EV Grieve

Friday, August 3, 2012

[Updated] Return of the Summer of Bees!

Earlier today, @k_a_r_p noted "an uncomfortable amount of bees have infiltrated Liquiteria" on Second Avenue at East 11th Street... Well, just a few shown in this photo... but there were some 40 in the place last night... (are they juicing?)

Updated: 5:50 p.m.
@k_a_r_p returned and found a bee-free shop...

Previously.

City has OK'd one-floor addition for Ben Shaoul-owned building on Avenue A and East 12th Street

[Google Maps]

Shortly after posting our item this morning about the impending closure of the Mary Help of Christians property ... a tipster sent us an FYI about more possible changes coming to Avenue A and East 12th Street. (Updated: Sorry, just realized that Jill mentioned this in our July 6 post about Mary Help of Christians.)

According to DOB records, the city has approved a one-story addition to 191 Avenue A (the building with the MRI medical center) and 444 E. 12th St. (the corner space with Poppy's).

The city OK'd the plan for 191 on Jan. 24 ... and last Sept. 26 for 444.

According to the city records, developer Ben Shaoul is listed as the owner of the buildings.

Residents say that Mary Help of Christians and the flea market will close for good on Sept. 1

For the past four or so years, we've been following the saga of the Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church and its inevitable, unfortunate, closure to make way for a new development.

Multiple neighbors/parishioners are now saying that the church, school and adjacent property have been sold to a developer to make way for "condos and luxury apartments."

Nearby residents say all this will be effective Sept. 1 ... so if the residents are correct... this means that you have about four weeks left to enjoy the flea market here along Avenue A between East 11th Street and 12th Street...

..which has been open during the week since late July...

While there isn't any official confirmation just yet, rumors of development here have been swirling since 2008, when The Real Deal reported that two-thirds of the playground space along Avenue A had been sold in an all-cash deal for $10.4 million. That deal never materialized.

There is still a Spanish-language mass at the church every Sunday morning at 11:30.

The church opened in 1917.

For further reading:
The Church Ladies (The New York Times)

Is this the warm, fuzzy feeling that you were expecting at 313 Bowery?

We've been wondering what would go into the retail space at 313 Bowery since the Riff pop-up shop closed in May... Now we know, thanks to a scoop over at the Observer: Patagonia. The outdoor clothing and gear store is moving into the two levels of combined 8,100-square-feet of space that once housed the CBGB Record Canteen and, later, the 313 Gallery.

And the quote of the day goes to the leasing executive who said this to the Observer:

“Patagonia loves historic space. 313 was just the perfect location. In the basement there are still the bathrooms from CBGB’s time that are scrawled with all the writing from club-goers over the years.”

[Corbis]

BoweryBoogie has more on this here.

Gas station switcheroo shocker on Second Avenue: Gulf now a BP; bagels still served

Last night, we went for our usual morning bagel at the Gulf station on Second Avenue and East First Street and...

Whoa! BP!

Inside, while trying to overcharge me $1 for a fucking bottle of water, the attendant told me that the station made the switch on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, bagels are still on the menu...

But can we ever eat a BP bagel?

[The good old days of Gulf bagels]

Report: Police arrest suspect wanted in string of LES muggings

The NYPD made an arrest last night in connection with a string of robberies dating back to May 5.

Per CBS New York, "Dion Whitehead, 38, of 484 East Houston St., was hit with four counts of robbery pertaining to the alleged mugging of at least 16 people since May, spanning from Houston Street to East 23rd Street, police said."

And the Daily News had this graphic...