Today in late-afternoon rainbows

The view from 11th Street and Avenue B via Vinny & O...

At the Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade — East River amphitheater edition

The 28th annual Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade took place yesterday afternoon at a new venue — the East River Park amphitheater. (You can read this post for more about how the parade was nearly canceled.)

Hundreds of dogs and their owners turned out in the most spacious location featuring ESPN's Katie Nolan as the host...



EVG contributor Stacie Joy was there to capture the competition, featuring dogs dressed as dinosaurs, hot dogs, lottery winners, toast, the Pope .. well, see for yourself...








































... and, as always, there were non-canine interlopers...



... and the winners (there's a video here with more on them)...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is back on; new deal puts the pups in East River Park and on ESPN this Oct. 28

Report: The reality of storm-proofing East River Park in 2020

Details about what will happen during the construction phase of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (ESCR) are becoming known... and people don't seem too thrilled about what will be happening.

The ESCR proposal has been in the works for several years post Sandy. It aims to protect against catastrophic flooding by building a "resilient park" along the East River from Montgomery Street on the Lower East Side to 13th Street, as Curbed reported last month.

The city plans to "lift" East River Park by up to 10 feet when work starts in March 2020. However, to do this, the city will need to close East River Park for up to three and a half years, bulldozing all the current amenities, including the just-unveiled new running track and soccer field.


[EVG photo from last month]

Per the Post yesterday:

The newly revised design will elevate the surface of the 40-acre park between the East River and FDR Drive by dumping tons of soil and fill between 13th and Cherry streets, raise and rebuild the esplanade along the river by boosting the height of the pilings underneath, and erect a flood wall at the river’s edge.

At the height of superstorm Sandy, Lower Manhattan was plunged into darkness and the Con Edison substation on East 13th Street was flooded, sparking a transformer explosion that knocked out part of the island’s grid.

The new plan would protect against such catastrophic flooding.

But the collateral damage is the park and its baseball, football, soccer, basketball, tennis and track facilities, which will be bulldozed and covered, with fill, said a Department of Design and Construction official.

The Post spoke with several Park-goers who were incredulous over the closures, especially having to essentially destroy the new $2.8 million running track and soccer field. (An EVG reader who shared the Post story via email wrote that "this is going to be a huge disruption, logistical nightmare" ... "but perhaps very neccessary.")

Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver told the Post that the agency is brainstorming ideas to bring recreational alternatives to East River Park users.

"We have from now until March 2020," he said. "We are looking at city-owned spaces, parks as options for recreation during construction."

Workers remove artifacts from the vacant 14 2nd Ave., fueling speculation of new development

On Friday, an EVG reader spotted workers at 14 Second Ave., the now (mostly) empty lot adjacent to First Park that housed Irreplaceable Artifacts until its demolition by the city in July 2000.

As these reader photos show, some artifacts remained on site...





... and workers were removing them...









A little recent history for the address. According to published reports from the summer of 2000, a wall and two floors collapsed at 14 Second Ave. between First Street and Houston, which forced the evacuation of 51 apartments in three nearby buildings.

As The New York Times reported at the time:

A construction crew was making alterations to the first floor of the four-story shop, Irreplaceable Artifacts, in defiance of an order to stop work, a spokesman for the city's Buildings Department said.

City officials ordered the building destroyed, along with everything inside — including several Tiffany windows valued at $50,000 each and a walnut ceiling from William Randolph Hearst's collection. Evan Blum, the owner of Irreplaceable Artifacts, salvages fixtures from demolished buildings and refurbishes them. The collection was worth millions of dollars, Mr. Blum said.

No one was injured. (No. 14 was not for residential use at this time.)

The site has been tied up for years with litigation between Blum and the city. (The Observer has a nice recap here.)

Back in 2007, Blum proposed a 10-story hotel for the property. The idea didn't really go over well at a CB3 committee meeting in the summer of 2007. Per The Villager:

While presenting the preview of the hotel proposal to C.B. 3’s Land Use Committee, Blum’s attorney was met by passionate testimony from tenants of the neighboring Cube Building urging committee members to block it based on Blum’s previous record.

“Given the history of Mr. Evan Blum, it’s very hard to have a positive take on any proposal coming from him,” said Valerio Orselli, executive director of Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association, which manages the Cube Building. “He has a very cavalier attitude when it comes to laws and regulations in the city of New York.”

Blum later expounded on the project to The Villager:

“We intend to do something really nice and interesting and beautiful that the neighborhood could be proud of, as opposed to the crap that is being built around the neighborhood,” he said.

Blum described the project as “more philanthropic in nature, rather than a self-serving commercial interest,” and said it would be “geared toward the arts.”

The hotel would also venture into new gastronomic territory.

“We will be attempting to build the finest vegan restaurant in the city,” Blum said. “It’s something I’ve practiced for many years and it’s finally gaining more stature in society. I think it’s important that one evokes these principles.”

Back to Friday, the reader who shared these photos wryly noted: "Can luxury condos be far behind?"

Probably, but there's nothing yet on file with the Department of Buildings for the address. (And there are still Stop Work Orders dating to 2009 and 2000.)

Given all the luxurious developments — new and existing, like here and here — around this address, the parcel likely won't sit empty for too many more years.

Alphabet Pizza and Deli setting up shop at 20 Avenue A

Alphabet Pizza and Deli is a new tenant for 20 Avenue A at Second Street. The coming-soon signage arrived late last week.

We noted back in July that workers were "TO INSTALL PIZZA OVEN AND DELI EQUIPMENT IN EXISTING STORE" (per the ALL-CAP DOB style) in this space.

This quick-serve business only accounts for part of the former Chase branch. There's still roughly three-fourths of the storefront available for another tenant.

Alphabet Pizza and Deli is a little more pedestrian (not a criticism or complaint!) than what had been envisioned for the address. In early 2016, the broker — one of many — for 20 Avenue A showed the potential here for more-upscale wine-bar and retail tenant action...


[Click to go big]


[Ditto]

Of course with the remaining parcel of space, there's still the potential for rendering reality (though, honestly, probably not).

Chase vacated this storefront in November 2015. There were six or seven different brokers for the space in these past three years.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The retail-wine bar possibilities for the former Chase space on Avenue A and East 2nd Street

The retail space at 20 Avenue A no longer looks like a bank branch

Another broker for the former Chase branch on Avenue A

Pizza for 20 Avenue A

Mahalo New York Bakery is closing on 9th Street; space will be for custom orders

[Photos Friday by Steven]

Mahalo New York Bakery, which serves Hawaiian-inspired desserts, has closed its outpost at 443 E. Ninth St. at Avenue A.

A note to customers on the front door explains... the owners will use the spot for appointment-only custom orders on weekends ... and will continue on at their flagship location on Myrtle Avenue in Glendale ...


[Click for more detail]

The bakery opened this past March 10.

In other baked-good news on this block, Westville Bakery had its soft opening yesterday a few storefronts away toward First Avenue.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Queens-based bakery bringing Hawaiian-inspired desserts to 9th Street

Mahalo New York Bakery debuts on 9th Street

Sammy's Halal is now open

Last we checked, things weren't looking promising for Sammy's Halal at 109 First Ave. ... we hadn't detected too much going on inside the space between Sixth Street and Seventh Street ... however, after a flurry of recent activity, Sammy's debuted this past Friday.

Sammy's offers a variety of lamb, beef and chicken shawarma platters (all are under $10) ... other menu items include the lamb gyro ($4.99) and appetizer order of hummus ($4.99). They are open 24/7, and have several egg dishes (the "New York Style" egg and cheese is $2.99).

The Sammy's menu notes a 10-percent discount for police officers, students, hospital employees and cab drivers. (The menu notes with ID, so in case you were going as a cop or doctor for Halloween ...)

This makes the third Sammy's location, joining the one on Sixth Avenue and Fourth Street and the one in Jackson Heights.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Sammy's Halal signage arrives at the former Polish G. I. Delicatessen

Here is your new Violet awning on 5th Street

On Friday afternoon, workers hoisted the Violet awning here at 511 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B... another step toward the November grand opening of the grilled pizzeria from the Emmy Squared owners.



These links below have more background details...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Emmy Squared's owners are bringing grilled pizza to the former GG's space on 5th Street

Getting 511 E. 5th St. ready for new grilled pizza venture from Emmy Squared's owners

Countdown to grilled pizza on 5th Street

Name reveal: Emmy Squared's grilled-pizza sibling will be called Violet on 5th Street

Spinners adding pizza to its spin chicken and Texas BBQ arsenal

After two months in business at 536 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, Spinner's, billed as a chicken boutique, has closed... and is revamping the menu lineup to include pizza.

Paper-plate signage in the front window notes the pizza addition and reopening...



The new awning also shows that medium pies will be $5 while medium self-serve coffee will go for $1.

Given that this corridor is pretty much the main staging area for the L-train reconstruction, Spinners could become a go-to spot for workers.

Also, did anyone try Spinners during its first two months?

Previously on EV Grieve:
Spinner's bringing chicken and Texas BBQ to 14th Street

Sunday's parting shot

A scene from this afternoon's Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade in East River Park... we'll post more photos from the dog parade via EVG contributor Stacie Joy tomorrow...

Run's house

EVG regular Pinch shares today's in-progress look at the Run DMC mural going up on 12th Street and Avenue A... the work is via the very busy Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Walk This Way on 12th and A

Week in Grieview

[Photo on 7th Street by Derek Berg]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

This is the story of how Geoffrey Weglarz died on 12th Street, and why it took a week to find him (Wednesday)

Boys' Club fast tracks sale of East Village clubhouse as final bids are due Oct. 30 (Tuesday)

Local elected officials continue to press city for alternatives to parking garbage trucks on 10th Street; muggings now a concern (Monday)

An all-new I Am a Rent-Stabilized Tenant (Thursday)

Preliminary demolition work at 99-101 E. 2nd St. is — surprise — in the asbestos-removal phase (Monday)

Nobletree Coffee is the next tenant for 37 St. Mark's Place and 2nd Avenue (Thursday)

Run DMC mural on the way at 12th Street and Avenue A (Friday)

Demolishing the fire-damaged back extension at Uogashi, which appears to be permanently closed (Monday)

Goodbye Dojo (Friday)

Nai Tapas Bar now open in new East Village location (Thursday)

This week's special NY See panel (Thursday)

News roundup: At the SBJSA hearing Monday (Wednesday)

So long St. Dymphna's (Tuesday)

The new Donut Pub on Broadway is now HIRING (Friday)

Mexican restaurant opening on 2nd Avenue called Savor Por Favor (Monday)

Cocoa Grinder bringing coffee and all-day breakfast to 1st Street (Tuesday)

NYPD light tower back in illuminating action on 2nd Avenue and 7th Street (Tuesday)

Mi Tea now serving up the cheese tea on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

210 1st Ave. is for sale; and a visit to Gena's Grill (Wednesday)

Pado in soft-open sushi mode on 2nd Avenue (Monday)

Gym moves: IG-Fit replaces Synergy on 14th Street (Monday)

And as Eden carefully documented Friday, someone on Fifth Street discarded a well-curated scrapbook of Leif Garrett clippings from the late 1970s when the actor-singer ruled the covers of teen-focused magazines (along with his contemporaries such as Shaun Cassidy, Willie Aames, Robby Benson, Rex Smith, Scott Baio and the Bay City Rollers)...



In any event, this is all Leif, all the time, showcasing his life and career to this point in seven parts...



Sadly though, Leif, who turns 57 on Nov. 8, has struggled with drug abuse as an adult.

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