stephanie Gray will be showing her experimental super-8 films and reading poetry this Friday (May 19), at 8 in an evening titled "We Be We Know" at Le Petit Versailles, the community garden at 346 E. Houston St./247 E. Second St. near Avenue C. Evening starts with poetry, ends with film. Rain or shine.

Find a listing of the films here. The Facebook events page is here.

Sen. Hoylman calls for immediate stay on all Steve Croman-initiated tenant cases

Despite being charged with 20 felonies last May, Steve Croman's tenants have alleged that their landlord continues to harass them.

Per a December 2016 article in The Villager:

“He’s still not giving heat and hot water, still not backing off from the rotten things he would do, like jacking up rent and not returning leases to people,” said Cynthia Chaffee, a longtime Croman residential tenant. “He’s still doing it and nothing’s changed. He’s stillusing the courts to harass his tenants.”

Also last December, tenants of 159 Stanton St. sued Croman in housing court, saying he was subjecting them to unsafe conditions and harassment. In February, the Department of Buildings issued a partial vacate order on the building, with the residents of two apartments forced to relocate until unsafe conditions were rectified, as The Lo-Down reported.

Now Sen. Brad Hoylman is releasing the results of a review of eviction cases filed by Croman against tenants in the Senator's district and throughout Manhattan. Hoylman is calling for an immediate stay on all Croman-initiated tenant cases.

According to Hoylman’s review, at least eight active cases are proceeding against tenants.

"Croman’s M.O., as the Attorney General alleges in the criminal complaint, is to harass tenants by filing baseless lawsuits against them. The court should stay all of the cases where Croman is suing tenants until these serious allegations are addressed. Otherwise, these tenants, many of whom are not represented by legal counsel, risk irreparable harm, including losing their homes," Hoylman said in a statement. "The bottom line is that Croman is running a criminal enterprise. Justice demands his cases against tenants be stayed."

Two East Village buildings are in the list of cases proceeding: 229 First Ave. and 309 E. Eighth St.

Croman's real-estate empire includes 47 buildings with 617 units in the East Village. As previously noted, Croman owns more buildings in the East Village than any other landlord.

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced the charges against Croman in May 2016, including multiple felonies for his role in an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain several multi-million dollar refinancing loans between 2012 and 2014.

The civil lawsuit, filed in New York Supreme Court in Manhattan and the product of an independent investigation, alleges that Croman used, among other things, the illegal tactic of pressuring tenants into surrendering their apartments by repeatedly filing baseless lawsuits against them.

His criminal case has been adjourned and bail continued five times now, according to the Croman Tenants Alliance. His civil court date is June 5.

The New York Post reported earlier this month that Croman was nearing a plea deal that would see him serve eight months of jail time and pay a fine up to $10 million.

Fire-damaged Caracas Arepa Bar now for rent

[Photo yesterday by Vinny & O]

Caracas Arepa Bar apparently will not be reopening at 93 1/2 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. A for rent sign arrived on the space this week.

A fire broke out here in the early morning hours last Sept. 21. While no one was injured, the damage was extensive.

Co-owner Maribel Araujovia was blunt about the damage: "The restaurant is pretty fucked up." She expounded on that to Grub Street last September:

“It’s not just a little thing we can fix quickly, put drywall up, and keep going,” Araujo says. Getting back to business will take some time: Leases and inventory need to be looked at, and conversations need to be had with lawyers and insurers. “Maybe we’ll relocate, maybe we’ll try to rebuild this one. At this point, I’m not sure.”

Workers had been refurbishing the space... with the thought/hope that it was being done for Caracas. Looks like the work is for the next tenant.

The smaller Caracas space at 91 E. Seventh St., which debuted in 2003, remains open with limited seating and to-go orders. They also have a location in Williamsburg as well as a seasonal spot in the Rockaways for the summer.

The 'commanding retail presence' of Extell's new 14th Street development

Here's how Extell's two, seven-story residential buildings going in on 14th Street from Avenue A to Avenue B look these days...



There's an updated retail listing now at RKF for the buildings noting "a commanding retail presence" here.


[RKF]

For starters, you probably know that Target is leasing 27,306 square feet in No. 500's corner space for a small-format store expected to open in the summer of 2018.

The other retail slot here features 14,500 square feet plus 1,500 square feet for a loading dock, which is on 13th Street. The price is not listed. The listing also says "Logical divisions considered" and "Space can be vented for cooking."

At No. 524, the retail space is 9,700 square feet with another 4,500 in the lower level.


[RKF]

Previously on EV Grieve:
New 7-floor buildings for East 14th Street include 150 residential units

Target offers details about its flexible-format store opening summer 2018 on 14th and A

The disappearing storefronts of East 14th Street

Elite New York Sports Club now open on Astor Place

[Photo by @EdenBrower]

The new Elite brand of gym by New York Sports Clubs is up and running on Astor Place... this is the current pricing via this location's website... $120 a month without a commitment... $110 a month with a one-year commitment...



Press materials note that the new location at 4 Astor Place "will feature several new programs and will also boast Rogue rigs, Woodway treadmills, lifting platforms and expanded training zones."

This four-level spot was, until December, a David Barton Gym. This location as well as the three others in Manhattan abruptly closed last December.

EV Grieve Etc.: NYPD calls LES synagogue fire arson; Schiller's announces its closure

[Photo on 9th and A via Derek Berg]

NYPD calls LES synagogue fire arson (The Lo-Down ... previously)

CB3's SLA committee votes to deny Epstein's revival on Stanton and Allen (BoweryBoogie)

Keith McNally is closing Schiller's on the LES in August (Eater) An ode to the Loudest Brunch Spot on the LES (The Awl)

Two plays and dinner at the New York Theater Workshop on Fourth Street (The New York Times)

The fares are not what they seem: the "Twin Peaks" metro cards (Welcome to Twin Peaks)

Flashback: The start of the Summer of Love in the East Village (B+B)

Sad state of food affairs at Alta on Lafayette (Gothamist) ... though this reviews says they have the city's best guacamole (Grub Street)

WTF diversions: Psychic medium claims to be in contact with the late Jeff Buckley; says he sings Creed's "My Sacrifice" to himself (Dangerous Minds)

...East Village Hats on Seventh Street is now Sally's Wig Store for the filming of the Netflix series "Jessica Jones" ... the store reopens Thursday...


[Photo by Derek Berg]

Fat Cat Kitchen opens on 14th Street

Fat Cat Kitchen debuted this morning at 223 East 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, per EVG regular Pinch.

Björn Holm, a former sous chef and the head of catering at Dean & Deluca’s store on Broadway and Prince, is behind this quick-serve restaurant that serves a variety of sandwiches, salads, soups and baked goods. Let us know if you try Fat Cat.

You may find the Fat Cat website here.

Previously

The 41st annual Ukrainian Festival is this weekend on 7th Street

You can find more updates at the Festival's Facebook event page.