Cool places

Outside the former Golden Food Market on Seventh Street at First Avenue ... previously.

Headline H/T

The International Bar closing, merging with the Coal Yard on 1st Avenue

The latest iteration of the International Bar closes after service tomorrow night at 120 1/2 First Avenue. The bar will be merging with its sister saloon, the Coal Yard, one block to the south between Seventh Street and Sixth Street. The Coal Yard space will be rebranded as the International... and will be open on Thanksgiving. (This information comes from two bartenders and a handful of regulars.)

This move had been anticipated for some time as ownership knew that the landlord for No. 120 1/2, Steve Croman, wasn't going to renew the lease.

The International has had several lives since it first opened at 119 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue in the 1970s... owner Mary Petruno and her son Michael later moved the bar to No. 120 1/2 when she bought the building.


[International Bar & Grill, 119 St. Marks Place, 1986 © Ted Barron]

I'm a little hazy on details of when everything happened at No. 120 1/2, such as the bar moving from the north side of the space to the south side and back to the north side. (This post at Vanishing New York has some of the background.) The International closed in 2005 ... and the space sat empty until Shawn Dahl and Molly Fitch reopened the International in its current low-key neighborhood format in June 2008.


[The International the other morning]

Molly and Shawn opened the equally low-key Coal Yard in 2010.

Updated 11/22

From today's post.


[Photo by Scott McBride]

Updated 11:30 a.m.

Thanks to EVG reader John M. for this screengrab... when Keith Richards walks by the International when it was on St. Mark's Place during the "Waiting on a Friend" video...



... and once again...

Tompkins Square Library hosting the East Village Arts Festival on Dec. 13

The Tompkins Square Library branch on 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B is hosting an all-day Arts Festival on Dec. 13.

The day includes a variety of performances, workshops and displays by local artists from 11 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. You can find the full rundown here.

Here's one highlight:

5-5:45pm: 16mm Film Screening. We'll be screening two short 16mm films from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts reserve film and video collection, both filmed on the Lower East Side, in our basement community room. The Heart of Loisaida (1979; 30 min.) Producers, directors: Bienvenida Matias and Marci Reaven. Shows efforts on New York's Lower East Side to revive abandoned buildings through the work and persistence of the local, predominantly Latino residents.

A la Guerra (1979; 10 min.) Producer, director: Thomas Sigel. Actor/poet Bimbo Rivas presents an ode to the struggle against assimilation being waged by the Puerto Rican community of New York's Lower East Side.

The 26th annual Unsilent Night returns on Dec. 17

[Photo in Tompkins Square Park via Instagram]

Via the official website:

Composer Phil Kline will lead a massive chorus of boomboxes from the West Village to the East Village in the 26th annual holiday presentation of Unsilent Night. People gather at the arch in Washington Square Park, and less than an hour and mile later, end up in Tompkins Square Park.

Phil Kline will hand out a limited number of vintage boomboxes from his collection — and cassettes and CDs for those who bring their own. The public is strongly encouraged to bring their own boomboxes or sound-blasters, and to pre-download the track. Find out more about how to participate and download the tracks.

Participants will meet at 5:45 p.m. in Washington Square Park ... the approximate end time is 6:45 p.m. in Tompkins Square Park.

Turntable 5060 returning after months-long hiatus

Turntable 5060 has been closed on Avenue B at Fourth Street since late July. A sign on the door pointed to a closure for renovations. (It never looked as if much renovating had been going on inside.)

In any event, now there's a new sign, one stating that they'll reopen on Dec. 1...



The restaurant serving Korean-style fried chicken and craft beers opened in July 2015. Turntable opened a new location on 33rd Street this past summer.

Noted

The Robb Report checks in today with an update on Ben Shaoul's 11-story, 94-unit condoplex on East Houston at Orchard Street.

Adam Rolston, creative and managing director at INC. Architecture & Design, discusses the handmade glazed bricks that they imported from a small fishing village in Spain for this development.

Rolston wanted a handmade, metallic-glazed brick that would evoke the old-world character of glazed terra-cotta while also bringing a touch of luxury. He found it in Cadaqués, a small community in Spain formerly visited by artists such as Picasso and Miró. “We went to Europe to find a handmade, metallic-glazed brick — and specifically the Costa Brava of Spain where this particular handmade brick-making tradition survives,” Rolston says.

And!

The hand-laid, gilded-bronze brick — which reaches the second floor of the building — is infused with gold dust that becomes more golden over time as it oxidizes in the air. Imported directly from Cadaqués, the brick cannot be replicated in the United States, meaning that the building has a truly distinct and one-of-a-kind look.

The building will also benefit from a truly distinct and one-of-a-kind aroma from Katz's next door.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Making way for Ben Shaoul's new retail-residential complex on East Houston

Katz's is now the last business on East Houston between Ludlow and Orchard

Send a salami to your boy next door in the condo

Trailer Park Santa trailer has arrived on 14th Street

If you weren't already in the Christmas mood in September, then you will be now.

EVG reader KT noted the arrival yesterday of the trailer that will house the Christmas-tree-selling crew on 14th Street near First Avenue.

Can we expect to see grubby ol' St. Nick (Trailer Park Santa Claus to a few) soon?


[EVG photo from 2012]

Report: Participants were paid to take part in a rally in support of 9th Street dorm project

On Friday, an organization called East Village Cares held a rally at City Hall in support of turning the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on Ninth Street into a dorm.

According to the Daily News, some of the 30 people who rallied behind organizer Jose de Yarza, co-owner of Donostia on Avenue B, were hired extras.

The News reported that they obtained a copy of the casting email that was seeking people to "beef up attendance" for the rally in exchange for a rate of "$50 CASH / 2.5 hour booking."

One person holding a sign at the event confirmed attending as a result of the casting call. Another declined to answer, saying it wouldn’t be right to discuss whether he’d been paid. Two others approached by the News denied being paid or getting the casting call email.

It seeks “individuals of all ages,” in particular those living in the East Village or Lower East Side, having family or other “significant connections” there or an ability to “speak and advocate about the neighborhood.”

“Note this is a real live protest, and protestors MUST look real and be enthusiastic and verbal about the subject. Signs will be provided by production,” it read.

An EVG reader shared part of the pitch email for the work...



Gotham Government Relations & Communications, the lobbying firm who reportedly organized the rally on behalf of East Village Cares and P.S. 64 landlord Gregg Singer, strongly denied the use of paid extras.

“We absolutely categorically deny any connection to any of those things that are alleged,” founding partner Bradley Gerstman said, adding he had no knowledge of the casting company.

And...

De Yarza said he recognized between a dozen and 15 of the people at the rally as neighborhood residents or activists, and said he had “no knowledge of anybody being paid to be there.”

The Villager reported in its current issue that Gotham Government Relations was "best known for engineering the announcement of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, complete with cheering paid actors."

The Villager also reported that Singer has retained Gotham's services for $12,000 a month, starting this past July.

The landmarked building between Avenue B and Avenue C is back in the headlines after Mayor de Blasio said last month that his administration would take steps to reacquire the property ... without offering any further details on how the city would do this. (The building was also a contentious issue in the District 2 race for City Council. Read more here and here.)

Singer bought the property from the city in 1998. He wants to turn the landmarked property into a dorm called University Square, and continues in a holding pattern while the DOB maintains a Stop Work Order on the building. (Adelphi University has reportedly signed a lease for space here.)

Community activists, preservationists and some local elected officials have long been opposed to Singer's plans, and want to see a return to use as a cultural and community center.

In a recently published article on the topic, The Indypendent included a statement from Gotham stating in part: "The East Village has changed in the 20 years since P.S. 64 was sold. The original group that occupied the building has no presence in today’s community."

Last Monday, Community Board 3's Arts & Cultural Affairs Subcommittee passed a resolution supporting de Blasio's call to reacquire the property, as Patch reported. The full Board is expected to vote on the resolution next Tuesday.

Queens-based bakery bringing Hawaiian-inspired desserts to 9th Street

[Photo by Steven]

Mahalo New York Bakery, which has two locations in Queens, is opening an outpost at 443 E. Ninth St. at Avenue A.

The signage went up back on Friday. (Thanks to Steven and Dennis for the photos.)

You can read more about them and their cupcakes, cakes and pastries here.

This will be the third business to take up occupancy in Icon Realty's recently renovated storefronts along Ninth Street ... joining Poke N' Roll and Beetlebug.



Previously on EV Grieve:
On East 9th Street Dusty Buttons is closing after 125% rent hike: 'Saying goodbye will hurt like hell'

Tenants and local elected officials speak out against Icon Realty

Wax on: Avänt Candle takes long-empty Avenue B storefront

The empty storefront at 165 Avenue B is now home to a production studio for Avänt Candle, an online seller that promises "the ultimate candle experience."

Per their website:

We differentiate ourselves by clearly expressing a genuine, relatable scent experience; without needing to articulate the subtle nuances that enhance each complex fragrance. The occasional emission of said nuances add ever-changing elements of discovery to each burn making Avänt Candles unique.

Our candles sizes aim to last longer than our competitors at a reasonable price point. Each candle is designed to last for the course of a week, a month, a season, half-year or annually. Finally, our burn-time-to-dollar ratio is better than our competitors by 150% on average.

It's not clear if this space will eventually become a retail outlet for the brand.



According to the Avänt Candle website, signature candles start at $50 for the small size. There are also Travel Sets for $60. The 365 Annual Candle with 720 hours-plus of burn time is $360.

Per the reader who shared this storefront news: "Their website is gorgeous and the scents are pretty tantalizing, I admit. But $50 for a candle? Man, $360 for a candle on Avenue B?!?"

The space between 10th Street and 11th Street has been vacant for years. A restaurant serving Cantonese-style food was in the works, but that never materialized. The last tenant was the junk-thrift shop Waldorf Hysteria more than 10 years ago.

Previously on EV Grieve:
165 Avenue B back on the market

165 Avenue B has been sold, and 2 apartments are on the market