4,000

The number of new luxury condos sitting vacant in the city (Crain's)

A fence comes down on East 10th Street, raising questions...

EV Grieve reader cyclosity sent along the following photo from 10th Street just east of Avenue B... where workers are on the scene, having just removed the fence here... As we can remember, this fence has been up around this space/community garden across from the former PS 64 for the past four or five years...



Anyone know what's in store for this space?

The Bowery's last gasp fairly audible

I've been waiting to write the obituary for the White House (or Whitehouse to some), the last of the neighborhood's SROs at 338 Bowery. There's a long history at this four-story building erected in 1916 that's now serving as a hostel as well as a permanent home for a handful of low-income residents... The building’s owner, Metro Sixteen, is affiliated with the hotel developer Sam Chang. Their plans: demolish the White House and replace it with a nine-story hotel.

And this item at Curbed today makes me think the end will be here sooner rather than later:

A Curbed tipster notes, housing court hearings for remaining residents — many of whom are in pretty rough shape — are something of a regular occurrence.

Previously on EV Grieve:
White House blues

[Photo via Curbed]

NYU's expansion plan for the East Village

The NYU 2031 Expansion Plan World Tour made a stop last night at CB3's Zoning Committee meeting.

NYU Vice President for Government Relations and Community Engagement Alicia D. Hurley provided a rundown of the school's ambitious plans, which, of course, includes building up their Washington Square Park core area... harvesting Governors Island... and trading the College of Dentistry on First Avenue to New Jersey for two future fifth-round draft choices. (OK, kidding on the last one you know.)

Fine, fine... we've read this before... But what about the East Village?

Before going any further, I actually thought a few protesters might show up... like at NYU's first Open House on April 14. Nope, it was all civil... No pitchforks, no agitated NIMBYs...no one really. GVHSP Executive Director Andrew Berman was there and repeated his concerns about the whole expansion, particularly in the core area.

Hurley gave her presentation, as she has been doing a lot lately around town ... and the Zoning Committee asked a few questions. A few people in the small audience of 30 or so asked some questions. From a Board member: "There's still a blank page when it comes to this part of town."

Earlier, Hurley had said: "A lot of our growth won't be taking place in this area."

And, she admitted, "We understand that we have over saturated that Third Avenue corridor."

As NYU has already stated, the school wants to expand by 6 million square feet... roughly 3 million square feet will be taken up in downtown Brooklyn and Governors Island, as previously reported... and another 1.5 million to 2 million square feet or so will come from their Washington Square Park core area (the so-called superblocks...).

And NYU bought the Forbes Building on Fifth Avenue and 730 Broadway, the former (Nobody Beats) the Wiz store...those spaces provide the school with another 300,000 square feet... so still 700,000-plus square feet to go...somewhere in the larger neighborhood that Hurley showed as being between Canal and 18th Streets to the south and north... and Eighth Avenue and First Avenue to the west and east... As The Villager noted last week, "exactly where these locations would be is currently unknown, and would depend on what real estate becomes available."

With the new expansion plans, a board member asked if they'd be a need for NYU to come east of Third Avenue; another member said east of First Avenue... Hurley responded by shrugging her shoulders. She finally allowed, "We'll always be open to opportunities."

She said this meeting was about hearing from the board. This was all about having an open-minded conversation, that the board just couldn't "say no to NYU." Period. Does that mean no dorms? No administrative offices? What is the EV community willing to allow, if anything? She thought this approach worked better than NYU showing up with, say, four sites already in mind to use for expansion in the East Village.



Hurley also said that the NYU student growth rate was slowing considerably, to about .5 percent a year...which means about 3,000 more NYU students in the next 25 years.

And there were more numbers and what-ifs... She discussed the scale of dorm sites: 300 students were a minimum for a dorm, and that 175,000 square feet was necessary to accommodate that amount (roughly the size of the 12th Street dorm) ... However, a dorm that tall is improbable now courtesy of the East Village/LES rezoning. Board member David McWater figured such a space would require six typical lots put together...

Board member Barden Prisant is the CB3 representative who sits on the city's task force on NYU development that Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer formed to help avoid the neighborhood anger stemming from past growth. He suggested that the board brainstorm some talking points to arm him with for future NYU-related meetings. He suggested showing a unified front on the issue... so it appeared he wasn't merely expressing his opinion, rather that of the entire board.

So far, the East Village has been spared of any public expansion talk. Still, as Save the Lower East Side! noted last month: "Scarier still is their silence on the East Village. Looking at the fantasies-afar, you know it's going to pop up here, but they don't give a clue as to where."

More to come...

[Second photo is from the April 14 Open House via the GVSHP site]

The Blue and Gold puts a sign up to help prevent future FREAK OUTS

We were all a little shaken yesterday with Fork in the Road's news that the Blue and Gold on Seventh Street was closed for gut renovations... thankfully the B&G management left a comment on the post saying they were merely putting in soundproofing in the ceiling...

And, while walking by last night, I spotted a helpful sign in the window...

Two signs coming down quickly on Avenue A

Yesterday, EV Grieve reader Ryan on Avenue A sent along some photos of workers removing the Graceland canopy/sign on Avenue A and Second Street......revealing the former tenant...



I went by later to catch a look at the sign...




Unfortunately, I was too late to see the sign on the Second Street side... workers had already ripped it off...




Previously on EV Grieve:
Graceland sign removal reveals previous tenant on Avenue A

Shepard Fairey in Someone to watch over me

I spotted someone cleaning up some graffiti late yesterday on Shephard Fairey's mural on Houston and the Bowery...




Meanwhile, over the weekend, an EV Grieve reader said that he or she went to the Williamsburg Hall of Music ... at the venue, there's a display of Shepard Fairey's work to coincide with his current show.

Per the reader: "Get this: the venue has a separate security guard watching over them to make sure no one fucks with them. It was bizarre."

And last night, EV Grieve reader E passed along another new addition to the mural:

Kathy's Jewelry is moving on First Avenue

A reader passed along word that Kathy's Jewelry was closing on First Avenue near 14th Street... Her shop sits next to the long-shuttered David's Bagels....



However, the store is merely moving down First Avenue a few storefronts... the Tats Cru-painted gate likely won't make the trip, though.



Previously on EV Grieve:
David's Bagel space becoming a Mexican restaurant

Dumpsters of the day

A daily double with a couch! On East 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Why it's very possible that Pommes Frites got a new deep fryer

Because one of the old fryers was on the Second Avenue sidewalk out front last night.




Think this will make for a nice decorative planter?

Terror and relief in 60 minutes: The really bad then good news about the Blue and Gold

The EV Grieve inbox recently exploded with the news from Fork in the Road that the Blue and Gold Tavern on Seventh Street was going through a gut renovation.... yet another beloved spot RIP.... Noted a reader: "Makes you realize how precarious it all is, it can be snatched away in an instant, and you think, 'i should have gone there more often.'"

BUT! The B&G management chimed in on the Fork post:

The Blue and Gold is soundproofing the ceiling - and will reopen by Thursday - May 13. To do a proper soundproofing job the old ceiling needs to be removed. The rest of the bar is not being gutted. Heavy duty plastic is protecting the walls, bar and pool table.

Given the loss of the former Verchovyna Tavern aka George's Bar aka Bar 81 a few doors down... it's understandable that we're all a little touchy about this... By the way, "East Fifth Bliss" filmed scenes at the Blue and Gold the other week... In the novel, the lead character drinks at the Homestead (called the Homeplate) on First Avenue, which, of course, closed years back...so another bar had to stand in for the Homestead...



[Photo via the Voice]

Graceland sign removal reveals previous tenant on Avenue A

Thanks to EV Grieve reader Ryan on Avenue A for the following shots... Workers just removed the Graceland canopy/sign on Avenue A and Second Street...



...revealing the sign of the former tenant...




Previously on EV Grieve:
Graceland has closed

Appreciating Graceland's graffiti

When the Blob nearly attacked Doughnut Plant — and maybe the entire Lower East Side!

Many thanks to EV Grieve reader Marjorie Ingall for passing along the following shot taken yesterday outside Doughnut Plant on Grand Street...

"Doughnut Plant was too crowded with Mother's Day noshers for me to ask for an explanation, but it smelled awesome," she said...



Fortunately, her kids were on-hand to help subdue this beast with sticks! Because this could have been ugly!

Watch Paul Richard install his Shepard Fairey addition

We pointed out the Paul Richard addition to the Shepard Fairey mural on the Bowery and Houston the other day....




...it has since been removed/stolen...

And now a reader sent along a link to Richard installing the sign....

Reminders tonight: Learn how NYU may really take over the East Village in the next 20 years

From the GVSHP website:

On Monday, May 10 there will be a public hearing on NYU’s 2031 Expansion Plan in Community Board 3’s Zoning Committee. As Community Board 3 covers the East Village, the hearing and discussion will focus on how the plan will impact the area east of 4th Avenue. The NYU 2031 expansion plan currently calls for the university to add between 1 and 1.5 million sq. ft. of space in the East Village and other areas near to but just outside of its Washington Square ‘core’ over the next 20 years. NYU’s recently-completed 26 story dorm on East 12th Street — the tallest building in the East Village — is 175,000 sq. ft., thus the proposed 1-1.5 million sq. ft. is the equivalent of roughly six to nine more of these. However, unlike the ‘core’ area where NYU has given a great deal of specifics about what they are proposing to build there, in the East Village and other areas outside of the ‘core’ NYU has not provided any details about how, when, or where this massive amount of space might be distributed over the next 20 years.

It's in the Cooper Union Foundation Building, 7 E. Seventh St., the Peter Cooper suite, 8th floor.

Live above Momofuku Ssam Bar: For anyone who loves the smell of spicy honeycomb tripe salad

So at 207 Second Ave. at 13th Street above Momofuku Ssam Bar ... the renovations are finally complete... There are eight three bedroom apartments here that just hit the market... Per Streeteasy, the apartments start at $5,950 and go to $7,450 per month, plus one month free rent with a minimum 13 month lease "or best offer." Also: "All 3 bedrooms are separately keyed and ideal for sharing."

Not sure if that means the bedrooms or apartments are ideal for sharing...

Anyway, let's take a look at a unit going for $6,900:

“Completely Renovated. Be the first person to live here!”

... is is a completely renovated true 3BR located in the East Village. Each unit includes state of the art granite kitchens with custom tile backsplashes, maple cabinetry and stainless steel appliances including washer dryer, dishwasher, Pro Series range and microwave. Spacious marble baths with Kohler fixtures and shower doors. Select Oak floors, plenty of closet space, high ceilings, and roof deck with great views of the Empire state building.

Take a look...





No word whether complimentary bo ssäm is served upon signing the lease.

2 Cooper is ready to rent to you, or not

Over on Cooper Square and Fourth Street, the new banner on the east side of 2 Cooper Square says that Spring Rentals are here! (A different sign went up on the south side in early April.) And there's a Web site!



But! When you get to the site... you actually learn that it's summer rentals...



...and you can register to receive information...

No parking in front of the Novogratz-designed penthouse home

New developments at 238 E. Fourth St. near Avenue B... we have the address up on the wall now...



...along with a No Parking sign on the garage door for the toy car...



Of course, not everyone is paying that much attention yet. Wait 'till your ass gets towed, buddy!



Previously on EV Grieve:
Home with Novogratz-designed penthouse now in full view

Earlier.

Welcome ... sit back, relax and enjoy the show

Then, like before last week!


Now!



Previously on EV Grieve:
Then what?: The Mars Bar gets a paint job

Passing the torch?: The Rent on Kent truck parks next to the Christodora House

I saw the Rent on Kent truck tool around Tompkins Square Park yesterday... perhaps scouting for some "arty, young Lower East Side-type professionals" ... and, in a nice touch, the truck later parked on Ninth Street at Avenue B next to the Christodora House...