EVG reader Dan Scheffey took these photos earlier today... showing the ongoing demolition on the northeast corner of Third Avenue and St. Mark's Place... and subsequent road work...
Welcome to the neighborhood!
Thursday, May 2, 2019
Thursday's parting shots
EVG reader Dan Scheffey took these photos earlier today... showing the ongoing demolition on the northeast corner of Third Avenue and St. Mark's Place... and subsequent road work...
Welcome to the neighborhood!
Another good reason to close the store today
Earlier today, we noted that Army & Navy Bags over at 177 E. Houston St. between Orchard and Allen was closed today so the owner could attend his daughter's graduation.
Spark Pretty, the vintage clothing shop over at 333 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, also had a perfectly good reason to close up today... Cher is at the Barclays Center tonight ...
[Image via Instagram]
A visit to the Bhakti Center on 1st Avenue
Interview and photos by Stacie Joy
I walk by the Bhakti Center, 25 First Ave. near Second Street, all the time, especially on my way to and from the Second Avenue F stop, but I’d never ventured in before. I’d seen folks from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (sometimes colloquially referred to as Hare Krishnas) outside the building singing, chanting and dancing.
I was very curious about the space — it has ashrams, yoga and meditation spaces, at least one kitchen, a temple, a priest room and a rooftop deck among other spaces, including a ground floor Ayurvedic restaurant. I met with Syama Masla (director of yoga studies), who gave me a tour, and who also solicited the help of Jai Giridhari (director of meditation studies) in answering some of my questions about the Bhakti Center.
[Syama Masla]
There’s a lot going on — such as more familiar programming like yoga and meditation — on any given day. What are some of your offerings that people may not be aware of? How does the Center serve the community?
Outside of daily yoga and meditation classes, the Bhakti Center offers countless opportunities for all to join our community. Book clubs, kirtans [yogic chanting], and social initiatives like sacred ecology and end-of-life care services to name a few.
We offer community groups too. In these groups we provide a social and spiritual anchor for all faiths to come together and grow. One of the biggest problems in today’s society is social media, that we are connected via phones and disconnected in person. These groups help us to reconnect on a heart level!
[Vasudeva Das, Temple director]
What do you have to say to people new to the culture and practices of Bhakti yoga; people who may be too intimidated (or cynical!) to try it?
If you are looking for a spiritual home in NYC give the Bhakti Center a try. Whether you are someone who has no, little, or much spiritual faith...you are welcome here.
What is the Center’s relationship with Divya’s Kitchen on the ground floor, which New York magazine recently named one of the top-10 places in NYC to eat vegan food?
Divya and her husband Prentise are dear friends and community members of the Bhakti Center. We are grateful to have their wonderful and delicious restaurant on our ground floor. Divya’s Kitchen also runs a nonprofit ayurvedic cooking school out of the Bhakti Center called Bhagavat Life.
The neighborhood has changed quite a bit since Srila Prabhupada first brought the culture of bhakti to the West through kirtan in Tompkins Square Park. Does the East Village still seem like a spiritual home for you?
Yes, absolutely. The East Village is alive with open minded and adventurous people — the perfect type of people who appreciate the Bhakti Center.
What’s next for the Bhakti Center?
We plan to keep expanding our offerings to serve the community and beyond. Our programming is really starting to develop and each season we see rapid improvements in terms of the number of people coming through the center.
This summer we welcome back one of our spiritual inspirations Radhanath Swami for two full months! When he comes to town the atmosphere is always exciting.
[Dhyana Masla, left, director of community development, with her sister Syama]
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You can keep up with Bhakti Center on Facebook and Instagram.
Graduation Day
Army & Navy Bags over at 177 E. Houston St. between Orchard and Allen is closed today... for a very good reason, per the signage...
Closed to attend daughter's graduation!
I like this touch – a simple way to humanize a business. Of course, you never want to get too cutesy about such notes.
Anna returning to the East Village
Some positive small business news to share: Nearly two years after Anna left the neighborhood for Christopher Street in the West Village, the womenswear boutique is returning to the East Village this summer.
The Anna team made the announcement on Instagram this week...
Their new home looks to be the space recently vacated by So-Hair here just east of Second Avenue.
Designer Kathy Kemp first opened Anna in 1995 on Third Street near Avenue A. Anna relocated to 11th Street in 2012. Read more about Anna and Kemp in this Out and About feature from 2014.
A look at the all-new 101 E. 10th St.
[Photo by Steven]
A new for-lease sign went up yesterday at 101 E. 10th St., the now-taller residential building on the northeast corner of Third Avenue.
The newish building has been undergoing a four-story addition exterior renovation in recent years... it was only recently unveiled from behind the sidewalk bridge and construction netting...
The helpful arrows highlight the new portion of the building...
The new units are on the market for starting at $4,500 (one bedroom) to $10,000 for the two-bedroom penthouse with private terrace, per the listings.
A little recent history of the corner... the building was converted into luxury rentals in 2015 ...
[November 2015]
SVA used the sixth-floor building as a dorm until the spring of 2014.
Prior to construction of the dorm, the address housed Bendiner & Schlesinger blood labs, which was demolished in 2005.
A Town Hall to discuss the future of the neighborhood's former religious properties
[The former Church of the Nativity on 2nd Avenue]
The Cooper Square Community Land Trust has organized a Town Hall for Monday night at Cooper Union (details below) to discuss potential future opportunities for former religious properties in the neighborhood.
As previously reported, the Land Trust had explored buying the former Church of the Nativity on Second Avenue to use as low-income housing. However, the Archdiocese of New York reportedly didn't seem too keen on that idea, perhaps intent on garnering top dollar for the prime real estate for luxury housing between Second Street and Third Street.
In early April, Catholic Homes New York, the affordable housing unit of Catholic Charities and the Archdiocese of New York, announced plans to redevelop several existing properties to provide 2,000 affordable units in NYC over the next 10 years. Not on the affordable-housing list: Church of the Nativity and the Church of Saint Emeric on 13th Street near Avenue D.
Here are more details about Monday's Town Hall via the EVG inbox...
The community is extremely concerned about the losses of religious properties, as well as the redevelopment of these buildings into luxury housing which has led to the severe displacement of our senior and working-class neighborhoods and communities of color.
“We recognize the good that religious institutions do for our community, but these institutions also have a moral obligation to avoid doing social harm,” said Valerio Orselli, project director of the Cooper Square Community Land Trust.
The agenda will include a brief presentation that is based on a recent international conference in Rome titled, “Doesn’t God Live Here Anymore?” It will answer the questions of just what is the appropriate re-use of closed or at risk religious-owned properties and who is to be involved in making the decision.
A focal point of the discussion will be the Church of the Nativity, which is closely identified with Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement and candidate for canonization by the Catholic Church.
Joanne Kennedy from The Catholic Worker said, “We are disheartened by the unnatural inflation of Manhattan’s property values but hopeful that Nativity will be developed into low-income housing that would be consistent with both Dorothy Day’s and the Archdiocese’s mission of social justice.”
The Case for Community Land Trusts, the final segment, will enhance the necessity for land trusts and also emphasize the Town Hall Meeting’s goal: to advance toward a new, transparent relationship between communities and religious institutions.
The Town Hall is set for Monday (May 6) at 7 p.m. in the Rose Auditorium at Cooper Union, 41 Cooper Square at Seventh Street.
The meeting is sponsored by the Cooper Square Community Land Trust, Community Board 3, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, City Council members Carlina Rivera and Margaret Chin, Habitat for Humanity, Cooper Square Committee, and several other political representatives and organizations.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Residences rising from the former Mary Help of Christians lot will now be market-rate condos
Looking at the Church of Saint Emeric on East 13th Street
From St. Emeric's to St. Brigid's
Educator: Turning the former Church of the Nativity into luxury housing would be a 'sordid use' of the property
The fight to keep Church of the Nativity from becoming luxury housing
Report: Archdiocese of New York announces affordable-housing projects; fate of 2 East Village churches unknown
Avenida Cantina is now Eastpoint on Avenue B
Avenida Cantina is in the final stages of a renovation/rebrand over at 25 Avenue B.
Several tipsters yesterday shared photos of the newly painted marquee for Eastpoint.
In an email from March, management said that they would be changing names in the near future: "Still doing Tex-Mex, however slightly more elevated."
More elevated might appeal to the writers at The Infatuation, who once filed one of the more scathing reviews about Avenida Cantina ...
At a real Tex-Mex place, tortillas are soft, fluffy vehicles for taco nirvana. At Avenida Cantina, tortillas are dry, except for the spots where they’re wet, presumably because someone tried the flick-it-with-water-then-nuke-it trick. Or because they dropped them in the sink. At a real Tex-Mex place, the refried beans should taste like fat, salt, and glory. At Avenida Cantina, they look like a poop emoji and taste much less cute.
Avenida Cantina opened in January 2016 ... after several dubious concepts under different ownership at the address, including Matty's, Station B and Billy Hurricane's.
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Wednesday's parting shot
The 19th annual Mai-Fest at Zum Schneider, Avenue C at Seventh Street... thanks to Aaron Wilson for the photo...
EVG Etc.: Homeless in NYC shelters hits record high; lead dust issues persist
[Vinny & O check out the newly paved 1st Avenue]
Coalition For The Homeless gives failing grades to city, state government, says shelter population will grow by 5,000 by 2022 (CBS2 ... amNY)
Another East Village building, at 332 E. Fourth St., found to have elevated lead levels during renovations (Curbed)
Commuter says riding the M14D "is a dehumanizing disaster" (Streetsblog)
About the DOB's Quality of Life unit (Town & Village)
Renovations afoot for the Bijou, "one of the East Village’s best-kept secrets until it closed a week ago" (B+B)
Highlights from the May CB3 calendar (The Lo-Down)
Sutton not impress by the grilled pizza at Violet (Eater)
Alex checks out the Museum of Art & Design’s “Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die” retrospective of punk graphics (Flaming Pablum)
Another look at Cha-An Bonbon, opening today on Ninth Street (Gothamist... previously on EVG)
Random recommendation: Bi Gan's "Long Day’s Journey Into Night" at the Metrograph (Official site)
Confirmed: At least 2 chicks for red-tailed hawks Amelia and Christo in Tompkins Square Park
[Photo by Goggla]
Good news from Goggla yesterday evening: "Looks like Amelia and Christo have at least two chicks! Hoping for a third, but we'll have to wait and see..."
Head over to Goggla's site for more photos and info on this brood of chicks.
And my previous post here has more background on the resident red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park.
Demolition nearing for the northeast corner of 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place
Workers yesterday started erecting the sidewalk bridge around the northeast corner of Third Avenue and St. Mark's Place, marking the next phase of demolition. (H/T Steven, Nick Solares and @unitof!)
Until yesterday, the prep work was going on inside the vacant assemblage of buildings — 3 St. Mark’s Place, 23 and 25-27 Third Avenue. This has been a long time coming: Permits were filed in March 2018 to tear down the existing structures to make way for an office building with ground-floor retail.
[Photo yesterday afternoon by Steven]
The size of this new building has yet to be determined. As previously reported, Real Estate Equities Corporation (REEC) wants to transfer the air rights from the landmarked Hamilton-Holly House at 4 St. Mark's Place to add more floors and square footage to their office building.
REEC has already filed permits (last October) for an as-of-right five-story, 29,030-square-foot building on the corner. If the air rights deal is ultimately OK'd, then the Morris Adjimi-designed building at 3 St. Mark's Place would rise to 10 stories.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission heard the application to transfer the air rights back on April 9. In the end, they asked REEC and Adjimi to return with some modifications.
REEC picked up the 99-year leasehold for the properties — housing McDonald's, the Continental, Korilla BBQ and Papaya King, among others — for nearly $150 million in November 2017. The corner assemblage is owned by the Gabay family.
Meanwhile, the once-completed sidewalk bridge should make for a popular hangout this coming summer.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Demolition permits filed for northeast corner of 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place
End is nearing for the businesses on the northeast corner of 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place
New building plans revealed for 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place
Concern over potential air-rights transfer for new office building on St. Mark's Place and 3rd Avenue
Developers of 3 St. Mark's Place are looking to increase the size of their proposed office building at 3rd Avenue to 10 floors with air-rights deal
The lobbyists behind the air-rights transfer and zoning variance for 3 St. Mark's Place
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