Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen back open after the summer break

The subterranean restaurant serving traditional Ukrainian cuisine is now back open each day for service after its usual summer break here at 33 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square.

This fundraising enterprise of the St George Ukrainian Catholic Church is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

You can find more info and daily specials on their Instagram account here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
At the Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen

Roll it Up looks closed on 7th Street

Roll It Up appears to have closed at 63 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. It hasn't been open in at least two weeks, and the interior looks to have been emptied out.

The nautical-themed shop specializing in rolled ice cream opened on Aug. 26, 2016 ... then closed in November for the season... before reopening in April.

If this is a permanent closure, then this marks the second rolled ice cream casualty out of the three that opened last summer. Lab -320° closed in January after six months on St. Mark's Place. 10Below Ice Cream is still alive and well on another part of St. Mark's Place.

Report: The Film Forum adding new screen; upgrading auditoriums

Of possible interest outside the neighborhood ... not too far away.

The New York Times reported yesterday that the Film Forum at 209 W. Houston St. will add a fourth screen and upgrade its three existing auditoriums next year.

Per the Times:

The new screen will be built using space next to Film Forum and allow for more flexibility in its programming schedule. The updates will also involve a full renovation of the theater’s other three screens, including new seats, more leg room and a more dramatic slope (with stadium seating in the rear rows) to improve sightlines.

These will probably be welcome changes for theater patrons who were surveyed in 2016 and offered feedback (including complaints) about the current setup. But they do come at a price: The improvements are expected to cost the nonprofit cinema about $5 million, though more than half of that budget has already been raised. The Thompson Family Foundation will make a gift to name the fourth screen. And a capital campaign is underway to raise the remaining money and lift the endowment.

Film Forum director Karen Cooper had this to say in a news release about the expansion:

Too often, New York landmarks disappear, only to be replaced by nail salons and chain drug stores. Happily, New Yorkers are committed to seeing films that take risks and break the mold, as well as discovering movie history.

The repertory movie house expects to close in May, with renovations complete in July.

The Film Forum has been in its Houston Street space between Sixth Avenue and Varick since 1990. It was established in 1970.

Image via Facebook

Cleaning the Cube

[EVG photo from yesterday]

Last Wednesday night/Thursday morning, someone decided to tag/doodle on the Cube at Astor Place. The Village Alliance was able to remove most of the squiggles ... but some remained.

This evening, the Astor Blasting Squiggle Remover was out to clean off the remaining portion of the Alamo ... thanks to the readers who shared these photos...


[Photo by @unitof]


[Photo by 8E]

[Updated] Curb your enthusiasm: Sidewalk work prompts questions

[Photo on 11th and A from Thursday evening]

In recent weeks workers have been replacing curbs/upgrading pedestrian ramps on corners from Avenue A to Avenue D.

Several residents have questioned the quality of the work.

A reader shared these images from Avenue B...







Per the reader: "They failed to seal or finish the concrete, which will fill up with water and crack as soon as we get a freeze this winter."

Another reader has a few questions, such as, Is the work actually finished?

ALL of them are terribly constructed. [This is] the one on Avenue B and 10th Street, southwest corner.



You'll notice that the new ramp is not flush with the street, so the gap was filled in with some sloppily placed extra concrete. This is at every new curb ramp, and most of them are worse than the one pictured here. I imagine many of these will have pooling when it storms.

Is this a case of a sloppy contractor who does bad work without repercussion? Or did the contractor do it properly per spec and these streets are going to get milled and repaved soon and will then be flush to the ramp?

[Northeast corner of 6th and B from yesterday]

No word at the moment if crews will be returning to smooth out those ramps ... or if this is it.

Updated 9/7

A reader shared this photo from this morning... showing a crew doing some new curb work on Avenue B at 11h Street...



Updated 9/9

Ramp work is wrapping up. Update here.

Holiday weekend recap

[Photo on 13th Street yesterday by Bobby Williams]

A few EVG posts from the Labor Day weekend...

Michael Hrynenko, Jr., awaiting trial for his role in the 2nd Avenue gas explosion, dies at 31 (Saturday)

At the Official Animal Rights March (Sunday)

The 9th Precinct is hosting Sector Charlie Safety Summits this week (Monday)

A new (and refurbished) 9/11 mural for 9th Street and Avenue A (Monday)

Parks Department clears corner of 7th Street and Avenue A (Sunday)

Manhattan makes a return visit to Tompkins Square Park (Monday)

Lucy's is back from summer break on Avenue A (Saturday)

Penthouse with rooftop cottage sells on 1st Avenue (Sunday)

Today's attraction in Tompkins Square Park (Saturday)

Szechuan Mountain House coming to St. Mark's Place

Signage arrived last week for Szechuan Mountain House, coming to the upper level at 19-23 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

This appears to be an offshoot of the Szechuan Mountain House in Flushing.

The previous tenant here was Grand Sichuan, which closed last November.

The Bean's 3rd Avenue location opens on Thursday

As the signage shows, the Bean is opening its new location at 31 Third Ave. at Stuyvesant Street on Thursday.

The storefront had been empty ever since St. Mark's Bookshop moved out in June 2014.

"We've always liked the old St. Mark's Bookstore spot and it's been empty for years, so when the opportunity presented itself for us to obtain it we were excited to make it happen," Ike Escava, owner of the Bean, told me via email in July.



This will make the coffee shop/cafe's fifth NYC location.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Bean is opening in the former St. Mark's Bookshop space at Cooper Union

Art and signage arrive at future home of Broken Coconut on 4th Street

Interior renovations continue at 15 E. Fourth St., where Broken Coconut will soon be offering ways to "eat pretty," as the new signage notes...



As previously reported (first by BoweryBoogie), nightlife impresario Scott Sartiano is behind this venture, a quick-serve healthy restaurant serving items such as quinoa parfaits and coconut chia here between Broadway and Lafayette. (Some competition for the nearby Honeybrains?)

Before opening, Broken Coconut is displaying work by Peter Riezebos, a Shanghai-based artist from the Netherlands...



Other Music closed at this location in June 2016 after 20-plus years in business.

Village Kids Footwear has closed on 1st Avenue

The shop specializing in shoes for children at 117 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place closed after the day on Aug. 31.

In recent weeks "store closing" signs hung in the windows. I did not hear an official reason why they closed. (One EVG reader and friend of the owner said that business had been in decline.)

The shop, sister store to Foot Gear Plus, which has been in business up the block for more than 38 years, is run by siblings Linda and Tony Scifo.

The asking rent for the space is $9,995, per the listing at Steve Croman's 9300 Realty.



Previously on EV Grieve:
At Village Kids Footwear