A session for tenants to learn how to fight back against construction as harassment

Construction as harassment has been a well-known tactic employed by various landlords in the East Village (and citywide) through the years.

The city took steps to help curb such activities in August 2017 when City Council passed comprehensive legislation as part of the “Stand for Tenant Safety” package that aims to provide greater tenant protection.

This coming Tuesday evening, tenant organizers and attorneys from the Stand For Tenant Safety Coalition and the Director of the Office of the Tenant Advocate will explain these new legal protections and offer tips for tenants to fight back. The presentation will also include a Q&A session with the Tenant Advocate and STS Coalition members.

The meeting, courtesy of the Cooper Square Committee, takes place on Jan. 29 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Perseverance House Community Room, 535 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

For more info or to RSVP, you may call (212) 228-8210 (ext. 104) or send an email to Liam at the address on the above flyer.

Previously on EV Grieve:
New City Council legislation aims to protect tenants from construction as harassment

Icon Realty fined $500,000 in tenant harassment probe

'Fear and misinformation' on 4th Street: Developer sues over rejected hotel plans

[Via SRA Architecture and Engineering]

The development firm Kalodop II Park Corp., who has been trying to build a hotel adjacent to the Merchant’s House Museum on Fourth Street between the Bowery and Lafayette, is now suing New York City, the City Council and Councilmember Carlina Rivera over the rejection of their ULURP application for the project.

The Real Deal first reported on the suit:

Kalodop’s lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, asks the court to reverse the City Council’s disapproval and enter a judgement approving its ULURP application. It argues that the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the City Planning Commission had already approved their project and attributes community anxiety to “a grass roots campaign of fear and misinformation” from the Merchant’s House Museum that “spurred local community members and representatives into action with a false narrative that any construction at the property would cause the Merchant’s House to be catastrophically damaged.”

The developers were seeking a spot rezoning to build an 8-story hotel on the site — higher than the current zoning allowed. The public review process, the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), began last spring. The full City Council ultimately voted down the rezoning this past September.

Preservationists, not to mention the leadership of Merchant's House, the circa-1832 building, were concerned that the construction could permanently damage the structure, one of only six residences in NYC that is both an exterior and an interior landmark. Sen. Brad Hoylman, Borough President Gale Brewer, Assemblymember Deborah Glick and Community Board 2 were also opposed to the current application for the 8-story hotel.

The developers had promised to take extensive measures to ensure that the neighboring structure would not be harmed during the hotel construction.

This project dates to 2011. After several hearings through the years (here and here, as examples), the Landmarks Preservation Commission eventually signed off on the project (in 2014) as did the City Planning Commission (last August).

Not mentioned in The Real Deal article: The developers can still build a six-story building on the site even without the rezoning. They also own the lot around the corner at 403 Lafayette St., which the Merchant's House has suggested would make a better spot for the hotel.

The proposed site of the hotel, 27 E. Fourth St., currently houses Al-Amin Food Inc., which houses hot-dog carts for street vendors.

Previously.

Whatever happened to ... Donostia?

Several readers have asked about Donostia, the cafe that serves traditional Basque small plates and drinks at 155 Avenue B between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

A reader who lives nearby said that the gates have been down during announced business hours since late November. (We also haven't seen it open in the past two months.)

There aren't any messages about a closure, temporary or permanent, on the Donostia website or social media properties. Their phone is still in service, though it points to the cafe's website to make a reservation. The website says to call the cafe or send an email to make a reservation. No one responded to our email query about Donostia's status.

However, one user at Yelp, which lists the cafe as closed, added an item on Jan. 17 noting: "I emailed them to make a reservation. They responded that they're moving locations and will post and update soon. Can't wait!"

Donostia opened in November 2013 to positive notices. The operators were able to keep that momentum. In 2017, Food & Wine named them one of "The Best Wine Bars In the U.S." This past October, Michelin named Donostia as one of its Bib Gourmand-designated restaurants for the fourth consecutive year.

Perhaps a new location will serve Donostia better. In 2017, co-owner Jorge de Yarza reportedly joined forces with developer Gregg Singer, who has been trying, for 20-plus years, to covert the former P.S. 64 building around the corner on 10th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C into student housing. DNAinfo reported that de Yarza helped gather nearly 900 signatures in support of the dorm plan, asking the city to allow it to move forward.

Per a DNAinfo story published in October 2017:

The massive building's prolonged vacancy has made the block dark and unsafe, and has encouraged loitering, de Yarza added.

"All the places in the immediate area, they suffer," he said. "It's one of those stretches of 10th Street you don't even want to walk by, and it's a shame."

According to a post at the Lo-Down from September 2017, de Yarza also helped Singer support candidates running against Carlina Rivera in the most recent District 2 City Council race. Rivera, who won the election, is an ally of the outgoing Councilmember Rosie Mendez, who has long opposed the dorm plan.

RIP Jonas Mekas

[Image via Facebook]

Jonas Mekas, the award-winning filmmaker, poet, publisher and co-founder of the Anthology Film Archives on Second Street and Second Avenue, died today. He was 96.

The Anthology announced the news on Instagram and Facebook: "Jonas passed away quietly and peacefully early this morning. He was at home with family. He will be greatly missed but his light shines on."

In 1954, he co-founded the seminal publication Film Culture. He was also the first film critic of The Village Voice, where he championed noncommercial work from 1958 to 1975 in the "Movie Journal" column.

Here are a few passages from the intro of an interview with The Village Voice in September 2017...

Born in Lithuania, Mekas first came to New York in 1949 as a refugee; he had been imprisoned by the Nazis, then found himself stateless after the Soviets invaded. Plunging himself into the underground film scene, he became the Village Voice’s first full-time film critic in 1958 ... fervently championing independent and experimental cinema.

Mekas didn’t just write about movies. He made them, he showed them, and it would be fair to say he lived them. Much of his prolific cinematic output was built around footage of his everyday life. (Start with his masterpieces — "Walden,' from 1969; "Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania," from 1972; "Lost, Lost, Lost," from 1975; and "As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Glimpses of Beauty," from 2000.)

By founding the Film-Makers’ Cooperative and the Film-Makers’ Cinematheque in the 1960s, he made it possible for underground filmmakers to bypass traditional distribution schemes. The Cinematheque eventually grew into Anthology Film Archives, which continues to be one of New York’s essential screening venues.

But the past tense doesn’t fit Mekas. He still makes films; he still writes, teaches, programs, and champions. This man who worked with Andy Warhol and John Lennon and Lou Reed and Maya Deren might be the least nostalgic person I’ve ever encountered. And he remains more excited than discouraged by what he sees in the world — even when he’s perplexed by it.

Several filmmakers have paid their respect to Mekas... (We'll update this post later...)

View this post on Instagram

Sadly we have lost Jonas Mekas, one of the most inspiring artists I have ever encountered—the poets’ version of a King Fu Master. Long Live Jonas Mekas!

A post shared by Jim Jarmusch (@jim.jarmusch) on Jan 23, 2019 at 8:32am PST

View this post on Instagram

Jonas Mekas Jan. 22, 1922 - Jan 23, 2019 "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth." -- Albert Einstein

A post shared by Amos Poe (@amos.poe) on Jan 23, 2019 at 8:53am PST

Updated:

The Anthology added a second Instagram post about Mekas, which reads in part:

Jonas was the guiding force here at Anthology from its founding through to the present day, and even as he reached the age of 96 the idea that he might not be here in person to continue to inspire us has been inconceivable. But Jonas was nothing if not forward thinking, large spirited, and devoted in every fiber of his being to celebrating what is most vibrant in life and culture.

His work as a filmmaker, artist, writer, and archivist (among many other roles) was animated precisely by a powerful, paradoxical balance between a preoccupation with the past and an inexhaustible openness to new ideas, forms, and experiences. What better model for confronting the fact of his passing, for balancing sorrow at his death with a celebration of the vitality of his legacy?

His absence will be difficult to accept, but his spirit will continue to suffuse Anthology, New York City, and avant-garde culture around the world.

Updated 1/24

There's a makeshift memorial for Mekas outside the Anthology Film Archives on Second Street at Second Avenue ... Steven shared thee photos...











Selected reading:

Jonas Mekas: how a Lithuanian refugee redefined American cinema (The Guardian)

Jonas Mekas, Underground Filmmaker Who Cast A Long Shadow, Dies At 96 (NPR)

Jonas Mekas, RIP: Why This 96-Year-Old Legend Was Our Most Important Cinephile (IndieWire)

A look at where Citi Bike is expanding in the East Village

[Archived photo from 4th Street by Derek Berg]

The East Village bike fleet is getting a boost. Citi Bike tweeted out its expansion plans for 2019 yesterday...

In the coming months, we're boosting service by adding 1250 new bikes and 2500 docks in the busiest parts of the system throughout Manhattan & Brooklyn.

Want to learn more? Visit @NYC_DOT for their full presentations on this infill plan: https://t.co/2Q5bwJUfWd

— Citi Bike (@CitiBikeNYC) January 22, 2019

The tweet included links to the presentations that DOT officials made to local Community Boards in recent months about the expansion. (The presentation to CB3 from Nov. 12 is at this link. And the final expanded docking-station map is here.)

According to the DOT materials, there are 50 existing Citi Bike docking stations within the boundaries of Community Board 3*; 19 of those will see of expansion of anywhere between two and 27 bikes ... with four more stations added overall.

This map shows the existing Citi Bike docking stations above East Houston up to 14th Street. As the map shows, the new docking stations will be coming to 12th Street and Avenue C (32 bikes) ... and First Avenue and Sixth Street (number of bikes not listed) ...


[Click on image for more detail]

This map outlines the number of additional bikes coming to existing docking stations... with the biggest gains on Sixth Street at Avenue B (plus 27), 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B (plus 25), and Avenue C and Second Street (plus 25)...



There isn't a definite timeline on these additions — "in the coming months" per the Citi Bike tweet, and "early 2019" per the CB3 presentation.

In late November, Citi Bike announced that it was tripling its current fleet of 12,000 bikes — and doubling the system’s coverage area — as part of a five-year, $100-million investment from the company’s new owner, Lyft. This addition makes Citi Bike the largest bike-share system in North America.

* The boundaries of CB3 are 14th Street on the north, the East River on the east and the south, and Fourth Avenue and the Bowery on the west, extending to Baxter and Pearl Streets and the Brooklyn Bridge south of Canal Street.

Checking in on the under-renovation Ottendorfer Library

The Ottendorfer Library, 135 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street, closed for upgrades this past Aug. 6.

According to a message to patrons from branch manager Kristin Kuehl, workers are installing a new fire alarm and life-safety system. "Due to the building's age and landmark status, the project is expected to take six months," Kuehl wrote this past August.

Some patrons were hopeful for a February return. A new-ish sign on the library's front door (thanks Choresh Wald!) now notes that they will be closed through "late winter." The first day of Spring is March 20. So there's time left for late winter.

Anyway! Here's some history of the branch, cut-n-pasted from the previous Ottendorfer post...

The Ottendorfer Branch of the New York Public Library opened in 1884 as New York City's first free public library. Designed by German-born architect William Schickel, this landmark building combines Queen Anne and neo-Italian Renaissance styles with an exterior ornamented by innovative terracotta putti. The branch was a gift of Oswald Ottendorfer, owner of the New-Yorker Staats-Zeitung newspaper.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Ottendorfer Library closing for 6 months to install new fire-suppression system

A visit to the Tompkins Square Library branch on 10th Street

Local Faith Communities of the East Village present their annual 'Spiritual Sounds' on Sunday

Via the EVG inbox...

The 10th annual "Spiritual Sounds" will be presented on Sunday, Jan. 27, 5-7 p.m. at Town & Village Synagogue, 334 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

This group of neighborhood faith leaders (priests, imams, ministers, rabbis, cantors and monks) all serving within a few blocks of each other first gathered to stand up to hate, intolerance, and prejudice, then, growing naturally to know one another personally, enjoy each other’s company, build the trust needed, help and support each other, remain a shining example of NYC’s community of diversity who celebrate together the depth and richness of our many traditions.

The event is free, open to all. No tickets are required.

The faith organizations:
Medina Masjid Mosque
The Second Avenue Church
The Bhakti Center
The Light of Guidance Sufi Center
The Catholic Worker
The Shul of New York
Town & Village Synagogue
Sixth Street Community Synagogue
Middle Collegiate Church
Most Holy Redeemer-Nativity Catholic Church
The Nechung Foundation
Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection
St. Mary’s American Orthodox Church
St. Mark’s Church-in-the Bowery

The 9-year challenge

Derek Berg shares this Ferrari photo on Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue today... almost right on the hallowed ground of [holding back tears] the whatever-happened-to EV Lambo...


[Photo from 2010 by EVG reader Joe]

Noted

An unknown ‘side effect’ of driving a ‘wannabe pharmacy’ through the #EastVillage on the midnight—getting pulled over by 👮🏻‍♂️PO McVeigh and 👮🏻‍♂️PO Manel. Good stop. Great arrest. Thanks guys! #NYPDProtecting pic.twitter.com/HcMYZiDCsK

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) January 22, 2019

Reminders: City Council's oversight hearing on the revised East River Park stormproofing is tomorrow

Tomorrow afternoon at 1, City Council is holding a joint committee hearing with de Blasio administration officials and relevant agency commissioners about the updated East Side Coastal Resiliency Project. (Find the agenda item at this link.)

Council members — led by District 2's Carlina Rivera — hope to learn more about the city's new vision for the revamp to stormproof East River Park. The updated plan was released in the fall, in an L-train-ish fashion that caught many stakeholders by surprise after years of outreach and groundwork.

The updated plan — released without any community input — is radically different than what had been discussed, and its expected cost will increase from $760 million to $1.45 billion, while closing and burying the current East River Park for up to three-plus years. (The city's new design renderings are at this link.)

The Times caught up to the story in a piece headlined To Save East River Park, the City Intends to Bury It on Sunday.

An excerpt from the Times:

In a separate interview, the Parks Department commissioner, Mitchell J. Silver, said that unlike passive parks that double as floodplains, like those by Jamaica Bay, East River Park has structures, lights and synthetic turf, which “does not do well” in floods. And with the river projected to rise two and a half feet in 30 years, raising the park is the only way to save it.

By bringing in landfill and soil by barge, the new plan allows for daytime construction away from the highway, minimizing traffic disruptions. After its scheduled March 2020 launch, the new plan can thus be completed in three years rather than five, with flood protection in place by 2022.

Still, the park’s closing under either plan has left people like Joan Reinmuth, a retired nurse and 30-year East Village resident, doubtful. “This park is more than a recreation facility,” she said. “These kids in NYCHA houses don’t take vacation cruises. They don’t shop at Zabar’s for fish; they fish to eat. Early mornings, men are shaving in the fountains.”

Rivera, who called for Wednesday's oversight hearing, shared her thoughts on the project in series of tweets on Friday...

Although the NYT headline above suggests otherwise, we still do not have any real data and analysis that explains why the entire park needs to buried and replaced, which would double original cost of this massive project. (3/5)

— Carlina Rivera 利華娜 (@CarlinaRivera) January 18, 2019

I think Vaylateena Jones sums up how we all feel: “The way this planning is being done is disempowering. City officials collaborated with us over four years and came up with a detailed design — only to now return with this entirely new design.” (5/5)

— Carlina Rivera 利華娜 (@CarlinaRivera) January 18, 2019

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: The reality of storm-proofing East River Park in 2020

Storm center: Questions linger over updated plans for the East Side Coastal Resiliency project

Mayor's new East River Park flood plan faces City Council scrutiny

Joe’s Steam Rice Roll heading to 36 St. Mark's Place; will be the 5th restaurant in 4 years here

Joe’s Steam Rice Roll is reportedly planning to open a outpost this spring at 36 St. Marks Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Eater had this about the shop and its owner, Joe Rong:

Rong began selling his rice noodle rolls from a tiny storefront in Flushing in 2017, and his craft quickly stood out. Unlike many other vendors, he grinds the rice for the batter in an electric-powered stone mill daily. His stand has drawn a loyal following, prompting him to expand to Manhattan last November with a stall inside Canal Street Market.

He says he’s traveling to China soon to perfect the restaurant’s sauces and seasonings and expects to add new drinks to the menu, too.

You can read more about the food at Joe's in this Hungry City column at the Times last week.

No. 36 has seen a variety of quick-serve concepts come and go in recents years, including Cheers Cut, the Taiwanese mini-chain of fried foods ... Friterie Belgian Fries ... Fasta ("Pasta Your Way") ... and the $1.50 branch of 2 Bros. Pizza.

Former Nicoletta space for rent on 2nd Avenue and 10th Street

The for lease signs are up now in the windows at 160 Second Ave. at 10th Street, the former home of Nicoletta, Chef Michael White's pizzeria.

According to an online listing, the monthly asking rent is $25,000 (1,700 rentable square feet on the ground level).

As first reported here on Dec. 21, Nicoletta was opening in a new, undisclosed spot in the East Village where they are continuing with a delivery service.

Not sure where they are working from these days, but the Nicoletta Instagram is actively pushing the pies...

View this post on Instagram

It’s Championship Sunday! We are offering 15% off all signature pies and 1/2 off wings when you call in your order and mention “Game Day Deals.” 🏈🍕🍗

A post shared by Nicoletta | NYC (@nicolettanyc) on Jan 20, 2019 at 5:59am PST

A previous Nicoletta Instagram post noted that their new EV space will also feature expanded menu items and delivery zone.

Nicoletta opened to much hoopla in June 2012.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Nicoletta Pizzeria closes 2nd Avenue dining room, plans move to a new delivery-only location

Cafe Centosette closes on Second Avenue

On the Mark Cleaners now open on 13th Street

[Photo by Steven]

On the Mark Cleaners made its debut last week at 400 E. 13th St. just east of First Avenue.

The drop-off dry-cleaning service is from the same owner as On the Mark Barber Shop, which was previously in this storefront. The 10-year-old barber shop had opened a second location in August 2017 at 350 E. 13th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.... and eventually swapped out this space for the cleaners.

Cheska's pizza now serving in the Bowery Market

[EVG file photo]

Cheska's is the newest tenant (as of Jan. 16) in the Bowery Market, the year-round open-air food court at 348 Bowery and Great Jones.

Here's more about Cheska's style of pizza (via the Cheska's website):

Cheska's pizza has a gluten-free and vegan crust. It's an elevated offering. Cheska’s two main crusts are cauliflower and sweet potato. Both crusts are available in an 8-inch personal size or a 12-inch shareable pie. We also serve riced cauliflower bowls.

This is the first full-time space for Cheska's, owned and operated by Cheska Mauban, a Queens native who fine-tuned her own recipes to create the menu here.

View this post on Instagram

First week was a success! Make sure you come by if you haven’t already! 💫 📷: @yaazzzin 🔶 #cheskas #feedyourbestlife

A post shared by Cheska’s (@cheskas) on Jan 19, 2019 at 1:22pm PST