A Mystery Lot slice of life

From last evening... via EVG reader Katja... featuring an NY1 crew... an NYPD cruiser ... and more ...

Posts featuring stuffed animals that we never got around to posting

Derrrrecho!

[Bobby Williams]

[Bobby Williams]

[EVG reader Katja]

Meanwhile, right before the end of the world...

AKA more photos of the derecho (a derecho?) ... Hey, more incoming storm photos ... these shots via EVG reader Tony Devers...

In case you already haven't done so, RUN! HIDE!

Oh, just cashing in on the bad weather hysteria... Still, be careful out there...

[Via @edwardzick]

[Via EVG reader Chris M]

Reader report: Potential geyser on East 12th Street?

A reader notes that people have called 311 to report water bubbling up through a crack on East 12th Street.

"They said to call 911 if it gets worse. People are stopping to check it out. Maybe I should charge admission to this natural wonder."

More demolition shots from 193 Avenue B

Earlier today, we noted that workers were now demolishing the old theater on 185-193 Avenue B... EVG reader Rik Rocket shared some photos from the start of work yesterday....

Demolition finally starting at formerly historic counterculture theater

After a few false starts, demolition is under way at the long-empty 185-193 Avenue B at East 12th Street. EVG reader Ron Z sent along these shots from today....

There are plans waiting approval at the DOB for a mixed-use seven-story building with 44 units. (You can read a short history of what's happening with the space here.)

The address was a movie theater for many years, first the Bijou in 1926, then the Charles. (The theater closed in 1975, and a church took over the space.) A fire broke out in the building in October 2006.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Revival planned for church and theater on Avenue B

Inside the Charles

Former landmark countercultural theater now for rent on Avenue B

7-story building in the works to replace former countercultural theater/church on Avenue B

More drama at 50-58 E. Third St.; 'heavy construction' awaits tenants who stay

Here's more on the saga of 50-58 E. Third St. As Curbed noted, the new owners are GRJ, a fund co-founded and co-managed by brothers Graham and Gregory Jones. (Pictured.) They closed the 78-unit, three-building package for $23.5 million.

Someone slipped this following note under the door of the building's remaining tenants...

Good afternoon,

I wanted to send you an email to introduce myself as I will likely see you around the building in the coming weeks. I work with GRJ who is the new owner of 50-58 East 3rd Street. As you may have heard, GRJ has extensive plans to renovate 50, 54, and 58 East 3rd Street and I am personally speaking with all tenants about relocation opportunities and buyouts.

Many units on your floor and the floors above you and below you are already vacant or will be vacant in the next few weeks. Heavy construction will begin in all of the units and hallways in 30 days and many tenants have accepted our offer as most people aren't interested in living in a building that is under construction and they would much rather move during the summer months.

Are you available to speak this week? Please give me a call at the number below. Thank you in advance and I look forward to speaking with you.

Meanwhile, we also hear that tenants who live in basement apartments were given notice that they had 10 days to vacate their homes ... given that that space was zoned with the city as storage/commercial space ... and their apartments were now deemed "illegal dwellings."

However, according to the tenants, the previous landlord renovated the spaces into habitable apartments. Some tenants still have time left on their leases for these units...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader report: Three apartment buildings sold on East Third Street

Advocate for East Third Street buildings moving to Washington Heights

More about the lease renewals at 50, 54 and 58 E. Third St.

Tenants at 50, 54 and 58 E. Third St. banding to together in face of building sale

Tenants turn detectives to out short-term rentals and illegal hotel guests

This past weekend, The New York Times published a piece about residents of Stuy Town listing their apartments as hotel rooms on the website AirBnB.com.

(For most residential buildings, a 2010 law prohibits rentals of fewer than 30 days. Although those who microsublet for fewer than 30 consecutive days and remain present in the unit along with their guests — and those who don't accept money from renters while away on vacation — are exempt, according to city officials, as the Post recently pointed out.)

Short-term rentals of this nature have been a problem for the housing complex for about two years and residents are concerned about things like bed bug infestations – which are on the rise — and security risks. Unhappy with CWCaptial and Rose Associates' response to the ongoing problem, residents have taken their frustration to the Tenants Association's Facebook page, posting links and the names and addresses of the hosts. From the article:

John Marsh, vice president of the tenants’ association, blamed the complexes’ leasing agent, Rose Associates, for not policing the “explosion of short-term rentals.” The tenants, in partnership with Brookfield Asset Management, are trying to buy the properties.

“It’s odd that people who are not private investigators can take these people’s information and find them on the Internet,” Mr. Marsh said. “Given that capability, you would imagine that someone like Adam Rose, who is quite resourceful, can do the same,” he added, referring to the co-president of Rose Associates.

In response, Joe DePlasco, a spokesman for Rose Associates and CW Capital, which took control of the two complexes in 2010 after Tishman Speyer defaulted on the property, says they have sent sent cease-and-desist letters to 50 tenants since the middle of last year.

In related short-term hotel news, two apartments at 31 St. Marks Place appear to have surfaced on another short-term rental website, manhattanbnb.com. A tipster believes the apartment listed as “#15 St. Marks Place” is really an apartment at located at 31 St. Marks Place.

Says the tipster:

"I’m curious about the development of two of the apartments in the building being used as hotel rooms aimed at tourists.

I stumbled upon this website www.manhattanbnb.com with the cringe-worthy motto “Live Like We Live!” which lists one of the apartments in 31 Saint Marks Place as “#15 St Marks Place”

I don’t understand how one couple with the cutesy name, John n’ Lucy, have all these apartments in the neighborhood to let out to tourists. John n’ Lucy certainly have never lived in my building.

Now that the media outlets such as the Times are on the story, more and more residents are feeling empowered to do something about the short-term rentals in their buildings. We'll be posting more of these moving forward...

Previously on EV Grieve:
The house rules of a short-term rental on St. Mark's Place

Thanks for the Plywood Blogging Portals!

We've been meaning to do this since the plywood fence went up last month around the incoming apartment complex at 74-84 Third Avenue...

Thank you for including Plywood Blogging Portals... these handy portals will make our job so much easier to snoop around and take photos of the construction minutiae... we're getting up in our blogging years, so this will save us from climbing, jumping or rappelling...

Still, not much to see back there just yet.

[Last week, probably]

And some day...

Noted

A reader sends us the following... "It seems that the bar crawl/scavenger hunt trend continues, this time with an 'Olympic' theme on Sunday, July 29th."

"You sprint to catch the subway in the morning, jump hurdles at the office, and not-so-gracefully dive into bed at the close of the day — sounds like you're primed for the Olympic Scavenger Hunt, which starts in the East Village. With today's deal, pay $30 (regularly $60) to partake in this boozy, fun-filled event on July 29. Arrive decked out in costume (for extra points) at SideBAR or the Village Pourhouse downtown at noon to register, pick the country you want your team to represent, and have a libation. Then, begin your journey through Little Italy, Chinatown, Little India, and more, where you'll find hidden clues, solve riddles in foreign languages, and earn points. Best yet, you'll enjoy discounted, internationally themed drinks along the way at neighborhood bars, and conclude your excursion with an after-party at a secret location — just don't treat a tabletop as a podium."

Per the reader: "Hopefully the East Village/Little India portion of the day will be over early. Wishful thinking."


[Image via]