Soup's on tonight at Ciao for Now

[Image via @ciaofornowny]

As noted last week, Ciao for Now at 523 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B is offering a soup service — to stay or to go — on Tuesday evenings from 5-10.

Per their Instagram feed last night:

We will be open from 5-10 pm serving not just soups but also our ginger green tea as well as cookies, some wine and beer. We will be serving Grass Fed Beef Stew. Very Veggie (GF,V) and Red Lentil in Coconut Milk Curry (GF,V)

The family-owned cafe shut down its dining room after 17 years at the end of January. However, ownership was continuing on with their catering business as well as using the space for community events... and now with souper Tuesday.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Ciao For Now is closing after 17 years on 12th Street; will continue with catering business

24 2nd Ave. getting its limestone exoskeleton

Over at 24 Second Ave. (aka 32 E. First St.), workers have been adding the stone-colored frames to the façade of the 10-story condoplex that replaced the East Village's second-to-last gas station.

Here's a look at the limestone exoskeleton in-progress on the First Street side...



As previously noted, the building will house 31 condos, with homes ranging from $1.125 million (a whopping 484 square feet!) to $10.5 million (the penthouse).

And here's part of the lengthy description of the penthouse via Douglas Elliman:

A light-filled four bedroom, five bathroom Duplex Penthouse positioned on the top 2 floors of 32 East 1st Street, Where Chrystie Meets Bond [ed note: ??????], with brushed solid white oak wood floors throughout, 2 terraces with 2 outdoor kitchens features 10' ceilings and expansive triple-pane windows with 360-degree views of the downtown and midtown skylines.

A direct private elevator opens to a private corridor on the 10th floor, adjacent to a stairwell leading to an expansive 1,591 SF private terrace spanning the entire 11th floor of the building fully equipped with an outdoor kitchen and Wolf grilling station, a dining area and three lounge spaces and is finished with travertine floors and planters integrated with lights & speakers, creating a space ideal for indoor/outdoor living and entertaining.

Particular attention to detail is demonstrated in the kitchen located on the second floor of this duplex, opening to a dining room which leads out to a second private terrace with another fully equipped outdoor kitchen including Wolf grilling station, ice maker, refrigerator, and lounge and dining spaces.

The corner master bedroom boasts a walk-in closet and en-suite five fixture master bathroom, which acts as a sanctuary with beautifully appointed onyx walls and floors with radiant heat, perfectly accented by a brushed solid oak wood dual vanity topped with a Corian countertop and dual sinks, matched by a custom designed Antonio Lupi "Sartoriale" Cristalplant soaking tub; the space is completed with a separate glass enclosed rain-shower a wall mounted Duravit Washlet toilet and custom Italian fixtures by CEA Design.

The BP station with snack shop closed in July 2014. This was the second-to-last gas station in the East Village, joined later by the Mobil station on Avenue C and East Houston in September 2014.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The 2nd Avenue BP station has closed

Permits filed to demolish former 2nd Avenue BP station

More about the 10-story building taking the place of the former BP station at 24 2nd Ave.

Check out the new 10-story building for the former 2nd Avenue BP station

A ballerina for 2nd Avenue

2nd Avenue residential complex now complete with renderings on the plywood

Dora's Monday

The action, as seen in these photos by Steven, picks up in Tompkins Square Park in the late afternoon when Christo delivers Dora a dead rat.

With the lifeless critter slumped on the limb, Dora calls out for Christo and they mate...



Later, an annoying blue jay dive-bombs Dora...

The 9th Precinct's monthly Community Council Meeting is tomorrow (Tuesday!) night

The 9th Precinct's Community Council meetings take place on the third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. ... at the 9th Precinct, 321 E. Fifth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

This is an opportunity for residents to address any concerns and ask 9th Precinct officials for their input on recent crime statistics.

Cocktail specialist looking to take over Double Wide on 12th Street

Cocktail specialist Greg Boehm is on tonight's CB3-SLA committee docket for a new liquor license for 503-505 E. 12th St. — the current home of Double Wide.

Boehm, the founder of Cocktail Kingdom, a manufacturer and distributor of professional barware, is a partner in the cocktail bar Mace on Ninth Street and Boilermaker on First Avenue.

According to the public documents on the CB3 website (PDF here), the unnamed bar-restaurant would have proposed hours of 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday; until 3 a.m. Thursday-Saturday. (The outdoors space in the back would be open from 5-9 p.m. daily.)

The sample menu on the questionnaire features small plates and "not so small plates," with items like oysters on the half shell, moles frites and a tuna baguette...



... a contrast to the current menu at Double Wide, which serves chicken-fried steak and Frito pie, among other things.

The questionnaire describes this as a sale of assets. If this all goes through, then this would mean the end of Double Wide, which opened here between Avenue A and Avenue B in late 2011.

Two previous bars in this space, Mundial and Totem, were especially problematic, according to nearby residents.

CB3's SLA committee meets tonight at 6:30 in the Public Hotel, 17th Floor, Sophia Room, 215 Chrystie St. between Houston and Stanton.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Another nightmare bar for 505 E. 12th St.?

Last night's CB3 recap: Residents 1, Bar Owners 0

Here comes the fear again: 505 E. 12th St. back on the market

Illegal work continues at former Mundial space on East 12th Street

Report: Kushner Co. filed false paperwork with the city over number of rent-regulated tenants

The Associated Press reported yesterday that Jared Kushner’s Kushner Cos. routinely filed false paperwork with the city declaring that it had zero rent-regulated tenants in buildings it owns when, in fact, they had hundreds.

A tenants' right watchdog group, Housing Rights Initiative, compiled the work-permit application documents and shared them with the AP.

In addition, the AP points out what has been previously covered in other outlets: In Kushner buildings across the city, records show frequent complaints about construction going on early in the morning or late at night against the rules, improper or illegal construction, and work without a permit.

Here's a passage about a tenant in 170-174 E. Second St.:

At a six-story walk-up in Manhattan’s East Village that was once home to the Beat poet Allen Ginsberg, the Kushner Cos. filed an application to begin construction in late 2013 that, again, listed zero rent-regulated tenants. Tax records a few months later showed seven rent-regulated units.

"All of a sudden, there was drilling, drilling. ... You heard the drilling in the middle of night," said one of the rent-regulated tenants, Mary Ann Siwek, 67, who lives on Social Security payments and odd jobs. "There were rats coming in from the abandoned building next door. The hallways were always filled with lumber and sawdust and plaster."

A knock on the door came a few weeks later, and an offer of at least $10,000 if she agreed to leave the building.

"I know it's pretty horrible, but we can help you get out," Siwek recalls the man saying. "We can offer you money."

Siwek turned down the cash and sued instead. She said she won a year's worth of free rent and a new refrigerator.

Read the full AP piece here.

For their part, Kushner Cos. told the AP in a statement that it outsources the work-permit preparation to third parties that are reviewed by independent counsel, and "if mistakes or violations are identified, corrective action is taken immediately." The statement added: "Kushner would never deny any tenant their due-process rights."

Kushner currently serves as an adviser to his father-in-law, President Trump.

Updated

Here's a statement from City Councilmember Carlina Rivera...

“As the representative of a district with one of the highest rates of Kushner-owned property in the city, I am outraged to see the Trump family’s continued alleged criminal abuse of working-class New Yorkers. These alleged false work permits may come from the biggest name in corrupt real estate in this city, but Kushner is certainly not the first to allegedly commit this kind of fraud. The lax enforcement by DOB and HPD of these illegal filings has allowed not only Kushner, but also names like Croman, Tolidano, and countless other bad actors to plague the residents of my district for decades with clear-faced harassment disguised as permitted construction.

I have fought alongside activists for hundreds of residents who have lost their lifelong homes to the Kushner family’s harassment, and the city must take action to punish those responsible. I look forward to participating in the Council’s investigation into Kushner Cos., and I expect to hear from city agencies as to why this abuse of power continued for so long.”

Updated 3/20

According to reports, AG Eric Schneiderman will meet with tenant representatives affected by the alleged tactics of Kushner Cos.

File photo of 170-174 E. 2nd St.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Report: Jared Kushner buys $130 million portfolio of East Village rental buildings

Report: Jared Kushner paid $49 million for 7 more Ben Shaoul-owned properties in the East Village

More about Jared Kushner's East Village buying spree

Tenants claim: Kushner and Westminster want to destroy this building's beautiful garden

Reports outline how Kushner Companies is aggressively trying to empty 170-174 E. 2nd St.

Local politicos join residents of 2 Jared Kushner-owned buildings to speak out about poor living conditions, alleged harassment

Jared Kushner's residents at 118 E. 4th St. would like gas for cooking and some heat

Jared Kushner's East Village tenants wish he'd resolve issues closer to home

Positive vibes: Aum Shanti on the move to larger space on 14th Street

Aum Shanti, a bookshop specializing in spirituality and crystal gallery, will move to a larger space in April on 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...



Just two storefronts away to the former Discount Cleaners... Perhaps Aum Shanti got a rent discount, as this space has been for lease for more than two years...



Aum Shanti opened as Aum Namaste, an offshoot of Namaste Bookshop, in December 2014.

Dim Sum Palace planned for 59 2nd Ave.

The owners of the two locations of Dim Sum Palace in Midtown are planning to open a similar establishment at 59 Second Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street.

And they will be appearing before CB3's SLA committee tonight to apply for a new liquor license for this EV Dim Sum Palace.



The questionnaire on file at the CB3 website (PDF here) shows that the restaurant will open daily at 11 a.m. (Closing time is listed as 2 p.m., which is likely a mistake — unless they will open for just three hours a day.) The proposal calls for 15 tables seating 65 diners. The specs only reveal a service bar.

Until October 2015, the address was home to Allied Hardware, which was on a month-to-month lease with the building's owner until Icon Realty bought the property in early 2015.

The adjacent space (the former Alex Shoe Repair) is now Kona Coffee and Company, which opened this past November.

Target is hiring on 14th Street and Avenue A

Over at 14th Street and Avenue A, Target is now hiring for its new small-format store set to open later this summer here in EVGB (East Village's Greatest Building, duh)...



The wall has all the hiring details...

1st Avenue back to being 1st Avenue-y

All lanes of traffic are back open today on First Avenue at Seventh Street ... this after five days of repairs for the sinkhole/swallow hole/collapse due to a broken pipe... which backed up traffic all the way south to ____ during that time...



... there appeared to be a sinkhole setback last evening, as this photo via EVG regular Raquel Shapira showed...



Anyway, all good now.

Week in Grieview

[Photo from Astor Place via @AlexInNewYorkCity]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Demolition permits filed for northeast corner of 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

Ciao for Now starting a Tuesday evening soup service (Tuesday)

The latest installment of I Am a Rent-Stabilized Tenant (Friday)

Maguey y La Tuna closes on East Houston (Monday)

Upcoming restaurant openings: French for 7th Street; Italian for 2nd Avenue (Tuesday)

Scenes from National School Walkout (Wednesday)

Banksy's message to 'Free Zehra Doğan' at the Bowery Mural Wall (Thursday) Banksy mural tagged (Saturday)

Get well soon, Gino! (Friday)

A memorial for Elizabeth Lee on Cooper Square (Thursday)

NYPD looking for suspect who robbed 87-year-old man on 1st Avenue (Friday)

World's tallest rhino sculpture arrives on Astor Place (Monday ... Wednesday ... Thursday)

Construction watch: 127 Avenue D (Wednesday)

Call of the wild: Seems like old times for Christo and Dora in Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday)

Not a lot of information about what's next for the Grassroots and The International (Friday)

Report: Cooper Union moves to reinstate free tuition (Friday)

This really nice townhouse is for sale on 7th Street (Thursday)

Robataya to become Sakagura on 9th Street (Thursday)

Todd Hase Furniture closes on 7th Street (Monday)

Thoughts on Raphael Toledano: 'The dude was imploding' (Thursday)

217 E. 3rd St. sells for $5.1 million (Monday)

About the Juice Generation opening soon on Astor Place (Thursday)

Former Out East space for lease on 6th Street (Wednesday)

Fired up to start a new year at La Plaza (Wednesday)

East Village Cheese lives on in Season 2 of 'Jessica Jones' (Wednesday)

Sticky's bringing the chicken fingers to Union Square (Thursday)

Former Red Square lobby gets the plywood treatment on East Houston (Monday)

For a limited time only, catch the J/Z on 9th and C (Monday)

Construction (and gold-dusted brick) watch: 196 Orchard St. (Tuesday)

Zen Yai Pho Shop coming to 6th Street (Monday)

Taco Bell nearly ready for Taco Belling on 1st Avenue (Monday)

... and the post St. Patrick's Day hose down at the Grayson on 1st Avenue...



---

Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter

Report: 7th Street resident dies in early-morning apartment fire

FDNYalerts MAN ALL HANDS 244 E 7 ST, MULTIPLE DWELLING FIRE ON FIRST FLR,

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) March 18, 2018

An early-morning fire at 244 E. Seventh St. between Avenue C and Avenue D reportedly left one man dead and three other people injured.

According to the Daily News, the fire started on the first floor of the six-story walk up around 6:10 a.m.

Per the News:

The fire was confined to the rear apartment, where the victim was found dead in a cluttered rear bedroom...

Fire Marshals are investigating the cause of the deadly blaze.

Updated 12:25 p.m.

amNew York reports that the victim was 71 years old.

Updated 3/19

NY1 reported that the victim was Barry Allen. There wasn't a smoke alarm in the apartment where the fire started, and the alarm in the hallway was not working, the FDNY said.