As the storefronts move

OK!


[Photo in December by Derek Berg]

In late December, The 2nd Ave. Smoke Shop & News closed due to a rent hike at 89 Second Ave. near East Fifth Street.

However, the owners found something in their price range nearby ... on the east side of Second Avenue past East Fourth Street where Gelato Ti Amo recently shuttered.

The Smoke Shop & News is now open, and selling the usual, such as gum, water and sodas, water pipes for tobacco, and periodicals like Time Out New York, Escorts and She-Male.


[Photo by Derek Berg]

Meanwhile!



On East Fifth Street near Second Avenue, S & P Liquor & Wine, which had to close for parts of last year during renovations to the building, is moving to ...


[Photo last night by Goggla]

...89 Second Ave. near East Fifth Street, the former home of the 2nd Ave. Smoke Shop & News... which recently relocated to...

Moonstruck Diner reopens today after another revamp

The diner's dining room on Second Avenue at East Fifth Street has been closed the past few days (though they were making deliveries) ...

They are expected to be back open today...



Not sure exactly what management had revamped. (New floor? New tables and chairs? New bamboo motif?) Slum Goddess took this photo on Wednesday night...



This will be the second renovation in recent months. Back in September, EVG regular ~evilsugar25 noted the new bar, draft beer and multiple flat-screen TVs… (and mason jars!). "I walked in and my jaw dropped," ~evilsugar25 said.





It's still Moonstruck. Same menus, though there's a "$15 cocktails brunch."

Anyway, we haven't been here in some time. Any regulars want to share their thoughts on the recent changes?

In a strong wind, these wind chimes on 7th Street are keeping residents awake

An East Seventh Street resident shares this Urban Etiquette Sign with us.

The original sign maker left this message:

"Your wind chimes in a strong wind, sound like an incessantly ringing doorbell with the power to awaken one from a deep sleep."

And it certainly must be loud, as two other residents chimed (sorry!) in with their own handwritten comments, including one from that person we all hate to be but must at times: "that cranky neighbor."

Contrada's artist brunch continues tomorrow with 'Sorry Robot'

[From "Sorry Robot"]

Contrada owner Eric Anderson's Italian restaurant on Second Avenue at East Fourth Street is beginning 2015 the way they ended last year — making a connection with the artistic community.

Previous Contrada events have included "Invisible Hand" director Ken Rus Schmoll and a celebration of Dylan Thomas.

Here's what's happening tomorrow starting at 11:30 a.m. via the EVG inbox...

Join us for a conversation over brunch with playwright Mike Iveson — one of "Downtown's ever shining lights" according to Paper magazine — to discuss his new play "Sorry Robot." He'll be joined by performers Tanya Selvaratnam and Nicky Paraiso, who will jointly act as moderator.

2013 Ethyl Eichelberger Award winner Mike Iveson has written a "spaz opera" with nine original perverse pop songs which together provide a window into the hidden hankerings of robots and humans alike.

"Sorry Robot" is playing at the New Ohio Theater Jan 6-17.

There's no extra charge for the event. Find more details here.

Reader report: Call for a boycott at Grand Sichuan on St. Mark's Place

Supporters and former employees of the restaurant between Second Avenue and Third Avenue have assembled for what is expected to be a weekly picket...

The workers are handing out flyers outlining their allegations...



Here's a PDF with background on the legal case.

Thanks to @kxd8053 for the photos via Twitter

Updated:

Gothamist has more on the story here.

A Crude awakening on East 3rd Street

A reader came across this scene (oil that is, black gold, Texas tea) this morning at 11 on East Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B...

Per the reader: "Not sure what happened here but what a mess..."

After 40-plus years, Open Pantry looks to be closing on 2nd Avenue

A disturbing sign has arrived on the front door of the family owned Open Pantry, the coffee and tea specialists at 184 Second Ave. between East 11th Street and East 12th Street...

"After 40 years of success, The Open Pantry will be closing its doors. Our family would like to thank the neighborhood and all our customers for their loyalty and continued support throughout the years."

A tipster tells us that the closure would likely happen in the next month. While there was a rent increase, we hear that the continued competition from the nearby Starbucks (Second Avenue and East Ninth Street, First Avenue and East 13th Street) as well as the new Westside Market have put a damper on sales.

The sign mentions "we hope that in the future we are able to again serve the community in a capacity more conducive to its changing needs." So perhaps it's possible that the store would restructure, shedding the groceries and focusing on coffee and tea.

In any event, sad news. According to The Open Pantry website, the shop opened in 1970.

Updated: Skylight falls from St. Brigid's; Virgin Mary destroyed

There was some drama on East Eighth Street at Avenue B early this morning after one of the skylights from the Church of Saint Brigid – Saint Emeric came crashing down from the roof... @MediaJorge shared these two photos showing the FDNY on the scene...



As far as we know there weren't any injuries... we'll update when we get more information on what happened...

The combined parish reopened on Jan. 27, 2013.

Updated 10:18 a.m.

EVG reader Peter from 8th St. shared these photos from this morning...





The plastic encasement that houses the statue of the Virgin Mary was also damaged...



... as well as the Virgin Mary...

People are still living in the Whitehouse Hotel, 1 of the last remaining flophouses on the Bowery

[Photo from Dec. 27]

As we first reported on Sept. 2, The Whitehouse Hotel, the hostel/flophouse combo at 338-340 Bowery, was no longer accepting reservations.

A few days later, the Hotel's Facebook page noted: "We regret to inform everyone that Whitehouse Hotel's building has been sold and our doors have been closed as of September 4th 2014." (Don't tell this to the Whitehouse website, which still has that clip arty group of people looking happy to make a reservation here.)

In the past four months, there hasn't been much activity at the building. (However, someone remained sitting behind the check-in desk in the lobby.) Plans were filed in April to "convert 4-story lodging house into a 9-story hotel," according to DOB records. The city disapproved the plans again on Sept. 5, records show.

In 2011, the hostel spruced itself up to appeal to the thrill-seeking backpacking set. (For $45, guests could stay in a tiny room where the walls don't go up to the ceiling.)

Meanwhile, the four-story building erected in 1916 between Great Jones and Bond still served as a permanent home to a handful of low-income residents.

Apparently a few of them are still living in the building, based on this sign that appeared a few days ago on the front door...



Any construction will likely have to wait until the remaining residents have left...

Previously on EV Grieve:
More tenant meetings for White House residents; plus the bed bugs will be exterminated

Another round of plans to convert the Whitehouse Hostel on the Bowery into a 9-floor hotel

The Whitehouse Hostel on the Bowery is 'temporarily closing down'

The Whitehouse Hostel has closed for good on the Bowery

Ella Lounge has apparently closed for good on Avenue A

[Image via]

Ella Lounge, the duplex bar/lounge named for Ella Fitzgerald at 9 Avenue A, has apparently closed.

BoweryBoogie reported yesterday that Ella's last night was Jan. 3. While there isn't any mention of a closure on Ella's social media properties or website, the phone has been disconnected.

The retro space (previously Julep, Velvet and what else?) with live music and various acts opened in September 2008 with a news release that noted:

"Ella is our spin on Hollywood glamour and the roaring 20's. We want to capture the energy and flair of the time by bringing it back with our music, design and staff..."

And!

The 1700 square foot top floor of the space will have a combined feeling of the décor of Hampshire House, The Carlyle and Hollywood's Lake Arrowhead Springs Hotel as well.

Within a year, that old Hollywood glamour had apparently faded with hosted events such as...



We never made it to Ella. We were admittedly turned off from the get-go by ownership (The Gallery Bar) referring to this part of the neighborhood as the LEV — as in "Lower East Village." Then there was the requisite Thrillist writeup, which played up Ella's exclusivity: "reservations are referral only, and the door policy is doorman's discretion — so there's a decent chance you'll be stranded outside."

Thanks, but we'll stick to The Library next door.

The former Back Forty space is for lease

[Image via]

It was a bit of a surprise when seemingly popular Back Forty rather abruptly shut down after service on Dec. 21.

Chef and owner Peter Hoffman told Eater that "a difficult landscape and lease uncertainty" led to the decision to close the 7-year-old restaurant at 190 Avenue B near East 12th Street.

A tipster sent us the listing for the space that is now for lease...



Not a whole lot of information here, such as the asking rent for the 1,600-square-foot restaurant. The listing does note $250,000 in key money.

Oyster City to replace Sliders on East 11th Street

Several readers have noted that Sliders, a self-described "modern-rustic themed sports restaurant," quietly closed in the middle of December at 647 E. 11th St. just west of Avenue C. Sliders opened for drinks in December 2013.

A new suitor is already lined up: An applicant going by Oyster City LLC. The name on the paperwork is Reed Adelson, an assistant general manager at Locanda Verde in Tribeca.

According to paperwork (PDF!) on the CB3 website, the restaurant will have 10 tables with a total of 38 seats as well as a 10-seat bar. The proposed hours are 5:30 p.m. to midnight, with a weekend brunch service from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. There's no other information at the moment regarding the menu or official name of the space.

Oyster City was originally on the December CB3/SLA committee meeting agenda seeking a full liquor license.


[Reader submitted photo from last month]

However, the applicant ended up withdrawing. Oyster City is on the January docket for a beer-wine license only. The applicant will not be appearing before the committee during Monday night's meeting.

Candy the Gem Spa kitten is 4 months old today!

EVG Facebook friend Blazes passes along the news from our favorite corner store on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place...

There is also a Candy the Gem Spa Kitten Facebook page if you are interested in adorable photos and videos of Candy.

Cleaning up the fake movie snow from Tompkins Square Park

A crew (not with the city) was out cleaning up the fake snow from Tompkins Square Park this morning... leftovers from last night's shoot in and around the Park for Untitled Christmas Eve project, a comedy starring Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anthony Mackie.



Come back again some day... maybe for Untitled Christmas Eve project 2...?!?!



Photos by Derek Berg

Previously on EV Grieve:
Christmas returning to the East Village this week with Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas (again) for Seth Rogen comedy filming tonight