Thanks to Sonya for the photo!
Monday, October 16, 2023
Monday's parting shot
Capturing Monday's rainbow action
A last look inside Wegmans before its grand opening on Astor Place this Wednesday
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Wegmans makes its Manhattan debut this Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. on Astor Place.
Ahead of the big day, Wegmans officials invited me inside for another look as the 87,500-square-foot space comes together for opening day at the landmarked 770 Broadway...
As previously noted, the ground floor will feature the prepared foods ready to eat or heat, and a market offering in-store-made soups, salads, pizza, a mezze station, sandwiches, an Asian foods station with woks and chefs, a bakery, and a flower shop...
There is even a misting cheese cave area. (MISTING CHEESE!)
This past Thursday, the two-level space was teeming with new employees going through a test run... with staff sampling some of the offerings that Wegmans has...
The ground-floor showstopper might be the Japanese sakanaya (fish market), featuring twice-weekly deliveries from Japan.
Wegmans staffer Adrian shows the variety of cuts that Wegmans will offer...
The lower level features the vast grocery aisles ...
... there also looks to be a solid beer selection...
... including an only-at-this-location Astor Place IPA...
See you Wednesday...
Our previous post (see link below) has more details on the space, the home of Kmart for 25 years until July 2021.
Previously on EV Grieve:
This nearly block-long parcel on 2nd Avenue is now for sale
The empty lot along the east side of Second Avenue between Second Street and Third Street, the site of an abandoned development project, is now on the market.
Avison Young has the listing for the lot — billed as a "redevelopment property" for "multifamily development."
Per Avison Young:
The Property currently exists as a vacant lot and owners have purchased offsite inclusionary air rights for the proposed construction of 136,199 gross square feet, including 13,750 square feet below grade. The Property features a curb cut on East 2nd Avenue for on-site parking.
The resulting above-grade gross square footage reconciles to 122,449 square feet. The Property is planned to feature a rooftop deck and units with sweeping views of Manhattan and the Hudson River, ~10-foot ceilings throughout and abundant light and air on all four sides due to its corner location joined at the junction of East Second Street and Second Avenue.
42 Second Avenue presents a true, expansive development opportunity with a prime NoHo / East Village address. The scale and location of the Property offer the blank canvas for a premier mixed-use, commercial or residential condo project.
The listing, which does not mention the asking price, includes this rendering showing the potential ...
As previously reported (first here), there were approved work permits for an 11-floor mixed-use building on the site of a former three-building parcel.
Gemini Rosemont Development was behind this 100,568-square-foot new building ... the development, using 42 E. Second St. for its address, included 88 residential units and 9,600 square feet for retail.
However, those plans are obviously officially dead as the city moved to revoke the permits. In August, The Real Deal took a deep dive into what happened:
All that stood in Gemini's way was a small-time landlord next door. Robert Proto, however, proved to be a big-time problem.Proto made unceasing calls to officials for weeks, triggering an audit by the Department of Buildings that found code and zoning issues that had initially slipped past the agency.
In 2020, Gemini Rosemont spent more than $50 million to assemble the development ... buying the former La Salle annex at 38 Second Ave. and Second Street. The $14.5 million purchase of the four-story building was the third of three contiguous plots they acquired. The Los Angeles-based commercial real estate investment company closed on 42-44 Second Ave. and 46-48 Second Ave. (the former Church of the Nativity) in March 2020 for $40 million.
The new owners may want to consult with Robert Proto on the project.
On the CB3-SLA docket: A new home for Han Dynasty on 3rd Avenue; a Sunflower for 2nd Avenue
Here's a look at two of the applicants who will appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee this evening. (See below for info on watching online — or in person.)
• Han Dynasty (Han Dynasty East Village Corp), 98 3rd Ave (op)
Han Dynasty has enjoyed a successful run at 90 Third Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street for the past 10 years.
The restaurant's ownership is on the agenda tonight (questionnaire here) for a new liquor license for a space several storefronts to the north at 98 Third Ave. — the formal Bar None...
The application on file at the CB3 website doesn't mention whether this is a move or, perhaps, a second location. Ownership did not respond to an email seeking clarification.
Bar None closed in the spring of 2022 after nearly 17 years in service.
• Sunflower East Village (RJM Hospitality LLC), 88 2nd Ave (op)
The NE corner of Second Avenue and Fifth Street will be home to another location of Sunflower, a cafe serving breakfast-brunch on Third Avenue between 25th Street and 26th Street.
The EV location looks to have the same menu/vibe, though with dinner service. Find the questionnaire here. (Note: There will only be a service bar here — no bar seating.)
Sunflower is owned and operated by the same folks as the previous tenant here, Eros, the Greek restaurant that quietly closed in August 2022 when a "temporarily closed" sign arrived on the front door. Eros took over for their diner concept, The Kitchen Sink, in September 2021.
Tonight's meeting starts at 6:30. Find the Zoom link here. This is a hybrid meeting, and there is limited seating available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.
Storefront signage alert: Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart on 2nd Avenue
Photo by Steven
This is the second outpost in Manhattan after the brand's first arrival in Koreatown in 2021.
Here's more about the company, which first launched in Malaysia in 2016:
Inspired by the distinctly cheesy taste of Hokkaido dairy — and using a traditional recipe from Japan's dairy heartland — it is not surprising that the famed Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart has been a huge hit throughout Asia. We've successfully launched in Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Indonesia, Brunei and China.
And!
The appeal of the Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart is its combination of a crunchy, shortcrust base and fluffy filling, all pulled together with a deliciously cheesy aroma. Tantalizing and versatile, the Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart can be eaten at room temperature, chilled, or fresh from the oven...
Nothing has lasted long at his address since the Dunkin' Donuts closed in early 2010. Recent restaurant concepts have included Meyhane, Medina's Turkish Kitchen, Entrez Bar & Grill, Farfasha, Dinah, Pomodora and Luna Cafe Lounge.
Sunday, October 15, 2023
Week in Grieview
• RIP Richard 'Pete' Peterson (Wednesday)
• Dedicating Frances Goldin Way (Monday)
• Skate ramps depart the multipurpose courts in Tompkins ahead of renovations (Thursday)
• Here's a look at the renovated interior of the long-vacant 6 Avenue B (Wednesday)
• Local band Q&A: A Penny for your punk thoughts (Friday)
• Openings: Downtown Threads on Avenue A (Tuesday) ... Babs Home and Pantry on Avenue A (Tuesday) ... Hello, Yam! on 9th Street and Avenue A (Wednesday)
• What's going on at Connelly Theater Upstairs, the former home of the Metropolitan Playhouse (Tuesday)
• Taking a 'Deep Dive' at Baker Falls (Sunday)
• A cannabis dispensary is the first tenant for this newly created retail space on 7th Street (Monday)
• Key Food would like you to use a basket or cart (Monday)
• The Con Ed City Dancers! (Wednesday)
• The laundromat on 5th and C will remain a laundromat (Thursday)
• A New signage era for Big Arc Chicken (Wednesday)
• The former Bong World is for rent on 14th Street (Tuesday)
• The Dolly Llama remains closed for renovations (Thursday)
• F45 Training next for this 13th Street retail space (Tuesday)
Whatever happened to the Champagne's of East Village storefront signs?
Photo from June by Stacie Joy
Back in the summer, the new owners of Nizga Liquors, now LES Fine Wines & Spirits, removed the classic signage — Fine Wine & Champagne's — that anchored the NE corner of Avenue A and Fourth Street for years.
Understanding how much people liked the signs (especially unnecessary apostrophe fans!), management there announced the two signs were for sale.
As we noted, Irena Lasenby, a former East Village resident who now lives in Bushwick, bought the smaller of the two signs.
She recently shared a photo of its new home in a garden space outside her apartment... currently paired with an old wheelchair she found discarded on the street...
Long live Fine Wine & Champagne's!
Saturday, October 14, 2023
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