Rumors: Duane Reade expansion will take over adjacent storefronts, including East Village Cheese

A tipster tells us that the Duane Reade on Third Avenue at East 10th Street is expanding, and will gobble up the adjoining spaces that include the 21-year-old Excel Art and Framing Store and East Village Cheese.

The owner of the Frame Shop received word this past Saturday that his lease will not be renewed; "that a handshake deal was already made with Duane Reade in early December."

Per the tipster: "Both of these small businesses are very important to the community."



The convenient store and clothing boutique Project 36 have already been emptied out ahead of the expansion…



The tipster noted that there's already a huge Walgreens on Astor Place. Not to mention the recently expanded Walgreens on East 14th Street and Fourth Avenue … and the Duane Reade locations on East 14th Street and Third Avenue … and East 14th Street and Broadway.

And this won't be the first time that Duane Reade looks to KO beloved neighborhood businesses.

Here then, the new-look men's room at d.b.a.

As we mentioned on Saturday, d.b.a. is back open with new ownership at 41 First Ave. between East Third Street and East Second Street.

The bar was closed for renovations for several weeks... we haven't had a chance to stop in ourselves, but we hear that the place essentially has the same look and feel ... except for the bathrooms.

EVG reader Spike shared a shot of the new-look men's room...



And for a comparison (sorry, our d.b.a. bathroom-photo archive is quite lacking)...


[Photo via]

C & B Cafe now open on East 7th Street

Just noting that C & B Cafe opened last Friday at 178 E. Seventh St. just west of Avenue B.

Aside from serving coffee and tea, the cafe has a small menu that includes squash soup, several sandwiches and salads, and dishes like mushroom and eggs and chicken and eggs. There's some seating in the back.

Several readers, including Dave on 7th, have given C & B high marks so far.

The space was previously home to Korzo Haus, which closed at the end of October.

New York Sports Club not quite done branding their new Avenue A location

[Last week!]

Yep, more signage for the incoming gym at 28 Avenue A between East Second Street and East Third Street...



...some snow-friendly letters...



At this point Winter 2015 remains the rather vague opening date.

H/T @KennethRood

Previously on EV Grieve:
New York Sports Club in the works for Avenue A

Sidewalk bridge and scaffolding arrive ahead of planned New York Sports Club on Avenue A

New York Sports Club says hello on Avenue A

Familiar Burger-Klein sign has disappeared from Avenue A

Here is the New York Sports Club building on Avenue A

Getting to know — Essex Crossing

[Flyer spotted on 6th and B]

There's a community presentation tonight at 6 for anyone interested in learning more about Essex Crossing, the 1.9 million square feet of residential, commercial and community space coming to the Lower East Side once of these days.

The meeting is at the Grand Street Settlement, 80 Pitt St. between Rivington and Stanton.

You can read more about the mega-peject at The Lo-Down … BoweryBoogie … and Curbed.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A 14-screen Regal Cinemas theater with electronic reclining seats coming to the LES (30 comments)

Last night's empty East Village streets

[The Bowery and East 3rd Street via EVG reader Rob]


[1st Avenue and East 6th Street via Goggla]


[Avenue B and East 3rd Street via Stacie Joy]


[East 6th Street via Vinny and O]

Frank Ape asks a sensible question

A Frank Ape sighting on East Ninth Street near Avenue B … photo by Bobby Williams

The snowmen are evolving in Tompkins Square Park

They're climbing trees now...





Thanks to EVG reader Daniel for the photos!

The snowmen are evolving at Veselka

They are apparently cooking now... spotted outside Veselka earlier today on Second Avenue at East Ninth Street...

Noted

Spotted this morning on St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue… photo by Derek Berg

Report: Jimmy McMillan facing Feb. 5 eviction from St. Mark's Place apartment

[Photo from February 2013 by James Maher]

To the Daily News:

McMillan, founder of the fringe political party called The Rent Is Too Damn High, has filed suit in Brooklyn Federal Court seeking to stave off the eviction, which is scheduled to be carried out by a city marshal Feb. 5. Acting as his own lawyer, he is also demanding $1.3 million in monetary damages.

The 68-year-old Vietnam War veteran has been embroiled in a legal battle with the landlord, who claimed the one-bedroom flat on St. Marks Place wasn’t McMillan’s primary residence, and that he actually lives in Brooklyn.

McMillan is reportedly paying $872 a month for the apartment on St. Mark's Place. He says the Brooklyn address is for office use.

Find the full Daily News article here.

And how was your blizzard?

It was apparently pretty awesome for this group of thrillseekers, who, during the overnight driving ban, took to the middle of First Avenue and St. Mark's Place for a game of Beer Pong.

Brandon Wenerd captured the scene on video ... and provided a report to BroBible...

A few Bros take shots on the portable table, a neighbor from a building on the block tells them to shut the hell up, and a emergency vehicles go by (they did nothing to prevent them from passing or anything dangerous). It ends in the way all good beer pong games end: With a slam dunk breaking the table.

The pong dunk happens around the 3:20 mark and right afterwards an ambulance drives down the avenue with its sirens on, causing the Bros to hilariously flee. The Bro leader is quick to call them all a bunch of “pussies” when they realize it was an ambulance, not NYPD.

Behold...

Or if you just want the 6-second version...

Tonight's Community Board 3 meeting has been cancelled

It is true.

It will be rescheduled for either Thursday (1/29) or Monday (2/2). Please visit the CB3 website for updated information.

Despite alleged blizzard, snowffiti artists sticking it to the man, kind of

Just a little bit up Third Avenue near East 19th Street... a snowffiti artist gets testy with the NYPD...



Thanks to ‏@ThePeterHa for the photo