About 'Merica NYC

[Photo by Vinny & O from last Thursday]

There was some confusion about what exactly 'MericaNYC is going to be at 320 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Is it an actual restaurant? Is it just a pop-up creation for the last legs of Election 2016? Is someone just trolling neighbors?

As we understand it, 'America NYC is a venture between the owner of the previous restaurant in this space, Zerza, and his neighbors a few doors away at the Tim Burton-themed Beetle House. (The Beetle House owners, Zach Neil and Brian Link, also operate Stay Classy, the bar for Will Ferrell fans on Rivington Street.)



Zerza owner Radouane Eljaouhari left a lengthy comment about 'Merica NYC, and how it came about, on the EVG post from Friday. He mentioned that Neil would come in from Beetle House for a meal, and that they engaged in wide-ranging conversations on a variety of topics.

Yes I am a restaurateur but I have great interests in other things as well and like many of you, I enjoy debates and politics.

And being an American Muslim from Morocco, I found myself on many occasions to be a link to explain a few questions about my culture and religion, and so many times and to my delight, I find great pleasure in clarifying a few false clichés.

Some readers were turned off by the 'Merica NYC menu items, such as The Kanye, "Fried breast of chicken tossed in a creamy rich Alfredo sause served over mashed potatoes, then drizzled with a balsamic glaze. This meal will make you into a famous rapper and a narcissistic asshole. Ask the public to loan you the money for it."

The menu items have since been removed from 'Merica NYC's Facebook page. At this point we don't know if they are actual menu items or just someone's idea of humor leading up to the grand opening.

In any event, back to Eljaouhari's comment:

At the end of the day, it is going to be a restaurant that will sell two main items: Food and Beverages. It is going to be a business that will provide a few job opportunities to a few students and a few kitchen staff, like us, individuals with families that have obligations to pay their bills. We are all looking forward to succeeding.

Please be patient and give it a chance before you give your verdicts and most importantly wish us luck.

The restaurant is expected to open soon.

Here are some of Neil's Instagram posts from August promoting the new establishment... (Updated 10 a.m.: The posts have been removed the account is now private...)

A little taste of what's coming! #mericanyc #merica #cominginseptember #baldeagle #chucknorris #starsandbars

A photo posted by Zach Neil (@therealzachneil) on Aug 14, 2016 at 9:19am PDT

#mericanyc #merica #caitlynjenner #cominginseptember #makingfunofamerica #celebratemerica #america #barsofnewyork #restaurantseastvillage

A photo posted by Zach Neil (@therealzachneil) on Aug 15, 2016 at 11:07am PDT

#mericanyc #cominginseptember #makefunofeverything #stephencolbert #fauxnews #clintonnewsnetwork #merica #freedom #nascar #guns #rednecks #war #celebrities

A photo posted by Zach Neil (@therealzachneil) on Aug 13, 2016 at 3:28pm PDT

#mericanyc #cominginseptember #merica #celebratemerica 🇺🇸

A photo posted by Zach Neil (@therealzachneil) on Aug 13, 2016 at 12:21pm PDT

Oh, and no one really seems to know who Hamad is from those Friday comments.

Previously on EV Grieve:
USA today: 'Merica NYC signage arrives

Zerza has closed on 6th Street; Merica NYC coming soon?

Noted

Blue picket fence alert this evening on Second Avenue at St. Mark's Place... outside the former Chase ... soon to be the Swiss Institute.

Photo by Lola Sáenz

Lines ahoy!: Trader Joe's coming to Essex Crossing on the Lower East Side

ICYMI: The announcement came this morning that Trader Joe's is coming to site 5 of the sprawling Essex Crossing complex on the Lower East Side. The TJ's is slated for a large retail space at 145 Clinton St. at Grand.

The 15-story building will include a 22,000-square-foot Planet Fitness on the second floor when construction wraps in 2018. You can head to The Lo-Down for more details on this development.

A TJ's recently opened in Kip's Bay. And maybe one will still open at 500 E. 14th St. That incoming CityTarget is only expected to take half of the retail space at 14th Street and Avenue A.

Welcoming Steiner East Village

Steiner East Village, Douglas Steiner's 82-unit condoplex rising on Avenue A at 12th Street, received welcome messages the other night.

EVG reader John shared this photo... a Cool and a SMELLS...

Report: Woman, 73, killed by M14D on East Houston

A woman died after being hit by an MTA bus as it passed Columbia Street and East Houston this morning around 9:45 a.m., according to published reports.

The victim, whose identity has not been released, was 73, according to ABC-7. None of the passengers on the M14D were apparently injured. The investigation continues.

Updated 5:30 p.m.

Streetsblog has more details on the deadly collision.

Anna Colon, 73, was crossing East Houston Street north to south at around 9:50 a.m. when the driver, who was also southbound, hit her while turning left from Avenue D onto East Houston, according to NYPD.

And...

East Houston at Avenue D is a wide two-way street with concrete medians in the crosswalks. Drivers injured 15 people walking at the intersection between 2009 and 2015, and had injured one other person there this year as of August, according to city crash data.

Residents told the Daily News that this intersection is dangerous.

“I feel afraid every time I cross that corner. I hold my breath and keep an eye out for a bus," said Rosalind Collazo, 49. “The buses go fast and don't stop. It's not the buses, the cars go fast too. They do U-turns when they are not supposed to.”

Colon had nine children, according to the Daily News.

The luxurious reveal of the future 253 E. 7th St.

[What's left of No. 253 as of Sept. 10]

As we first reported last month, the city signed off on permits for a new 6-story residential building at 253 E. Seventh St. between Avenue C and Avenue D.

Yesterday, New York Yimby got a look at the rendering via Issac & Stern Architects... incoming!



Per NYY:

The structure will span 10,466 square feet with six units averaging a spacious 1,498 square feet apiece. That is a strong indicator that this building will hold condos, and most units will have their own floors, including a penthouse on the sixth floor with its own private upper level.

Public records show that the property owner is an LLC going by DRK East 7th Street, who paid $5.7 million for the plot in a filing posted on Aug. 22.

This is the second new condo project to break ground on this block in the past few years ... joining Seven East Village, aka, 277 E. Seventh St. The Flowerbox condo building at No. 259 arrived in 2007.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Options for this lovely East 7th Street townhouse include demolition

New building in the works for 253 E. 7th St.

The disappearing 253 E. 7th St.

253 E. 7th St. is now a pile of bricks

Property at 253 E. 7th St. now for sale; perfect for a 'dream custom mansion townhouse'

New plans for a 6-story building at 253 E. 7th St.

New 6-story residential building OK'd for 7th Street


[Image from 2014 via Massey Knakal]

'Indie music hall and restaurant' in the works for Colonnade Row

The other day, the Times checked in with a roundup of fall bar openings.

Here's one intriguing new venue: The owners of Elvis Guesthouse on Avenue A and Baby's All Right in Williamsburg are reportedly opening "an indie music hall and restaurant" at 428 Lafayette St. (See photo above with helpful arrow.)

The preview didn't mention that this will be in Colonnade Row, the landmarked series of Greek revival buildings near Astor Place. No. 428 is next door to Indochine.

The unnamed, two-level venue will be similar to Baby's All Right, with a bar and restaurant. Said Co-owner Billy Jones: "If you have a space and the rent is so high, you have to come up with creative ways to activate it for longer periods of time." Said co-owner Zachary Mexico: "Pay your rent with brunch."

There wasn't any mention of a possible opening date.

If it's October, then it also must be Hitchcocktober

[Photo from last week]

This Halloween season, Village East Cinema on Second Avenue at East 12th Street is once again presenting Alfred Hitchcock films (Hitchcocktober!) on Thursday evenings.

The series begins this week with "The Birds" ...



And upcoming:

Oct. 13 — "Suspicion"

Oct. 20 — "Dial M for Murder" in 3D

Oct. 27 — "The Trouble With Harry"

Oct. 31 (Halloween night!) — "Psycho"

You may buy advance tickets here. The movies start at 8 p.m.

Reader report: The trash at PS 15

An East Fourth Street resident shares this via the EVG inbox...

This is the chronic garbage situation on East Fourth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D outside PS 15.

The top photo is the garbage that was put out on Friday afternoon and sat there all weekend until it was picked up yesterday. This is the norm. The bottom 2 photos are what was left AFTER the garbage pickup — a smaller, but still disgusting mess.





As you can see, the school puts out a slew of garbage bags and has created a dump site on the block. Apparently, they are held to a different standard and have a different garbage pickup schedule than residents on the block. This situation has created a major rat problem on the block and in the nearby community gardens. Rats can be seen swarming this mess at night and in the early morning. No amount of calls to 311 is bringing any improvement.

Report: Avenue B's Babu Ji settles wage lawsuit

The owners of Babu Ji, the popular Indian restaurant on Avenue B at 11th Street, have reportedly settled a wage lawsuit from employees for $95,000.

Eater has the story late this afternoon:

Notorious restaurant labor attorney Maimon Kirschenbaum sued Jessi and Jennifer Singh on behalf of two employees for pocketing tips and not paying overtime. Last week, the Singhs agreed to pay employees Warren Bayani and Mehmood Qureshi a total of $95,000, split almost evenly between the two of them and Kirschenbaum. The owners did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement, according to public court records.

Read the full story at Eater.

Babu Ji opened in June 2015. The owners are planning to open a location in San Francisco.

Carrying the puppy vote in the Tompkins Square Park dog run

Pups for Hillary photos this morning by Derek Berg...

Village Style has left the East Village

Back in August, we reported that the Village Style Vintage Shop at 111 E. Seventh St. was moving to Bushwick this fall ... leaving behind its storefront here between Avenue A and First Avenue...

Workers cleared out the space late last week...



The space has been on the market ... with an asking rent of $9,750 per month.

The shop, part of the L Train Vintage family, also operates No Relation Vintage clothing on First Avenue between 12th Street and 13th Street.

Ownership did not offer a reason for the move.

Thanks to Steven for the photos; H/T EVG reader Marty E.