2nd acts: Sushi counter for the former Amato Opera on the Bowery

The former Amato Opera building at 319 Bowery may finally have its first (full-time) retail business...



Reps for Kissaki Omakase will appear before CB3's SLA committee on Sept. 16 for a full liquor license for the space...



One of the applicants was an executive chef/partner at Gaijin in Astoria. Plans here call for a sushi counter with proposed hours of noon to midnight Sunday through Thursday, with a 1 a.m. close Friday and Saturday. (Find more details via their online questionnaire.)

In January 2009, Anthony Amato, the company's 88-year-old founder, announced that he had sold the building that was home to the opera since 1964. Amato Opera staged its last performance in May 2009. (Earlier history: The four-story brick building was a cigar factory from 1899 to 1926.)

Steve Croman bought the building in December 2008 for $3.7 million. The retail space had been on and off the market since at least 2012. It was once pitched like this, circa 2012...



The retail listing had originally asked $34,995. A post on @TradedNY noted the 1,800-square-foot space went for $200 per square foot.

No. 319 also features three luxury residences, with monthly rents between $8,995 and $10,995.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Life after the Amato Opera

Costume drama on the Bowery as the Amato Opera empties out

Amato Opera looks to be getting an encore as city OKs residential use

Work permits arrive at the former Amato Opera on the Bowery

Residential rentals at the former Amato Opera on the Bowery start at $10,995

Frisson Espresso has closed on 3rd Avenue

After 20 months in business, Frisson Espresso has closed on the west side of Third Avenue between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

A sign on the door thanks customers... and notes that Frisson's West 47th Street location remains open...



On one hand, this appears to be a potentially prosperous spot for coffee given the proximity to many college students (NYU and Cooper Union have dorms across the Avenue) ... on the other hand, there is a lot of competition right around here, including (but not limited to!) the Bean and City of Saints Coffee Roasters.

In recent years, we've seen Pushcart Coffee on Third Avenue at 12th Street in NYU's Third North dorm close ... as well as Wayside and Greekito on 12th Street at Third Avenue and Starbucks on Ninth Street and Broadway and Ninth Street and Second Avenue.

One big factor: Frisson opened here in January 2018. And the storefront-obscuring sidewalk bridge that surrounds the residential building (The St. Mark at 115 E. Ninth St.) has been up that entire time.

Now the Basics Plus on University Place is closing

Store closing signs are now in the windows at the Basics Plus on University Place at 13th Street. (Thanks to EVG reader Doug for the above photo!)

The signage directs future patrons to visit the East Village BP on Third Avenue at 12th Street (seen below)...


[Photo from this past weekend]

As you'll recall, back in March, the Basics Plus on Third Avenue announced that they were closing. At that time, customers were directed to shop at the University Place outpost...


[Photo from March by Steven]

However, closer to their announced April 29 closing date, the housewares store changed plans, and downsized their square footage at the Third Avenue location.

Who knows what might happen next with Basics Plus, which opened in the East Village in August 2014.

The Basics Plus website lists eight NYC locations.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Basics Plus apparently not closing on 3rd Avenue after all

The Alley now in soft-open bubble tea mode on Cooper Square

The Alley debuted on Sunday at 68 Cooper Square (across from Cooper Union). As previously noted, this is the first NYC location for the growing Taiwanese bubble tea chain.

After a few days of a soft opening, the Alley will be full time starting on Saturday.



As Eater previously reported on the Alley:

With the aid of social media, Alley’s Instagrammable sweet drinks and decor have attracted fervent milk tea lovers to line up for hours for a sip of tea whenever a new store opens. Chinese people coin tea shops like the Alley as the “internet celebrity tea,” meaning the tea goes viral overnight on social media, like internet celebrities.

In the upcoming New York Alley, customers can pick a drink from a menu of two dozens teas that range from bubble tea to fruit tea. “Brown sugar deerioca” — the brand’s logo is a deer head — is a signature milk-based sweet drink with no tea in it. Alley’s other popular drinks are made of fresh milk and local black or green tea. The tapioca pearls, or what the Alley calls deerioca, are made by the restaurant.

Speaking of lines, EVG reader Sheila shared this photo from Sunday... she counted about 40 people waiting to enter...

Report: Man arrested for attempting to kidnap 5-year-old boy outside Katz's

The Post is reporting that a man was arrested after allegedly grabbing a 5-year-old boy on the sidewalk outside Katz's early yesterday morning.

There aren't many details at the moment. Per the Post:

Eric Visa, 46, approached the child as he was walking outside the famous Lower East Side eatery with his family shortly after midnight, according to law enforcement sources.

The creep, who was wearing a top hat, grabbed the boy and walked away before the mother noticed and chased him down, the sources said.

Visa was tracked down by police and arrested at about 3 a.m. He was charged with attempted kidnapping.

The Citizen app listed the address as 164 Ludlow St., which is near Stanton Street...

Feast your eyes on this

That time of year already... the Feast of San Gennaro signage arrived back on Friday on Houston at Mulberry... the Feast takes place Sept. 12-22 this year.

New for the 2019 edition: a zeppole-eating contest. Per The Wall Street Journal (my go-to source for competitive-eating articles!):

The stuff-your-face affair, which is set for Sept. 18 at the midway point of the 11-day festival, is a natural fit for San Gennaro, said Danny Fratta, a longtime zeppole vendor who is organizing the event. In fact, the zeppole contest joins meatball and cannoli eating competitions already established at the festival.

A warning about sitting on these tree guard railings on 5th Street

An update on the ongoing campaign to keep people and squirrels from upsetting the eco-system of this planter on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

The Urban Tree Guard Etiquette Sign asks that people refrain from sitting on the tree guard railings ... because the tree guards are coated with grease to keep squirrels from digging in the planters.

In response, someone placed a "More Humanity Towards [sic] Animals" sticker on the sign...



It's not immediately clear if the sticker is in direct response to the sign... or perhaps just randomly placed. (A "More Humanity Toward Pants" sticker might be appropriate. Grease stains are tough, though not impossible, to remove.)

As previously reported, this tree guard is within the East Fifth St. Tree Committee boundaries.

Week in Grieview

[A view of 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place]

Posts this past week included...

Welcoming baby Luna (Thursday)

No winners yet in Tompkins Square Park synthetic turf battle (Tuesday)

Book Club makes it official on 3rd Street (Monday)

Another driver wedges car on the bike lane adjacent to the FDR (Thursday)

This week's NY See (Saturday)

The Marshal has seized Savor Por Favor on 2nd Avenue (Monday)

The McDonald's on 1st Avenue is back in McAction (Monday)

The former DeRobertis building on 1st Avenue is now the Slater, where the penthouse is $15k (Thursday)

Niconeco Zakkaya debuts on 10th Street (Thursday)

Check in: Moxy East Village closer to opening (Monday)

Brasserie Saint Marc — still coming soon to 2nd Avenue (Tuesday)

The disappearing northeast corner of 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place (Wednesday)

Brooklyn's the Modern Chemist opening an outpost on East Houston (Wednesday)

The former Bruno Pizza space is for rent on 13th Street (Tuesday)

Boticarios has apparently closed on 1st Street (Monday)

The totem of Broadway (Tuesday)

Broadway Apothecary coming to the old Milk and Hops spot on Broadway (Monday)

First Lamb Shabu is (finally) open on 14th Street (Monday)

Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea signage arrives on St. Mark's Place (Wednesday)

An LES coffee casualty (Wednesday)

... early Monday morning, someone spray painted DB (a David Berman tribute?) along the Con Ed substation on Avenue A from Sixth Street to Fifth Street...





Also on Avenue A: the cowboy is back (again) here between Third Street and Fourth Street...



Last weekend, the artist removed her "Call Me By Your Name" Braille mural that went up for Pride Month...


[Photo by Vinny & O]

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Sunday outside the former Sidewalk

Here's a look today at part of the former Sidewalk space on Avenue A at Sixth Street.

Interior work continues for a new bar-restaurant, as we've been reporting.

The Sidewalk, with a long-standing open-mic night, closed in February after 32-plus years in business. The owner was ready to retire and move on.

A live music element was expected to continue when the next place opens, but most details haven't been made public. Laura Saniuk-Heinig, one of the restaurant space's new co-owners, did not respond to our previous email seeking more information about the new venture.

Meanwhile, as the top photo shows, the corner space continues to attract a variety of tags and wheatpaste art ... including one of Sally Long Dog...

View this post on Instagram

A new Sally and Harry mural by @earlyrisernyc is up! Check it out, just don’t pee on it! #myblock #calledit #peerightsreserved Location: 6th Street and Avenue A

A post shared by Sally Long Dog 🐾 (@sallylongdog) on Aug 25, 2019 at 2:01pm PDT

Updated 9/2

Some company for Sally Long Dog (via @earlyrisernyc) ...



Previously on EV Grieve:
The building housing the former Sidewalk sells on Avenue A

New owners set to take over the 33-year-old Sidewalk Bar & Restaurant on Avenue A

1-floor expansion planned for Avenue A building that housed the Sidewalk

Saturday's parting shot

Moving day on St. Mark's Place... photo by Vinny & O

6 posts from August

[A hug for the Hare Krishna tree via Steven]

A mini month in review...

Welcoming baby Luna (Aug. 29)

I Am a Rent-Stabilized Tenant (Aug. 14)

Car making U-turn strikes woman on Avenue B sidewalk (Aug. 12)

Time capsules: The Gap of St. Mark's Place (Aug. 8)

The Sunshine is gone, and an empty lot awaits a 9-story office building (Aug. 7)

The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black in Tompkins Square Park (Aug. 5)

Grant Shaffer's NY See

Here's the latest NY See panel, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood.