3rd Avenue storefront now suitable for framing

One of the empty storefronts on Third Avenue between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street is getting a new retail client.

The family owned OJ Gallery, a custom frame shop, is moving into the space previously occupied by the women's clothing boutique Project 36.

Here's the news release that we received from Eastern Consolidated:

Eastern Consolidated’s Retail Leasing Division has arranged a 10-year, 500-square-foot lease at 36 Third Avenue in the East Village for OJ Gallery, a 35-year-old family-owned business. The gallery is relocating from 462 Avenue of the Americas where it has thrived for the last 10 years.

Ravi Idnani, a Director in Eastern Consolidated’s Retail Leasing Division, and Kendall Novak, Associate Director, represented OJ Gallery. Walker Malloy’s Rafe Evans and Gary Schwartzman exclusively represented the owner.

“The space at 36 Third Avenue between 9 and 10th Streets was an ideal location for OJ Gallery,” Novak said. “After running a successful business at 462 Avenue of the Americas for so many years, OJ Gallery wanted a new location nearby in order to serve its long-time customers.”

The only OJ Gallery we could find online is on East 57th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

These Third Avenue storefronts previously housed Excel Art and Framing Store, which lost its lease and moved up Third Avenue between East 11th Street and East 12th Street.

Report: Record number of tourists to NYC will continue breaking records

[Photo on Astor Place last June by Derek Berg]

Not necessarily neighborhood specific. But perhaps of interest. In case you missed this in The New York Times today.

It has been a decade since former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg decided to ramp up New York City’s efforts to attract more tourists, and city officials say there is no end to the influx on the horizon.

In Berlin on Wednesday, Fred Dixon, the chief executive of New York’s tourism-marketing agency, NYC & Company, plans to announce a forecast of 59.7 million visitors this year. That would exceed last year’s record of 58.3 million visitors by 2.4 percent and keep the city on pace for a goal of drawing 67 million annual visitors by 2021

Alicia Glen, the deputy mayor for economic development, said their goal is get tourists to explore other parts of NYC.

Tourism officials are hoping to persuade out-of-towners that “the cool thing to do is to get out of Manhattan,” Ms. Glen said. “You’re sort of a loser if you come to New York and just go to Times Square.”

Out and About in the East Village

In this weekly feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village.



By James Maher

Name: Parker Dulany
Occupation: Musician, Singer in Certain General, Painter
Location: St. Mark's Place at Avenue A
Time: 4:15 p.m. on Monday, March 7

I moved to the city right after school to be a painter, and I ended up being in a band. I moved right here. It was pretty exciting and pretty scary. I came in 1979. I’ve lived right here, appropriately enough in the building [that has] the hot dog that says Eat Me.

I had an art opening almost immediately, about a week or two after I got here. I was lucky enough to be given a chance to show with Club 57, which is that little church [at 57] St. Mark's Place. Ann Magnuson ran it. She gave me my first chance. I didn’t know it, but I had landed… it was sort of like the elite downtown people, with Keith Haring and Jean Michel-Basquiat. I just happened to be one of the people in the show.

I didn’t really know how good my fortune was. That led to being in a lot of openings all over the place. My work is pretty expressionistic. It kind of didn’t fit at all with what they were doing. I mean, they liked it and everything like that. They kind of looked at my stuff and they didn’t know what to make of it.

Then about a year later, I ended up being in a band called Certain General. I had never sang before the band, and now we’ve been around for 30-something years. We made it quite big in Europe, and so we’re going over in about a month.

My ex-girlfriend used to live ... on Avenue B. So in 1981, we would all go and walk across the roofs on Avenue B and climb into the abandoned building, which is now the luxury Christodora House. We would climb the rubble to the roof and nude sunbathe above the apocalypse, with the bridges, World Trade Center, Tompkins Square and the Empire State Building at our naked feet, sort of "Bonfire of the Vanities" shit, listen to the Clash or Spandau Ballet on a beatbox. It was very decadent.

The safest street in the East Village was Seventh between Avenue B and C, because that was heroin strip and there were lookouts everywhere. Anyone came down that street, they were on you. The dealers didn't want any trouble. We didn't do dope, but we rehearsed at Tu Casa, a legendary studio that was on B and 6th.

One time, my guitarist [in Certain General] ran into the studio and said he had been mugged, and both of his guitars had been taken. Everyone fanned out, alerted the locals and ran around the neighborhood. We eventually found the culprits. The guitars were so heavy that the [thieves] couldn't run fast enough to get away and were pooped and sat down. They weren't strong enough, because they were — two teenage girls. I think one of the girls had a knife, but Jesus — teenage girls! Oh my God, it was fucking funny. We give the guitarist shit to this day. We didn't even call the cops it was so embarrassing.

I was just walking through the Park to listen to those kids singing and it was reminding me. I played in Tompkins Square, with the biggest concert ever. It was in 1981 maybe, and it was called Avenue B - the Place to Be, and it was us and the Bush Tetras, and a bunch of other bands. There used to be a bandshell over there. It was a more formal stage. I really liked that. It was a big crowd. It’s on video. It was pretty cool, I have to admit.

I think I’ve always been about just making something. I just can’t be bored, and I’d rather make something than buy something. It was the whole DIY, do it yourself — everything was do it yourself. We just wanted to make something, that’s all.

James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.

Asking rent for the former Stage Restaurant — $15,000 a month

[Image via Icon Realty]

Last Wednesday, Stage Restaurant owner Roman Diakun announced that he was permanently closing his 35-year-old diner at 128 Second Ave. between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. (You may read more about it here. As we understand it, he had four years left on his lease.)

Now landlord Icon Realty, who had been trying to oust the Stage in court, has listed the 600-square-foot space (with another 600 feet in the basement).


[Click to go big]

The listing notes that the space is "perfect for a restaurant, cafe, or all general retail uses." The asking rent is $15,000 a month.

The Stage gate has been up since Feb. 29. Despite being closed for nearly a year (March 30), it looks ready for business...


[EVG photo from Sunday]

Previously on EV Grieve:
An appreciation: Breakfast at Stage

Troubling talk about 128 Second Ave, and the long-term future of the Stage

The possibility that the Stage won't reopen on 2nd Avenue

[Updated] Report: Icon Realty serves the Stage an eviction notice

Stage owner Roman Diakun responds to allegations of illegally siphoning gas

Petition to help reopen the Stage

[Updated] The Stage is giving away its bulk food and supplies to charity

Report: The Stage is suing landlord Icon Realty to halt eviction process

The Stage is now crowdfunding to help in its legal fight with Icon Realty

The Stage Restaurant will not be reopening

'Gentrification in Progress' tape arrives at former Trash & Vaudeville and Stage Restaurant spaces

Yuca Bar remains closed

[Photo yesterday by Steven]

The bar-restaurant on the corner of Avenue A and East Seventh Street is still closed after Sunday evening's fire on an upper floor. (Unofficially candles in an apartment were to blame for the blaze.)

There's no word yet when Yuca Bar might reopen. EVG correspondent Steven said that "the interior is a wreck."

Indeed, workers have cleared out all the tables and chairs from the dining room...



And a worker was spotted dragging out large trash bags of damaged items to the curb. Still no word on the Yuca website or Facebook page (which hasn't been updated since May 2015) about a temporary closure. The phone is back in service, though there isn't any answer or outgoing message.

As for the building's tenants, Steve Herrick, the executive director of the Cooper Square Committee, left this comment on our post:

If any residents of 133 E. 7th St. can reach out to Cooper Square Committee at 212-228-8210, we can help you access resources including temporary housing. We can also help the displaced tenants to organize and get your building repaired as soon as possible.

'Epic Launch Spectacular' tonight for 100 Avenue A

[Photo from yesterday]

This landed in our inbox for some reason...



Meanwhile, listings for some of the 32 units at Ben Shaoul's condoplex between East Sixth Street and East Seventh Street arrived on Streeteasy last week. Per the marketing copy, "100 Avenue A is a vibrant new style of premium condominium living not yet seen on Tompkins Square Park."

Previously

Half the size but still Fabulous at Fanny's

[EVG photo from Feb. 24]

As we noted a few weeks ago, Fabulous Fanny's had to give up part of its storefront at 335 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

While the vintage eyeglass shop remains alive and well, the vintage clothing side is gone.

New York Business Journal has more on the store and owner Ken Finnegan. (His business partner, Stanton Blacker, retired last year and moved to Florida.)

Per the article:

He just signed a new five-year lease that tripled his rent for half the space.

Previously, Fabulous Fanny’s sold vintage clothes in 300 square feet and operated the eyeglass store in the other 300 feet. But the rent rise forced him to shrink the store in half, which is in the process of being rented out. Finneran has heard rumors that a wireless carrier or hair salon was interested.

Jared Kushner purchased 329-335 E. Ninth Street and 325 E. 10th St. in April 2013 for $28.75 million.

On the positive side, the store will be around for at least another five years.

Fabulous Fanny’s offers what few other stores or opticians can: eyeglasses that span three centuries. That unique offering has contributed to Fabulous Fanny’s success, 15 years after it moved to the East Village from the Chelsea Flea Market and Chelsea Antique Center.

Meanwhile, the for rent sign for the former clothing side of Fanny's arrived the other day.


[Photo by Steven]

Per the listing at RES Commercial, all uses will be considered, though vented food use is not possible. The rent is available upon request.

On East Sixth Street, TonkatsuYa is in soft-open mode (and Awash has a new awning)

After just a few months in operation at 328 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue, the Sri Lankan restaurant Banana Leaf closed. Its replacement, the Japanese restaurant TonkatsuYa, is now in soft-opening mode, per the sign outside ...

They are serving a limited menu for now...



And further toward First Avenue, Awash Ethiopian Restaurant has unveiled a new awning...



The old red-and-white one was looking awfully worn after the ongoing gut renovations in the apartments above.


[Undated photo via the Village Voice]

Thanks to Vinny & O for the photos!

Now serving at B&H Dairy...

Ola and Mike at B&H Dairy, 127 Second Ave., between the lunch rush today...

Photo by Grant Shaffer

Noted

Spotted by @georgygirlnyc on East 11th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B...

The all-new Astor Place is coming along (for real)

[Dawn of a new Astor Place era]

If you've walked by/around Astor Place in the last week or so, then you've likely noticed some actual progress as the reconstruction process plods along... In the next few photos, you can see the new permanent plaza on Astor Place adjacent to the Chase branch take shape ...









... and workers have added more details to the plaza...



As of late yesterday, part of the new plaza was open to pedestrian traffic...





For a little comparison, here's how things were looking here on Jan. 17...



As previously noted, plans for the multi-year(s) project have included reconfiguring/revamping the Astor Place/Cooper Square streetscape with three new permanent plazas, additional seating, trees and a new design for Peter Cooper Park.

Some day it will look like this...


[A rendering of the new Astor Place]

As for when Astor Place's more famous tenant, the Alamo, will return... there isn't any mention of the cube in the posted timelines. Workers packed up and carted off The Alamo for safekeeping for the duration of the reconstruction back on Nov. 25, 2014.

Here's a link to a weekly bulletin (PDF), noting what's happening this week.

The anticipated project completion date is now summer 2016, according to the Winter 2016 reconstruction newsletter (PDF here).

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Alamo returns to Astor Place this Halloween

Five years later, Astor Place apparently ready for its 2-year reconstruction project

This is what it might be like living inside the Alamo on Astor Place

RIP Tony Rosenthal, the sculptor who created the Astor Place cube

The Alamo has been away from Astor Place for 1 year now

'Snowflake dessert' coming soon to 2nd Avenue

A Bingbox Snow Cream shop is coming soon to 125 Second Ave. between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, per the signage in the front window...



The Bingbox Facebook page describes their product this way: "The finest and purest snowflake dessert to be enjoyed all year round."

The storefront was previously home to E-Nail, which closed last September.

H/T Steven

[Updated] CB3 to hear plans tonight for protected bike lane on Chrystie Street

[Image via DOT]

Tonight, CB3's Transportation & Public Safety/Environment Committee is meeting... and among the agenda items: Department of Transportation (DOT) presentation on upgrade of two-way protected bicycle lane on Chrystie Street from Canal Street to Houston.

And Gothamist has an in-depth preview of the proposal...

Since unprotected bike lanes were added to [Chrystie Street's] north and south-bound lanes in 2008, cyclists have argued that the painted lines have faded, and serve as little protection from rogue drivers. Southbound cyclists enjoying the protected bike lane on Second Avenue also get a rude awakening at 1st Street, where they are forced to cross three lanes of traffic in order to enter the southbound painted bike lane on Chrystie south of Houston.

The DOT's proposal ... establishes a two-way protected bike lane on Chrystie Street from Houston Street to Canal Street, running along the full length of Sarah Roosevelt Park. The southbound lane will extend a few blocks farther, to 2nd Street and Houston Street.

The DOT says the lane could be installed as soon as Fall 2016. Southbound cyclists on Second Avenue will have a safe path to the Manhattan Bridge, and northbound cyclists will be able to turn right off of Chrystie to merge onto the protected northbound lane on 1st Avenue.

Tonight's meeting is at Grand Street Settlement Cornerstone at Seward Park Extension, 56 Essex St. between Grand and Broome.

Updated 3-9

BoweryBoogie was at the meeting... despite overwhelming support for the measure, things got political with the committee ... read the coverage here.

Daniel Delaney proposing Delaney Barbecue for 1st Avenue

[EVG photo from July 2015]

As noted back on Feb. 26, restaurateur Daniel Delaney will appear before the CB3 SLA committee this month for a liquor license at 167 First Ave. between East 10th Street and East 11th Street.

At that time, there wasn't much information about the proposal. Given the name on the application (Delaney Chicken Union Square LLC), we thought it might be an offshoot of his Delaney Chicken that opened in the UrbanSpace Vanderbilt market in Midtown last September.

However, Delaney told Eater that he was exploring a number of options, and had not yet signed a lease. (He also operates BrisketTown out in Williamsburg.)

Thanks to the public questionnaire (PDF!) now on file at the CB3 website, there are some more details about the proposal. The name is Delaney Barbecue, and the paperwork shows hours of noon to 2 a.m. Monday to Friday; 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The configuration calls for 18 tables good for 48 seats along with a bar that accommodates 10 patrons.

There's also a proposed menu showing the variety of meats (served family style, Delaney is recommending a half-pound per guest...) and sides that might be served...





The previous tenant here at 167 First Ave., Ashiya Sushi, relocated to West 36th Street last summer.

CB3's SLA committee meeting is March 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.