Skating along Seventh Street today... photo by Derek Berg...
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Noted
Our friends at DeColores Community Yard shared this photo from Seventh Street between Avenue B and Avenue C this morning ... a DNC party favor for tonight?
Report: Cloister Cafe owner sues state over suspended liquor license
The owner of the Cloister Cafe is suing the State Liquor Authority (SLA) after its license was recently suspended at 238 E. Ninth Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.
Here's the official report that the SLA posted:
On August 7th, the New York City Sheriff's Office requested assistance from the state's multi-agency task force at this establishment approximately 12:30 a.m. — well past the 11 p.m. NYC curfew. Investigators found the restaurant operating as a nightclub and hookah lounge with a live DJ, documenting numerous patrons ignoring social distancing with lines of customers congregating in front of the premises without facial coverings, at least twenty patrons consuming alcohol indoors under a fixed roof, and no receipts for food purchases. The inspection identified thirty-three significant fire and life safety violations, with the NYC Sheriff's Office issuing seven criminal court summonses.
The exclusive pandemic parties were reportedly hosted at Cloister Cafe — aka Café Tucano — by Provocateur, a former Meatpacking District club.
One recent attendee told Gothamist, in a story published on Aug. 4, that he saw "hundreds of people, nobody is social distancing, nobody is wearing masks. It’s like the normal club scene. There’s a lot of spenders there. If they do social distancing, they can’t make money. They need to have a packed room full of people to make money."
As Page Six first reported, Cloister Cafe claims that the SLA didn't properly investigate the alleged violations — and just copied the claims from Gothamist, which in part relied on two Instagram posts by "self-styled social-distancing watchdog" Kristina Alaniesse.
"Instead of investigating, the SLA decided to rely upon the Gothamist, which is hardly a legal treatiste," Cloister's lawyer Robert Garson told Page Six.
They believe the closure was "illegal, uninvestigated and uninformed based on a sole Instagram post."
"The liquor authority are acting like … they've imposed a form of [martial law] that they’re not adhering to proper investigation," Garson said. "There are lots of people hurting [in hospitality]. [Owner Nick Drobenko is] taking the fight, not for himself, but for them as well."
In a post yesterday about the lawsuit, Gothamist laid out their reporting that went into the original story:
In fact, our reporting was based on interviews with nearly a dozen people, including almost half a dozen who had been to their events in person. Alaniesse did however post two damning videos which were taken at the spot on July 30th and which were cited by investigators...
Multiple attendees told us masks and social distancing were not being enforced whatsoever at the club, and that parties were routinely going past 11 p.m. and early into the morning multiple times a week.
An SLA spokesperson told this to Gothamist:
[A]ny claim that Cafe Cloister’s summary suspension was based on social media posts or media accounts is demonstrably false. Both the New York City Sheriff’s Office and investigators with the state's multi-agency task force conducted an inspection of Cafe Cloister at approximately 12:30 am on August 7th — more than an hour after New York City’s 11:00 pm curfew for outdoor dining — and documented a multitude of violations, each of which put New Yorkers' health and safety in danger during a global pandemic.
O'Hanlon's preps for reopening
O'Hanlon's has been dormant since the start of the COVID-19 PAUSE. In fact, a few regulars wondered if the neighborhood tavern might return at all to 349 E. 14th St. just west of First Avenue.
However, in a positive sign yesterday, EVG regular Pinch noted activity at the bar, as the staff started prepping to reopen... including the construction of sidewalk seating. The bar also teased a return on social media, noting "coming soon" ...
O'Hanlon's announced that they will open Monday, Aug. 24, from 4 to 11 p.m.
Storefront surprise! A new laundromat coming soon to 31 Avenue A
Well then. The paper covering the front windows over at 31 Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street came down the other day... revealing the useful new tenant coming soon — laundromat!
The space, owned by the NYCHA, had been vacant since Venus Body Arts moved out toward the end of 2017.
The original Juice Press has closed
The very first Juice Press, which debuted at 70 E. First St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue in 2010, is now for rent.
The plant-based food and beverage brand, with more than 80 locations in seven states now, had its humble beginnings in the East Village. Before opening the First Street shop in 2010, JP founder Marcus Antebi put up signs announcing a Robot Daycare and NY Academy of Mime, among other things, coming soon.
This location has been closed since someone broke in and looted the space in early June.
JP recently launched the JP Organic Market online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Aug. 18
Spotted on Sixth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... hiding the Christmas tree with the recyclables ... thanks to Riian Kant-McCormick for the photo! (And thanks to everyone else who pointed this one out, including Sally Long Dog!)
'In The Realm Of Anansi From Assisi' continues on at Le Petit Versailles
"In The Realm Of Anansi From Assisi," an installation by longtime East Village resident Peter Cramer, continues through Sept. 13 at Le Petit Versailles, the community garden and arts space at 247 E. Second St. (aka 346 E. Houston St.) between Avenue B and Avenue C.
There is limited public access (three mask-wearing people at a time while keeping social distance) Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 8 to 10. Otherwise, there is viewing daily from outside the fences on Second Street.
Here's more about the installation via the EVG inbox:
In The Realm of Anansi From Assisi (ITROAFA) is an immersive environment of the storyteller Anasi, a mythical African spider god, a fantastical garden landscape of light and line — a place of pilgrimage and healing where visitors may wander finding solace and respite during this time of disease.
The sculpture, visual elements, moving images, and sounds created by the principal artists reconcile science with mythology; from the evocation of the creation of the universe to the emergence of hominid creatures and culminating with the emergence of language represented by Anansi.
On Thursday (Aug. 20) evening at 7:30, Le Petit Versailles is hosting a live concert by NYOBS, the alternative experimental free association "kitchen" band featuring Mike Cacciatore, Peter Cramer, John Michael Swartz and Jack Waters.
You may listen from the sidewalk outside the garden or enjoy the sounds via Zoom. Find more details at the events page on Facebook.
Friends and neighbors come together to help Chef Lek at Lui's Thai Food
[Photo from early August by Stacie Joy]
East Village resident Pimnapa "Lek" Sunthatkolkarn, the chef/owner of Lui's Thai Food on Fourth Street, was hospitalized late last week. She remains in the hospital in stable condition, per EVG contributor Stacie Joy.
Lek's friends and neighbors have come together and launched a crowdfunding campaign to help her and her family with expenses.
Per the campaign:
Lek, who grew up in Bangkok, has lived in the EV for more than 30 years and previously owned the much loved Thai restaurant, Holy Basil, before opening Lui's Thai Food. At 62 years old, Chef Lek is a powerhouse and a beloved neighbor in the community.
You may find the GoFundMe link here.
The restaurant at 128 E. Fourth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue remains closed for now...
Previously on EV Grieve:
• A visit to Lui’s Thai Food on 4th Street
[Photo from March 2019]
Baked Cravings opening an outpost on St. Mark's Place
The neon signage arrived yesterday for Baked Cravings, coming soon to 102 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.
This will be the second location for the bakery that specializes in fresh-baked nut- and peanut-free cupcakes, cakes, brownies and cookies. (Founder Craig Watson has a daughter with food allergies.) Baked Cravings opened in East Harlem on Lexington at 105th Street in 2017.
The bakery takes over the space from Dun-Well Doughnuts, which concluded its three-plus-year run here in February.
Thailand Cafe will not be reopening on 2nd Avenue
A for lease sign now hangs outside what is the former Thailand Cafe here on Second Avenue between Fifth Street and Sixth Street.
The inexpensive-eats spot, seemingly around for years under several different owners, had been dormant since the COVID-19-related PAUSE. The restaurant's phone and website are no longer in service.
And the rent for the 1,300-square-foot space is available upon request.
UPS delivering a retail outlet to 1st Avenue
A UPS Store is coming this fall to 108 First Ave. between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. (And good timing in case the U.S. Postal Service collapses.)
Until March 2018, this storefront next to the McDonald's had been a Subway (sandwich shop) for six foot-long years.
Monday, August 17, 2020
The last of the COVID-19 memorial has been removed from the corner of 10th and A
The last piece of the COVID-19 memorial that has been on the southeast corner of Avenue A and 10th Street since March 26 is gone.
In recent weeks, only the memorial — titled "Beacon of Hope" — atop the brick column remained. This was after someone vandalized the work once again a few weeks back. (This happened multiple times in the spring.)
It was originally erected in honor of Edd Conboy, a licensed therapist and director of social services at Broad Street Ministry in Philadelphia, who died on March 20 of a stroke. He was 69. His brother Jim, an East Village artist, created the memorial after his family was unable to hold a funeral in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The memorial continued to evolve this spring to honor those who died during the pandemic.
[April 13]
[June 11]
The former Gem Spa space is for lease
[Photo from Saturday]
The former Gem Spa storefront on Second Avenue at St. Mark's Place is now officially on the rental market, billed as "First time available."
The listing at RIPCO doesn't have much info, other than square footage, location, etc. Pricing is available by request.
And while Gem Spa's address was 131 Second Ave., the marketing materials list this as 36 St. Mark's Place.
Potentially concerning (and confusing) is that the listing includes Paul's Da Burger Joint next door. The listing notes that the two spaces are available separately or combined...
The fact that the space was on the market was news to the owners of Paul's, who have a few more years left on the lease.
"I’ll assume at the moment it’s a mistake, as I spoke to the landlord today about something unrelated and nothing was mentioned," Matt Wardrop, who has been running Paul's since 2007, told EVG contributor Stacie Joy on Friday.
He added this on Sunday: "It seems as if that listing was created like that to draw more potential tenants for the corner. Someone can express interest for the whole lot and then the broker can say that only the corner is available. We are still here, doing the best we can given the current state of events. We enjoy serving the community and our loyal customers. We look forward to staying open and continuing to do what we love the most — feeding our loyal friends!"
Stacie stopped by Paul's on Friday...
Here's Angel, who has been here nearly the entire time since the restaurant opened in 1989, with his daughter and co-worker Daniella...
Gem Spa officially closed on May 7 amid ongoing financial challenges worsened by the COVID-19 crisis. The corner has a long history as a candy store and newsstand.
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