Noted

Hope the driver doesn't crash the party.

Vanity plate pic on Seventh Street via Dave on 7th.

Previously

Groundbreaking today on 14-story affordable housing project on 2nd Street

A 14-story affordable housing complex is in the works for the long-vacant, city-owned parcel on Second Street between Avenue C and Avenue D.

This morning, various officials — Asian Americans for Equality and City Councilmember Carlina Rivera will join Enterprise Community Partners and the Low Income Investment Fund — for the official groundbreaking on the project.

Construction equipment had recently arrived in the space — the address is officially 302 E. Second St. — directly to the west of the luxury development the Adele.

Per the media advisory:

The 14-story tower will include 45 rental apartments affordable to low and middle-income New Yorkers. The development is a rare fully affordable development in the East Village where years of gentrification have made housing increasingly expensive. 302 East 2nd Street is part of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Neighborhood Construction Program, which activates vacant city-owned land for affordable housing development.

And the rendering...


[Leroy Street Studio]

The approved permits on file with the city shows that the building will include about 1,000 square feet for a community facility.

In the past year, the city has also announced fixed-income housing for 204 Avenue A and 535 E. 12th St. as well as 351 E. 10th St. just east of Avenue B.

Renovations knock Blockheads out of commission for a few weeks on 3rd Avenue

Blockheads, the San Francisco-style Mexican restaurant, closed the other day for renovations here at 60 Third Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street.



The signage for patrons notes "repairs" in the coming weeks while the Blockheads Instagram describes this in a post from yesterday as a renovation. So it does appear to be more of a closed for renovations as opposed to a "closed for renovations."

The big burrito specialists, from the folks who launched Benny's Burritos, have four locations in NYC and one in White Plains. They opened here in July 2015 ... taking over the space from — drumroll — Unidentified Flying Chickens!

The 4th retail space in the former Chase space on Avenue A has a new tenant

Signage went up Tuesday for Supreme Martial Arts here at 20 Avenue A at Second Street.

With this, the former Chase branch that the landlord divided into four retails spaces is filled up...



There's the Omega Salad Bar & Deli (now under new management!), Halo Spa and Alphabet Pizza.

All serviceable businesses ... and much less glammy than what had been envisioned for the address. In early 2016, the broker — one of many — for 20 Avenue A showed the potential here for more-upscale wine-bar and retail tenant action...


[Click to go big]


[Ditto]

Chase vacated this storefront in November 2015.

Thursday's parting shot

Tenacious defense! Photo at the Tompkins Square Park dog run today by Derek Berg...

A visit to the new Tompkins Square Playground featuring equipment for kids with special needs

Photos and text by Stacie Joy

The revamped Tompkins Square Playgrounds along Avenue B and Seventh Street were unveiled in early October after a year-long upgrade.

Overall, parents have been pleased with the new equipment for their kids, though initially disappointed and angered that some of it already broke down. (According to the Parks Department website, funding for the reconstruction cost $2.57 million.)

However, for those children with special needs, the new inclusive playgrounds, which go beyond what the Americans with Disabilities Act mandates, have been a critically important addition to the neighborhood.

With the permission of his family, I accompanied a 5-year-old East Village resident named Jay as he explored the new equipment. Jay was born legally blind and is deaf without his cochlear implant. He has a rare genetic condition that leaves him with developmental delays and sensory issues.

His mother explains that sensory toys and equipment like those found at the new playground help develop skills that kids need — proprioception, visual, auditory — and assist them in focus and stabilization.

She points out that while there are many playgrounds in the neighborhood, this is the only one that has facilities for kids with sensory processing issues, vision and/or hearing loss, and mobility/balance concerns.



The new playground includes a telescope, outdoor musical instruments like a bell and glockenspiel, fall-protection tiles, hand-bike pedals, a swing with ADA chair, and a shaker play panel — a favorite of Jay’s.

The yellow color of the playground is not just cheerful it can also often be seen by those with low vision. That plus high-contrast differentiation and fall-protection makes it easier and safer to navigate.


[The shaker play panel]


[The telescope]


[Hand-bike petals]


[The Glockenspiel play panel]

HAGS, which designed the equipment, has additional information on inclusive and accessible playgrounds here.

Full City Council vote on resiliency plan for East River Park happens today

City Council is expected to approve the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (ESCR), the $1.45 billion proposal to protect the East Side from future storms and rising sea levels, with a vote this afternoon. [Updated: They did.]

On Tuesday, the City Council Committee on Land Use signed off on the controversial plan that will bury/elevate East River Park by eight feet.

Also on Tuesday, City Councilmembers Carlina Rivera, Margaret Chin and Keith Powers announced an agreement with the city. You can read the lengthy City Council release here.

The activists behind East River Action were not impressed. They write:

There is little that’s reassuring in it.

For instance, the agreement includes a promise to study the feasibility of protected bike lanes to substitute for the greenway in the park. It will look into “future infrastructural reconstruction” surrounding the FDR Drive.” (Is that about covering the FDR with a park?) It “will conduct further feasibility evaluation to understand whether there is a potential for Interim Flood Protection Measures along the project area.” Once the City Council passes the flood control plan, the city has no obligation to do anything on any of those fronts.

In other headlines about the plan in the last day or two...

• $1.45 Billion Plan To Elevate East River Park Advances, Despite Some Local Opposition (Gothamist)

• How Lower East Side Coastal Plan Braces for Climate Change (The City)

• Opinion: Local City Council Members Must Head Back to Drawing Board on East River Park Plan (Gotham Gazette)

• Opinion: East Side Coastal Resiliency Plan Must Move Forward (CityLimits)

As for what's next, here's The City:

Thursday’s vote only approves land use changes necessary to begin construction on the plan. The final design — which will include specifics about what the new flood walls, park reconstructions and gate system will look like — is expected to go before the Public Design Commission in December, those with knowledge of the plan said.

If all goes as expected, work will commence in East River Park later in 2020.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• Dutch consultant files report on the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (Oct. 11)

• More details on the city's new plan to keep East River park partially open during flood protection construction (Oct. 3)

• At the march and rally to save East River Park (Sept. 21)

• An annual reunion in East River Park (Aug. 4)

• A visit to East River Park (July 10)

Nowon unveils retro signage on 6th Street

Signage for Nowon arrived yesterday at 507 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B ... as we've been reporting, this is the first restaurant from chef Jae Lee, who was responsible for the popular guest menu at Black Emperor on Second Avenue.

Here's a much better look at the retro sign in the daylight (via Nowon's Instagram)...



Nowon, serving "nontraditional Korean fare," is expected to open in less than two weeks.

2nd Street bringing second-hand clothes to Broadway

2nd Street, a second-hand clothing shop based in Japan, is opening an outpost at 712 Broadway just south of Astor Place at Washington Place. (Thanks to Majorie Ingall for the photo and tip!)

This marks the brand's first East Coast outpost after opening a handful of buy-and-sell shops in the Los Angeles area.

Per the 2nd Street website:

Better than brand new, here at 2nd Street, find one-of-a-kind pieces in premium, second-hand condition with so much to choose from. We have truly unique items that can’t be found just anywhere, for great value.

Originally from Japan, we have over 500 stores across Japan that regularly get our inventory from to keep you on-trend and always in something new.

The shop is opening right next door to the newish location of Buffalo Exchange to make for a mini resale thrift row.

Leaving Las Vegas: the Lions & Tigers & Squares signage has arrived

[Photo by Steven]

The glitzy signage arrived yesterday for the Lions & Tigers & Squares pizzeria on the northeast corner of Second Avenue and 10th Street...


[Photo by Lola Saénz]

Those who saw the new sign noted its Las Vegas-Times Square vibe ... though it's a match with the shop's Chelsea location.


[Photo by Steven]

Lions & Tigers & Squares, a Detroit-style pizzeria from the Artichoke team, opened back on Oct. 11.