Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Gut renovations underway at interesting new business opening on East 14th Street


[440 E. 14th St., at last look]

At last look, workers had stripped away the facade at 440 E. 14th St. near Avenue A, where a Domino's Pizza is being delivered…

Yesterday, an EVG reader noted that the interior demolition is underway…



The space was previously home to the 99-Cent Discount Center.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Interesting new business opening on East 14th Street

Work continues at interesting new business coming to East 14th Street

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

[Updated] A group exhibition at 190 Bowery opens Saturday


[That same photo of 190 Bowery that we always post]

If you ever wanted to see the inside of 190 Bowery, then here's your chance.

Developer (and art collector!) Aby Rosen, who purchased the landmarked Germania Bank Building at Spring Street from photographer Jay Maisel for $55 million, is putting on an art show that opens Saturday night here along with Vito Schnabel.

Per the invite:

Vito Schnabel is pleased to announce the opening of First Show / Last Show, a group exhibition at 190 Bowery on May 16, 2015. Featured artists include Joe Bradley, Dan Colen, Jeff Elrod, Ron Gorchov, Mark Grotjahn, Harmony Korine, and Julian Schnabel.

“The artists included in First Show / Last Show are seven of my favorite painters. I have had the privilege of living with some of their works and have long wanted to show them together. There are very few artists whose work immediately conveys its significance, like each of these seven. They represent three generations of great American contemporary art, ranging in age from 35 to 85.

I grew up in New York City, walking by the former Germania Bank countless times. I always wanted to go inside, thinking it might be a perfect place for an exhibition. This is the first time this 1899 landmark building will be open to the public since the bank closed in 1966 and it became a private residence.



The show runs through May 31. (We updated the post because we had it completely wrong!)

As previously reported, some sort of still-unnamed creative agency has leased floors 2-6. The groundfloor retail remains on the market.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission — or a group pretending to be them — recently praised the owner's decision to keep the exterior graffiti, according to Curbed.

Updated 5-17

The opening was cancelled … it's now invite-only…

H/T The Lo-Down!

Key Food is out of flowers



Raymond and company apparently did a brisk business selling flowers Sunday in honor of Bono's birthday Mother's Day...

So if you want flowers, then maybe you can come back here on Avenue A and East Fourth Street tonight at 11...



Photos by Stacie Joy

[Updated] Police hunt for suspect in Union Square hammer attacks



The NYPD has released a sketch of a suspect accused of two hammer attacks in and around Union Square last evening between 7:36 and 7:46.

According to NBC 4 New York, one of the victims was sitting on a bench in Union Square "when she saw the suspect looking at her, police said. When she looked back, he took out a silver hammer and struck her."

The second victim on West 17th Street didn't see the hammer but felt the impact, per NBC 4.

The women, ages 28 and 33, were taken to Lenox Hill HealthPlex with minor injuries, and have been treated and released. The man is also suspected of a third attack on a 20-year-old man earlier in the day on Sixth Avenue and 35th Street.

The NYPD released the above sketch, describing the suspect as having a medium build and wearing a black waist length jacket with a black backpack, dark-colored baseball hat, dark jeans, and black sneakers.

Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online.

Updated 1:04 p.m.

The Wall Street Journal has more details about the attacks:

A 28-year-old East Village woman leaving Union Square Park was struck by a man who she said had been sitting across from her on a bench in Union Square moments earlier, a law-enforcement official said.

She told police that the suspect had been smoking Newport cigarettes, the official said. The woman said that as she left the park, she was hit on the head from behind by the man with a hammer.

Updated 5/13

The NYPD has released a photo of the suspect...



Updated 11:17 a.m.

According to DNAinfo, the police shot the suspect as he tried to attack an officer with a hammer near Port Authority this morning. No word just yet on the condition of the victim.

Rumor: Moonstruck Diner opening location on Avenue A



Ethos Meze East Village closed for renovations at 167 Avenue A back in late March... and there hasn't been much activity in the space here between East 10th Street and East 11th Street ... except for someone removing the Ethos Meze sign.

The restaurant is owned by the same folks who run the Moonstruck Diner chainlet in the city. Now comes word via the rumor mill that the owners will convert the space into another Moonstruck, similar to the one on Second Avenue and East Fifth Street.

The space remains on the market, however.

1st activity at 500 E. 14th St. since the demolition phase, and when the standing water froze



There's finally some activity to note at the southeast corner of 14th Street and Avenue A, home one day to a 7-floor retail-residential building from Extell Development.

Last week, workers erected some fencing and plywood …





Workers have put a temporary sidewalk in place on East 14th Street for pedestrian use once the construction begins...



Perhaps this is a sign that approved permits are on the way? The city has yet to OK the new building (the DOB disapproved the last round of plans back in November, according to city records). Meanwhile, the only thing happening here in previous months is the standing water on the lot freezing and thawing.

As a reminder of what the new development will look like… here's the conceptual rendering… 500 E. 14th St. will have 106 residential units.



And further to the east, 524 E. 14th St. will house 44 residential units…



The demolition of the one-level row of buildings along East 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B wrapped up last August.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The disappearing storefronts of East 14th Street

[Updated with correction] 8-lot parcel of East 14th Street primed for new development

New 7-floor buildings for East 14th Street include 150 residential units

[Updated] Will proposed taxi stand on Avenue A bring relief to Punjabi Grocery & Deli?


[East Houston]

As previously reported, the ongoing East Houston Reconstruction Project is having a major impact on Punjabi Grocery & Deli's business.

Through the years, cab drivers made up a sizable portion of Punjabi's business. The reconstruction, however, has prevented drivers from being able to stop by for an inexpensive vegetarian meal here at 114 E. First St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. (Owner Jashon Singh told BoweryBoogie a few weeks ago that his sales are down some 60 percent in the past five years during the roadwork.)

Some relief might be on the way.

Tonight, CB3's Transportation & Public Safety/Environment Committee will hear a proposal for a taxi relief stand on the west side of Avenue A between East Second Street and East Houston. The proposal calls for four parking spaces for cabs.


[Avenue A]

Last summer, Punjabi started an online petition asking the city to approve a taxi relief stand — seven parking spaces on East Houston and two additional spots on the bend of East First Street. (There's currently a No Standing sign on East Houston, where there used to be metered parking.)

According to BoweryBoogie, "the DOT has been unwilling to talk to, or meet with Singh, according to their lawyer/advocate Ali Najmi."

EVG reader Jim Duffy, a Punjabi fan, has been in contact with the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. A rep there told him via email that the Department of Transportation "sent a team out to do a field study and determine a good location for this relief stand." The DOT proposed the west side of Avenue A, which they say is about 150 feet from Punjabi.

The meeting tonight starts at 6:30 (there are several other items ahead of this on the agenda). The meeting is at the University Settlement, Houston Street Center at 273 Bowery.

Also, “#SAVEPUNJABIDELI,” a short directed by filmmaker Adeel Ahmed, debuted online yesterday at the the Tribeca Film Festival site. Per the film notes, the short "gives a glimpse into the unique hospitality that has made Punjabi Deli a cheap and delicious food staple in the neighborhood for over two decades and why it’s not just a cabbie stand, but an appreciated NYC icon worth saving."



Updated

The CB3 committee voted to support the cab stand. But! Per The Lo-Down:

The city says a decision on an exact location must wait until the end of the summer, when a long-delayed construction project on East Houston Street is expected to be completed. In the meantime, the city’s Department of Transportation has agreed to set up a temporary taxi stand on the west side of Avenue A, just above East Houston.

BoweryBoogie and Gothamist have coverage from the meeting too.

Previously on EV Grieve:
How you can help Punjabi Grocery & Deli stay in business

Never-ending construction continues to hurt Punjabi Grocery & Deli

Enz's Boutique returns to 2nd Avenue


[Photo yesterday via Jimmy Carbone]

Enz's at 125 Second Ave. has reopened … The rockabilly boutique between St. Mark's Place and East Seventh Street was badly damaged in the deadly gas explosion on March 26 that destroyed the adjacent buildings at 119-123 Second Ave.

While rebuilding her storefront, owner Mariann Marlowe was able to do business from several different pop-up locations in the neighborhood.

When she was able to get back into the storefront earlier last month, "she found extensive water damage … The basement was flooded, the floors buckled and black mold had begun growing on the walls," according to DNAinfo. "It's a raw space right now. It's down to the beams," Marlowe said in a story published on April 21.

Here's a photo of the new-look shop via Enz's Facebook page from yesterday…



Previously on EV Grieve:
A visit to Enz's Boutique

Monday, May 11, 2015

Out with Lunasa and in with The Grafton on 1st Avenue



The bar-restaurant at 126 First Ave. between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place will close as Lunasa after service tonight. But the place will remain the same, except for the name.

The owners offer this explanation on Facebook:

We have some really sad news, today is the last day of Lunasa. After almost 12 years in the East Village, Lunasa will cease to exist from closing time tonight forth. We want to take this opportunity to thank all of our loyal customers, our not so loyal customers and even the irregulars that have graced our door over this time. You all mean so much to us and you are the reason we have managed to stay open for more than a decade. We feel so blessed to have met you all and we will cherish the memories (well some of them anyway).

The truth is very few of you could pronounce the bloody name so you lot are partially responsible for its demise, we never thought for a second all that time ago that 6 letters would be so difficult to say properly, it's only 3 syllables for feck sake! Now we know why so many immigrants changed their names after arriving in this beautiful new world.

Well now is the time for us to do the same (this is not all bad news), while the name Lunasa is getting buried, a new name has been carefully chosen with pronunciation as the primary element in the rebranding process. It is a 7 letter word but the key is it only has two syllables, so we are mildly confident that we won't hear similar abominations we heard with our beloved Lunasa.

Ladies and gentlemen we'd like to introduce you to The Grafton. Named after one of Dublin's most famous streets, The Grafton will be very much like Lunasa, except you just won't have to repeat yourself four times to your friends when your telling them where you are.

Tonight is Lunasa's last night and we'd love to see you, swing on by to say so long and tomorrow is the first day of a new era as The Grafton, so swing on by to say hello.

The V-Spot coming soon to St. Mark's Place



Here are more details about the new restaurant opening at 12 St. Mark's Place.

The V-Spot, with a location in Park Slope, offers Latin vegan cuisine. Here's a description via their website:

For people who eat vegan or kosher, or both, it's not always easy to enjoy tasty Latin dishes, but a one-of-it's-kind restaurant in Park Slope is changing that. The V Spot is a vegan restaurant specializing in Latin cuisine that is Kosher certified under IKC Kosher. We serve delicious meatless and dairy-free dishes that use traditional Latin seasonings, like adobo & sazon made from scratch. Instead of meat, we use our homemade seitan, which is wheat-based, full of protein but doesn't contain any carbohydrates. Our menu is full of flavor, cholesterol-free & no animals were harmed in the making of your dish.

We also offer gluten-free options such as Kale Tostadas or our Quinoa Curried Kale. If you have a sweet tooth you can try one of our soy milkshakes, fresh vegetable juice, fruit smoothies & vegan desserts. ​Our empanadas are famous through out New York City & also available via FreshDirect's online delivery system. Our current flavors are Colombian style, Black Bean, Jamaican Jerk, Philly Cheese Style & Breakfast Scramble.

The V-Spot menu is here.

No word on an opening date, though they are hiring now... the signs arrived yesterday...



The address here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue was previously home to Hanjoo, which closed in February after nearly three years. No. 12 has also been home to a number of bars-restaurants in recent years, including Hirai Mong, Gama, San Marcos, Siren and @Cafe.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Organic omnivore, vegetarian or vegan restaurant wanted at 12 St. Mark's Place

The St. George Ukrainian Festival is this weekend



It's the 39th year for the festival, held on East Seventh Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square.

Here are a few highlights for 2015 (via the EVG inbox):

• A portion of the festivals profit will be donated to the victims of the deadly gas explosion on March 26

• Street vendors from the community will be selling a range of Ukrainian food and merchandize to support the local church and community

• More than 100 performances from professional Ukrainian dance ensembles, singers and musicians.

Look for an interview here with Andrew Stasiw, chairman of St. George Ukrainian Festival, later this week.

Turntable Retro Bar & Restaurant ready to play on 4th and B


[EVG photo from March 12]

On Saturday, EVG regular Salim noted that workers removed the plentiful plywood surrounding the under-renovation storefront at the northwest corner of Avenue B and Fourth Street … to reveal the new tenant at 58 Avenue B …



It's another Manhattan location of Turntable Retro Bar & Restaurant, a sibling of the Flushing-based Mad For Chicken operation.

Here's a little on the Koreatown location of Turntable via New York magazine:

Presentation is key: Tables come with little metal buckets for chicken bones, mojitos and margaritas are garnished with appetizing fresh fruit, the traditional Korean soju (which you can get in a variety of fruity flavors) comes in a special ice-filled bowl, and is bedecked with flowers and umbrella-speared garnishes. But, best of all is the beer dispenser for Killians – it bubbles and gurgles with different colors and allegedly keeps your beer from getting warm and flat.

And?

In short, this place is perfect for drunk people looking to lounge and eat Korean fried chicken.

Well, they do have pitchers of Jager bombs on the menu. (In case you were wondering, this item was on the November 2014 CB3/SLA docket, but it was not heard during the committee meeting for whatever reasons.)

The New Yorker recently had nice things to say about Turntable's fried chicken here.

The previous tenant at this address, Vella Market, lasted just six months here, closing in October 2013.

The 16-year-old vegetarian restaurant Kate's Joint closed here in April 2012.