Top photo by EVG reader Joe; others by Steven
Thursday, May 4, 2023
Grass acts: Main lawn in Tompkins Square Park has been reseeded
Nest Ball: Amelia and Christo's 2023 chicks make first appearance
Photos by Steven
This 2nd-level retail space is for rent on St. Mark's Place and 2nd Avenue
Previously, 8-Bit and Up, the retro video shop, was upstairs before moving to Third Street in the fall of 2013.
And once upon a time... bring back Kim's!
The above photo is by Barry Joseph, and it was published in Ada Calhoun's book "St. Marks Is Dead."
P.S.
The Gap was on the ground floor from 1988 to 2001...
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
Officials: Developer had permission to remove trees from new building site at 1 St. Mark's Place
For starters, workers removed two trees from the north side of St. Mark's Place.
However, the developers had permission to do so — thanks to two city agencies.
A spokesperson from Councilmember Carlina Rivera's office, who looked into the situation, told us that the NYC Parks Central Forestry confirmed these removals were approved by the city.
According to the spokesperson, the DOT and MTA would not allow the placement of a crane on Third Avenue during construction. So the developers need to use the St. Mark's Place side for the staging and placement of the crane. Unfortunately, the two trees were in the way.
"The applicant [developer] will be planting four trees on-site, and they also paid Parks to plant three offsite trees," per the spokesperson.
The developer, Real Estate Equities Corp. (REEC), picked up the 99-year leasehold for the corner lot for nearly $150 million in November 2017. The previous assemblage, which included retail tenants such as Korilla BBQ, the Continental and McDonald's, was demolished in 2019.
The Mermaid Inn won't be returning to its original East Village home
Last fall, after a 7-week reopening stint, Mermaid Inn went dark. A spokesperson for Mermaid Inn said this outpost was "closing for the winter" and would reopen in April.
The "we are closed for the season" sign remains on the front door of the empty space...
Workers removed the remaining contents of the restaurant in January... a not-so-subtle hint that the Mermaid Inn was not returning here.
To recap... Mermaid Inn closed during the pandemic. Co-owner Daniel Abrams and partner Cindy Smith decided to shut down the seafood restaurant in the wake of failed attempts to reach a workable rent deal, Eater reported at the time.
There were later issues with a stringent State Liquor Authority that was delaying the return.
Then there was a grand reopening last September. Seven weeks later, the Inn closed again.
The Mermaid Inn arrived in the East Village back in 2003, with several outposts to follow... most recently a massive space on 10th Avenue in December. No word if there might be plans for another EV outpost some day.
Ichibantei Japanese Soul Food and Steak debuts on 3rd Avenue; closes on 13th Street
The new, multi-level Ichibantei Japanese Soul Food and Steak outpost is now open at 100 Third Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street.
This restaurant has been in the works for awhile... reps for Ichibantei received approval from CB3 last June. (According to the questionnaire on file at the CB3 website, the establishment would feature room for 24 tables/98 seats spread over two floors.) Google lists the hours at 5 p.m. to 3 a.m.
No. 100 last housed the vowel-deficient club VNYL, which shut down at some point during the pandemic. Until September 2015, the renovated building featured the second iteration of Nevada Smiths.
With this debut, the Ichibantei outpost has closed at 401 E. 13th St. near First Ave. ... where it first started serving Japanese soul food in 2010...
Tuesday, May 2, 2023
Dreams: Night of 1000 Stevies approaches!
Photo from 2022 by Stacie Joy
The 31st edition of a Night of 1000 Stevies — the longest-running Stevie Nicks fan event on the planet (Earth) — is happening this Saturday night ... back at Irving Plaza for the first time since 2019.
About this year's Steviethon:
The show is produced by longtime East Village residents (and NOTS founders) Chi Chi Valenti and Johnny Dynell.
This year's theme pays homage to the many angels in Stevie's songs and artwork, including the iconic Fleetwood Mac title song "Angel," in her songs "Sleeping Angel," "Street Angel" and many more. A tribute will note the passing of her longtime bandmate and stage angel Christine McVie.
Find ticket info here.
After deadly collapse, city issues vacate order at the Little Man Parking garage on 9th Street
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
The Department of Buildings (DOB) has issued a vacate order for the Little Man Parking garage on Ninth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.
Per the vacate order issued Friday via the DOB: "The occupied parking structure with concrete framing observed to be in a state of disrepair at several locations in cellar level... crushed column base observed at several locations in cellar level ... vertical cracks observed inside elevator shaft and on masonry walls."
Albert (below), the manager at this location, said that workers have relocated all the vehicles to other Little Man garages.
No one is allowed inside the now-empty garage. He said it would be at least two weeks before they could reassess the space, though repair work had yet to start as of yesterday. They plan to reopen once repairs are made and they receive the all-clear from the city.
The closure comes two weeks after the deadly collapse on April 18 at the Little Man garage on Ann Street in the Financial District. According to its website, Little Man Parking operates 46 garages in New York and New Jersey.
During a citywide sweep on Friday, Buildings officials shuttered four parking garages, including an eight-story building at 50 Bayard St. in Chinatown and a 25-story structure at 225 Rector Place in Lower Manhattan. (The Ninth Street location was not mentioned in any media accounts.)
The temporary order also means the Budget Car Rental that shares the space is closed for now... signage arrived on the door this past Saturday instructing renters to visit the East 31st Street location.
According to the Post, the Ann Street garage "had a long history of significant structural issues, including that the connection joint between one support column and a ceiling beam had developed cracks, as had several of the walls — including some that were 11 feet long — and needed substantial upgrades to comply with the city’s fire code."
Willis Moore, the Ann Street manager, died in the collapse. He was 59.
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