EV Grieve

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Holding up 95 Avenue A

Just looking at the structural repairs underway at 95 Avenue A at East Sixth Street.

Ravi DeRossi told Eater last month that the building housing his bars Cienfuegos, Amor y Amargo and Gin Palace is sinking into the ground.

Gin Palace closed on Nov. 6 and is expected to be out of commission for at least two months. (The other two bars remain open.)

Looks like a pretty serious operation...

The repair costs are estimated at $100,000.

From cleansing souls to cleansing clothes at 96 Avenue B

Workers are fitting 96 Avenue B – previously home to the Hare Krishnas — with a laundromat, EVG contributor Dave on 7th notes.

The Hare Krishnas moved out of their home here between East Sixth Street and East Seventh Street back in July 2011 ... The space has been vacant since then.

Previously, from 1990-1995, 96 Avenue B was home to Metropolis Vintage Apparel...

[1994, via Richard Colligan]

...which has been at 43 Third Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street since 1995.

Plans to add two floors to the existing two-floor building never materialized. East Yoga is housed on the second level.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Benefit show tomorrow for Food for Life at Tompkins Square Park

Via the EVG inbox this evening…

Our 4th annual tribute to "The Band" and their epic farewell show. Benefitting the great work done by Food for Life at Tompkins Square Park, and their 3x weekly program of serving hot, healthy meals to anyone in need.

Here's the Facebook event page with more details on the show tomorrow night at The Bitter End at 147 Bleecker.

Noted

@evgrieve Best thrown out bed ever. pic.twitter.com/F2h0y8TgRq
— EdenBrower (@edenbrower) December 1, 2014

Spotted this evening on First Avenue and East Fifth Street… maybe the rain just cleaned it and didn't ruin this treasure…

Oh fudge, Puddin' popped for incomplete paperwork

The City has temporarily closed Puddin', the small shop at 102 St. Mark's Place that sells pudding, pudding-filled cakes and Frozen Puddin' Pops.

The note on the door here between Avenue A and First Avenue explains: "Oh fudge! We forgot some paperwork. Be back soon!"

Fire at 251 E. Houston St. temporarily closes Gaia Cafe

[Photo Wednesday via EVG reader Chris Mason]

Last Wednesday night, we reported on the fire atop 251 E. Houston St. between Norfolk and Suffolk.

While there weren't any reported injuries, ground-floor tenant Gaia Cafe sustained some water damage.

According to BoweryBoogie, the 5-year-old Cafe is closed until further notice.

Gaia's Facebook page notes the following:

Due to a fire in the building, the cafè has been closed due to some damages ...we still do not know when we will open again... Sorry for any inconvenience...

Reader report: Is there a rabid squirrel near the Tompkins Square Park main playground?

From the EVG inbox this morning...

Saw a black squirrel in Tompkins Square Park playground acting very aggressively and making a horrible growling sound. Never heard a squirrel making any noise before.

It was perched on a branch of a tree in the playground by Avenue A and 9th Street. It would sit perched on a branch wheezing/growling and breathing rapidly, then run off rapidly and return to same branch and repeat same growl.

This tree is on the inside-the-park side fence in middle of playground near the revolving pole with a triangular base.

Tried to report this to Parks Department and to 311 but just got the runaround.

I don't want any kids to be bitten by a rabid squirrel — especially my kid.

According to the Center for Disease Control, rabid squirrels are extremely rare. Per eHow: "Healthy squirrels can be noisy, bold and curious. They often chatter and make scolding sounds at humans and dogs. Rambunctious behavior in squirrels does not denote rabies."

Simone Martini Bar has closed

The 15-year-old Simone Martini Bar closed for good following service Saturday night.

The space here on First Avenue at St. Mark's Place will yield to a new venture from the proprietors of The Wayland on Avenue C. According to paperwork (PDF) on file ahead of last month's CB3-SLA committee meeting, ownership is planning for an establishment with a "tavern/seafood-style menu."

As previously noted, the change here officially brings an end to Yaffa Cafe, Simone's sister restaurant that closed nearby at 97 St. Mark's Place earlier in the fall. After the closure, some items from Yaffa were added to Simone's menu.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Team behind The Wayland eyeing Simone Martini Bar space

A Santa-free incentive

As you probably know, SantaCon is fast approaching on Dec. 13.

Although organizers have yet to announce what neighborhood their participants will terrorize, Santa-clad bargoers will abound that day anyway everywhere whatever …

Which is why Jimmy's No. 43 at 73 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square is offering this happy-hour incentive: "If you don't dress up like Santa, you get $2 off drafts 12 noon - 6 p.m."

Former Birdbath space finally for rent on 3rd Avenue

Birdbath Neighborhood Green Bakery over at Third Avenue at East Ninth Street abruptly closed back in July.

Now the for rent signs have finally gone up here in the base of NYU's Alumni Hall … the listing hasn't appeared online just yet, though.

Meanwhile, the former Citi Habitats office next door remains on the market for an undisclosed sum…

The listing shows this rendering… a restaurant called Pierre…

As for Birdbath, they are opening a new location on Spring Street, BoweryBoogie reported back on Nov. 11.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Birdbath Neighborhood Green Bakery on 3rd Avenue has not been open lately

Birdbath Bakery has apparently closed for good

In case you were planning a last visit to DeRobertis

The family originally said that the 110-year-old DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe would close for good on Friday.

We were there with the crowds during the holiday … and family members were saying that they might be closing earlier … Thursday, maybe even Wednesday — it just depends on how much they have left to sell.

And courtesy of the NYPL Digital Gallery, here's how the storefront looked in 1928…