On the rental market: 66 E. Seventh St. and 115 Avenue A

Looking at two storefronts where "for rent" signs arrived this week....

66 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue



Back in June, Barbara Feinman Millinery closed here. Feinman retired, and the shop moved a few storefronts away to No. 80. Julia Emily Knox, who started working for Feinman in 2012, is now running East Village Hats. Check them out.

As for No. 66. Here are details per the listing at Sinvin:

Description
• Charming boutique space
• Landlord will deliver as a vanilla box
• Good for any use, including food
• Located in the heart of the East Village

Neighboring Tenants Tokio 7 • East Village Cheese • Studio Duarte • Van Leeuwen Ice Cream • Via Della Pace • Elevate • Cupcake Market • Agavi Juice Bar • Luke's Lobster • Roll It Up Ice Cream • Below 7th Paper & Gifts

There's a 10-year lease available for $3,650/month.

The storefront is located in one of the buildings that Raphael Toledano's Brookhill Properties is currently unloading selling.

115 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place



This space is empty again now that the Blink Fitness office moved into the new Blink Fitness that opens Tuesday at 98 Avenue A. No. 115 previously served as a sales office for Ben Shaoul's condoplex at 100 Avenue A.

The gift shop Alphabets closed here in in February 2014, merging with their (at the time) newly opened location at 64 Avenue A between Fifth Street and Fourth Street.

Per the 9300 Realty website, the 500-square-foot space (plus basement) is $6,995/Month. The listing doesn't get too specific, save for: "Across from Tompkins Square Park, next to the legendary Odessa Bar and other wonderful restaurants and stores."

The Odessa Cafe and Bar closed in August 2013 after 33 years in business.

This property is owned by Steve Croman, who was charged with 20 felonies and a civil suit accusing him of chasing low-income families out of their homes.

Hitchcocktober move of the week: 'Dial M for Murder' in 3D

Tonight's Hitchcocktober movie of the week at Village East Cinema on Second Avenue and 12th Street is ... "Dial M for Murder" in 3D.

The one-sentence IMDB plot: "An ex-tennis pro carries out a plot to murder his wife. When things go wrong, he improvises a brilliant plan B."



And upcoming:

Oct. 27 — "The Trouble With Harry"

Oct. 31 (Halloween night!) — "Psycho"

You may buy advance tickets here. The movies start at 8 p.m.

Boogie nights

Crews for "The Deuce," HBO's upcoming drama series starring James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal, continued to film in parts of the neighborhood today (they were shooting a scene at Josie's on Sixth Street earlier)... the above photo via @slicksean shows the altered exterior of the City Cinemas Village East on Second Avenue at 12th Street ... transformed into an adult theater...

Here's more on the series via Deadline:

Written by "The Wire" creator David Simon and longtime collaborator George Pelecanos and directed by Michelle MacLaren, The Deuce follows the HBO blue logostory of the legalization and subsequent rise of the porn industry in New York’s Times Square from the early 1970s through the mid-1980s, exploring the rough-and-tumble world that existed there until the rise of HIV, the violence of the cocaine epidemic, and the renewed real estate market ended the bawdy turbulence.

It will now be more challenging to tag the front of the former Chase branch on 2nd Avenue

Workers this afternoon are installing roll-down gates outside 130 Second Ave. at St. Mark's Place...



People had been tagging the front of the former Chase on a regular basis... this one arrived overnight on Oct. 11...





The space will eventually be converted into the Swiss Institute, a non-profit cultural center currently located on Wooster Street. The Chase branch here consolidated with the one two blocks away last November.

Updated 10/20


[Photo by Steven]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Chase space on 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place is for rent

2 East Village Chase Bank branches are closing for good on Nov. 12

Chase branch on 2nd Avenue at St. Mark's Place has the potential to get 4x larger with new owner

The East Village is down 2 Chase branches

Icon wraps former Chase branch at St. Mark's Place with retail ribbon

'Good riddance' Chase, and — a development to watch in 2016

A few more details on the Swiss Institute's move to the East Village

Noted

Photo via an EVG reader on 14th Street this morning...

The New York City Rescue Mission is in urgent need of clothing donations

Signs have been posted around the neighborhood via the New York City Rescue Mission asking for donations of gently used clothing (and plus-size clothing) for men and women.

The photo on the flyer shows the current (empty) state of their Clothing Closet. Items mentioned that are needed include coats, scarves, gloves, sweaters, pants, shirts and blankets.

You can make donations in person 24/7 at the New York City Rescue Mission HQ at 90 Lafayette St. between Walker and White.

Other drop-off centers (hours vary) nearby, per the sign:

• Maryhouse, 55 E. Third St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue
• Graffiti Church, 205 E. Seventh St. between Avenue B and Avenue C
• Middle Collegiate Church , 50 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue
• The Catholic Worker St. Joseph House, 36 E. First St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue
• The Bowery Mission, 227 Bowery near Prince

A name change suggested for Church of the Most Holy Redeemer on 3rd Street

In July 2015, the Church of the Nativity on Second Avenue between Third Street and Second Street shut its doors, part of a consolidation by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York ... the parish consolidated with the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer on Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.



Now there is a movement afoot via the pastor to change the name of the historic church, which was consecrated in November 1852.

The following message is from the church's bulletin from Sunday...



It reads:

We are now a new parish in the eyes of the Church and the civil government. Our official name is The Roman Catholic Church of Most Holy Redeemer and Nativity. However, we can opt to change our name. It can be something totally different — for example — St. John Paul II, St. Theresa of Calcutta, etc. If you have any suggestions, please put your suggestion and why you want this name in writing, and leave it at the office for Fr. Sean McGillicuddy before, Friday, October 21.

One neighbor and parishioner opposed to a random name change explained in an email:

"A modification of the name could imperil and erode its long-standing identity and history ... it is a cherished institution that has no reason to be known as anything other than Most Holy Redeemer."

Possible new name aside, the neighbor said that several of Father McGillicuddy's initiatives have been perceived as "ruinous" by some of the parishioners, who don't feel comfortable speaking out about the changes.

"He never consulted the parish or its council on matters that affect the interior or architectural cosmetics of the church — such as the four statues of Mary now inserted in the churches facade, for example. The interior is being desecrated: florescent spot lights at the shrines, thrift shop prayer stools and electric candle alters cluttering the alters. And he is having the larger-than-life hand-carved wooden statues (works of masterful European craftsmanship) painted over with metallic paint. What were once works of art now look like cheap trinkets and chachkas.

And...

"The church ... belongs to history, the community... the Lower East Side."

The nail salon One Plus One has closed on 1st Avenue

Tht's it for One Plus One on First Avenue between First Street and Second Street. A note on the door thanks customers for their patronage (and offers an apology for any inconvenience the closure may have caused) ...



The same folks apparently own Joyful Nail at 35 Avenue A.

The closing of One Plus One may also effectively end any confusion that people may have with the bar One and One a storefront away...

Benjamin Restaurant & Bar closes on 2nd Avenue in Kips Bay

Leaving the East Village for this post... where EVG reader Stephen Popkin shares this news: the Benjamin Restaurant & Bar on Second Avenue at 33rd Street has abruptly closed as of yesterday.

Here's the sign greeting patrons...



Per the note:

"Due to the incredible strains put onto small neighborhood Restaurants, the current economic environment, the totally unmanageable Labor Laws to small businesses, the incredible Greed of the City's Health Dept., this incredibly popular neighborhood favorite has no choice but to close its doors. Once a very successful neighborhood meeting place, Beginning as Mumbles in 1974, we have totally enjoyed all of the great relationships that we have formed in the neighborhood."

As the sign says, Benjamin Catering will live on "hopefully very soon."

The second location of Mumbles closed after 22 years in business at Third Avenue and 17th Street back in February.

As for the Benjamin, it was a pleasant, unpretentious neighborhood spot for a drink or meal after, say, a movie at the AMC Loews Kips Bay.

It is nice out today

10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B ... via

Oct. 18

Carol from East 5th Street found what appears to be a Christmas/holiday tree... freshly plucked from the Earth (there's still some green on it)...on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...



Why discard this today? Perhaps the balmy temperatures made it ideal for spring/summer cleaning...

Brooklyn-based Bakeri now serving bread, croissants and coffee on East 6th Street

A photo posted by Bakerita NYC (@bakeritanyc) on Oct 15, 2016 at 6:37am PDT

The owners of Bakeri, with locations in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, have just opened a cafe at 627 E. Sixth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C.

The East Village outpost — called Bakerita — carries Bakeri's homemade bread and pastries as well as Counter Culture Coffee.

And here's more about them, via the Bakeri website:

We opened in 2009 with the goal of bringing small batch, European-style bread to our community. We added a small café with homemade pastries and high-quality coffee. Our roots are from Northern Europe but our day-to-day changes depending on what we’re inspired by...

Bakerita is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday; and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends.

Another rally to protest the incoming Moxy hotel on 11th Street

As we've been documenting, workers have started the demolition process at 112-120 E. 11th St., where a 300-room hotel is coming for Marriott's Moxy brand.

There's another protest now planned tomorrow evening here between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue. Here are details via the EVG inbox...

Please join GVSHP, union and labor groups, preservationists and neighbors this Wednesday, October 19 at 5:30 pm in front on 112-120 East 11th Street to protest the city’s approval of demolition of these five 19th century Beaux-Arts tenements which formerly housed long-term tenants in affordable housing. These five buildings were ruled “landmark-eligible” by the city in 2008, and yet this summer when they faced the threat of demolition and GVSHP urged they be protected, the city refused, claiming they no longer qualified for landmark status.

What changed? Nothing about the buildings – only the ownership. The buildings had been purchased by the Lightstone Group, whose head was a major campaign contributor to and political ally of Mayor de Blasio, whom he had recently appointed to the city’s Economic Development Corporation.

In spite of the Mayor’s purported dedication to affordable housing, he is allowing the buildings to be demolished to make way for a ‘millennials’-oriented Moxy Hotel. And in spite of the Mayor’s purported commitment to organized labor, the developer has been using companies on the project with a history of wage theft, unsafe practices, and mistreatment of workers, and the demolition and construction as well as the planned hotel will use non-union labor. As a result, organized labor is joining us in our campaign against this development, which we also protested this August.

Previously on EV Grieve:
At the rally outside 112-120 E. 11th St.

Protest reminder about 112-120 E. 11th St.; plus concerns over asbestos removal

6-building complex on East 10th Street and East 11th Street sells for $127 million

Report: 300-room hotel planned for East 11th Street

Preservationists say city ignored pitch to designate part of 11th Street as a historic district

Permits filed to demolish 5 buildings on 11th Street to make way for new hotel (58 comments)

New building permits filed for 13-story Moxy Hotel on East 11th Street across from Webster Hall

There will be several eating-drinking choices at the incoming Moxy hotel on 11th Street

Chipping away 112-120 E. 11th St. to make way for a Moxy hotel

122 2nd Ave., home of the Ukrainian Sports Club, being pitched for retail or a restaurant

The retail/restaurant for rent sign has arrived outside 122 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

According to the listing, two levels are available in the space whose current tenants include the Ukrainian Sports Club.

Here are more details (PDF here) via KSR Realty:

• Floors can be leased together or separately
• Incredible East Village retail opportunity
• Landlord will install ventilation
• Ownership is installing new façade
• Close proximity 400,000 SF office tower at 51 Astor Place
• Consistent foot traffic with St. Mark’s Place and Astor Place steps away
• Adjecent to Orpheum Theater

And here's a conceptual rendering showing the possibilities...



This is not the first time this space has been available. As we reported in January 2011, the two floors were going for an asking rent of $26,500. The retail-restaurant plans never materialized at that time. There isn't any mention of the asking rent today.

As previously noted, La Mama Experimental Theater Company was here until 1969.