Photo in Tompkins Square Park this March 1 via Vinny & O...
Friday, March 1, 2019
A last visit to Raul Candy Store
Photos by Stacie Joy
Friends and family gathered yesterday at Raul Candy Store, which wrapped up 43 years in business as I first reported.
Raul opened in 1976. The shop has been at No. 205 between 12th Street and 13th Street since 1981.
Owner Raul Santiago, 75, and his wife Petra Olivieri, 70, decided to retire.
EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by in the afternoon, where she notes there was a sad yet festive mood inside the shop. Raul and Petra's children came down from Massachusetts to help close up the shop. They gave away the last bags of free candy to a group of kids while Stacie was there taking pictures.
Several news outlets stopped by, including NY1 Noticias ...
...and some more scenes from the shop's last day...
Friends and neighbors had offered to raise money to cover rent for a year, but Raul and Petra declined, as they said "it's time to go."
City issues full vacate order on former P.S. 64
A tipster shares the news that the city issued a vacate order on the long-empty P.S. 64 at 605 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C.
The vacate order is dated Feb. 13. According to the DOB (in their ALL-CAP STYLE):
AT VARIOUS EXPOSURES OF EDUCATIONAL FACILITY, ORNAMENTAL FACADE ELEMENTS ARE IN A STATE OF DISREPAIR WITH VISIBLE CRACKS, GAPS, AND DETERIORATION. THESE ORNAMENTAL ELEMENTS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FALL INTO THE STREET AND YARD. IN ADDITION, INTERIOR FIRE PROOFING ARE MISSING THEREBY EXPOSING STRUCTURAL STEEL MEMBERS. THESE CONDITIONS HAVE MADE THE ENTIRE BUILDING AND YARDS UNSAFE TO OCCUPY.
Developer Gregg Singer bought the property — the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center — from the city during an auction in 1998. The building has been empty for years. However, as Allegra Hobbs wrote in an article for the Times last June, Singer has an office on the premises.
Mr. Singer visits P.S. 64 about once a week. The only part of the building not falling apart, abandoned, graffitied or coated with pigeon droppings seems to be his modest office on the first floor, decorated with pristine renderings of “University Square” — a “new college living experience,” as the brochures claim, where students would enjoy a theater, a game room, yoga studios and other amenities.
Presumably the vacate order prevents Singer from entering.
The vacate order also came one week after emergency crews examined a large crack in the building's east-facing wall on 10th Street.
City inspectors eventually determined that the building was safe, but did issue a violation to Singer for failure to maintain the exterior facade for cracks observed on the corner of the building at the third floor, as Curbed reported.
Singer later told Curbed: "It’s all political. This is part of a concerted effort to put pressure on us. I was just at the building. There's definitely cracks — that we were already aware of — that will be pointed and repaired, but there’s no immediate danger."
Singer has wanted to turn the landmarked property into a dorm called University Square, which continues in a holding pattern while the DOB maintains a Stop Work Order — dating to August 2015 — on the building.
On Feb. 7, local elected officials gathered outside the building and urged the city to reclaim the property for community use.
Thursday, February 28, 2019
6 posts from February
[Photo on Broadway via Derek Berg]
A mini month in review...
After 50 years on the block, the Hells Angels appear to be selling their 3rd Street clubhouse (Feb. 22)
After the last call: East Village photographer captures bars at dawn (Feb. 14)
The lobbyists behind the air-rights transfer and zoning variance for 3 St. Mark's Place (Feb. 13)
Jerry's New York Central is closing on 4th Avenue (Feb. 11)
Jimmy Carbone on the long recovery ahead: "Starting each day is a challenge" (Feb. 6)
The Archdiocese of New York is shutting down the St. Brigid School on Avenue B and 7th Street (Feb. 5)
Report: Brant Foundation's Basquiat exhibit includes $110.5 million skull painting
To the Journal!
[Peter M.] Brant could have launched with a legacy show of his own trophy holdings, but he says the space’s proximity to Basquiat’s former stomping grounds compelled him to devote the opener to the neo-expressionist painter. Basquiat’s frenetic, poetic paintings of 1980s New York are getting more attention lately from both museums and the marketplace, with pieces selling at auction for as much as $110.5 million. That record-holder, an untitled skull painting from 1982 that’s owned by Japanese e-retailer Yusaku Maezawa, is in Brant’s show.
Other heavyweights include 1987’s Unbreakable, which has never been exhibited in New York, and 1983’s Hollywood Africans, which was lent by the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Half of the show’s roughly 70 pieces have also come directly from a Basquiat survey that recently drew nearly 680,000 visitors to Paris’s Louis Vuitton Foundation. These works will now be intermingled with 16 pieces from the Brant foundation as well as loans from other collectors like Dan Loeb, John Phelan, Eli Broad and Dimitri Mavrommatis.
The Foundation says 50,000 people have already signed up online to get free tickets. The show runs through May 15.
Meanwhile, Andrew Russeth at artNews has thoughts on all this...
A formidable new arts space opening in the East Village is cause for celebration. But what happens after the Basquiat show comes down? If the foundation becomes a repository for blue-chip art and big names, for showing off trophies acquired over a lifetime of collecting, that would be a painful development for the cultural life of this city. New York already has plenty of spaces to see such things. Instead, my hope — as I wrote back in 2014 — is that the Brant Foundation and its brethren will be willing to experiment, and to partner with other local organizations, serving as a forum for art and artists and ideas that have not been welcomed elsewhere.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Here's how to reserve free tickets for the Basquiat exhibit opening next month at the Brant Foundation on 6th Street
Q&A: How Cheska Mauban came to open her namesake pizzeria in The Bowery Market
All photos by Stacie Joy
On Jan. 16, Cheska Mauban, a Queens native and recent Babson College graduate, opened her namesake pizzeria in The Bowery Market.
Cheska's pizza has a gluten-free and vegan crust — one made from cauliflower and the other sweet potato. (Find her menu here.)
Several EVG readers had heard about how Mauban launched her small business, and shared the news of her entrepreneurial skills. I reached out to ask a few questions about starting the business, which involved spending months testing her recipes on friends and family.
How did Cheska's pizza come about? What were you doing as a career at the time?
I think it was a Saturday in March last year that I was sipping on an afternoon latte at my local coffee shop while reading Ina Yalof's "Food and the City," which is a compilation of short stories from anyone to everyone working in the New York City food scene, from The Halal Guys to James Beard chefs.
Growing up in NYC, I've always been fascinated with the dynamic food scene and like any New Yorker, I took full advantage of it and now I wanted to take a deeper behind-the-scenes look. Fortunately, for lunch that day, I bought a frozen cauliflower crust pizza from my local grocery store and threw it in the oven after dousing it with sauce and cheese.
So, while going from short story to the next, I kept thinking about my lunch and where I could get this healthier option without having to put it in the oven myself. I did some light research and couldn't find any options.
From here, my entrepreneurial juices started flowing, because I remembered that for the past two weeks I spoke with associates at the grocery store about re-stocking the cauliflower crust shelves because they were empty! Not only did I graduate from Babson College, the nation's top school for entrepreneurship, but I also currently worked at a financial technology startup that constantly challenged me to think creatively.
Piecing the puzzle together, I came to the conclusion that NYC needs a place to serve cauliflower crust pizzas for takeout. For the next couple of months, I spent my evenings and weekends running through 100 different recipes to nail down the perfect combination to maintain 1.5 servings of cauliflower, but to also make sure it can hold like a pizza.
For anyone who has ventured through this rabbit hole of making cauliflower crust at home... you know the struggle of admitting defeat to a mushy pizza. Along the way, I decided that there needed to be some variety, so after another 100 iterations, the sweet potato crust was created.
What kind of culinary background did you have?
Full disclosure — I had zero culinary training. But what made up for it were my countless meals across diverse cuisines throughout the five boroughs: my palette was at least well-trained.
However, I looked to a close college friend, Chris Quach, who's an aspiring chef with the Altamarea Group for some free advice on flavor profile and devising my menu.
For a few months, I held private tastings with family and friends and gathered feedback. From there, the crusts changed a bit more and so did the sauce. I also decided to offer a fully gluten-free menu, because I learned that no other pizzerias were strictly gluten-free. That decision was another avenue to show our community of health forward eaters that delicious food is possible for any person, no matter the dietary restriction.
Why did you decide on The Bowery Market to open your business?
We specifically chose The Bowery Market for two reasons. One, it's a charming open-air market with blossoming roses and it sits on the corner of an iconic street.
And two, the "cozy" — euphemism for "small" — kiosk allowed for a relatively easy build-out, which subsequently led to the quickest launch possible. This way, we can dive into proving the food concept even more and also ironing out all the business kinks. Because of my Babson education, I learned to adopt the mantra "fail fast."
There are [also] so many great family-run restaurant supply stores on the Bowery. Whenever we need anything it's a hop and skip away to some friendly faces who have it.
To date, what has been the most challenging part of launching your business? The most rewarding part?
This is the first time I'm ever starting my own restaurant and it's from a very clean slate. Even though I have tons of mentors, consultants, supporters and an awesome crew managing daily operations, I have no co-founders to divide the burden of responsibilities.
All the pressure sits on my shoulders, which is both the biggest challenge AND also the most rewarding part. On lonely days, it seems like no one else can possibly understand the struggle and anxiety I face with even the smallest decision of which plastic take-out bags to order. And on great days, the tiniest win of a customer explaining how our pizzas are perfect for his keto lifestyle and grabbing a menu for later, gives me a massive boost of energy and motivation.
What are your long-term plans for Cheska's?
The Bowery Market location is certainly just the beginning. Every day of operation is laying down one more brick in the foundation for a bigger vision of inspiring healthier habits through nutritious food all across New York and beyond. We're learning everything there is to learn about running a restaurant at a fast pace and when the weather turns, we'll assess where Cheska's second location will be.
In this business, we're also learning that nothing is set in stone and that we need to be nimble, so we have a repository of ideas that we keep from customer and mentor feedback. For example, customers have asked us if we sell my pizzas frozen and ready to pop in the oven themselves. It's a far ways out to think about doing that, but hey, you never know.
Love and resistance: Stonewall 50 programs at the Tompkins Square Library
[Photo via the NYPL]
In the coming months, the New York Public Library is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
Here's more about the Stonewall 50: "Through a major exhibition, a series of programs, book recommendations, and more, we invite you to learn more about the emergence of the modern LGBTQ movement, as well as culture, issues, and activism today."
The Tompkins Square Library branch, 331 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, is hosting five of the programs. (Each program has a link for registration at the top of its page.)
• March 14 at 6 p.m.: The Drag March & Other Tales of Glamour and Resistance: A Storytelling Workshop Join Heather Acs and the NYC Drag March for a storytelling workshop, and share your own experiences of LGBTQ life in the Village and LES.
• April 10 at 6 p.m.: SECOND WORKSHOP — The Drag March & Other Tales of Glamour and Resistance: A Storytelling Workshop. There is a separate registration for the second workshop.
• April 20 at 3 p.m.: Queer Black Films: "Looking for Langston" and Two Films by Hayat Hyatt. An intergenerational pairing of film and video works explores black queer inheritance and desire through Isaac Julien’s "Looking for Langston" and two films by Hayat Hyatt.
• May 8 at 6 p.m.: A Drag March Storyslam: Tales of Glamour and Resistance. Join a storytelling performance about the incredible history of the Drag March!
• June 8 at 3 p.m.: Reviving Assotto Saint's "New Love Song" (1989). A celebration of the life and work of Assotto Saint (1957-1994): poet, playwright, performer, editor, publisher, performer, caretaker and trouble-maker.
In 1989, Assato Saint’s multimedia theater piece "New Love Song" put black gay men on center stage in New York City, providing a space for storytelling, ritual, and healing. Join original cast members, collaborators, and friends as we reflect on the 30th anniversary of this undersung production and its "Forever Gay" creator.
145 2nd Ave., currently a Starbucks, is for lease
Marketing materials have been in circulation for 145 Second Ave., a retail space currently in use as a Starbucks at the corner of Ninth Street...
According to the listing via the Shopping Center Group, the price is "negotiable" and the possession is "arranged."
Last June, Starbucks announced that it would close 150 "poorly performing company-operated stores" in 2019, "mostly [in] urban areas that are densely populated with Starbucks locations," as CNN reported.
If this outpost does eventually close, then that makes the second local Starbucks in recents months to shutter. The Starbucks on Broadway at Ninth Street closed in early January.
Other EV outposts are located on First Avenue at 13th Street, First Avenue at Third Street and Avenue A at St. Mark's Place. The 23-year-old location on Astor Place received a major interior renovation last fall.
H/T Steven!
Desi Galli will be back open this evening on Avenue B
[Photo by Steven]Several alarmed EVG readers shared the news that Desi Galli was not open last evening on Avenue B. (H/T Tyler!) Two "seized" stickers from the State of New York were on the storefront.
However, owner PriaVanda Chouhan told me in an email last night that "the problem has been resolved." The quick-serve spot selling Indian street food at 172 Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street will be back open later today at 5.
The sibling of the well-regarded Desi Galli on Lexington Avenue and East 27th Street opened here in April 2016.
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Scenes from a 3rd Street construction zone
East Village-based illustrator Peter Arkle shared this streetscene today from Third Street at Avenue B...
Parting thoughts on the Sidewalk: 'grubby, unremarkable, and undeniably special'
[EVG photo from November]
Sidewalk Bar and Restaurant wrapped up its 34 years on Avenue A and Sixth Street on Saturday, as we first reported.
Over at Grub Street, Jason Diamond pens a closing ode to the familiar corner spot:
I hope this doesn’t sound mean, but Sidewalk Cafe was not very good. That’s what makes its closing such a bummer. The restaurant, bar, and live music venue ... was grubby, unremarkable, and undeniably special to those of us who spent weekends camped out at its outside tables slurping down frozen margaritas.
And...
Sidewalk was a quintessential New York City business because it was always there. That might sound like a slight, but think of all the things — and people — that come and go in New York. To live in this city for any real period of time is to feel bereaved at every corner, all of the time. We grieve for the friends that move to L.A., the places that close because the rent is too high or the guests are too few, and for the people we were when we first arrived.
Previously on EV Grieve:
New owners set to take over the 33-year-old Sidewalk Bar & Restaurant on Avenue A
The final days of Sidewalk
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