With a new menu, Little Tong dropping the Noodle Shop on 1st Avenue

[Photo Monday by Steven]

After a little more than two years on First Avenue at 11th Street, the well-regarded Little Tong Noodle Shop is undergoing a concept shift highlighted by a new menu and name, now officially going as Little Tong.

For the past two years, chef-owner Simone Tong specialized in mixian — a long, round rice noodle from China's Yunnan province.

And now, via the EVG inbox...

With the new menu (as of May 9) and concept, Chef Tong hopes to bring together traditional flavors with modern techniques and local ingredients to create dishes that continue to usher in the new era of regional Chinese cuisine in New York City ...

The new menu [has] a greater emphasis on shared plates and composed dishes showcasing market ingredients. Highlights from the first iteration of the menu include:

• Stir-Fried Fiddlehead Ferns and Guoba with pickled ramps, dan dan pork and crispy rice

• Macao Night Market Clams with Canto sausage, enoki, zucchini, and mala douban (fermented chili-bean sauce)

• Tieban Miyazaki A5 Wagyu with Yunnan salsa verde, alderwood sabayon and crispy herbs

• Tea-Smoked Duck Breast with XO fried rice, salted duck yolk and apricot sauce

As part of this evolution, the restaurant will drop "Noodle Shop" from its name (the Midtown East outpost, which opened last summer, will remain known as Little Tong Noodle Shop), but a handful of fan-favorite mixian dishes – including the Grandma Chicken and Chef’s Beef Shank versions – will remain on the menu.

Tong will also open Silver Apricot, an upscale Chinese-inspired restaurant in the West Village, later this summer.

Previously on EVG:
Little Tong Noodle Shop taking the former Schnitz space on 1st Avenue

Steiner East Village retail watch on Avenue A

With the news yesterday that Trader Joe's is officially coming to 432 E. 14th St. at Avenue A, several readers asked about the status of that large retail space in the base of Steiner East Village on Avenue A between 11th Street and 12th Street...



There's still an active listing for the 11,000-plus square feet of space...



The for-rent signs have been up outside the luxury condoplex — on the site of the former Mary Help of Christians church and school — since February 2018.

The idyllic rendering at the Steiner East Village website shows what looks like a restaurant/wine bar in the corner space on 11th Street along with some smaller shops.



We recently heard a Whole Foods rumor via an EVG reader, though there's currently not any evidence to support that claim.

See the U.S. debut of 'Room 37: The Mysterious Death of Johnny Thunders' at Theatre 80

"Room 37: The Mysterious Death of Johnny Thunders" — a "supernatural horror-thriller" written and directed by brothers Vicente and Fernando Cordero Caballero — makes its U.S. theatrical debut Friday night at Theatre 80 on St. Mark's Place.

Here's a description of the film — "based on true events" — via IMDB:

Famed rock and roll guitarist Johnny Thunders arrives in New Orleans to get his life together after a toll of hardships, but instead falls into a dark journey and trail of events that are based on his real life unexplained mysterious death.

And the trailer...



The film starts at 8 at Theatre 80, 80 St. Mark's Place just west of First Avenue. Find pre-sale tickers here.

Thunders, aka John Anthony Genzale, Jr., was a New York Doll, and later a Heartbreaker who lived for awhile in the East Village. He died in April 1991 at age 38.

Trader Joe's finally confirms that a Trader Joe's is opening on 14th Street at Avenue A

Trader's Joe's has added 432 E. 14th St. to its list of store openings (H/T to the commenter who shared this!) ... officially confirming what was pretty well-known already...



In early February, an EVG reader spotted equipment marked Trader Joe's being moved into the retail space in the retail complex of the residential building called EVE here just west of Avenue A.

This confirmation arrives nearly two years since we first heard of a TJ's opening at this location. In May 2017, The Real Deal, citing anonymous sources, reported that Trader Joe's "quietly signed a lease about two months ago with Mack Real Estate and Benenson Capital Partners ... for 8,531 square on the ground floor and 14,170 square feet on the lower level."

However, there wasn't much else mentioned about this possible new TJ's location (aside from some TJ clerk gossip that it wasn't happening) in the ensuing months-years. Finally, in a preview of EVE last August, City Realty noted: "To the delight of residents and neighbors, Trader Joe’s is the building’s retail tenant."

Last October, I asked a Trader Joe's media rep at the national office if they were opening a store here. The response: "Unfortunately, we do not have any current plans for a store at that location."

Nevermind that TJ's was mentioned in the "East Village Life" section that lists nearby restaurants and stores. Per the EVE site: "Although with a Trader Joe’s in the building, you may not need to go too far."

Trader Joe's is reportedly tight-lipped about its operations ... which apparently includes not disclosing information about new locations, and likes to have store buildout details worked out before announcing a target opening date, as the Lo-Down has noted.

From the look of it, the retail space at EVE still has plenty of work left before it's retail ready.



The store is also right in the middle of the L-train slowdown-repair zone...



... the new L-train entrance on Avenue A will be almost right outside the TJ's front door...



As previously noted, it will be curious to see what impact this might have on the Associated directly across the street as well as the food-heavy Target a few hundred feet to the east.

TJ's is opening on the site of the onetime Peter Stuyvesant Post Office (1951-2014).

Previously on EV Grieve:
UPDATED: Did you hear the rumor about the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office branch closing?

Former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office slated to be demolished

The former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office will yield to an 8-story residential building

All about EVE, the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office-replacing rentals on 14th Street

Claim: A Trader Joe's won't be coming to new development at 14th and A after all

Trader Joe's: No current plans for grocery at 432-438 E. 14th St.

Looks like there's a Trader Joe's coming to 432-438 E. 14th St. after all

Update on the affordable housing planned for 204 Avenue A and 535 E. 12th St.

[204 Avenue A]

Tonight, CB3's Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee will hear an update (background here) on the two long-empty, city-owned properties at 204 Avenue A and 535 E. 12th St.


[File photo of 535 E. 12th St.]

Seems like a good time to provide a recap here too.

In December, the City Planning Commission heard an application that would allow for the demolition of the existing buildings and the development of 10 co-operative units for fixed-income housing at No. 204 between 12th Street and 13th Street, and 11 one-bedroom rental units at No. 535 between Avenue A and Avenue B.

The proposal calls an additional three floors (from 4 to 7) at No. 204, and one additional floor (from 5 to 6) at No. 535.

The new building permits were filed with the city for No. 204 on March 14 and for No. 535 on March 15.

CityLand, published by the Center for NYC Law, wrote about the plans for the addresses in December.

To facilitate the proposed development, the applicant team requested approval for the disposition of the City-owned lots and designation and approval of the lots as an Urban Development Action Area Project.

Both buildings, part of the HPD’s Tenant Interim Lease Program, have been vacant (save for squatters on 12th Street) since 2008. "Due to deteriorating structural conditions," tenants from both buildings were relocated at that time.

The former tenants of each building will be able to purchase the co-op units in the newly constructed building at No. 204, which would include ground-floor retail. Meanwhile, the all-new No. 535's one-bedroom rentals "will be a middle-income rental building with an income restriction at 130 percent AMI."

And details about all this via CityLand:

The project was proposed as an Affordable Neighborhood Cooperative Program (ANCP) project. ANCP is an HPD program where developers are selected to rehabilitate distressed City-owned properties managed by the Tenant Interim Lease Program, in order to create affordable cooperatives for low- and moderate-income households. Under the program, developers receive low interest loans in the form of City Capital subsidy, in addition to construction and permanent financing sources provided by private institutional lenders and New York State Affordable Housing Corporation programs.

As an Affordable Neighborhood Cooperative Program project, following the construction loan closing, the 204 Avenue A building will be conveyed to a Housing Development Fund Corporation cooperative with unit purchase requirements, income restrictions, and resale requirements. The projected maintenance for the cooperative is expected at 40 percent AMI.

In addition, although the entire building will be affordable, two of the units are going to be permanently affordable as required by the Inclusionary Housing Designated Area bonus, which gives an applicant a higher residential Floor Area Ratio in return for 20 percent of residential units being designated as permanently affordable.

CB3 and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer have already signed off on this project.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Affordable housing planned for city-owned buildings at 204 Avenue A and 535 E. 12th St.

Emergency generator work underway at the Riis Houses on Avenue D

From the EVG inbox, a reader shares these photos from outside the Jacob Riis Houses along Avenue D... in case you saw this and wondered what was happening.

When asked, the workers said that this pavilion was for a backup power generator...



This is only but one of the upgrades planned for the Riis Houses in the years ahead. Back in December, WDF Inc. was granted a contract in excess of $71 million by the New York City Housing Authority for the Sandy Recovery Program Restoration.

According to a release announcing the contract:

The project scope of work includes both restoration and infrastructure improvements to the Jacob Riis Housing complex, which consists of 12 buildings spread over a three city block footprint. Upgrades include new emergency generators, electrical distribution equipment and gas services to the buildings. New flood elimination upgrades include deployable dry flood-proofing elements, waterproofing of structures, waterproof architectural finishes and upgrades to sewer/storm management systems.

Exterior upgrades include new roadways, sidewalks, green spaces and pedestrian lighting. Architectural improvements include the rehabilitation of building entrances, lobbies and storm damaged portions of all twelve buildings. Work on the project is expected to commence in the summer of 2019 with substantial completion anticipated by mid-2022.

In total, 210 NYCHA buildings are expected to be powered by permanent, full-load generators in case of outages.

54-56 3rd Ave. is for sale, and there are air rights

[Image via Halstead]

The three-story building at 54-56 Third Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street has arrived on the sales market.

Halstead has the listing:

The building has a 31.5-foot wide front and great existing as well as future solid income. There is over 13,500 sq ft of unused FAR, which gives tremendous opportunity for new development.

Well-built as a solid structure in red brick in 1901, it is updated with separate gas meters. The ground floor at 2,650 SF is a well-established and very busy Japanese's restaurant [Kotobuki] with a large basement. The second floor has 2,000 SF with a terrace, and the third floor has 2,000 SF with roof deck use.

Price: $15.5 million.

This is the latest building along this corridor to get listed. Last August, Investor Ari Zagdanski’s Kinsmen Property Group bought 62 and 64 Third Ave. at 11th Street for a reported $23 million.

Zagdanski told the Commercial Observer that he didn't have any immediate plans to redevelop the residential buildings, but said he was drawn to the neighborhood because of its new developments, including the nearby Moxy East Village around the corner on 11th Street.

The 13-story, 285-room hotel from the Marriott brand is expected to open this October.

Keeping up with the Joneses: Gabriel Stulman confirms plans for former Great Jones Cafe

[Photo from April 27]

As we've been reporting, restaurateur Gabriel Stulman is aiming to take over the former Great Jones Cafe on Great Jones Street west of the Bowery.

His reps appeared before Community Board 2 in March, earning an approval for a "seafood focused neighborhood restaurant" with a raw bar, according the official minutes of the CB2 full board meeting.

Per the minutes, the premises will have eight tables with 24 seats and one bar with nine seats for total interior seating of 33, with a 75-square-foot sidewalk café with three tables and six seats. Additionally, the approved hours of operation are 4 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Wednesday; until 1 a.m. Thursday through Sunday.

In an Instagram post on Monday morning, Stulman officially announced that the new venture will go by The Jones...

View this post on Instagram

I am thrilled to share the news of our next restaurant @the_jonesnyc // We are excited to be a part of the amazing culture of the NoHo neighborhood and community. We are grateful to be the stewards of this historic address of the famed Great Jones Cafe. We hope you will welcome us with open arms. We look forward to feeding you, laughing with you and sharing hugs and high fives in the years to come. What a block to be a part of!!! What an address to call home! Can’t wait!!!! #happycooking #neighborhood #restaurant #noho

A post shared by Gabriel Stulman (@gabestulman) on May 13, 2019 at 8:42am PDT

Stulman, under his Happy Cooking Hospitality, operates a handful of West Village establishments, including Joseph Leonard, Jeffrey's Grocery, Fedora, Fairfax and Bar Sardine. He's been part of the fauxstalgia wave.

No word on an opening date just yet.

Great Jones Cafe never reopened after Jim Moffett, the longtime owner, died last July at age 59. The Cafe, a popular yet low-key spot, first arrived in 1983.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Elvis has left Great Jones; 'seafood focused neighborhood restaurant' coming soon

RIP Jim Moffett, owner of the Great Jones Cafe

New owners vying for the Great Jones Cafe space

[Updated] The future of the former Great Jones Cafe

CB2 SLA committee OKs license for new ownership of Great Jones Cafe

'The First Time I Saw The Ramones' at 72 Gallery

There's another Ramones-related exhibit opening at 72 Gallery.

Here's what to expect at "The First Time I saw the Ramones," a solo show by Tom Hearn:

The exhibition showcases photography from the very early New York Punk scene and explores how your life can be changed when you find the band that defines your youth.

The show chronicles the night of July 22 1976 when Hearn was asked by his friend Legs McNeil to see the Ramones play at the Arcadia Ballroom in New Haven.

The opening reception is Thursday night from 6-9 at the The Great Frog, 72 Orchard St. between Broome and Grand. After tonight, you can check out the exhibit from noon to 8 p.m Tuesday through Sunday until June 6.

The folks behind The Great Frog created the gallery space in their rock 'n' roll ring shop and boutique.

View this post on Instagram

Giant Joey is on his way to the lower east side NYC #72gallery #tomhearnphoto #greatfroglondon

A post shared by Tom Hearn (@tom_hearn_photo) on May 10, 2019 at 8:54am PDT

This afternoon in squirrel photos

From Tompkins Square Park today, riachung00 shares this photo of a (the?) blond-tailed squirrel...



... one of the elusive members of the Park's wildlife, a group that includes the black crowned night heron and opossum (and I don't know what happened to the oppossum).

EVG Etc.: Fall return for the pedal-assist Citi Bikes; Baby hawk watch in Tompkins Square Park

[Window shopping at Trash & Vaudeville on 7th Street]

Rent reform explainer (Curbed)

The pedal-assist Citi Bikes won't return until the fall (Streetsblog)

A feature on Avenues for Justice, an East Village-based court advocacy program dedicated to rescuing New Yorkers in their teens and early 20s (amNY)

This upcoming walking tour highlights the early years of the gay rights movement in the East Village (Daily News)

Watching the baby red-tailed hawks in Tompkins Square Park (Laura Goggin Photography)

Allure Group has until 2022 to open new LES health facility (Crain's)

RIP Wholesale District (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

And if it's Tuesday, then it's Soup Night at Ciao for Now, 523 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B...

View this post on Instagram

That’s right soup night six hours 22minutes 39 seconds

A post shared by Ciao For Now (@ciaofornowny) on May 14, 2019 at 7:38am PDT

The all-new Essex Market debuts in its new Essex Crossing home

[Photo yesterday via EVG reader Ann Marie Duross]

The all-new Essex Market officially opened yesterday (after a weekend sneak preview) in its new state-of-the-art home at Essex Crossing ... across the street from its location of nearly 80 years.

There was a ribbon cutting and all that...

View this post on Instagram

✂️🎀 Official Grand Opening ribbon cutting complete (with giant scissors, of course). Now...let’s eat!😎 #essexmarketnyc #wecrosseddelancey #marketsmattermost #openforyourbusiness Monday - Saturday, 8am to 8pm with select vendors serving at 10am and open as late as 10pm; Sunday, 10am - 6pm.

A post shared by Essex Market (@essexmarket) on May 13, 2019 at 2:24pm PDT

In total, the new Essex Market features 37 vendors, including the 21 from the previous space.

There are previews galore around the webs ... you can find coverage at Curbed ... Untapped Cities ... Eater ... Time Out ... the Lo-Down ... amNY ... and Bowery Boogie.

And here are the list of vendors (via H/T Eater!):

Prepared Foods
Peasant Stock
Davidovich Bakery
Cafe d’Avignon
Ni Japanese Deli
Nordic Preserves, Fish & Wildlife Co.
Arancini Bros.
Puebla Mexican Food
Dominican Cravings
Shopsin’s
Samesa
Don Ceviche
Eat Gai
Mille Nonne
Heros & Villains
Zerza

Grocery
Essex Farm Fruits & Vegetables
Luna Brothers Fruit Plaza
Viva Fruits & Vegetables
Luis Meat Market
New Star Fish Market
Essex Shambles

Specialty
Porto Rico Importing Co.
Formaggio Essex
Essex Olive & Spice
Top Hops Beer Shop
Valley Shepherd Creamery
Riverdel
Josephine’s Feast
Sugar Sweet Sunshine
Flower Power
L.E.S. Ice Cream Factory
Roni Sue’s Chocolates

The new Essex Market will also include two full-service restaurants. Later this year, Roni Mazumdar, whose résumé includes the Indian restaurants Rahi and Adda, will bring Dhamaka to the space.

The new Essex market is at the southeast corner of Essex and Delancey.

The market is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

The old Essex Crossing shut its door on May 5 — that structure will eventually be razed for a high-rise residential building.