Cutting condo prices by 20 percent on East Second Street

Back in November, we took a look at the new million-dollar condos hitting the market on East Second Street between Avenue B and Avenue C.... there were five units, ranging then from $1.2 to $1.9 million...

You remember 229 E. Second St., it looked like this...



And now...



In any event, the price of each unit was just chopped by anywhere from 10 percent to 20 percent... as StreetEasy (and Trulia) shows... the priciest of the units has dropped to $1.61 million from $1.98 million... ... what to do with that extra $380,000?

Well, they look like great homes...



...so close to the trash-strewn lot next door (one of my favorites)...



...and the busy fire station directly across the street...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Million dollar condos hit the market on East Second Street

229 E. Second St. sprouts a roof deck

Post-seizure sale at Thai on Two

Thai on Two on Second Avenue near 12th Street closed several weeks ago...




..and now we learn from East Village Feed that there's a big auction there on Feb. 3... Per Craigslist, everything looks to be going, from cases of beer and wine to fish tanks... Via the listing, in that ANNOYING ALL-CAP style:

CONTENTS OF RESTAURANT TO INCLUDE
FULL ITCH, POTS PANS COMMERCIAL DUSHWASHER 2 FRIALOTORS, WOLF OVEN STAINLESS WORK STATIONS, ORIENTAL WET STATION GRILL, PLATES, CHAIRS 14 WROUGHT IRON OUTDOOR TABLES, BEAUTIFUL ORIGINAL ANTIQUE GOLD LEAF MIRROR APPX 6'.
AN ORIGINAL 16 FOOT ANTIQUE MAHOGHONY BAR COMPLETE WOLD IN FREEZER BOX. SOME CASES OF BEER AND WINE, CC MACHINE STEREO, BLENDERS, 2 FISHTANKS ON STAND, FIXTURES

More on 95 Avenue A: Private chef's lounge and a rum punch bar

Keep seeing more details about what's coming to 95 Avenue A at Sixth Street. Sounds like quite the little empire. This detail is from Metromix:

From a team featuring alum from Mayahuel, Death & Co., and Bourgeois Pig, Carteles is the first of a four-part planned series of Cuban-themed bars and restaurants collectively known as Cienfuegos. The other phases include a rum punch bar, a more formal Cuban restaurant, and a private chef's lounge, but for now this tiny storefront is serving a menu of carefully curated sandwiches.

This all suddenly seems like less of a restaurant and more of a scene.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Coming soon: Work starts on Cienfuegos at long-dormant (and soon-to-be-expanded) 95 Avenue A

Something finally coming to 95 Avenue A

The Save Ray's Twitter feed

There's now a Save Ray's Twitter feed, which will have the latest updates...

www.twitter.com/saverays

And there's the Save Ray's Facebook page, which already has 783 members...

Save Ray's organizers are also putting together a benefit concert. Anyone interested in performing can send an e-mail to Lilly O'Donnell: lillytylluan@gmail.com

Meanwhile, here's a screenshot of Ray's from "What About Me" by East Village filmmaker Rachel Amodeo. She wrote, directed and starred in "What About Me, which was filmed in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with a release in 1993.

Rusty Knot Party Bus makes East Village debut

As Eater noted, last night marked the debut of the Rusty Knot Party Bus, which picks up Knotgoers in Williamsburg and the East Village and plies them with alcohol before they go to the nautica-themed faux dive on the West Side Highway for a big party or something ...

Given the crazy-cat Web site, I figured this might be a shitshow...



I had no intention of getting on the bus -- just curious what might happen while waiting to board. The bus was scheduled to stop at First Street and First Avenue at 8:30 last night (and later at 10:30) ...and it promptly rolled up at 8:28.




Two people were waiting to board. Three more people hustled across First Avenue... other passengers included three-four people who were waiting inside at One and One...and three guys who arrived on skateboards. So 12 by my count. No one was in costume. And only two people sort of squealed while boarding.



The bus idled for nearly 15 minutes...



...before taking off, making a clumsy left onto Third Street...

Gratuitous bikini photo alert: Sports Illustrated swimsuit model buys East Second Street pad

According to a post yesterday on BlockShopper Manhattan, Australian swimsuit model Pania Rose and her beau bought an East Second Street condo for $712,000.

We look forward to seeing her at Hamilton Fish Park this summer.


[Image via SI]

Small shops continue to struggle

We noticed that small shops were either closed or on their way out on Avenue B near 12th Street...



...First Street near First Avenue...



...and Avenue C near Sixth Street...

What cigarettes will cost during Bloomberg's 10th term in office...

An EV Grieve reader sent along the following photo from the bodega on Third Street and Second Avenue... A rather startling price for Newports: $97.5....

Mysterious 81 Cafe mysteriously back open

Last fall, we noticed that Krystal's 81 Cafe, the former Verchovyna Tavern aka George's Bar aka Bar 81, on Seventh Street near First Avenue started keeping irregular hours... Then, the bar never reopened as promised on Oct. 1 after a vacation. We hadn't seen it open since then. Until!

Last night, the bar was back open, a happy hour sign out front...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Cafe 81 will be back from vacation on Oct. 1

At Butcher Bay: A dishwashing/laundry equipment notice

Things still seem awfully quiet at Butcher Bay on East Fifth Street.... Back in November, the eatery papered over the windows...the sign on the door said: "...closed temporarily to write our memoirs..." The other day, we noticed an addition to the front door...



...this sticker.



Perhaps Auto-Chlor wants their equipment back?

Previously on EV Grieve:
Butcher Bay deep-sixed?

EV Grieve Etc: Mourning Edition

An appetizing post (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

"Looks like this is the beginning of the end for Superdive." (NY Barfly)

Old Times Square as a backdrop for celebrity photo shoots (This Ain't the Summer of Love)

Looking at what's left of St. Ann's on East 12th Street (Scouting NY)

East Village Radio is hiring (Crain's via East Village Feed)

More Pike Loop Installation for you (BoweryBoogie)

We're not the only ones worried about Caffe Reggio's future (Lost City)

Slacktivists plan protest/fundraiser/street party for Ray's Saturday night

From John Penley:

There's a protest/fundraiser/street party Saturday night at 8 for Ray's Candy Store. It's being organized by Black Ops Bob and the Slacktivists.

From a comment by Penley: "I was contacted tonight by Black Ops Bob and others who requested my help. I said HELL YES !!!!! Yuppies and NYU students who want to help Ray will be welcome.