Monday, March 7, 2011

A Gathering of Tribes faces an uncertain future on East Third Street

Colin Moynihan at the Times reports on what could be the end of A Gathering of Tribes on East Third Street. The building that has housed the arts and cultural organization at 285 E. Third St. between Avenues C and D is on the market for $2.995 million.



Per the article:

The news sent shudders through generations of poets, artists, musicians and others, who felt a strong sense of devotion to A Gathering of the Tribes, a gallery and salon in the building, and to [Steve] Cannon. A former humanities professor, who taught for 25 years at city university campuses including Hunter College in Manhattan and Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, Mr. Cannon decided in 1991 to turn the building, which he had bought for $35,000 in 1970, into a salon and open house where practically everybody was welcome.

Per the listing at Marcus & Millichap:

INVESTMENT HIGHLIGHT
• Four Free Market Floor-Through Two Bedroom Apartment
• Approximately 3,000 Square Fee
• 22 Feet of Frontage on East 3rd Street Between Avenue C and Avenue
Possible Conversion into a Single Family Townhouse
• 1,100 Square Foot Garden Located Behind the Building

Cannon sold the three-story federal-style townhouse to its present owner — Lorraine Zhang — in 2004 believing that he would be able to occupy the second floor for at least a decade.

Meanwhile, according to the article:

"Mr. Cannon said he was exploring whether he had any legal recourse to oppose the sale in court. At the same time, he said, he would reach out to friends and arts patrons to see whether any of them might be interested in buying the building and turning it into an artists’ residence and cultural center."

326-328 E. Fourth St. now a shell of its former self


Not much left of the addresses here between Avenue C and Avenue D.... You can see right through 328 to the buildings on Third Street...


As the Times noted back September, the houses date to around 1840 ... "That these houses have remained virtually unchanged in the past 170 years is miraculous and noteworthy..."


Previously on EV Grieve:
Historic East Fourth Street artists' collective soon to be condos

Two side-by-side townhouses on East Fourth Street await your renovation

City doesn't give a shit about these historic East Village townhouses

More pages of novels appearing on the East Village streets

Last Monday, we noted the presence of a single page from a novel or something on Seventh Street and First Avenue...

Perhaps this sparked some kind of trend... we've noticed other pieces of fiction now in place around the neighborhood... such as on Fourth Avenue and 10th Street (home of the Scribbler!)


And Avenue A between Seventh Street and Sixth Street ...



I inexplicably didn't take a photo of Page 2 ... And yesterday's rain likely wiped these all out...

Cowgirl Cupcakes (and Burritos) now open on East 10th Street

Back in December, we noted the Cowgirl Cupcakes was taking over a storefront on East 10th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A...

EV Grieve reader Leesy reports Cowgirl opened yesterday...



While she didn't sample the food, she did go in for a look... she notes the staff is very cool and excited to be part of the neighborhood... and that the place kind of smelled like, say, San Loco ... per the menu, burritos are the first item listed... Per Leesy: "I guess it just seemed odd that a place with cupcake in the name was more like Burritos."

Anyway, everything on the menu is vegan...

Souvlaki GR opening set for next Monday on Stanton Street

Back in January BoweryBoogie reported that food-truck favorites Souvlaki GR were opening an eatery at 116 Stanton St. just west of Essex Street. (New York Street Food had the scoop.)

EV Grieve contributor Samo happened by during the weekend and spoke with with Kosta Plagos, one of the owners. Opening date is slated for next Monday. Souvlaki will accommodate 40 inside ... and Plagos would eventually like to have sidewalk seating. "Concept is that you will feel like you are sitting in the streets of Mykonos."



BoweryBoogie has more on their food truck here.

[Updated] When will Veselka on the Bowery open?

After posting the coming-soon sign for Veselka Bowery on Saturday, we sent the folks there a note asking when they're expecting to open...


We didn't hear back from anyone at Veselka. We last heard that the location will open in mid-March, per the Feast.

[Updated 2:30]
From Fork in the Road:

"Our opening date will probably be in May. Maybe early June, but we're hoping to be faster than that," said Veselka owner Tom Birchard, who mentioned that this new location will be similar to the one on Second Avenue, but will have a full liquor license and be "a little less dinerish and a little more restauranty."

As for the menu, he notes that "Everything will still be inexpensive and casual but we'll have some really exciting items. We're looking for inexpensive caviar, and we're going to have lots of vodkas from Eastern Europe which will be great because the food goes great with it."

Community facility available on East Second Street

The plans for the new luxury homes at 229 E. Second St. between Avenue B and Avenue C included a community facility on the ground floor... we were curious if this would actually happen... Apparently yes, as the newish sign shows...


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

229 E. Second St. sprouts a roof deck

Cutting condo prices by 20 percent on East Second Street