Report: Relief supplies for Ukraine stolen from 2nd Avenue nonprofit

Updated 3/19: The Post published a surveillance video showing two vans and masked thieves taking boxes from the building.

Donations destined for Ukraine have been stolen from an East Village building, according to police and media sources.

The supplies, including 400 bulletproof vests, were taken from the offices of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and the Ukrainian National Women's League of America on Second Avenue between 12th Street and 13th Street. 

Police responded around 9:15 a.m. to a call of a burglary, the Associated Press reported. 

Per the AP via ABC 7: 

Andrij Dobriansky, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, said last week that the plan was for donated gear to be shipped by air to Poland and then transported into Ukraine. 

The items were most likely to be used by civilian security and medical teams, including citizens who have joined the fight against the Russian military, not Ukrainian soldiers themselves, officials said. 

The Post noted that the used vests were donated by the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office. Officials there were working to confirm the report.

Cooper Union: Longtime Stuyvesant Street businesses 'informed us of their decision to vacate the property'

Photo from March 11 by Steven 

Cooper Union, the landlord of four popular businesses along Stuyvesant Street between Ninth Street and Third Avenue, says the tenants have "informed us of their decision to vacate the property." The landlord also said the tenants haven't paid any rent since 2020.

Yesterday afternoon, school officials responded to reports that the tenants — Angel's Share, Village Yokocho, Panya Bakery and Sunrise Mart, all operated by Yoshida Restaurant Group — were involved in a rent dispute, that the long-term leases were set to expire at the end of the month. 

The story began this past Wednesday night when a server at Village Yokocho told a customer, and New York Times correspondent Alex Vadukul, they were closing "due to [a] massive rent hike." Vadukul, a gifted reporter, recounted what he heard from staff in a series of tweets that sparked several follow-up stories, including at Grub Street and Gothamist (and EVG). 

In a statement to EVG, a Cooper Union spokesperson provided the following: 

Unfortunately, the tenant informed us of their decision to vacate the property. They were not asked to move out, despite the fact that they haven't paid any rent since 2020. 

Additionally, we offer clarification of a few facts here: 

• The formula for calculating rent on these properties has been in place for some 30 years and has never been changed. 

• While the tenants of these properties have not made any rent payments since 2020, they have continued operations in these spaces. We have repeatedly sought to arrive at a good-faith agreement. 

• Lastly, for context, we should note that The Cooper Union is midway through a 10-year plan to return to full-tuition scholarships for all undergraduates. These properties help to generate revenue for student scholarships.

It's not immediately clear if any of the businesses will relocate (several workers said this in previous reports). A bartender told this to Grub Street's Chris Crowley late last week: "There's an 85 percent chance that we close. It's okay, though, because we're gonna relocate."

Yoshida Restaurant Group has not publically commented on future plans for these businesses. 

This corridor has been called a micro-center of Japanese culture. Angel's Share, the speakeasy-style bar, opened here in 1994, with Panya arriving next door in the same year. Sunrise Mart debuted in 1995. There are now also locations in Soho, Midtown and Brooklyn.

Cooper Union did not respond to a follow-up email about what might be next for these retail spaces.

Updated 3/17: The Cooper Union spokesperson said that the school had no new plans for a new building here.

A broken gate at 89 1st Ave., where permits are still pending for a new building

Photos by Steven

The entrance gate is broken to the lot at 89 First Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street... (Updated 3/18: Someone repaired the entrance!)

This sighting prompted several queries from EVG readers, mostly about what might be happening with this long-empty space.

Aside from the broken gate and new tags on the neighboring walls, not much seems to be happening here. Our last post on the property came on Sept. 1. Late last summer, legal documents affixed to the fence stated that the city has a legal right to enter the property "for the purpose of inspecting and abating the nuisance existing thereupon in violation of the health and safety requirements of the New York City health code."

These days, the lot is relatively free of discarded boxes and trash (compared to what we've seen). 

Not much else has changed. There are still permits pending from May 2020 with the city for a 6-floor building with eight residential units and ground-floor retail. In total, the proposed structure is 8,183 square feet.

Public records show that the city disapproved the plans again just yesterday, with a note stating: "Appointment required to resolve objections." 

Our previous post has a little more of the history of this space. Here's one piece: In December 2017, workers dismantled the sculpture fence that lined this lot for years (since the late 1980s, per one estimate). The fence was created at the former Gas Station (aka Art Gallery Space 2B) on Avenue B and Second Street by Claire Kalemkeris and Johnny Swing in collaboration with Linus Coraggio.  

Openings: Nudibranch on 1st Avenue

The new home of Nudibranch recently debuted at 125 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

Nudibranch got its start last spring as a pop-up restaurant across the way at 130 First Ave.

The chefs here, Jeff Kim, Matt Lee and Victor Xia, alum of Momofuku Ssäm and other fine-dining establishments, are offering a tasting menu. (Find that menu here.) As Eater noted, "the restaurant features several interpretations of dishes the team piloted when Nudibranch was operating as a pop-up last spring, such as its shaoxing mushroom dish with egg yolk."

Nudibranch is open Wednesday-Sunday from 5:30-10 p.m., with a 10:30 close Fridays and Saturdays.

Follow them on Instagram here.

Thanks to Steven for the photo!

Tuesday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

Outside Veselka late this afternoon ... Honk NYC today assembled a group of musicians for "HONK! for Ukraine — A Public Singalong," which started in Union Square ... before making its way over here to Second Avenue and Ninth Street. The assembled musicians included Phoebe Legere on the accordion (center of photo).

Meanwhile, Veselka continues to serve as a drop-off point for donations for Ukraine relief efforts. 

Longtime East Village artists bring 'Double Trouble' to the Tompkins Square Library branch

Starting tomorrow, you can check out the unique work of longtime East Village artists Ruth and Valery Oisteanu at the Tompkins Square Library branch. 

The exhibit is titled "Double Trouble: Ruth and Valery Oisteanu Illuminated Landscapes Lighter Than Air." Read more about the show, on display through May 31, right here. The opening reception is tomorrow (March 16) at 5 p.m. 

The couple has been married for nearly 50 years, living in the same East East Village apartment for almost that long. (Read more about them in this amNY feature from 2019.)

The Tompkins Square Library branch is at 331 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and B.

Images via the NYPL

Countdown to St. Patrick's Day at Key Food

Photos by Stacie Joy 

St. Patrick's Day is fast approaching (Thursday!) ... and Key Food has you covered with not one but two displays here on Avenue A at Fourth Street. 

As you enter the grocery — by the deli, sushi and cakes for any occasion — you have your Irish soda bread, Hot Cross Buns, etc.

And in the back... at the start of aisle 6... you have Guinness, more soda bread, cabbage, corned beef and Kerrygold butter. Not to mention pierogis and quiche (a new tradition courtesy of Key?) ...

9th Precinct now issuing tickets to anyone parking in Neighborhood Loading Zones

Here's a warning for anyone who continues to park long-term in Neighborhood Loading Zones. 

The NYPD is now writing tickets for anyone who uses the Department of Transportation's recently added Neighborhood Loading Zones around the East Village for anything other than quick pick-ups and drop-offs.

From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, these spaces are reserved for activities such as: 

• Package deliveries by commercial vehicles 

• Taxi and car service pick-up and drop-off

• Active loading and unloading of personal vehicles 

However, given the number of people parking long-term in these spots during the week, the 9th Precinct and the Manhattan Traffic Enforcement Unit recently started enforcing violations to noncommercial plate vehicles in these spaces. 

"We'd rather educate and inform people than write summonses," Officer Eugene Adeleye at the 9th Precinct told EVG correspondent Stacie Joy. "We've been getting complaints from residents and we will be actively writing summons to violators." 

Previously, the NYPD would issue tickets in these spots, but it was mainly at the discretion of the officer/traffic agents. 

As for commercial vehicles that continue to double-park on the street and block a bike lane, Adeleye said: "The trucks loading and unloading are not supposed to interfere with bike lanes, and if they do that is a violation, and they may get tickets themselves." 

Adeleye also said that he was sympathetic to residents upset at the loss of parking spots in recent years, from outdoor dining structures to Citi Bike docking stations.

"We are only doing this based on complaints we've received with no intention of giving anyone a hard time — that's why we are trying to educate people as much as we can," he said. "I feel like if people are aware, then they might be able to avoid getting an unnecessary summons."

Openings: Essex Squeeze on 5th Street

Essex Squeeze debuted last week at 300 E. Fifth St. a few steps to the east of Second Avenue. (We first reported on this arrival back in November.) 

The cafe, run by LES natives and childhood friends Cedric Hernandez and Charles DeLaCruz (previously an operations manager at Katz's), specializes in a variety of fresh-made juices, smoothies and bowls ... not to mention coffee. You can check out their menu here. 

There are two seats in the front window ... though it's mostly a to-go spot. 

Essex Squeeze opened an outpost in the Essex Market in 2020.

The EV location is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a 9 a.m. open on Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday.

A new restaurant for the Papilles space on 7th Street

Photos by Steven 

Papilles, an underrated and well-regarded French restaurant, recently closed its doors at 127 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

As far as we know, there wasn't any closing announcement, neither on the restaurant's Instagram account nor its now-deactivated website. (Updated: See the comments. They are relocating to North Salem, N.Y.)

Hiring signage is now up for the establishment taking over the small space — De Radda, described as an Italian and Argentinian restaurant ...

Papilles opened in June 2018. 

FWIW, here's what the Michelin Guide had to say about Papilles:

Don’t let the small space fool you. The elegant, contemporary dishes gliding on to tables at Papilles are going to knock your socks off. Three young owners are behind this perfect date spot, but their combined experience in the restaurant industry comes together to form culinary magic.