About Southern Cross Coffee, opening on East 5th Street

Back in July, a tipster told us that a coffee shop was taking the middle of the three new storefronts at the Shops of East Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

This sign arrived earlier this month for Southern Cross Coffee...



We were waiting to learn a little more about the operation. Here are details via the Southern Cross Coffee Facebook page:

The name Southern Cross Coffee is in honor of the Southern Cross constellation, which is visible primarily in the southern hemisphere and sometimes as far up as 20 degrees north latitude. Our founders were both born in the southern hemisphere, where the constellation is very much a part of our cultures.

And...

Grab a great cup of locally roasted coffee and quick bite at Southern Cross Coffee. Natural foods and espresso made the traditional Italian way.

Jamie the check-cashing guy previously worked from this storefront before the renovations. The other two spaces are still on the rental market.

A new era for scalies?

An addition to the rendering at the incoming condos at 75 First Ave. ... a new-look scalie (per Curbed, "the proud inhabitants of the architectural rendering world") ...



The stick-figure scalie! An improvement over the usual models we see...

Openings: Squish Marshmallows on St. Mark's Place

Squish had its (heh) soft opening last week at 120 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Owner Katherine Sprung has created a following selling her marshmallow-based creations online (and at Abigail's Bake Shop in Brooklyn). You can read more about the business at the Squish website. This is her first retail outlet, where she sells a variety of marshmallows as well as coffee, tea and hot chocolate.

A photo posted by squish marshmallows® (@squishmarsh) on Nov 25, 2016 at 1:27pm PST

Previously on EV Grieve:
Squish Marshmallows signage arrives at 120 St. Mark's Place

Sunday's parting shot

Photo late this afternoon via Bobby Williams...

Week in Grieview

[1st Avenue love seats via Derek Berg]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

A Raphael Toledano-style turkey dinner on 12th Street for residents without cooking gas (Wednesday)

The Sock Man opens in new location on St. Mark's Place (Friday)

Mayor de Blasio calls for unity during anti-hate rally at Cooper Union (Monday)

The Second Avenue Tompkins Square Bagels makes its debut (Tuesday)

Barnyard Cheese and Brix Wine Shop moving from Avenue C to Avenue B (Monday)

Thanksgiving Week at the Bowery Mission (Wednesday)

Out and About Part 2 with Eric Paulin (Wednesday)

Report: Mike Pence supporter arrested for alleged racist tirade, pepper-spray attack at 14th Street diner (Tuesday)

Healthfully has closed on Fourth Street (Monday)

Former East Village Tavern space for rent (Friday)

American Deli & Grocery closes after a few months on First Avenue (Friday)

Holiday trees (and stands) arrive (Wednesday)

Shu Han Ju II takes over for Mulan East on Third Avenue (Monday)

Storefronts at 110 E. Seventh St. for rent (Tuesday)

Honeybrains opens on Lafayette (Wednesday)

Village Grannies bringing water pipes and smoking accessories to Ninth Street (Tuesday)

Hot Pot Central sets up shop on Second Avenue and 12th Street (Monday)

Former Grand Sichuan space for rent on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

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Sunday morning

Along Avenue A and in Tompkins Square Park. (Not to make it look nice out or anything.)

Coming soon: The 8th annual St. Nicholas Cookie Walk

In case you didn't see the signage up at St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church on Avenue A at 10th Street ... for your holiday planning purposes, the 8th annual Cookie Walk is happening this year on Dec. 10-11.

Sale hours are Dec. 10 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Dec. 11 from noon to 3 p.m. However! Per the St. Nicholas website:

Come early Saturday for the best selection of cookies. Please understand that WE CAN SELL OUT and close before the Sunday times listed above. Please check here for Sunday opening updates! (if at all possible, try to come on Saturday)

In total, there will be more than 75 varieties totaling 50,000 cookies for sale, per the St. Nicholas website.

Also for planning purposes: Dec. 10 is the announced date for this year's SantaCon, though the neighborhood(s) involved are still under wraps.

Tree Riders on 2nd Avenue

One more Christmas/holiday tree note... the Tree Riders NYC set up their tree shop yesterday outside St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery on Second Avenue between 10th Street and 11th Street... this is their 6th year here... and they always have the tallest/largest trees available in case you need one for an office lobby or outdoor plaza...



Previously on EV Grieve:
So you want to buy a tree for the holidays in the East Village

Another holiday season with Jonathan, the cheery Christmas-tree salesman of 1st Avenue

This charming man

Here's a single from Brooklyn's Overlord from last year titled "I Want To Die With You, Morrissey."

They're on a bill tomorrow night at the Cake Shop with My Favorite, Kew and Kevin of The Hairs.

The Sock Man opens in new location on St. Mark's Place today

[Photo the other day by Derek Berg]

The new location of the Sock Man opens today at 99 1/2 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue. (Hours are noon to 10 p.m.)

A rent increase forced the Sock Man (aka Marty Rosen) to close his longtime shop at 27 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue back in January. Rosen had been peddling socks, tights, lingerie and other accessories in this space since 1983. (Landlord Raphael Toledano, who took possession in September 2015, is now flipping the building.)

Very good to see the Sock Man back in business.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Sock Man is closing on St. Mark's Place

The Sock Man says thank you; store closes on Saturday

Closing portraits at The Sock Man

The scoop on the former Sock Man space on St. Mark's Place

The Sock Man is returning to St. Mark's Place

Former East Village Tavern space for rent

As we first reported, East Village Tavern closed after service on Sunday evening.

Management of the corner bar on 10th Street and Avenue C left this message on Facebook last Saturday: "It is with a heavy heart that we regret to announce that do to a disagreement with our landlord, the East Village Tavern will be closing..."

Steve Croman, who was arrested back in May on 20 felony counts, is the building's landlord. Eviction proceedings happened here earlier this week when the Marshal came calling...



A rep for Croman's 9300 Realty told this to The Real Deal:

"We are sad to see a long standing tenant close its doors, but unfortunately the business has been unable to consistently pay its rent in the last 12 months. We have made several attempts to strike a deal to settle the debt however given there has been no effort to make payment on the more than $78,000 that is owed, we were forced to part ways with our tenant."

The bar opened in May 2008.

American Deli & Grocery closes after a few months on 1st Avenue

The deli has been dark here at 139 First Ave. for the past week (h/t Steven) ... and now a for rent sign hangs in the window of the American Deli & Grocery between St. Mark's and Ninth Street. The deli opened back in June. (Perhaps businesses with a variation of America in the title aren't such great ideas at the moment.)

The space was previously home to the hookah joint Scarab Lounge.