Avenue A wants its sidewalk back

The New York Sports Club opened at 28 Avenue A back in early March... and the space outside here between East Second Street and East Third Street ...



... remains a work in progress... drawing the ire of at least one person (or more) asking for the release of the sidewalk...



H/T to @fnytv for alerting us to the signs on Saturday.

There goes the Mecca of Hair

Workers have gutted the former Lugo Hair Center at 209 First Ave. between East 12th Street and East 13th Street…



Not sure exactly when they closed (with that cinderblock storefront, they never looked all that open).

But the place had fans. The Village Voice named them "Best Place to Get Hair Extensions" in 2013, noting: "The East Village's Lugo's Hair Center, which specializes in extensions and wigs, provides beautiful … manes made specifically for you. The process is long and taxing, but well worth it (they don't call themselves the 'mecca of hair' for nothing)."

The business, which apparently opened in 1976, still has a Brooklyn outpost.

The Bar Akuda sign arrives on 1st Avenue

Oh, Bar Akuda (sung to the tune of Heart's "Barricuda").

The sports bar-restaurant at 16 First Ave. between East First Street and East Second Street is looking closer to opening.

Bar Akuda is the latest from the owners of Murray Hill's Mercury Bar and Tonic East, among others. No word yet on an opening date for the space, which will serve lunch, brunch and dinner.

The address was previously home to Sutra Lounge.

Week in Grieview

[Photo on 2nd Avenue and East 5th Street via Derek Berg]

RIP Patrick Salt Ryan (Friday)

Cafe Pick Me Up expected to close for good after May 31 on Avenue A (Wednesday)

Omakase-style restaurant in the works for former Lan Cafe on East Sixth Street (Friday)

A visit to St. Mark's Comics (Friday)

Tiengarden closes after 20 years on Allen Street (Monday)

Out and About with Philip Van Aver (Wednesday)

The Sunshine Cinema is on the market (Friday)

"Tompkins Square Park," now a breakup song by Mumford & Sons (Monday)

Check out the new mural of MCA on East Seventh Street (Tuesday)

Virginia's opens on East 11th Street (Monday)

Spotting the sorta elusive night heron in Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday)

Sidewalk bridge arrives at 515 E. 5th St., site of Ben Shaoul's illegal penthouse conversion (Tuesday)

Common Ground has closed on Avenue A (Monday)

Modern American in the works for former Back Forty space on Avenue B (Thursday)

Christo and Dora are parents! (Again!) (Wednesday)

When someone parks a motorcycle in your hallway (Wednesday)

Rumor: Vegetarian sandwich shop in the works for former Dirt Candy space (Tuesday)

The Quad Cinema has closed for renovations (Monday)

Veggie friendly Avant Garden in the works for former Gingersnap's space (Tuesday)

Fourth Street Central has closed (Monday)

A 4-building parcel on East Sixth Street has been sold (Thursday)

Report: Retail announcements likely coming this summer for the IBM Watson building

[EVG file photo]

While the office component of 51 Astor Place/the IBM Watson Building/the Death Star is now fully operational leased, the retail spaces have remained empty for nearly two years. (Well, there is the showroom for Ian Shrager's incoming hotel-condo tower at 215 Chrystie, but that's just temporary. The showroom/sales office, not 215 Chrystie.)

The Real Deal explored some of the reasons why in an article this past week.

Such as!

Listing broker Patrick Smith of SRS Real Estate Partners said that the angular building presented a “bit of a puzzle” in terms of space configuration and said that Astor Place represents an “emerging retail corridor” that is forced to fill the gap between more popular retail destinations such as Union Square and Soho.

But! According to the article, expect to see some activity in this emerging 51 Astor retail corridor soon.

Three of the five retail spaces currently have leases out and they are in active pursuit on the other two — seeking a specialty fitness and a food tenant that sells prepared meals, according to Smith. [Developer Edward] Minskoff claims that Smith’s assessment of the leasing situation is modest, and that they are in fact finalizing leases for 100 percent of the retail space, to be announced within 30 to 40 days.

Previously on EV Grieve:
3 retail spaces available at 51 Astor Place (22 comments)

You can finally shop at 51 Astor Place!

The 6th & B Garden plant and bake sale continues today

Day 2 of the garden's annual plant and bake sale continues today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ... on the southwest corner of Avenue B and East Sixth Street...

As a garden rep told us, "It's our main fundraiser for the season and allows us to put on hundreds of free events throughout the season for the community."

The Cake Shop is celebrating their 10th anniversary on Ludlow; with plans for more years ahead

[Image via the Cake Shop website]

The Cake Shop turned 10 this month... to celebrate, the cafe/live music venue at 152 Ludlow St. between Stanton and Rivington celebrates with what co-owners Nick and Andy Bodor are calling a "house show"-themed lineup of shows, featuring the return of some favorite Cake Shop bands. (Find the schedule here.)

It hasn't always been easy here, with some financial troubles, which they were able to overcome with a crowdfunding campaign in 2012.

In an anniversary feature yesterday at DNAinfo, Lisha Arino reported that the Cake Shop's most recent call for investors in January yielded one unnamed person, who "stepped in and helped Cake Shop to pay back its debts and negotiate a new lease with their landlord, which they hope to sign next month."

Meanwhile, as for the anniversary ...

“We’re just really appreciative to the people who have walked in the door in the last 10 years. Every time somebody compliments us it’s such a rewarding thing,” Nick Bodor said. “It means a lot to us.”

Minding the 'STOP No Roof Access' sign

Spotted on East 11th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue… propped against a tree … and later discarded on the sidewalk…



H/T Shawn Chittle

At the Tompkins Square Park dog run today

Via the EVG inbox...

Today around noon, this guy came into the Tompkins Square Park dog run without a dog. Rather oddly dressed for the neighborhood. He went around talking loudly to dogs and owners alike with a dubious sounding speech impediment. “HEY, WHAT KINDA DOG IS THAT?!?!?” “HEY BUDDY, WHERE’S YOUR BALL!?!?!? WHERE’S YOUR BA-A-A-ALL!?!?!?” blah blah blah.

Harmless enough for sure, until we noticed 2 men with video cameras hidden behind bushes and trees on opposite sides of the run, both shooting him and the people he was interacting with. A few regulars informed him that he wasn’t allowed in the run without a dog and when the cameras were pointed out, they quietly stopped filming and turned away.

I asked one of them why they were filming and he replied "just for some YouTube stuff."

Creepy and annoying.

Ride on

From 1990-1991, it's Ride with "Vapour Trail."

The shoegazing Brits will be at Irving Plaza Sept. 21-22 during their 2015 reunion tour. Tickets went on sale today.

Report: The Sunshine Cinema being shopped as a development site

[Image via Facebook]

The Real Deal has the scoop this morning that the theater on East Houston between Eldridge and Forsythe has quietly been put on the market. Per The Real Deal:

For more than a decade, art-house movie buffs and devotees of late-night cult flicks have lined up outside the theater’s home at 139-143 East Houston Street. The property is now being quietly marketed to developers with an asking price north of $35 million, according to sources.

And...

The cinema has a triple-net lease that runs through 2018, for which it pays an annual rent of about $200,000.

To help offset expenses, ownership sought a full liquor license in 2012. However, CB3 wasn't having it, and would only approve a license for beer and wine.

Read more about the liquor license application in 2012 at The Lo-Down.

2nd Avenue Street Fair is tomorrow

The first of 1,876 area street festivals is tomorrow … on Second Avenue, from East 14th Street down to East Sixth Street (or, from East Sixth Street up to East 14th Street).

You'll likely find the usual packages of tube socks and paper plates with funnel cakes … host the Middle Collegiate Church will also be holding several activities during the Street Fair, including:

At 12:30 pm, the Middle Church Jerriese Johnson Gospel Choir will perform. At 1:30 pm, our Village Chorus for Children and Youth will perform. There will also be "East Village Strong" and "Love.Period." T-shirts for sale to benefit East Village recovery.