Report: Raphael Toledano sells 2 more of his East Village properties

[File photo of 58 St. Mark's Place]

Raphael Toledano's Brookhill Properties is in contract to sell two of his East Village buildings, according to The Real Deal.

Renaissance Realty Group, a Midwood-based investment firm led by Adir Cohen, is buying a pair of East Village properties at 221 East 10th Street and 58 St. Mark’s Place for $22.5 million. The sales would represent a sizable increase in value – from $2.95 million and $3.8 million in November 2015 to $10 million and $12.5 million respectively, according to sources and property records.

The controversial Toledano, who has been accused of allegedly harassing his tenants and other predatory practices, is reportedly selling other East Village properties. (The Real Deal noted this back in July.) This past Thursday, we noted that he also put 97 Second Ave on the sales block.

Hakata Hot Pot and Sushi Lounge, housed in the retail spaces at 58 St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue, closed at the end of February. In a message on Facebook, the owners said that they had lost their lease. (Hakata Hot Pot combined with sister restaurant Zen 6 the next block to the west at 31 St. Mark's Place.)

Both 58 St. Mark's Place and 221 E. 10th St., which is between First Avenue and Second Avenue, were among Toledano's properties reportedly tested for toxic levels of lead.

The Real Deal reports that Toledano likely isn't through dealing.

Toledano is looking to sell more of his East Village-centric holdings, including a portion of a separate 17-building, $97 million portfolio he bought from the Tabaks in September 2015. Market observers noted at the time that the price was an incredible bargain, though Toledano is also said to be over-leveraged.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Claim: Landlord of 444 E. 13th St. threatened 'to drop dynamite on the building'

Report: State investigating East Village landlord Raphael Toledano

Health Department to inspect Raphael Toledano's East Village properties for toxic levels of lead dust

10Below Ice Cream now open on St. Mark's Place

The shop, billed as the first establishment serving Thai-inspired ice cream rolls in NYC, has debuted at a new retail space at 42 1/2 St. Mark's Place just east of Second Avenue.

A photo posted by 10Below Ice Cream (@10belowicecream) on Aug 14, 2016 at 6:39pm PDT

The quickly expanding 10Below Ice Cream has locations in Chinatown, the LES (Allen Street as of July) and Flushing. They are branching out to Los Angeles too.

The St. Mark's location is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, until 11:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday.

This is the latest rolled ice cream shops to open right around here. Roll It Up opened on Aug. 26 at 65 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue ... while Lab -321 opened at 27 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue on June 3.

Team behind Avenue B's Pardon My French eyeing 2 spaces on 4th Street

Mario Carta and Guilherme Barreto, the proprietors of Pardon My French at 103 Avenue B near Seventh Street, have designs on new ventures in two currently vacant restaurant spaces on Fourth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B, according to documents on file for this month's CB3 SLA committee meeting on Monday.

Before Pardon My French debuted in March 2015, Carta ran the bistro Casimir in the space for 16 years. Barreto came on as the chef for the new venture.

235 E. Fourth St.



The applicants are proposing a restaurant serving French tapas called Nobody Is Perfect for No. 235.

The public questionnaire (PDF!) at the CB3 website shows proposed hours of 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. Monday-Friday, with opening hours at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

The paperwork shows 30 tables with seats for 70 diners... and two small bars seating 12 people in total.

The previous restaurant, B4, closed in June after nearly three years in business.

No. 235 has been a challenging spot in recent years for restaurants — Piccola Positano, Tonda and E.U. have all come and gone.

212 E. Fourth St.



A French-Mediterranean restaurant called Bazar is being proposed for No. 212.

The public questionnaire (PDF!) at the CB3 website shows proposed hours of 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. Monday-Friday, with opening hours at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

There are 18 tables for 36 diners here ... along with a six-seat bar.

The applicants are hoping for an upgrade from beer-wine to a full liquor license, per the documents.

After 13 years of serving Italian fare, In Vino closed here back in May.

This month's SLA committee meeting is Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the Thelma Burdick Community Room, 10 Stanton St. at the Bowery.

A few details about the Wagamama coming to 3rd Avenue

[EVG file photo]

As previously reported, Wagamama, the London-based chain of Japanese restaurants, is coming to 55 Third Ave.

The applicants opening this location are on CB3's SLA committee docket this month for a beer-wine license. (This item, however, will NOT be heard during Monday's meeting.)

The questionnaire (PDF!) on file at the CB3 website offers a few details about the space.

For starters, the hours will be 11 a.m. to midnight daily. In addition, it looks to be a decent-size food space with 23 tables seating 93 patrons plus "12 stools by food counter." There is also a bar with 19 stools, per the questionnaire. (This Wagamama will also employ 40 people, the documents show.)

This will be the second Wagamama location in Manhattan. The first is opening on Fifth Avenue in a 3-story space overlooking Madison Square Park.

The Japanese-inspired, London-based chain of pan-Asian casual eateries (as the Post put it) has 140 locations around the world.

The current tenant, M2M, the Asian grocery that opened in 2002 here at the corner of 11th Street, is expected to relocate in the neighborhood when the lease is up early next year. No word when Wagamama might open then.

LinkNYC adds decorative touch to make kiosks more visually pleasing

Might need some more work?

Photo on Second Avenue today by Derek Berg

Two for Tuesday

This early evening's double rainbow brought to you in photo form via EVG regular Salim.

...and another view courtesy of JGH...

Thirstea Café tea shop has closed on 10th Street

After seven years in business here on East 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, Thirstea Café has closed its doors for good.

Winn O’Donnell, who ran the small shop with his business partner Helen He, confirmed the news via email on Sunday.

O’Donnell didn't site a specific reason for the closure... "just the usual stuff," he said. (Higher rents. The increasing cost of running a small business in NYC. Etc.)

People we know who liked the shop and the variety of teas appreciated O'Donnell's hands-on approach to his business, working there full time (not an absentee owner, in other words). Patrons also appreciated that they kept the prices the same for most of the life of Thirstea.


[Photo of O'Donnell from April by Stacie Joy]

In an interview with us back in April, O'Donnell discussed what prompted him to open a cafe here in July 2009:

We have always loved the East Village. We were happy to find a storefront here. We wanted to open up a cafe as tea lovers and wanted to share our sense of taste and style. We have always loved how the East Village has a lot of mom-and-pop shops. We love the vibe of all the specialty stores and wanted to create one of our own.

There will be milling starting tonight

You may have seen the recent arrival of these flyers from the city... noting milling taking place on a handful of Manhattan streets, including a good number in the East Village.

According to city documents (the Milling and Resurfacing Schedule for Sept. 4-10), work will commence tonight on Third Street between the Bowery and Avenue D, and Fourth Street between Second Avenue and Avenue D. Several other streets, including Seventh between Cooper Square and Avenue D, are on the schedule for Wednesday and Thursday.



The signs note that the work will take place between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. So thankfully you won't even notice most of the work because you will be sound asleep!

Meanwhile, in Great Moments in Project Overlaps, Dave on 7th notes that Con Ed has been replacing gas mains on Seventh Street between Avenue B and Avenue C...



Per Dave: "Apparently the city is going to repave the street before Con Ed is done digging it up."

Something featuring nails coming to 248 E. 14th St.

Renovations continue at the former C & B Convenience Store at 248 E. 14th St., which shut down in June.

Work permits show that a "nail store" is on the way here between between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...



Hopefully the store will carry a decent variety of by-the-pound nails, including spiral shank, roofing and masonry.

OK, more than likely this space will be a nail salon.

Meanwhile next door, as previously reported, a quick-serve restaurant called Poke Kitchen is in the works.

Openings: 100% Healthy Blend; plus Ess-A-Bagel and more

100% Healthy Blend (or maybe just Healthy Blend) opened on Saturday in the former Dahlia's space at Second Avenue and Fifth Street.

The quick-serve restaurant features create-your-own salads ... as well as juices, smoothies, empanadas, arepas and more...As we understand it, the owners of Dahlia's are also behind this no-booze venture.

The SLA temporarily suspended Dahlia's liquor license after serving a reported 50 minors one night in January. The Mexican restaurant then closed in May.

-----

There have been several food openings of late ... including (to recap) Ess-A-Bagel ... Guac NYC and Agios Greek Rotisserie ... In addition, Raclette is now open in its larger space on East 12th Street, the former home of Northern Spy.

Paris Baguette opening a location in Stuy Town

Signage is up in the shoppes of Stuy Town near 16th Street for an outpost of Paris Baguette.

The quickly expanding South Korea-based company has more than 3,000 corporate and franchised stores across multiple countries in Asia as well as in Europe. There are seven cafe locations currently in Manhattan.



No word on an opening date here for their cakes, pastries, sandwiches and coffee.

Summer 2016

[Photo in Tompkins Square Park from July by Derek Berg]

Just a few of the stories that we followed these past few months...

• The Yaffa Cafe mural was painted over

• People watched the President drive by

• Tompkins Square Park had a Prince-inspired piano


[Photo from June by Steven]

• Kanye West thought about playing a show at Webster Hall

• Other Music closed


[A tribute for Muhammad Ali on Avenue B]

• The Sock Man announced his return to St. Mark's Place

• ABC No Rio closed for now


[At ABC No Rio's last HardCore/Punk Matinee. Pic by Walter Wlodarczyk]

• The Kati Roll Company announced plans to open in the Stage space on Second Avenue

• The black crowned night heron continued to come out at... night in Tompkins Square Park

And we spent time watching Christo and Dora's new kids learning to hunt and fly in Tompkins Square Park...

[Photo from July by Bobby Williams]

• There were neighborhood alerts for the Third Street Rose Snipper ... and a flowerpot thief on St. Mark's Place.

• There were some storms...


[Photo from July 14 by Mike Brown]

• Shaun Martin was found guilty of murder in 2013 crash at East Village Farm and Grocery

• Small-format Target announced plan for 14th Street and Avenue A

• The new Astor Place got tables, chairs and umbrellas

• Permits were filed to demolish five buildings on 11th Street to make way for new hotel

• NYPD reportedly took action against heroin users in Tompkins Square Park

• The 111-year-old New York Central Art Supply closed

So long to the long, hot summer...