Noted

File under #BuckWild along Avenue A...

Updated 6:31 p.m.

Oh, OK... also on Avenue A...

The morning bread dump in Tompkins Square Park

People continue to leave/dump bread for the pigeons (and rats and whatever other critters) on a daily basis in Tompkins Square Park. The Do Not Feed the Pigeons signs haven't been effective.

Anyway, the bread bounty this morning was the most that we've seen in a really long time...

The 1st Avenue Ricky's is now empty

A "store closed" sign arrived on the door at Ricky's at 112 First Ave. last Wednesday. And now workers have emptied out the storefront here between East Seventh Street and East Sixth Street...



The location has also been scrubbed from the Ricky's website.



There hasn't been any acknowledgment of the closure on the Ricky's website or social media properties. We reached out to the corporate office. We'll update if/when they respond.

The location opened here in October 2011.

The accessories, cosmetics and novelties store, founded in 1989, has nearly 30 locations around NYC (and now in Miami), including one on Third Avenue between East 13th Street and East 14th Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Former Miracle Grill garden not-so-suddenly looks like a condo

Former Miracle Grill space on the market

One restaurant, two buildings

Miracle (Grills): A Ricky's and not an eatery opening on First Avenue

The Ricky's on 1st Avenue has apparently closed

Confessional closes on East 6th Street ahead of a relocation

Confessional, featuring a Latin-Influenced tapas menu, has closed at 308 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

An announcement on the Confessional Facebook page notes that they will be moving to an undisclosed "fabulous new location"...

Posted by Confessional on Thursday, March 17, 2016

The bar-restaurant opened in June 2014. The cocktail menu includes drinks with biblical references, such as the Last Supper (vodka, elderflower liqueur, homemade strawberry puree). And a centerpiece of the space, per Zagat: "A 60-foot art wall lets visitors jot down their thoughts and — yes — secret confessions."

Thank you to Vinny & O for the photo and tip!

Top Nails is moving next door on Avenue A

Renovations continue inside the former Sustainable NYC storefront. Several tipsters have told us that Top A Nails will be moving here from their current space next door. The husband-wife owners confirmed the move, likely happening in another month.

Meanwhile, there is a small for lease sign now on the salon's front window here between St. Mark's Place and East Ninth Street...



Per the listing, the asking rent is $6,800.

Sustainable NYC, the eco-minded general store and café, closed for good last summer after seven years in business.

Space at 249 E. Houston is for rent, and an update on the proposed 13-floor building on the block

An office and store for rent sign arrived late last week at 249 E. Houston St. between Norfolk and Suffolk.

The listing hasn't appeared online just yet at EVO Real Estate Group. (We'll update when that arrives.) There is, however, an approved work permit to renovate the basement retail space and doctor's office on the first floor.

Interesting timing on this given the recent zoning developments involving the neighboring property at 255 E. Houston St.



No. 255 previously housed the day-care center Action For Progress. They were displaced in the spring of 2010 when construction next door at 179 Suffolk St. destabilized the building.

Last summer, the property's new owner, the controversial Samy Mahfar, filed plans for a 10-story residential complex with 53 residences and 4,600 square feet for community facilities.

However, as BoweryBoogie first reported in late February, Mahfar is seeking a commercial overlay for the parcel, with 7,240 square-feet for commercial use — "most likely Use Group 6 retail and/or an eating and drinking establishment" ... while the project grew to a 13-story building with 63 units. (Under the city's voluntary inclusionary housing program, 20 percent of the residential units would be affordable.)

Take a look...



The Lo-Down laid out what the zoning change would mean here:

A zoning text amendment enacted in 2008 prohibits commercial uses in this area. Mahfar is asking the city to map a C2-5 commercial overlay in the current R8A district to allow retail and restaurant/nightlife uses on the ground floor.

The change, if enacted, would not only impact Mahfar’s development parcel but 20 lots stretching two-and-a-half blocks along East Houston St.

On March 9, Mahfar's reps appeared before CB3's Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee. It did not go well for Mahfar. The committee unanimously (19-0) denied the application, and the meeting turned into "basically a public crucifixion of Samy Mahfar and his predatory actions." Head to BoweryBoogie here for the meeting highlights. (Bedford + Bowery covered the meeting here.)

And here is the official CB3 advisory opinion from the meeting notes:

TITLE: To disapprove the application, C160137 ZMM ULURP Zoning Map Amendment, to map a C2-5 commercial overlay to a depth of 100' along two and one-half blocks on the south side of East Houston Street between the east side of Norfolk Street and the centerline of the block between Clinton Street and Attorney Street to facilitate the construction of a 13-story mixed use building on 255 Houston Street.

Whereas, the applicant Samy Mahfar has a well-documented history of illegal construction and construction harassment at sites including but not limited to 210 Rivington Street, 22 Spring Street, and 102 Norfolk Street; and

Whereas, the development site, was previously a community facility, an affordable city- subsidized day care center serving 350 children that had operated for over 40 years; and

Whereas, the day care center had over fifteen years remaining on its lease; and Whereas, the day care was forced to be vacated due to the open violations and the applicant's failure to address them; and

Whereas, there are still open violations on the site; and

Whereas, the community intended that this site remain a community facility during the 2008 East Village rezoning and is currently facing the loss of many community facilities throughout CB3; so

Therefore be it resolved, CB3 disapproves the C160137 ZMM ULURP Zoning Map Amendment, to map a C2-5 commercial overlay to a depth of 100' along two and one-half blocks on the south side of East Houston Street between the east side of Norfolk Street and the centerline of the block between Clinton Street and Attorney Street to facilitate the construction of a 13-story mixed use building on 255 Houston Street.

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer will next review Mahfar's proposal.

You can read the 120-page PDF posted on the CB3 website for more on the proposed change. The document notes the commercial rezoning would allow for two other potential "development sites" nearby, including 249 E. Houston St. The new for rent sign shows that the landlord is seeking tenants that are allowed within the current zoning.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Next for 255 E. Houston St.: Community facility/school/medical building?

10-story building now in the works for 255 E. Houston St.

Week in Grieview

[Curbside check-in on Avenue A via Derek Berg]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Police looking for four suspects in random East 11th Street attack (Tuesday ... Saturday)

Former tattoo shop will now house the Cupcake Market on East Seventh Street (Monday)

14th and C still waiting for its Karl Fischer-designed retail-residential complex (Wednesday)

A souvenir Russian Souvenirs sign heads to Queens (Monday)

New owners of building that housed Lucky Cheng's looking to attract restaurant group (Thursday)

Trash & Vaudeville now open on East Seventh Street (Saturday)

197 E. 3rd St. is for sale (Tuesday)

For rent sign arrives at the Stage (Wednesday)

The Ricky's on First Avenue has closed (Thursday)

Out and About with Shari Albert (Wednesday)

Ess-A-Bagel will be opening one of these days (Monday)

About Lucky, a new bar opening on Avenue B (Friday)

Selling off the former Nevada Smiths (Monday)

Here's 21E12, the condoplex coming to the former Bowlmor Lanes space (Friday)

East Village to be home to a Tim Burton-themed bar (Thursday)

Vape shop casualty as East Second Street storefront arrives on rental market (Wednesday)

Puck Fair closing on March 27 (Tuesday)

Teavana closes ahead of conversion into a Starbucks on Broadway (Friday)

Full liquor license arrives for Nicoletta (Monday)

(Unauthorized) support for Donald Trump at the Starbucks on First Avenue (Thursday)

Someone tagged the Keith Haring sculpture outside 51 Astor Place (Wednesday)

Bagel belly signage arrives (Monday)

Behold the newish Wild Cherry Slurpee® donut at the 7-Eleven on Avenue A (Thursday)

Airbnb films commercial on Avenue A; announces new website for complaints (Monday)

... and a moment with EV resident Phoebe Legere, enjoying a bowl of borscht at B&H Dairy...


[Photo by Andy Reynolds]

Free large, unwieldy thing on East Sixth Street

On East Sixth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... dunno if this refrigeration unit still works. But it's free!



Photos by Derek Berg

Finally, someone who will gladly accept your unwanted electronics

Sorry for zero notice on this... a reader just shared that this was going on today via the Lower East Side Ecology Center...

March 20, 10 am - 4 pm, Tompkins Square Park Avenue A between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street

Bring your unwanted electronics to our e-waste collection event.

We will accept working and non-working:

• Computers, monitors, printers, scanners, keyboards, mice, cables,
• TVs (all sizes),
• VCR & DVD players,
• Phones, audio/visual equipment,
• Video games
• Cell phones

Reader report: Housing for Francis

From the EVG inbox...

"Did you know Francis, the homeless guy living on 12th Street near Avenue A under the scaffolding by the school? I just saw this note he left with good news."

A new era for Trash & Vaudeville begins today

Trash and Vaudeville opened this morning at 11:30 in their new home at 96 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue... EVG correspondent Steven shared these photos...



...where longtime manager Jimmy Webb will be spotted on his smoking breaks...



You can find a few interior shots of the new space on the store's Instagram account.

Rising rents and a change in the business environment on St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue were among the reasons for the move ... from 4 St. Mark's Place to East Seventh Street.

Reward posted for assault last week on East 11th Street

Just noting the posters that went up a few days ago along Fourth Avenue and East 11th Street... there's (up to) a $2,500 reward for information about an early morning assault on March 11 near 119 E. 11th St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue.

Police are looking for four suspects who are accused of assaulting two men. According to reports, one of the victims, 23, sustained a broken orbital bone, broken jaw and a cut to the face that required stitches.

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.

Previously.