Expanded lobby on the way at Eleventh and Third

There's still some work going on at Eleventh and Third, the 12-floor building that recently went through a top-to-bottom luxury renovation.

Approved work permits show that crews are expanding the lobby and adding a second level to the east on 11th Street, as the rendering on the plywood shows...





… and how it looks as of Saturday…





The building here at Third Avenue includes a gym, yoga studio, rooftop terrace and lobby with espresso machines. According to Streeteasy, the units, which all include self-closing drawers and cabinets, average about $4,800.

It's not clear exactly what will be housed in the expanded lobby.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Someone actually paid $57 million for this East Village building

Reimagining this 12-story East Village building, now on the market

NY Copy & Printing forced out of longtime E. 11th St. home, opening second location on E. 7th St.

Eleventh and Third indulges in some nonsensical branding

Rebranded 'Eleventh and Third' will have rentals upwards of $10k

Retail space housing The Smith and M2M asking $25.5 million on 3rd Avenue

Verdigreen vintage furnishings boutique coming to East 7th Street

Coming soon signs are up at 122 E. 7th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, where Verdigreen will be opening a new shop.

The Montclair, N.J.-based store is described on their website as "a vintage redesigned furnishings boutique and handmade haven" with lightning, home goods and paint supplies, among other items, for sale.

This space was previously home to La Belle Crepe.

Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches hasn't been open lately on East 2nd Street

Last April, a Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches reopened on East Second Street just east of Avenue A.

Anyway, we haven't seen the place open in about a week. There aren't any "closed for renovations" signs up on the gate or any outgoing voice messages.

Perhaps they are just on a late-winter break?

To recap from a previous post!

Vicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches took over the Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches space nearly four years ago. Vicky's then closed at the end of November 2013.

The folks at the all-new Nicky's said that they are the original Nicky's.

HOWEVER. We later emailed the family who ran the original Nicky's (and who still have two restaurants in NYC). Here's what they had to say:

"No. They are not the original Nicky's. We only have two locations now. One in the Financial District and one in downtown Brooklyn."

A family member said that they are aware of the name use here, but that it was OK.

We never thought that the new Nicky's was as good as the old Nicky's. Maybe others thought the same.

A few details about the Tompkins Square Park igloo

[Photo yesterday by Bobby Williams]

Here's more info about this price piece of real estate located in the middle of Tompkins Square Park…

Via reliable sources on Twitter…

@evgrieve Its okay this apartment is available for $6000/mo plus utilities. sNOw deposit necessary. pic.twitter.com/O09RKJAHzO

— EdenBrower (@edenbrower) February 22, 2015

And!

@evgrieve look what's in the igloo! It's the new pee phone! pic.twitter.com/J1ZCy2JBJ5

— EdenBrower (@edenbrower) February 22, 2015

No word yet what the going rate will be for a summer sublet…

A lot of people are saying the East Village smelled like smoke or burning tires or something tonight

[Photo tonight by William Klayer]

Seriously folks, why does the East Village/Lower East Side smell like burning rubber right now?

— Mikey IQ Jones (@thegreatiq) February 23, 2015

@evgrieve know what that burning smell is? smells like a fire in a restaurant, part electric part meat

— beth rosner (@beth_rosner) February 23, 2015

Why is the east village filled with smoke? Hope people are ok...

— Ali B. Goode (@AliBrmBrm) February 23, 2015

Please tell me I'm not the only one smelling a LOT of smoke in #AlphabetCity #EastVillage #LowerEastSide area right now...

— Madi Tsuji (@MadiTsuji) February 23, 2015

Anyone else smelling heavy smoke in the air on the #LowerEastSide #EastVillage #NYC?

— Tom Krieglstein (@tomkrieglstein) February 23, 2015

There hasn't been anything official yet … just a few reports of several manhole fires tonight… here and elsewhere…

@thegreatiq @evgrieve many fires/smoke in manholes. observed 3: 5th/C, 6th/C 7st/BC popping & smoldering earlier tonight

— WiFi-NY (@WiFi_NY) February 23, 2015

Report of a fire at 133 E. 7th St.

The FDNY arrived en masse at the corner of Avenue A and East Seventh Street shortly after 4 p.m. … where there was a report of a fire at 133 E. 7th St….

MAN ALL HANDS 133 E 7 ST, COMMERCIAL FIRE IN A RESTAURANT,

— FDNY (@FDNY) February 22, 2015

We haven't heard exactly what happened so far… (firefighters were on the roof above Yuca Bar) … the FDNY had things under control fairly quickly…

MAN ALL HANDS 133 E 7 ST, MIXED OCCUPANCY FIRE IN A RESTAURANT, UNDER CONTROL

— FDNY (@FDNY) February 22, 2015

Updated

A few more photos via Bobby Williams…





… and Yuca Bar is closed due to "water issues," per the sign….

Week in Grieview

[Tompkins Square Park photo via Ex Vacuo]

Tracking the coming changes to East 13th Street between Avenue A and 1st Avenue (Thursday)

Photos from the 1970s-80s on East Eighth Street (Monday)

RIP Joy Ryder (Friday)

Out and About with Sheila Rothenberg (Wednesday)

Manitoba's crowdfunding campaign a success; bar will remain open (Thursday)

Hot properties for sale on East Seventh Street in 1836 (Monday)

The Casimir revamp (Wednesday)

Nimble Fitness opens on St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

644 E. 14th St. prepped for demolition (Friday)

Officially down to one 2 Bros. on St. Mark's Place (Wednesday)

Raclette now serving croques and tartines on Avenue A (Tuesday)

Behold the miniature Cadillac with the Tiger in it! (Tuesday)

A look at the two soon-to-be-demolished East Village gas stations (Tuesday)

Lou Reed's musical favorites (Tuesday)

Happy Birthday McSorley's (Monday)

What's coming to 50 Clinton St. (Thursday)

Amona Deli & Grocery leaving the Red Square strip on East Houston (Wednesday)

Heights + Kenchi Bespoke Clothier coming to East Fifth Street (Tuesday)

Casablanca now serving hookahs and French-Moroccan cuisine on East Third Street (Thursday)

Restaurant wanted for 12 St. Mark's Place (Tuesday)

Fun in the snow with the adorable Tompkins Square Park wildlife

Awww, that's so sweet the way the rats and squirrels play together…



Photo this morning by Derek Berg

A look at Little Tokyo in the East Village

Over at Eater, Robert Sietsema has filed a comprehensive look at the neighborhood's Little Tokyo, highlighting some of the specialty shops and restaurants by category. Find the article here.

Sunrise Mart photo via Foursquare

Tompkins Square Park's February Wonderland

Photo yesterday by Fenton Lawless

The East River's ice age (circa 2015)

An EVG reader checked in on the East River earlier this morning… we no longer have the Freezepocalyptic conditions that we saw from Monday, but ice floes remain…



… and a panoramic shot…


[Click on image to enlarge]

Meanwhile, if you were planning on using the ferry service today… no luck…

Due to ice conditions in the East River, service is currently suspended until further notice. To sign up for text alerts, text ERF to 57682.

— East River Ferry (@eastriverferry) February 21, 2015

Window shopping for the next holiday!

Looking at Ricky's on Third Avenue near East 14th Street.

This looks like a promising item to help class up the day!

#Woo

Something other than a bar or restaurant is opening on the Lower East Side

The New York Times reports that Richard F. Taittinger — a great-grandson of the founder of the Taittinger Champagne empire — is opening a 5,000-square-foot art gallery at 154 Ludlow St., where a rent hike forced The Living Room to decamp to Williamsburg.

Here's more from the Times about the gallery:

It will show the work of a roster of internationally established, midcareer contemporary artists who are underrepresented in the American market, Mr. Taittinger, 34, said.

And!

He said he had chosen the Lower East Side over Chelsea as a location for the gallery because of the neighborhood’s potential.

“It is better to be a big fish in a small pond,” he said.

Work on the space got underway last month. The gallery is expected to open on March 3.

Previously, Lucky Cheng's was hoping to open a new LES outpost at No. 154 between Stanton and Rivington. However, the landlord reportedly pulled out of the deal.

Wind chill? What wind chill?

Christo in Tompkins Square Park today… apparently he was seen checking out even more new real estate in the area for nesting…

Photo by Bobby Williams