Chinese restaurant in the works for former funeral parlor on 2nd Avenue

[Photo by Steven]

A Chinese restaurant is coming to 152 Second Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street. (Ads for the businesses next door are currently in the window.)

The applicant, going by Chibaola Inc., is on tonight's CB3-SLA committee docket for a beer-wine license. However, this item will NOT be heard this evening.

According to the questionnaire (PDF) on file at the CB3 website, the restaurant will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The configuration shows 15 tables with a 45-person capacity.

The applicant, listed as Richard Lam, has also operated a restaurant on Main Street in Flushing.

The building at 152-154 Second Ave. is the former Sigmund Schwartz Gramercy Park Chapel, which Icon Realty bought, gutted, added three extra floors and opened as luxury rentals.

The other retail space at this address is occupied by the Greecologies-Pure Green combo. The spaces had been on the market since the new building was unveiled in early 2014.

Previously on EV Grieve:
152 2nd Ave. storefront to yield a combo Greek yogurt and smoothie shop

The Village Pourhouse still looks like the Village Pourhouse outside, but E.Vil is on the way

After 10-plus years in business, Village Pourhouse, the pub-crawling hosting hotspot on 11th Street and Third Avenue, closed its doors in early April.

From the outside, the place looks pretty much the same, though the Pourhouse neon has finally been extinguished. This video is from April 22...



Also, as this photo by EVG reader Arin Gilbert shows, someone tagged the Third Avenue side last Thursday night/Friday morning...



A rock club called E.Vil was reportedly expected to open in the space this spring.

To date, this item hasn't shown up on the CB3-SLA docket for a new liquor license. (And there aren't any work permits on file with the DOB for alterations, etc.) This new venture via, among other partners, club owner Richie Akiva, is "where you go to hear Aerosmith, the Clash, Guns N’ Roses, Led Zeppelin, ’80s/’90s rock, the Cult," one source told Page Six back on March 20.

E.Vil's Instagram once noted an April 17 opening date. (The account, mostly iconic photos of everyone from David Bowie to Johnny Thunders to the Sex Pistols, has been quiet of late. No new posts in five weeks.) But the account does now show a June 1 opening date...



Previously on EV Grieve:
E.Vil is coming to the East Village

Tailors Atelier expanding next door on 9th Street

As previously reported, Satish Pate, the founder-owner of JuiceGo, died in early April following a short illness. His family decided not to continue with the business he opened at 333 E. Ninth St. in February.

EVG correspondent Steven reports that Nigel Ramsey (pictured on the left above), the proprietor of Tailors Atelier next door, is renting the space to open a bridal shop here between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

[Updated] Report of a fire this evening at historic Lower East Side synagogue

You likely saw or smelled the smoke earlier this evening... Bobby Williams shared these photos from 10th Street and Avenue C...



There was a three-alarm fire at Beth Hamedrash Hagadol, the landmarked synagogue at 60 Norfolk St. between Broome and Grand. The FDNY had it under control by 8 p.m. You can find more details at BoweryBoogie and the Lo-Down.

Updated 5/15

Per DNAinfo:

Surveillance footage shows three “kids” running from the area, the Deputy Inspector of the 7th Precinct Steve Hellman said, although it is still unknown whether they were fleeing the historic synagogue and it is too early to say whether criminality was involved in the massive blaze.

Updated 5/17

Per ABC 7:

A 14-year-old boy was taken into custody Tuesday night in connection with a fire at the Lower East Side synagogue Sunday night.

The boy was charged with third-degree arson as a juvenile. He will appear in family court Wednesday.

"We do think it's arson. We think it's a purposeful fire," said Robert Boyce, NYPD chief of detectives.

Week in Grieview

[Photo on East 1st Street from yesterday]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

The St. Mark’s Church Greenmarket will not be returning this year (Thursday)

David Chang's Momofuku Ko is expanding in Extra Place (Monday)

Nest watch in Tompkins Square Park (Friday ... Saturday)

New 7th Street rental named for artist Louise Nevelson; amenities include a backup generator (Tuesday)

Report: Crews working to clean up the Con Ed oil spill in the East River (Wednesday)

Demolition watch: 3 E. 3rd St. (Wednesday)

Celebrating Hummus Day (Friday)

About the cantilevering condos coming to 4th Avenue and 10th Street (Tuesday)

Report: East Village resident pays fine for renting out city-subsidized home on Airbnb (Tuesday)

A Sean Spicer lawn ornament for the bushes of Tompkins Square Park (Friday)

The 7th Street Village Farm is for rent (Thursday)

Behold the chicken fillet at Ray's (Monday)

Zabb City appears to have closed on 13th Street (Monday)

Looking at the BP-replacing condos coming to 32 E. 1st St. (Wednesday)

Jennifer's Way Bakery reduces store hours to service online orders (Friday)

A help wanted ad on St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

New dry cleaners coming to 6th Street between A and B (Monday)

More about Yuan Noodle, coming soon to 2nd Avenue (Monday)

Supporting 249 E. 2nd St. during the construction next door (Friday)

Details on the 17th annual Joey Ramone Birthday Bash (Monday)

Taxi Parts Inc. departs the East Village (Wednesday)

Below 7th closes again on 7th Street (Thursday)

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A few items to note from the past week and probably a few weeks before that...

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New broker bunting is up on the sidewalk bridge on Avenue A between 11th Street and 12th Street... with a reminder of how fabulous Steiner East Village will be...







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Meant to share this much earlier... In Living Stereo is no longer selling records here on Great Jones between Lafayette and Broadway...



They had a small but well-curated collection...



In Living Stereo remains open.

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Kings Hairstyling on 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue closed for renovations on April 29... reopening this past week... the place is unrecognizable ... new name and signage... not sure if the same people are still running it...





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Work continues on the new retail space at 94 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue (next door to Fun City Tattoo)...


[Photo from Friday by Steven]

The workers were not aware if there is a tenant for the storefront. The asking rent was listed at $6,800.

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Here's the new-look Xe Máy Sandwich Shop sign at 96 St. Mark's Place...



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Midnight Oil sold out Webster Hall... they're a band that I lost track in recent years ...



From 1990...



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Addiction NYC closed up shop at 27 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue at the end of March ... with the tattoo parlor and smoke shop relocating across St. Mark's Place to No. 18...



On Thursday, workers started taking apart the previous storefront at No. 27...



...and painting over the skull...



No. 27 was one of the 20-some properties that landlord Rapahel Toledano used to own.

It rained a lot today

Second Avenue and Fourth Street late this afternoon... photo by Derek Berg...

Baby boomer

A quick follow-up to yesterday's post on Christo and Dora's latest batch of red-tailed hawk kids... that steady diet of locally sourced, park-to-nest food makes them grow so quickly... Bobby Williams caught up with the fam late yesterday afternoon... One baby has made an appearance ... with speculation that there's at least one more in the nest...







...and a shot via Steven...

Plant sale tomorrow (Or Sunday!) at Campos Community Garden

Hopefully this will happen this weekend ... either tomorrow or Sunday depending on the rain situation... at the Campos Community Garden on 12th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C... via the EVG inbox...

Rain is very likely for tomorrow's Plant Sale benefitting Campos Community Garden. If so, the rain date is the next day, Sunday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Get plants for Mom for #mothersday, give her tomato plants for her garden, buy herbs and create an herb planter for her window or balcony.

A Sean Spicer lawn ornament for the bushes of Tompkins Square Park

Anyway, the White House press secretary was among the bushes the other evening, not in them.

Photos by Steven

Oh, 'Boy'

The Montreal-based She-Devils are one of the 50000000 bands playing during the Northside Festival in Brooklyn next month.

This video for "Hey Boy," released yesterday, is off the band's self-titled debut album due May 19.

Art and ice cream tonight at Alphabet Scoop

Alphabet Scoop has its official season opening today at 543 E. 11th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Here's more about the seasonal ice cream shop, operated by the Father's Heart Ministries next door:

Alphabet Scoop is a job and life skills program for teens. The program is designed to prepare teens with the skills needed to advance in their school and work endeavors. Teenagers receive classroom instruction and work under a shift supervisor in the retail store.