Resident concerned over cracks caused by excavation work in lot next door

As noted earlier this week, the city issued a Stop Work Order at 118 E. First St. near Avenue A.

There is a complaint on file with the DOB stating that the excavation work caused an adjacent building to shake, with visible cracks forming.

A longtime resident who lives adjacent to the construction site shared this photo montage, showing the cracks on the building and in the tenant's apartment...



Per the resident: "I am not feeling safe here."

For now, the city will only allow for crews to do "emergency remedial work at rear exposure to install bracing." That work hasn't occurred just yet, the resident said.

Until the Stop Work Order, workers were prepping the lot for a 9-story residential building with seven residences and a retail space.

Previously on EV Grieve:
118 E. 1st St. arrives on the market with so many possibilities, and air rights

118 E. 1st. St. will yield to a new 9-floor residential building

Demolition of 118 E. 1st St. begins to make way for 9-story residential building

Construction starts at 118 E. 1st St., future home of a 9-floor residential building

Here's what the new condoplex at 118 E. 1st St. will look like

Bushwick-based chef looking to bring Short Stories to the Bowery

Looks as if one of the recently vacated bar-restaurants on the Bowery will have a new tenant.

Applicants are on this month's CB3-SLA docket for a new liquor license at 355 Bowery, the former Wise Men space between Third Street and Fourth Street.

According to the materials (PDF here) posted on the CB3 website, the applicants for the proposed Short Stories include Danny Teran, who runs several businesses in Bushwick, including Wheelhouse out on Wilson Avenue. (He is apparently known as "The Wolf of Wilson," per this Brokelyn feature.) Williamsburg Pizza investor Ashwin Deshmukh is also listed as one of the applicants.

The menu at Short Stories will feature "a mix of American, Cuban and Mexican fare." (Teran, a Cuban-American, specializes in Cuban cuisine. He also previously ran Millie's Cuban Cafe on Wilson Avenue.)

The application also shows six tables seating 12 diners as well as a 10-seat bar. (There appears to be some additional seating on benches.) The proposed hours are 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. during the week, until 4 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Wise Men closed last November after five years in business.

And before the Wise Men...


[Photo from 2011]

... there was Osaka Vibe/Orange Valve — aka, that kind of weird sushi place on the Bowery.

The CB3-SLA meeting is Monday night at 6:30 in the Public Hotel, 17th Floor, Sophia Room, 215 Chrystie St. between Houston and Stanton.

Previously on EV Grieve:
An appreciation of sorts: That kind of weird sushi place on the Bowery

Former kind of weird sushi place on the Bowery is now home to the Wise Men

The 7 restaurants that have closed on the Bowery in the past year

Lower 'Eats' Side festival to feature food from 25 countries

Via the EVG inbox...

The Lower East Side’s historic Public School 110 (Florence Nightingale School) will hold an international food festival, Lower "Eats" Side, tomorrow (Saturday) from 1-4 p.m. featuring home-cooked food from more than 25 countries ... and prepared by the school’s own parent chefs.

The food festival will represent the different cultures and nationalities that make up the school today, and will be held at the school’s 1905 building at the eastern end of Delancey Street, rain or shine and open to the public. The P.S. 110 parent rock band, “The Nightingales” (winners of NYC School District 1 Battle of the Bands) will be performing.

Heading the food fair will be Sarita Ekya., P.S. 110 PTA treasurer and owner of the mac & cheese restaurant S’MAC.

The food festival will also feature a tag sale, raffles, family portraits and much more. The school first held this festival in 2015 to commemorate 110 years of P.S 110.

P.S. 110 is at 285 Delancey St. at Lewis Street. The $10 entrance includes all food and entertainment

NYPD looking for suspect who robbed woman in 13th Street building

The #NYPD is asking the public’s assistance in identifying the male pictured here in connection to a Robbery that occurred on Sunday June 10 inside of 326 E13 St at 4:25PM. If you have any information we ask you to call #800577TIPS #EastVillage #NYC pic.twitter.com/kiI2DjhMRg

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) June 13, 2018

Police are looking for a man they say robbed a woman in her apartment building Sunday afternoon at 326 E. 13th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Town & Village has more details:

The victim, 20, was entering her building ... at about 4:30 p.m. when an unknown man grabbed her from behind.

He then demanded her bag, and when she turned it over, he ran out. The victim is believed to have lost $1,100 worth of property, including an iPhone and cash, as well as personal items.

The suspect is described as black and in his twenties; and last seen wearing a baseball cap, black hooded shirt and blue jeans.

Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online.

Blue out at former Citibank branch on Avenue A

[June 9]

Less than a week since its arrival, someone painted over the mural that Solus (via the L.I.S.A Project NYC) created last Friday at the former Citibank branch on Avenue A between Third Street and Fourth Street...



Perhaps the landlord prefers this look...

Today's selection

EVG regular Daniel shared this photo today from Tompkins Square Park... where someone was putting the Sing For Hope piano to good use ... the setlist included works by Philip Glass and Ryuichi Sakamoto as well as something from the "Amélie" soundtrack.

The piano is scheduled to be in the Park though June 24.

Grant Shaffer's NY See

[Click on image to go big]

Here's this week's NY See, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's comic series — an observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood.

Mysterious 84 2nd Ave. sells again, this time for $7.8 million

[Photo yesterday by Derek Berg]

Ownership of 84 Second Ave. has changed hands now for the second time in two years.

In its real-estate transaction listings this week, the Times noted that the property was sold for $7.8 million. (The paperwork hit public records on May 16.)

Per the Times:

A local private investor has bought this vacant four-and-a-half-story mixed-use walk-up in the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District. The 4,812-square-foot building, to be gutted and renovated, was once the site of Sopolsky’s Dress Suits, which rented dinner jackets and tuxedos, and in the mid-19th century served as a temporary home for women. Any development of air rights, totaling 4,788 square feet, is subject to approval by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Buyer: 84 2nd Avenue Owner L.L.C.

Seller: West 26th Street L.L.C.

The buyer shares the address of Highpoint Property Group, a real-estate development company.

According to public records, the building sold in May 2016 for $5.1 million. Betty Sopolsky via an LLC was the seller, with the buyer listed as West 26th Street L.L.C.

The previous set of owners were looking to make some major renovations to this walk-up between Fourth Street and Fifth Street. Landlords of buildings located within a designated New York City historic district must receive a permit from the Landmarks Preservation Commission for major work.

Among other things, there were plans to create four residential units (condos?). Those work permits had yet to receive city approval. (The city disapproved them last October, per the Department of Buildings.)

There was also a petition in circulation in opposition to the planned alterations to the rear of the building.

In January, CB3's Landmark's Committee issued a partial Certificate of Appropriateness for the address. (They issued a similar partial approval in October 2017.)

According to the official minutes from the January meeting, CB3 OK'd the front façade plan and opposed the rear yard addition. Among other points, CB3 officials said that "great care should be taken to monitor this fragile building and its neighboring buildings."

As we understand it, the previous owner didn't follow through with the plans with the LPC, instead selling the building.

As we've noted several times through the years, the address has a dark past, which includes the still-unsolved murder of Helen Sopolsky, proprietor of the family's tailor shop who was found bludgeoned to death in 1974, per an article at the time.

The storefront has remained empty since her death in 1974.


[Undated image via]

The new owners haven't filed any new work permits with the city to date.

The front door was open yesterday, revealing a gutted interior ... and door to a garden out back, as these photos by Derek Berg show...





Previously on EV Grieve:
Plywood and a petition at 84 2nd Ave.

Workers clearing out the mysterious 84 2nd Ave. storefront

Renovations proposed for mysterious 84 2nd Ave.

Papilles now open on 7th Street

Papilles debuted this week at 127 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Here's what Florence Fabricant at the Times had to say about it in a recap of openings around the city:

Andrea Calstier and Elena Oliver, a French couple and fledgling restaurateurs in their early 20s, have joined with a more experienced partner, Nicolas Thoni, to create an intimate spot with an open kitchen. Mr. Calstier’s menu is rooted in French-Mediterranean fare. The name of the restaurant translates to taste buds.

And a few interior shots via the restaurant's Instagram account...

A post shared by Papilles restaurant (@papillesnyc) on Jun 5, 2018 at 4:53pm PDT

A post shared by Papilles restaurant (@papillesnyc) on May 30, 2018 at 8:17pm PDT

This space was previously home in recent years to Le Village and Table Verte, both via owner Didier Pawlicki.

More about Sauce Pizzeria, opening later this summer on 12th Street

In late May we noted that signs were in the windows at 345 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue for a new restaurant called Sauce Pizzeria.

EVG reader Adam C. thought that the logo looked similar to that of Sauce Restaurant on Allen and Rivington.

Good eye, Adam. A rep confirmed that Sauce Restaurant and Sauce Pizzeria are from the same ownership.

Here's what the rep shared:

Sauce Pizzeria will be a nostalgic pizza parlor, where homemade sauces are the star, each simmering pot visible upon entering the quaint yet eclectic space. At the counter, guests will be able to choose from a selection of signature pies, composed salads, and signature bowls.

Owner Adam Elzer has a heavy “sauce on everything” philosophy and will offer extra sides of sauce with all orders to enhance meals.

Sauce Pizzeria is slated to open at the end of the summer.

So long to the 3 rhinos

Late last night, workers packed up "The Last Three" sculpture on Astor Place ... Peter Feld shared these top two photos...



...and here's the rhino-less Astor Place this morning...





The 17-foot sculpture had been here since March.

Australian artists Gillie and Marc Schattner recreated the last three Northern White Rhinos – Sudan, Najin, and Fatu – "to inspire, educate and mobilize the global community to raise their voices and affect real change against illegal rhino poaching trade."

The two have yet to disclose the new NYC location of "The Last Three" ...

#thelastthree are leaving their home at @astorplacenyc after three marvellous months of raising awareness for the northern white rhinos! ❤️🦏🦏🦏❤️ Thank you everyone who visited and a big thank you to the team at Astor Place for all the love and support! PS - New location of The Last Three in NYC TBA! Stay tuned! #nyc #gillieandmarcart #astorplace #goodbyerhinos #sculpture #publicart #couple

A post shared by 💛GILLIE AND MARC💛 (@gillieandmarcart) on Jun 12, 2018 at 4:37pm PDT

NIKO East Village debuts on Avenue D and 6th Street

The construction phase is winding down at 79-89 Avenue D, the site of a 12-story retail-residential building via L+M Development Partners.

The banner announcing the building's name here between Seventh Street and Sixth Street was recently unveiled — say hi to NIKO East Village (H/T Dave on 7th!) ...



Not sure exactly what NIKO stands for in this usage. There's a teaser website where potential renters can request more info on the units.

In April, the affordable housing lottery launched for the building. NIKO includes 28 permanently affordable units (out of 110 total). Residents who qualify for the housing have until June 26 to apply for one of the units. Find the details here.

Amenities at the address — officially 751 E. Sixth St. — will include a fitness center, landscaped roof deck and an outdoor terrace.

The lots previously housed one-level storefronts that included a Rite Aid, which relocated one block north to the ground floor of the Arabella 101 building. Rite Aid signed a lease to return to the retail space at No. 79.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Space that houses Rite Aid on Avenue D hits market for $22.5 million

Report: New 12-story, mixed-use building in the works for Avenue D

Permit pre-filed for new 12-floor building at 79-89 Avenue D