Essex Card Shop is now in its reconstruction phase on Avenue A

An "Under Construction" banner went up on Friday at the fire-damaged Essex Card Shop at 47 Avenue A.

This marks the next phase of the reopening for the longtime East Village business that a fire destroyed on Jan. 10.

In an email, Saba Aslam, the daughter of owner Muhammad Aslam, told me they are finishing some interior demolition. The Aslam family has a meeting with the contractors in early April to better understand how long the reconstruction process will take.

The photos below, via Saba's sister Mehnaz, show the current state of the interior...  

We also asked Saba about Jayant "Jay" Patel, the shop's longtime manager: "Jay is safe and well. He is living with his family in New Jersey!"

Meanwhile, supporters of the business have helped it raise more than $90,000 in a GoFundMe campaign. 

You can check out our previous posts on Essex Card Shop, located in the retail space of the Ageloff Towers between Third Street and Fourth Street, for more background on what has transpired to date.  

Bike-lane upgrade underway on Houston

Work continues along East Houston Street as the DOT is upgrading the existing bike lanes on Houston Street between Second Avenue and the FDR...

Workers last week milled the eastbound lanes of Houston between Second Avenue and Avenue A. The crew will continue on toward the FDR starting this evening, per the posted warnings...

Here's what is happening with the improvements in the days/weeks ahead: 

• Resurfacing of Houston between Second Avenue and the FDR
• Installing parking protected bike lanes on Houston between Forsyth and the FDR 
• Installing delineator-protected and curbside bike lanes on Houston between Second Avenue and Forsyth .. and between Ludlow and Essex
• Creating painted pedestrian islands along Houston between Ludlow and Avenue C 
• Installing new bicycle parking on Houston at Orchard and Avenue D 

Plans for protected bike lanes along this corridor date to the fall of 2020 ... and put into place to provide cyclists a safer passage on city streets with the closure of the East River Park Greenway until 2026. 

This Houston Street work comes four months after the $1.45-billion East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) project shut down bike access along the East River starting at Montgomery Street. 

The city installed new bike lanes for Avenue C late last summer.

El Rinconcito makes it signage official at new Avenue C home

Signage is up at 73-75 Avenue C for El Rinconcito, the family-owned Latin American restaurant. 

As you may recall, El Rinconcito closed last summer at their home of 27 years at 408 E. 10th St. between Avenue C and Avenue D ... ahead of a move to an undisclosed new location. 

The restaurant later posted their updated address on social media... but it's now signage official. There is no word yet on an opening date for the space here between Fifth Street and Sixth Street.

Bar Veloce looking to open an outpost on the Bowery

Bar Veloce is looking to open an outpost at 245 Bowery, a few storefronts to the north of the New Museum. 

Reps for Bar Veloce will appear before CB3's SLA committee on April 11. Several EVG readers pointed out that public notices are posted on the Stanton Street entrance...

The questionnaire is not yet online. 

Bar Veloce got its start on Second Avenue in the East Village in 2000 before expanding to locations in Chelsea, Soho and Columbus Circle (with other outposts in the works). 

As Bowery Boogie previously noted, four applicants have kicked the tires on the space since Cata closed in 2019. 

The address is also still home to several residents of the Sunshine Hotel upstairs...

Bracing for new construction at the former B Bar & Grill space on the Bowery

Demolition continues over at the former B Bar & Grill space on the Bowery at Fourth Street.

This past week, steel braces arrived on the wall adjacent to the property — 356 Bowery...

Not sure if these are to support the adjacent building during the demo or if they are part of the foundation for the incoming 21-story office building slated for the former restaurant space.

The B Bar (b 1994) never reopened after the PAUSE in March 2020. Our previous posts have more background on this development via Bowery Hotel owner Eric Goode. 

Here's your Avenue A Deli and Grill signage on Avenue A

On Saturday, workers added the Avenue A Deli and Grill signage to the storefront at 123 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. (Thanks to the reader for the pic!) 

Early word: Kudos for the old-school "Avenue A" cursive font...

Waiting for EV Signage and Font Troll to weigh in! 

Our previous post on this new arrival has more about the glut of like-minded businesses along this Avenue A corridor.

Remembering Taylor Hawkins as Iggy Pop in the 'CBGB' movie

Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins died on Friday at age 50. 

As Vulture noted, "Hawkins impressed fans and peers alike with his full-throttle style and rambunctious energy." 

Perhaps that's why, as an EVG reader reminded us, Hawkins was signed to play Iggy Pop in the 2013 "CBGB" bio-pic. 

We're introduced to Iggy in the clip below ... who then interrupts a Blondie performance and later duets with Debbie Harry on a rendition of "I Wanna Be Your Dog."

   

That never actually happened — outside the film, anyway.

As the "CBGB" end credits pointed out: "And we know Iggy Pop never performed at CBGB. Deal with it!"

Week in Grieview

Posts from this past week included (with a photo on Second Avenue by Derek Berg) ...  

• Himalayan Vision is closing on 2nd Avenue (Monday)

• What might be next for the former St. Emeric church and school property? (Wednesday) 

• Rest easy, citizens of 12th Street — the large animal invader has been slain (Tuesday) 

• A look inside the soon-to-be-demolished Church of the Nativity on 2nd Avenue (Thursday)

• A fundraiser for Noor, a cat struck by a car on 10th Street (Tuesday) 

• Massive film collection from the former Mondo Kim's is heading to Alamo Drafthouse downtown (Wednesday) 

• The Gallery Watch Q&A: Dana Robinson on 'Ebony Reprinted' (Friday) 

• The fruit vendor is BACK on 1st Avenue and 6th Street (Monday) 

• 13-story mixed-use building slated for 5th and D (Tuesday) 

• DeColores Community Yard collecting books for displaced Ukrainian families (Tuesday)

• FDR closure alert: City removing the last section of the Delancey Street footbridge Sunday morning (Thursday) 

• Sei Shin Dojo offering free self-defense classes for AAPI women (Friday)

• What's the deal? Lot Stop slated for former Duane Reade space on 1st Avenue (Wednesday) 

• Checking in on the USA Super Stores, opening soon on 3rd Avenue and 10th Street (Monday) 

• New Swan Valet Cleaners is closing on 3rd Street (Thursday) 

• Kebabwala eyes spring opening at 82 2nd Ave. (Thursday) 

• A'more Caffè coming to 2nd and A (Monday) 

• The former Barnyard Cheese Shop is for rent on Avenue B (Monday)

• Oh good — the turkey vultures are here (Wednesday) 

• Paint Puff 'N' Peace coming soon to 2nd Avenue (Wednesday)

• The white and red stripes: The new-look KFC on 14th Street (Monday)

... and Christo on a nest-egg break yesterday atop St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church on 10th Street and Avenue A ... photo by Steven...

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This week in Grand Openings

Maybe we'll stop back when they are open for the day... 226 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... 

Previously

A benefit concert for trans housing at Performance Space New York

Performance Space New York, 150 First Ave. at Ninth Street, is hosting a benefit concert for trans housing on April 9. 

Details:

Join us for a night of celebration and fellowship! This will be a special evening to bring together the community as we reflect over the years with our chosen family — our sisters, brothers, and gender non-conforming siblings. All proceeds will go to two benefiting organizations: Black Trans Liberation and Bridges4Life. These organizations were founded and are led by Black trans women.

Find ticket info here.