The latest at East River Park: night work at Delancey; passive lawn set to debut

According to the weekly construction bulletin, night work begins in East River Park at Delancey. 

The work is scheduled to take place between 3 p.m. and midnight for the next four weeks: "Construction operations necessitate extended work hours to dismantle the park-side ramp of the Delancey Street Pedestrian Bridge. Noise and air monitors will be in place prior to the start of these activities," the bulletin states.

The Delancey Street pedestrian has been closed since early December. The arrow in this photo shows where the demolition will be taking place... 

This won't be the first time for nighttime construction/demolition in East River Park as part of the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency project. Work went around the clock on a weekend in December — also in defiance of a Temporary Restraining Order. (There wasn't any mention of late-night work in that week's construction bulletin for residents.)

Meanwhile, weather permitting, the "passive lawn" south of the now-gutted amphitheater is expected to open this week in the former compost area. Residents will access this section via the Corlears Hook Pedestrian Bridge, where passengers access the ferry.

Here are two views of the passive lawn, as seen on Saturday...

... the city even left a few trees for this space...

Updated: A reader said the passive lawn opened last week. (There doesn't appear to be any signage for it — at least I didn't see any.) And there are puddles of water on the lawn because there isn't any drainage...

Also, from Saturday ... here's the scorched-earth site of the former amphitheater... (click on the images for a bigger view)... 

The city is to replace the now-demolished structure, which dated to 1941, with a smaller one at the exact location. In June, the city came up with $4.83 million to include a roof over the new amphitheater. (This post has more details.)

Since early December, work has focused on cutting down dozens of mature trees and taking out amenities such as the tennis courts in Project Area 1 below Stanton Street.

The current plans call for gutting East River Park — burying the existing 57.5-acre land under fill and elevating it by 8-to-10 feet above sea level. The new park is expected to protect the Lower East Side from storm surges until at least 2050. 

Park entry remains at Houston, Sixth Street and 10th Street. The city has said they will maintain public access to a minimum of 42 percent of the park throughout construction, expected to be complete by the end of 2026.

Community members opposed to the current version of the city's floodproofing plan for East River Park continue to gather daily at 1 p.m. at the Houston Street entrance.

Nai Tapas Bar set to open in new 2nd Avenue home

The all-new Nai Tapas Bar at 84 Second Ave. is expected to open this evening at 5. 

The outpost at 85 Second Ave. (above and below) closed down at the start of the New Year here on the SW corner at Fifth Street...

... ahead of a move across the street to 84 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street (the photo below is from several weeks ago) ...

... and as seen Friday evening...

Nai Tapas Bar first opened on First Avenue in 2010 ... relocating to Second Avenue in 2018.

And Nai is the first retail tenant at No. 84 in decades. In recent years, the building changed hands several times, undergoing a gut renovation and extension. Our previous post has more background about this once-mysterious address.  

Oddly configured Walgreens is closing on Union Square

The Walgreens on the SE corner of 14th Street and Fourth Avenue is closing on Feb. 17, per the window signage here...

This comes following this branch's pharmacy pulling out at the end of 2021. Customers of the location are instructed to visit other Walgreens or Duane Reades, including the big one about 75 feet to the west at 1 Union Square.

The Walgreens here was renovated and expanded into the space above the quick-serve restaurants on Fourth Avenue back in 2010... (this far-flung layout is what the headline meant by "oddly configured" ...)

Anyway, this is the latest Walgreens or Duane Reade to shutter... the Walgreens on Astor Place closed in August 2020 ... three neighborhood Duane Reade by Walgreens locations have closed in recent years. The outpost on Avenue D at Houston and First Avenue between 14th Street and 15th Street shuttered in November 2019 while the storefront on 10th Street and Third Avenue shut down in early March 2019.

2022 corner watch: 360 Bowery

Here's another corner development to watch in 2022. 

We've written a lot of what's coming to the former B Bar & Grill space on the SW corner of Fourth Street at the Bowery. 

In early December, workers prepped the one-level structure for demolition. This past week, the six honey locust trees were removed from the former restaurant's courtyard. It's not known if they were chopped down or, possibly, transplanted. (An EVG reader had called 311 about the trees.)

A recap to date...

As we first reported in January 2021, permits were filed for a 21-floor mixed-use development — a 283-foot-tall office building. (For comparison, the Standard East Village, a block to the north, is 21 floors.) The city approved the permits on Nov. 16, per public records.

According to plans, the well-employed architect Morris Adjmi's building will encompass 98,799 square feet, with 26,000 square feet set aside as an unspecified community facility. 

CB Developers paid $59.5 million for a stake in 358-360 Bowery, a gas station before its conversion into the bar-restaurant. B Bar owner Eric Goode, who owns a handful of hotels, including the Bowery Hotel across the way, assembled air rights to build the more extensive development on this corner space. 

As for the B Bar, the one-time hot spot (circa the mid-1990s) was expected to close for good in August 2020. However, the place never reopened after the PAUSE in March 2020. On April 3, 2020, nearly 70 B Bar employees were laid off without any extension of benefits or offer of severance pay.

In the weeks ahead, look for the full demolition of the building... and the ascent of the new development. 

Previously on EV Grieve:
• CB Developers pay $59.5 million for an interest in 358 Bowery — current home of the B Bar & Grill and likely a new development

• B Bar & Grill lays off its staff without severance

• Permits filed to demolish the former B Bar & Grill on the Bowery

• First sign of the B Bar & Grill-replacing 21-story office building on the Bowery 

Another taker for 179 Essex St.

Signage arrived late last week for Takumi Omakase at 179 Essex St. just south of Houston. 

In recent years (going back to say, 2005?), the building's northern retail space has been home to — if memory and old blog posts serve us — Filthy McNasty's, Vasmay Lounge, 12" Bar, Essex Ale House, Peri, Bar Chevere, Casa Humo and Benson's... and had been vacant the past two years. 

We don't know anything about Takumi, the new tenant, at the moment. Hopefully, they can make it work here. 

Gazab, an Indian restaurant that we hear good things about, opened in the other retail space here this past July.

RIP Billy the Artist

Photo from December by Stacie Joy

According to friends, Billy Miller, a longtime East Village resident, better known as Billy the Artist, died last night.

His friend, the artist Gregory de la Haba, posted this tribute on Instagram:

With heavy heart, the legendary New Yorker, Billy The Artist (William Miller) died peacefully in his sleep last evening at Beth Israel Hospital after succumbing to the ravages of cancer.

He was a tremendous light in my life and always made me smile from ear to ear. He was "Pura Vida" whose art adorned products worldwide from Swatch to Nescafé. His first big gig was to paint panels for the broadway stage of RENT that captured the energy and vibrancy of the East Village, the place he called home for the last 30 years. Collector Steve Cohen recently purchased one of his famous cows and musician John Baptiste enjoyed playing his custom piano. His entire life was dedicated to art. And in sharing in the love. 

Rest in peace, my beautiful, beautiful friend.

We'll update you when more information on his passing becomes available.

Billy had created several books in the past two years, most recently last month with "East Village Closed" — a photo illustrative experience of life in the East Village during the pandemic as seen through Billy's eyes.

Billy loved the East Village, where he found the love and inspiration for his work. He will be missed.

Updated 1/25: 

There will be a celebration of Billy's life on Feb. 20 at the Long Pour, 155 Second Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street at 3 p.m. Details here.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included ... (with a photo of the thank you sign outside the fire-damaged Essex Card Shop on Avenue A by Stacie Joy) ... 

• Officials: Police arrest teen accused of starting fire that destroyed the Essex Card Shop (Thursday) 

• A visit to Via Della Scrofa (Thursday) ... The first look at the all-new Via Della Pace on 4th Street (Friday) 

• A Perfect Ending (Wednesday) 

• Workers finish demolition of the old retail spaces along 250 E. Houston St.; now what's next? (Tuesday)

• A look inside the new Empire Cannabis Clubs on the Lower East Side (Wednesday) 

• Panda Express pulling into this storefront on 14th Street and 1st Avenue (Wednesday) 

• Best wishes to Chef Ronny at Nón Lá Vietnamese Kitchen (Monday) 

• Kim's Video lives on with 'Staff Picks' at Metrograph (Friday) 

• 5 Napkin Burger closes on 3rd Avenue and 14th Street (Tuesday) ... Bonus flashback: Disco Donuts edition (Tuesday) 

• All-new 15 Avenue A REVEALED; Roberta's outpost slated for the retail space (Tuesday) 

• Roosting soon on 14th Street: Wingstop makes it signage official (Tuesday) 

• This block of 3rd Street gets a psychic with $10 specials; 'walk-ins welcome' (Friday) 

• The former Tatsu Ramen space is for lease (Wednesday) 

• Vegan Grill makes it signage official on St. Mark's Place (Wednesday) 

• For your convenience: NYC Convenience coming soon to 13th Street (Monday) 

... and answering the question, "When is an oven _ _ _"  

Above photo on First Avenue by Stacie Joy...

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Follow EVG on Instagram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics. 

With work permits approved, Amelia and Christo start fortifying their nest in Tompkins Square Park

Steven shared these photos of our resident red-tailed hawks, Amelia and Christo, hard at work in Tompkins Square Park this past week.

Christo, in particular, was spotted gathering construction materials (sticks) to help fortify the family nest...(click on the images for a bigger view)

As Goggla has noted, this is about the time of the winter season in which the hawks assemble (or reassemble!) their nests for the upcoming breeding season.

EVG Etc.: Restaurant owner defiant over vaccine mandate; Essential Cinema at Film Anthology

• Owner of the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop on First Avenue and St. Mark’s taunts Gov. Hochul to “arrest him” for opposing vaccine mandate (Eater) 

• Teens who survived fire on Avenue D recount their ordeal (CBS 2 ... previously on EVG) 

• About former cab driver John McDonagh’s benefit show for Theatre 80 this weekend (NY1 ... previously on EVG) 

• New DA Bragg admits that he botched his policy rollout (Gothamist) 

• What the MTA has and hasn’t done to make the subways safer (City & State) 

• Anthology Film Archives on Second Avenue and Second Street is screening some essential cinema featuring work by Buñuel, Bresson and Cocteau (Official site) 

• Praise for the cardamom bun at coffee shop La Cabra on Second Avenue (Eater ... previously on EVG) 

• Checking out this podcast with East Village resident John Holmstrom, co-founder of Punk (Flaming Pablum) 

 • Diversions: Calling all Nico fans (Dangerous Minds)

... and HBD (1/22) to LES-based filmmaker Jim Jarmusch ...

 

The renovations inside Kamaran Deli & Grocery on Avenue A

Kamaran Deli & Grocery at 79 Avenue A at Fifth Street is undergoing a renovation... management here told EVG contributor Stacie Joy notes that they are expanding their fridge cases ... they've also put in new countertops and are creating a kitchen in the back ...

Given the debut of Healthy Choice a few storefronts away, perhaps Kamaran feels the need to up their market game...

Caturday's opening shot

The always-sweetly lounging kitty (Hemingway! 😻) in this window along Third Street ... photo by Stacie Joy... 

Hope to see you again

 

Cat Power's excellent new record of covers, titled Covers, was released on Jan. 14. In this video, Powers (aka Chan Marshall, a one-time East Village resident) provides a mournful reinterpretation of "I'll Be Seeing You."