Permits filed to demolish the former B Bar & Grill on the Bowery

 

Permits are now on file with the city to demolish the one-level structure that has housed the B Bar & Grill on the Bowery at Fourth Street since 1994.

As reported last fall, CB Developers paid $59.5 million for a stake in 358 Bowery, previously a gas station before its conversion into the onetime hotspot. B Bar owner Eric Goode, who owns a handful of hotels including the Bowery Hotel, has been assembling air rights to build a larger development on this corner space. 

B Bar was expected to close for good in August. However, the bar-restaurant never reopened after the PAUSE in March. As we reported back on April 3, nearly 70 B Bar employees were laid off without any extension of benefits or offer of severance pay.

No word on what new development will rise here. Likely not a hotel given that Goode has one right across the Bowery.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• CB Developers pay $59.5 million for an interest in 358 Bowery — current home of the B Bar & Grill and likely a new development

• B Bar & Grill lays off its staff without severance

As Westville Bakery exits, Superiority Burger set to expand on 9th Street

From the EVG tipline: Westville Bakery closed as of Sunday on Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. While there isn't any official notice of a closure, temporary or permanent, the shop was not open yesterday during usual business hours ... the space also looked as if someone emptied it out.

No one from Westville responded to an email or Instagram message about the closing.

Meanwhile, the tipster tells us that Superiority Burger will be taking over this space.

And the folks at Superiority confirmed the upcoming expansion, noting that they will also be keeping their current (and original and small) home across Ninth Street. 

Superiority also confirmed that the new space will not be used for indoor seating, and they are still shaping up their future plans for the Ninth Street spaces...

Westville Bakery, which offered a variety of sweets and cafe fare, debuted here in October 2018. It appeared to have a solid following — even after Sullivan Street Bakery moved in a few storefronts away in October.

Superiority opened in the East Village in June 2015... and has pretty much been a veggie juggernaut since it unleashed its first batch of quickly vintage Yuba-verde sandwiches and, say, hakurei turnip slaw.  

On 1st Street, Con Ed work shutters Cafe Himalaya and Prim Thai once again

Cafe Himalaya and Prim Thai have been dark here in recents weeks at 78 E. First St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

In late October, Con Ed's emergency repairs at the address forced the two small restaurants to shutter for a week... their reopening on Nov. 4 was apparently short-lived as they both had to shut down again, per several EVG readers.

There haven't been any updates on either the Cafe Himalaya and Prim Thai Instagram accounts... and no one from Cafe Himalaya, the 18-year-old family-owned Tibetan/Nepalese restaurant, responded to queries about their status. It has been a particularly tough year for them: In early October, someone broke in and stole their cash drawer.

Photo from Sunday evening

Previously on EV Grieve:

Checking in on Cafe Himalaya

Via Della Pace reacts to loss of longtime home on 7th Street

Workers yesterday demolished the remains of 48 E. Seventh St. at Second Avenue... the above photo by Steven shows the fire-ruined Via Della Pace in the morning. 

The rustic Italian cafe had been closed here since the fire back on Feb. 10. At the time, the owners were unsure if they would ever be able to reopen here.

Over the weekend, Via Della Pace responded on Instagram to the news of another fire in the building ... with a photo of a heart-shaped cloud ...

Giovanni Bartocci, the restaurant's co-owner and chef, has made headlines during the U.S. Open for his enthusiastic support of Italian tennis star Matteo Berrettini. 

Bartocci posted an emotional video clip on Instagram Saturday as he watched firefighters hose down 48 E. Seventh St., where the cafe first opened in 2001. (In one bit of positive news, it appears he was able to salvage the original Via Della Pace sign from the building.)

Meanwhile, it's very possible that we'll see a return of Via Della Pace one day. Bartocci was on the November CB3-SLA agenda for a new liquor license for 87 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery, according to public documents filed on the Community Board website. The item was ultimately a scratch from the agenda. 

87 E. Fourth St. has been vacant since Cucina di Pesce closed in September 2018.

The Checkers on 1st Avenue closes

The Checkers outpost on First Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street has closed... as the photo by Pinch shows, workers have removed the Checkers sign ... and the space is empty...

This location reopened in September after a 6-month closure during the pandemic.

Checkers debuted here in December 2014.

Monday's parting shot

A message on the northeast corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street for the fire-damaged Middle Collegiate Church ... photo by Steven...

Workers have demolished the remains of fire-damaged 48 E. 7th St.

Here's a noontime look at the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street... the former 48 E. Seventh St., which once housed Cafe Mocha and Via Della Pace in the retail spaces, is now mostly rubble... Steven took these photos...

The Middle Collegiate Church's façade remains standing, and there is hope that it can be saved...

This is a view from Seventh Street...

Second Avenue remains closed at St. Mark's Police... the NYPD is directing southbound traffic over to Avenue A.

Updated 6:30 p.m. 

A few early evening photos...

Updated 7:30 p.m. 

And via 7th Street Neighbor...

Previously.

Marvel Studios will be filming the 'Hawkeye' Disney+ series in the East Village this week

You've likely seen the signs around Avenue A and some side streets for something called "Anchor Point," which is actually the working title of "Hawkeye" ... the new series for Disney+ based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. 

As I cut-n-paste from the Internet: "It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. The series takes place after the events of the film 'Avengers: Endgame.'" 

Anyway, it promises to be a big shoot tomorrow... with production vehicles expected on an array of side streets... from Fourth Street to 10th Street and First Avenue to Avenue C... check out the streets on the posted move-your-vehicles notices...

Ahead of the shoot, the Half Gallery on Fourth Street and Avenue B has been transformed into an old-time heating-appliance store, as these photos by Stacie Joy show... (and this prompted some confusion among residents, a few who tried to enter the fake storefront...)

There was some filming in downtown Brooklyn last week. The cast reportedly includes Hailee Steinfeld, Alaqua Cox, Tony Dalton, Vera Farmiga, Florence Pugh and Jeremy Renner.

And this is not the first time a Marvel series has been filmed in the East Village. Flashback time.

EVG Etc.: 2nd Avenue fire headlines

The early morning fire on Saturday that destroyed the vacant 48 E. Seventh St. and neighboring Middle Collegiate Church at 112 Second Ave. made international headlines (BBC here, for instance).

Workers have started demolishing No. 48 (one source at the scene said they'd remove what's left of the 5-story building, bringing it down to two levels so FDNY officials could continue their investigation to the cause of the fire). 

Meanwhile, officials were examining the historic church's façade to see what might be salvageable.

Happening now! Assessment of the @middlechurch facade structure and possibility of saving it. @evgrieve pic.twitter.com/hmJe5FlW9n

— Gili Getz 🔥 (@giligetz) December 6, 2020

Hopefully we will learn more about the fate of the structure in the hours/days ahead.

Meanwhile, the Times provided a thorough piece on the history of Middle Collegiate Church, which was built here in 1892. A fact that surprised some people: The church houses the New York Liberty Bell, which dates to 1725. No word on the fate of the bell. 

A few other select headlines:

• NPR has an interview with Rev. Jacqui Lewis, senior minister at Middle Church.

• CBS 2 covers the church's virtual service yesterday. (Middle Church has not had an in-person service since before the pandemic.)

• Gothamist provides an update on the Hopper House, the shelter operated by the Women's Prison Association at 110 Second Ave. that had to be evacuated. (Find our post on this here.)

There will be multiple storylines continuing to emerge from this tragic fire. We'll continue to provide updates on the latest developments. 

Thank you to everyone who has shared photos from the scene. And as many people have said, the fire brought back awful memories from the deadly explosion that leveled 119-123 Second Ave. in March 2015.

For some people watching the fire on the SE corner of 2nd Avenue & 7th Street this morning, there were unpleasant flashbacks to March 26, 2015, when the gas explosion wiped out the NW corner. 2 men died there that day.

[Photos by @NYPDSpecialops & Jonathan Jones] pic.twitter.com/16TujGbp6R

— evgrieve (@evgrieve) December 5, 2020

The Tompkins Square Library's East Village Arts Festival continues online this week

As mentioned last week, the fourth annual East Village Arts Festival at the Tompkins Square Library branch went virtual this year... there are several free events remaining this week. Details below. And you may register for the events here.

Monday, Dec. 7 at 6 p.m.: Mom and Pop Storefronts: Online Curator Talk with Karla and James Murray. James and Karla Murray, acclaimed photographers and authors of "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York" will discuss and show the work created by the participants of their 2020 Mom and Pop Storefronts workshop. In partnership with the East Village Community Coalition, James and Karla taught participants how to use photography and oral history to raise public awareness, build community and encourage advocacy. 

Thursday, Dec. 10 at 1 p.m.: Virtual Walking Tour: Artists, Writers, Musicians of Tompkins Square. Please join us for a fun online walking tour hosted by library manager Corinne Neary and local photographer Michael Paul. 

Thursday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m.: Online Book Discussion. Village Preservation will host an online discussion with author Miranda Martinez, and her book, "Power at the Roots: Community Gardens, Gentrification, and the Puerto Ricans of the Lower East Side."

Saturday, Dec. 12 at  3 p.m.: Online Discussion with an Artist: Delphine le Goff. Among many other projects, le Goff has recently started sketching East Village buildings and businesses. She will show some of her work, discuss her process and inspirations, and answer questions. 

Sunday's parting shot

A view toward the northwest from several blocks away... where, presumably, a combination of the demolition and today's high winds stirred up this smoke-dust from the fire-ravaged corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street... 

Thanks to Elissa Jiji for the photo...

Week in Grieview

Posts from this past week include... (and thanks to Vinny & O for the photo from Tompkins Square Park yesterday) 

• Second Avenue fire coverage: here ... here ... here... here ... and here. 

• RIP Miguel Algarín (Wednesday) 

• The annual Holiday Tree Lighting in Tompkins Square Park is canceled due to COVID-19 (Friday)

• C&B is expanding on 7th Street (Wednesday) 

• A visit to the Tree Riders (Thursday) 

• A visit to Paradise Alley at Duane Park (Friday) 

• The Tompkins Square Library's annual East Village Arts Festival is underway online (Tuesday) 

• This week's NY See panel (Thursday) 

• Where a grand elm stood (Tuesday) 

• Gallery Watch: edenchrome for all at ASHES/ASHES (Wednesday) 

• Report: City drops plan for hotel special permit requirement south of Union Square (Monday)

• Signage arrives for Cadence, the latest Ravi DeRossi venture on 7th Street (Monday) 

• Vin Sur Vingt Wine Bar opening an outpost on 2nd Avenue and 11th Street (Tuesday) 

• New restaurants for this stretch of 4th Street (Wednesday) 

• Loverboy has apparently closed on Avenue C (Friday)

• Phebe's has decided to close for now (Wednesday) 

 • Bagels — and a deli — for 9th Street (Monday) 

• A new home for Home Town Village Convenience Store on St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

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Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

Updating: Demolition of 48 E. 7th St. is imminent

Sources at the scene on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street say that the demolition of what's left of the fire-damamged 48 E. Seventh St. is imminent ... workers were waiting for a meeting to take place betweem various DOB and FDNY officials this morning ...

There was no word about the fate of the Middle Collegiate Church, the historic structure that was erected here in 1892. 

FDNY officials have not revealed the source of the fire that started at No. 48 early yesterday morning and spread to the church next door. Four firefighters were treated for minor injuries.

Updated 11:45 a.m. 

The demolition is underway...

Happening now! Demolition of East Village building after massive fire. @evgrieve pic.twitter.com/8xdGK8OG8a

— Gili Getz 🔥 (@giligetz) December 6, 2020

Updated 12:45 p.m. 

Steven took these photos...

An EV Pop Up Flea today

Some of the vendors from the Avenue B Flea will once again be selling their wares on East Houston and First Avenue (on the garden corner — Peretz Square) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The Facebook invite has the full list of vendors ... everything from vintage clothing, handmade jewelry and vinyl rock and soul records.

And here's a photo via Stacie Joy from the last sale here on Nov. 21...