2 doors down

Up for grabs early this evening outside 233 E. 10th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue…

Surprise! Police Commissioner not a big fan of 'celebrating graffiti'

[East 6th Street at 1st Avenue]

Police Commissioner William Bratton responded to the Museum of the City of New York's graffiti-art exhibit "City as Canvas."

"I find it outrageous that one of the city's museums is currently celebrating graffiti and what a great impact it had on the city," Bratton said Monday during a meeting with Wall Street Journal editors.

And later...

Mr. Bratton further objected to "having New York City school kids at the impressionable age of 12 years old walking through looking at this stuff and having it advertised as 'Isn't this great?'"

And the museum's response?

Susan Henshaw Jones, City Museum's director, said the show is intended to show how graffiti became an art form, not to glorify vandalism. "We are not in the business of trying to encourage children, teenagers, grown-ups or elders to do graffiti," she said.

Read the article here. (Subscription required)

1 explanation for the seemingly random tree pruning and removal around here

[St. Mark's Place]

Through the years we've received a good number of queries about random tree pruning and, worse — tree removal.

Residents have wondered why some seemingly healthy looking trees are getting cut back or removed in the neighborhood.

This audit that landed in our inbox via NYC Comptroller Scott M. Stringer might provide some answers.

Let's take a look:

The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation has mismanaged the City’s street tree pruning program responsible for maintaining approximately 650,000 street trees citywide, increasing the risk of personal injury and property damage from falling branches.

“Auditors found that Borough Forestry offices in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island were paying contractors for pruning the wrong trees, for pruning that was never done and were not keeping accurate lists of trees that were properly maintained. Taxpayers deserve better management of our City’s trees,” Stringer said.

New York City’s street tree pruning program is run by the Department of Parks and Recreation’s Forestry Service, which oversees all street tree maintenance and operates an office in each borough. Private contractors that plant the street trees are responsible for maintaining them for two years. Thereafter, Parks prunes them, except for trees five inches or more in diameter, which are maintained by contractors hired by the Parks Department.

Based on a review of Parks’ operations and contracted street tree pruning services from July 1, 2012, to November 21, 2013, the Comptroller’s audit revealed weaknesses in the operations of all Borough Forestry Offices, except for Queens. The audit found that offices in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island had:

• Inaccurate lists, or no lists at all, of trees requiring pruning. Manhattan and Staten Island failed to give contractors specific lists of trees that needed maintenance and could not provide evidence that contractors’ work had been inspected.

• No evidence that required post-pruning inspections were performed. These inspections are meant to ensure that all contract terms are met and payments are only made for adequately pruned trees.

To read the full audit, please click here. (PDF!) And save a tree and don't print out the report...

Report: Golden Cadillac will reopen as Boilermaker next month on 1st Avenue

Golden Cadillac, the 1970s-themed bar that opened in the former Boca Chica space on First Avenue at East First Street, closed for good last July 3 after just eight months in business.

The owners have revamped the space for another retro creation, Grub Street reports.

Say hello to Boilermaker.

The retro cocktail list cribbed from Playboy's Host and Bar Book has been overhauled with a selection of actual boilmakers, including one combining Old Grand-Dad bourbon and Brooklyn Lager and another that teams up Ramazzotti amaro and Victory Storm King Stout. There will be four cocktails on tap, including a Zombie made with three kinds of rum ...

Boilermaker is expected to open next month.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Boca Chica apparently won't be reopening on First Avenue; and the return of Golden Cadillac

End of the road: Golden Cadillac closes tomorrow night (29 comments)

Gutting the former Silver Spurs space to make way for Teavana

Last month we noted that the Starbucks-owned Teavana was opening a location on Broadway and East Ninth Street.

We hadn't walked by this northwest corner for several weeks ... and, as the photo shows, the plywood is up and the gut renovation is on for the specialty tea and tea accessory retailer.

In December 2012, Starbucks bought the Atlanta-based Teavana for $620 million.

No word on an opening date yet for Teavana.

Last December, Silver Spurs got rent-hiked out of its 34-year-old home here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
After 34 years, Silver Spurs is closing on Broadway

Starbucks-owned Teavana coming to the former Silver Spurs space on Broadway

'The first and the only dance studio for Street Dance' coming to 2nd Avenue

Ever since Second on Second, the 10-year-old karaoke bar closed in January 2013, we wondered what would happen to this prime space at 27 Second Ave. near East First Street.

Maybe throw on a few extra floors on the two-level building a la Ben Shaoul's ugly gray box next door. Or maybe a CVS/Duane Reade/Walgreens/etc. The usual!

Well, the new tenant is nothing expected (BoweryBoogie first noted this yesterday) …



The space will be home to Exile Professional Gym (EXPG for short) — "the first and the only dance studio for Street Dance." Per the EXPG website, they offer vocal and dance classes encompassing a wide variety of styles (hip hop, house, lock, among others).

EXPG is expected to open Sept. 1. And the exterior will look like this…



Previously on EV Grieve:
Second on Second sets farewell party

Claim: Second on Second closing this month on Second Avenue

Yonekichi now open and serving rice burgers on East 9th Street

Yonekichi had its (soft) opening yesterday at 236 E. Ninth St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. The tiny restaurant's specialty: the rice burger.

Here's a preview via amNY:

Yonekichi serves their crisp rice buns with a variety of made-to-order fillings: ginger mujifugi features sweet bites of pork shoulder ($8) and the saikyo salmon includes a fresh fillet marinated in miso ($9). For a more traditional burger, the tsukune, a chicken meatball patty topped with shishito peppers ($7.75), most resembles your average quarter pounder. Vegetarian options, like the Kinpira made of sautéed lotus root, carrot, sesame seeds and togarashi ($6.50), are also available.

Yonekichi's menu also includes Furi Furi, Japanese for "shake shake," which are crispy, thick-cut potatoes topped with your choice of salt, pepper, yuzu or wasabi, and served steaming hot, ready to be shaken in their thick paper bag for optimal seasoning coverage.

While amNY appeared to like the rice burgers ... the Daily News did not.

[T]he pressed white sushi-grain “buns” disappointed Daily News testers.

"This is a dough-zaster," said one member of the News’ formidable Taste Kitchen. The expert had imagined that the rice buns would be thinner, and therefore, crispier.

Instead, he found himself eating too much of the unhealthy Asian staple.

"This is just a thick layer of bland rice," he said. "And it keeps breaking up, like those mini-sandwiches from 'This is Spinal Tap.'"

And it’s not even homemade! The rice bun is made off-site then combined with Yonekichi’s made-to-order umami-bomb fillings, which are far more impressive than their container.

You can check it out yourself... they are open from noon to 10 p.m.

And here's a menu...


[Click on image to enlarge]

Yonekichi is part of Bon Yagi's East Village stable of restaurants.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Yonekichi bringing rice burgers to East 9th Street

The time the FDNY rescued the dog who got his head stuck under a fence at Tompkins Square Park

There was some doggy drama early this evening in Tompkins Square Park. Per witnesses, this Siberian Husky named Winter chased after a tennis ball — and got his head stuck under a fence.

FDNY Engine 28/Ladder 11 from East Second Street arrived to help.

All was well afterwards.

@evgrieve they used the jaws of life and the crowd cheered when it got free. So crazy!

— Eden Brower (@edenbrower) August 18, 2014

Thanks to EVG reader Alta Tseng for the photos.

City approves dorm conversion plans for the former PS 64 on East 9th Street

It appears that the 15-plus years of stalled development at the former PS 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center might be nearing an end.

On Friday, the city (partially) approved developer Gregg Singer's controversial dorm-conversion plan for the landmarked building at 605 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C, per DOB records.



Per previous reports, both The Joffrey Ballet School and Cooper Union have signed on to house its students at what will be called University House.

Here's a breakdown on the leasing, according to the University House website:

Ground Floor — 50 Beds leased to Joffrey Ballet School
First Floor — 82 Beds leased to Joffrey Ballet School
Second Floor — 98 Beds leased to Cooper Union
Third Floor — 98 Beds leased to Cooper Union
Fourth Floor — 98 Beds available for lease
Fifth Floor with Mezzanine — 109 Beds available for lease

Here's more on the dorm from the website:

University House is an exciting new state of the art college living experience with a grand opening for the 2016/17 school year in the heart of the East Village. The redevelopment and historic restoration of this century old landmark, former New York City elementary school, will be transformed into a modern, amenity-rich home designed, built and managed for 535 students for New York's participating colleges and universities. Ideal for all students with safety and amenities as the top priorities.

According to DOB documents, the cost of the renovation/conversion of the landmarked building is $16 million.



The site has long been a community focal point, in which residents fought against Singer's various development plans, which included a megadorm that would have dwarfed its Christodora House neighbor.

And just last week this banner arrived on the East 10th Street side of the building…



Preservation groups and some local residents wanted to see the building returned for community use.

Singer bought the building from the city in 1998.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood

Deed for 'community facility use only' at the former P.S. 64 now on the market

Efforts continue to fight the dorm planned for the former PS 64 on East 9th Street

Testimony Of Councilmember Rosie Mendez regarding the former PS 64

[Updated] At the 'Save Our Community Center MARCH AND RALLY'

Landmarks Preservation Commission asks to see modified plans for former PS 64

The Landmarks Preservation Commission approves application for modifications at PS 64

Asbestos abatement to begin at former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office

Signs arrived Friday at the former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office noting the start of asbestos removal from the building at 432-438 E. 14th St.



This Post Office branch just west of Avenue A closed for good in February. (The USPS is leasing the former Duane Reade at 333 E. 14th St. for retail services.)

Initially, word was that the USPS was unable to come to terms on a new lease with the building's owner. However, a rep for the owner, Benenson Capital Partners, told the Town & Village blog and the Save the Post Office blog that it was actually the USPS's decision to leave because of a desire to downsize.

Last fall, the Stuyvesant Stationery shop next door to the post office lost its lease and closed. In July, the 99-Cent Discount Center to the east closed, making for three consecutive, single-level storefronts sitting vacant.

To date, there's nothing on file with the DOB to suggest any demolition or new development here.


[EVG file photo]

Asbestos abatement is often the first step before a demolition. Or, perhaps this is just for a conversion of the space to suit a retailer. Or, perhaps the landlord just wants to be proactive and clean up the place. Or, as several EVG readers believe, the three buildings will be taken down to make way for a retail-residential complex similar to what's coming to 500 and 538 E. 14th St.

Previously on EV Grieve:
UPDATED: Did you hear the rumor about the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office branch closing?

Report: Closure of the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office is pretty much a done deal

First sign of more development on East 14th Street?

Esperanto has opened a juice bar

Well, we missed this one. In late June, Esperanto on Avenue C and East Ninth Street (quietly) opened a small juice shop called Jugo adjacent to the restaurant … you enter on the East Ninth Street side…





They'll be expanding the to-go options here in the coming weeks.

Thanks to @galadarling for the tip!

The 'stop the rooftop noise' signs return on East 10th Street

The signs returned here along East 10th Street between Fourth Avenue and Third Avenue this past weekend ... in several shapes and sizes...





We last spotted this flyer/sticker campaign in April (read that post here) ... as far as we know, the signs date back to June 2010 ... so we can celebrate four years of rooftop noise here then.