Holy guacamole! Union Square's Chipotle opens tomorrow

The Chipotle Mexican Grill on 14th Street and Irving Place opens tomorrow, as the sign says.... Last evening, the place was open to people with some sort of pass or coupon or something.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Spotted last night on Avenue C and Ninth Street.

Looking for the pot of gold

In front of the New York Stock Exchange yesterday.

11th Street, 6:12 p.m., March 16

Beaming up on Fifth Street

A few weeks back Curbed dropped the details on what the new building will look like at 532 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B...Six floors and 10 units of glass and shine...



Now the steel is rising from the pit...



...and soon, the neighbors to the west of this property will lose their light and views...




Perhaps someone inside will document the coming darkness.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Demolition on East Fifth Street

On the way: A five-story apartment building for Fifth Street

Coming soon to East Houston: Construction, hell, rodent control stations

Nearly one year has passed since first hearing about the reconstruction of East Houston from the Bowery to the FDR. The plan calls for the widening of sidewalks, enlarging of medians, installating new pavement markings and bicycle lanes from Second Avenue to FDR Drive and creating two new plaza areas.

EV Grieve reader Elliot noted that some prep work has begun. For instance, the M21 stop on the northeast corner of Avenue A and Houston has been moved to the middle of the cab stand on First Street and Houston. "Really not a good place for a bus stop," he said. Indeed.




"Not looking forward to having the street all torn up like it's been further west on Houston for so long, but I guess it will be nice when it's done..."

The Lo-Down had a report last week on just what's happening here:

A sweeping reconstruction of Houston from the Bowery to the East River. In the second phase of a project that began on the West Side, the city will rebuild the entire street, including sewer lines, sidewalks and the roadway itself. They will also install new greenways and bike lanes. The work will begin in a few weeks and continue for three years. Expect lane closures, street closures and a lot of noise and dust. The Department of Design and Construction said they were committed to working with residents to minimize the inconveniences. They’re even installing "Rodent Control Stations."

For this East Sixth Street co-op, all you need is cash

There's a new listing for a fouth-floor unit at 440 E. 6th St. between First Avenue and Avenue A. Currently priced at $550,000... (and no mention of square footage...)

A steal for this charming one bed in the heart of the East Village. Loaded with pre-war detail including hardwood floors, picture moldings and high ceilings. Gracious entrance through a long hallway with double closets. Eat-in windowed kitchen with slate floors. Enjoy 3 exposures and tree top views from this sunny 4th floor home of an elevator building with a live in super. Please note the purchase must be all cash.

We'll check back in a year to see if it's still on the market...

Caffe Buon Gusto continues to remain restaurant-free

Caffe Buon Gusto on Avenue B at Fifth Street looks to remain vacant for a little bit longer... CBG was scratched from last night's CB3/SLA liquor license docket... Meanwhile, perhaps the space can continued to be used by those in need of shelter for the night...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Caffe Buon Gusto's shelter

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

I forget what the sun looks like.

Art inspired by the Meatpacking District (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

Looking at the new liquor bill (Save the Lower East Side!)

A walk in the rain on Astor Place (The Gog Log)

An upgrade for 87 Rivington (BoweryBoogie)

History of NYC in 100 buildings (The Bowery Boys)

FOX films Ray's volunteer delivery crew (Neither More Nor Less)

A Miss Heather video: Short skirts and spiked heels for the rain on St. Mark's Place Saturday night (New York Shitty)

And I love Jorge Colombo's cover art this week on The New Yorker...

March sadness: Superdive transfer off tonight's CB3/SLA docket

Superdive was originally on tonight's docket for a full transfer of their liquor license.... no more, though, as a look at the updated rundown shows... Perhaps the Super brass is too busy planning that Vegas expansion?

East Fourth Street's Novogratz-designed penthouse now on the market

Prepare yourselves for 238 E. Fourth St. near Avenue B, where the superduperfaboo Bob and Cortney Novogratz designed the $4 million penthouse apartment...



The listing is now live. Let's see just how superduperfaboo it is! According to the Corcoran listing:

Step directly from your private, key-lock elevator onto your 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath Penthouse condominium. Offering the highest caliber of finishes, every detail is customized from the Boffi Kitchen outfitted with Macassar Ebony cabinetry and stainless steel countertops to California Closets in all 3 bedrooms. The Great Room soars with 10.5 foot loft ceilings, woodburning fireplace and sunflooded, oversized windows with North and South open city views. Then take your private stairs or elevator directly onto the largest ipe-and-concrete decked terrace you've ever seen in the EV with sweeping Empire and Chrysler building views. Enclosed with sleek glass railings, this terrace is equipped with a Summer kitchen and wiring for outdoor theatre. The first floor of this duplex lends a gracious air of privacy for the 3 bedrooms, all of which have gorgeous sunlight and charming treetop views. The Master bedroom has TWO walk-in custom Cali closets, a sumptuous 5-fixture Master bath suite with dual vanity, oversized glass-enclosed shower and freestanding soaking tub. A large window floods the Master bathroom with all-day natural night. Additional luxury add-ons include radiant heat in all rooms, Crestron security system, and custom baseboard moldings. This finish quality is seen only is magazine-ready, designer homes. Extremely low common charges. Walk to the chicest East Village restaurants, steps to trendy Lower East Side and hottest upscale Bowery venues and gallerie.

At this point in the post, EV Grieve has passed out, overcome by the most wretched excessive East Village real-estate description this week! So please look at the photos and floor plan...







And the price: $3.75 million.

P.S. See more of the Novogratz clan on Bravo when their "9 by Design" reality show debuts April 13 on Bravo.

Tearing up the Telephone

If you were a fan of the Telephone Bar and Grill on Second Avenue, then you may want to avoid looking at this photo... I caught a glimpse inside the bar, which closed at the end of January. Looks as if the new owners are doing a complete gut renovation of the space... they've already auctioned off most of the old fixtures and equipment....



The bar is still there, but little else remains. And on the right is a pile of what can be best described as rubble...

Previously on EV Grieve:
East Village to somehow get frattier: What's coming to the former Telephone Bar

Ringing in the 13th Step: Old Telephone Bar will lose its Telephones

Tri-colored party bus makes pit stop on Avenue C

Anyone know anything about this groovy party bus spotted tooling around the neighborhood on Saturday afternoon...?



The bus made a pit stop on Avenue C near Ninth Street... Inside, I could hear someone explaining the rules of a drinking game over a loudspeaker...



And the reason for the stop? So that a passenger, who brought along her drink (that cup on the ground), could use an ATM...

Monk is opening at former Dance Tracks space

First came word that a thrift shop was opening on Third Street near First Avenue at the former Dance Tracks space...



Then there was the confusion to where, exactly, the Monk Thrift shop was relocating...

Anyway, the thrift shop on Third Street looks ready for business. It was closed yesterday. But a business card on the counter confirmed the store name...



Wonder if Monk will keep the Dance Tracks sign?