No 7-Eleven for former Graceland; and the return of Houston Deli & Grocery

In June 2010, EV Italian eatery guru Frank Prisinzano said during a CB3/SLA committee meeting that the landlord of the former Graceland space on Avenue A and Second Street had four prospective tenants: Frank's fast-food Italian joint, a bank, a 7-Eleven and a bank.

Which caused us to play with PhotoShop.



Anyway, on June 22, 2010, the full Community Board 3 denied Prisinzano's application to open a fast-food style Italian restaurant here.

And the space has sat empty ever since... However, workers have been splitting up the space. There are now three different storefronts.

Anyway, remember that The Houston Deli & Grocery on Avenue A and Houston had to close in the spring to make room for the new fancy Union Market...?

EV Grieve reader Josh saw one of the fellows inside the corner space at the old Graceland. Per Josh: "The really nice guy who ran the corner market on Houston and A ... is opening up on the corner of 2nd and A at the old Graceland space. Says by the end of the month. Glad to see he'll be back in the neighborhood."

Not sure if they'll actually still be called Houston Deli & Grocery seeing as they're a block to the north... Still, we'll take it.

And no word yet on the tenants of the other two storefronts...

Today's sign of the apocalypse: IHOP will have a bouncer

As you're painfully aware, IHOP opened yesterday on East 14th Street. And, according to the Post today:

IHOP is so convinced its new East Village location is going to be an after-hours hipster hot spot that it has hired a bouncer.

An off-duty cop will stand guard outside the East 14th franchise each night from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. in order to keep the bar crowd at bay, manager Michael Carlos said, explaining, “When people have a few drinks, they can get rowdy.”

Hipster hot spot? Uh-huh.

Anyway, let's give it up to Niall Gibbons for this quote:

“IHOP is bland and belongs in Times Square — it doesn’t make sense in the East Village. The neighborhood has lots of character, but the character fades when something like this comes along.”

Rumors: Ground floor at 147 First Avenue will include the Bean AND a bar

As we first reported, The Bean is opening an outpost at the former home of Anjelica's Herbs on First Avenue and Ninth Street...

And, now, that persistent rumor: The ground floor will also house a bar. Per an EVG reader:

"I heard from someone who talked to the workmen that a BAR is going to take half the former herb store on the ground floor. The Bean will have half, and a bar will have the other half. I dunno, seems like very small spaces for two establishments. And dear God, ANOTHER bar???"

Yes! The always reliable construction worker! Sure, it's possible. But we've been wrong here before... remember the motel? Or the full demolition? (Hey, we're one out of three so far!)

Meanwhile! Looks like the painting is continuing... and we see some charcoal gray creeping up...

The upper floors are still set for luxury apartments... still looking like what a reader described as something that blew in from the Hamptons...

RIP Ball Park Lanes

Every so often we venture away from the neighborhood... yesterday, we were reminded that we never ran this post after seeing the news of a planned high-end hotel near Yankee Stadium...

On a recent trip to Yankee Stadium, I was sorry to find that the Ball Park Lanes was sealed up and for sale... In June 2010, Gothamist reported that the 51-year-old bowling alley was closing for renovations. Despite an ongoing landlord dispute, they expected to be back open by the end of last year's baseball season.

So I thought that I'd find them up and running this season... but when I went to my first game late in the summer, I stopped by for a pre-game beer at the bowling alley's snack bar.

[JVNY]

Apparently the landlord had won.

The bowling alley was directly across the street from the old Yankee Stadium ... Jeremiah put Ball Park Lanes on his endangered list before the arrival of the new stadium. (Read his post here.)

Massey Knakal is listing the space. It's going for $4.3 million.

Hard to say what will come here... there is a lot of potential, as plans show. Great for community space and affordable housing — if that's what ultimately comes here.

Not so good for baseball history buffs...

[The southern wall outside Ball Park Lanes]

[Location of the former Yankee Stadium]

Previously on EV Grieve:
With high rises and new shops in the works, it's time to take a look at the area around Yankee Stadium

At the new Yankee Stadium

Meanwhile, across 161st Street...

The East Village pep talk diaries

Last Tuesday, we posted an email from a longtime East Village resident who was losing faith in the neighborhood. We asked for people to submit comments on the things that they like about the East Village. So far we're at 62 comments. Like this one:

Anonymous said...
I also highly recommend early-morning Sunday walks! Far east 14th, with storekeepers hosing the sidewalks. It's very peaceful. More to love:

St. Mark's Church in the Bowery

Chico murals and Jim the Mosaic Man

Trash & Vaudeville

East Village Books (St. Marks b/t 1st/A)

We'll periodically post some of the comments. Read all the comments here.

And now, photos of Ice-T in front of Sunny & Annie's

Today, crews from "Law & Order: SVU" were filming around the neighborhood... in front of Sunny & Annie's on Avenue B at Sixth Street in particular...Not exactly newsworthy given how many times something from the "Law & Order" franchise filmed around here through the years...

Still! It gave us a chance to add to our Ice-T collection... courtesy of Bobby Williams...

EV Grieve Etc: Mourning Edition

[The Mosaic Man and Jesse Jane on Second Avenue and St. Mark's yesterday. By Bobby Williams]

About the love affair between a man and the NYC subway line (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Bob Arihood's photos at the Occupation of Wall Street (Neither More Nor Less)

Support the East Village Greenway Project (Stuy Town Living)

Crusties in the fall (East Village Corner)

An illegal rat poison ring broken up in Chinatown (The Lo-Down)

Auctioning of Elaine's (Eater)

Alex celebrates a milestone (Flaming Pablum)

A look at King Bloomy's Upper East Side townhouse (Curbed)

The hookers of Soho — in 1870 (Ephemeral New York)

Lou Reed and Metallica's 'Lulu' poster banned by London Underground (NME)

Debbie Harry discusses her hits (Entertainment Weekly)

Dee Dee Ramone would have been 60 this past Sunday (Punk Turns 30)

Here's Dee Dee in a scene from "What About Me," filmed in the neighborhood in 1991...



Read more about the movie by East Village filmmaker Rachel Amodeo here.

The Bean Truck debuts

...earlier today... in front of their old storefront on First Avenue and Third Street. Via jdx.

[Updated] The East Village IHOP is now OPEN

This news comes via Jennifer, who's across the street at Xoom.

Now accepting First Meal photos via grieve98@gmail.com

Updated 1:00 p.m.:

Speaking of photos... EV Grieve reader Rebecca just sent us this one... "Great service and familiar food."

Check out the carry-out menu in the interim...

The Cooper Square Hotel gets the OK to be Balazsed

As we noted, hotelier Andre Balazs is taking over the troubled Cooper Square Hotel. And last night, Balazs was at the CB3/SLA meeting to seek a transfer of the Coop's liquor license to his Standard chain.

A shame we missed it. Heard it was some good theater. Per Jetty-Jane Connor's report at Eater, one resident in favor of the transfer said, "We have the option to choose between badly managed nightlife or well managed nightlife, and I firmly believe having an upscale, well-managed establishment will be an improvement to this neighborhood."

The CB3/SLA committee didn't seem to mind that any this may very well turn into the Meatpacking District East. (Or maybe it already has.) The transfer received the committee's unanimous approval.

Here's DNAinfo's recap from the meeting.

[Balazs image via]

Little Italy parking garage will receive a 'superstructure' residence with squash court

During an early-morning walk down Mulberry Street Sunday before the Feast, I stopped to look at the parking garage here between Prince and Spring ... As far as parking garages go, this one has a nice, um, Little Italy feel to it...

Curious about the address, I did a little research ... Well! I learned that the building is for sale:

Massey Knakal has been exclusively retained for the sale of 224 Mulberry. This once in a lifetime opportunity to develop a premier single family residence, boutique condominium, retail flagship or exclusive office. 224 Mulberry, in the heart of chic SOHO/Nolita, offers the opportunity that is almost impossible to find in New York City. Simply put, where in New York City can one find on-site parking, a protected panoramic view that is unique to the neighborhood, and 75 feet of width, all in one building?

And the rendering on file:

According to a video from the construction manager of the project:

The new luxury residence features a family and chef’s kitchen, squash court, 5 bathrooms, a private elevator, multiple terraces and many more high-end residential features and finishes. Specified items include a Shuco curtain wall system, a Levolux louver screen and Trespa paneling for the exterior.

One especially interesting engineering detail allows the new building superstructure to rest on isolation pads in order to minimize the transfer of vibration and noise from the parking garage below, which will remain in operation once the project is complete.

Here's the video that explains how all this is going to work ...

Planning the addition/alteration to 224 Mulberry Street, New York City from RJ Diaz on Vimeo.

And luxury housing reaches a whole new absurd level...

Breaking: IHOP not open yet on East 14th Street

We had today circled on our calendars as the EVIHOP opening day on East 14th Street ... And, although it looks open with a handful of diners inside, an IHOPPER says that they are still training... and she hesitated to even speculate when they might open. But soon enough. Probably!

And we got the to-go menu. Sorry. No deliveries!

Meanwhile, Yelp is ready for your East Village IHOP reviews

Lights unwrapped in Tompkins Square Park

Yesterday, we mentioned that a handful of lights were still covered in Tompkins Square Park from the summer film series that ended on Sept. 8... However, some time late yesterday, someone uncovered the lights...

Melanie at East Village Corner said that a WPIX crew was in the Park yesterday doing a story on this... dunno if the story ever ran. Didn't see it on the WPIX website.

CB3/SLA votes against renewal for Heathers

[Heathers owner Heather Millstone and her attorney face the CB3/SLA committee. Photo by Shawn Chittle]

Heathers on East 13th Street is on the agenda for tonight's CB3/SLA committee meeting for a "renewal with complaint history" ... And after a lengthy debate, the committee has voted to deny the bar's request for the renewal, Shawn Chittle reports from the meeting.

The Times checked in with a lengthy article in January 2007 about the ongoing noise issues between the bar and neighbors.

Nearby neighbors said that Heathers is the worst offender among the bars on the northern stretch of Avenue A (and the side streets). The matter may be taken up with the full Community Board on Sept. 27.

In any event, the State Liquor Authority has the final say in these matters. This doesn't mean that Heathers will close. For instance, the CB3/SLA committee voted to deny TenEleven's license renewal in July, though the SLA later approved it.

Grub Street has more here.

Tonight at the Bean

Third Street at First Street. Photos by Steve Carter. The cafe closed earlier today.

Report: Man charged in rape on East Eighth Street

As we reported Saturday morning, several residents said that a man had attacked a woman on East Eighth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. The Local reported earlier today that the NYPD arrested a 51-year-old man for raping the woman.

DNAInfo has more graphic details about the horrific assault, which occurred around 8:20 a.m. Saturday. The man, listed as Neil Essex, "allegedly threw the woman to the ground and began punching her in the face ... The complaint claimed that Essex then removed the woman’s pants and raped her while choking her so viciously that she lost consciousness."

As an EV Grieve reader said: "Someone walked out of their building, saw it happening, and called the NYPD. They arrived fairly quickly and apparently the suspect was caught."

Essex is scheduled to next appear in court on Thursday, DNAinfo reported.

Today in 'the bad old days may be here again' trend articles

From the Daily News:

Squeegee men, the aggressive panhandlers who wash your car windows whether you want them to or not, are back.

For some, they're a powerful symbol that the busted economy is bringing back the bad old days.

The Daily News spotted a crew of five squeegee men at 42nd St. and Ninth Ave. Sunday, swarming cars like it was the late 1980s all over again.

The Post noted the return of the squeegee men in September 2008.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The "bad old days" are here again story of the day

Trend alert! The bad old days are here again!

Are the "bad old days" here again...again?

The "bad old days" are here again story of the day

Noted

TheWrap.com via Reuters:

When Gavin DeGraw was attacked for no obviously apparent reason on the streets of New York's East Village last month, it was hard not to flash back to that famous scene from "National Lampoon's Animal House" where John Belushi beat up Stephen Bishop for the mere crime of being a sensitive singer/songwriter.

[Updated] The Bean debuts 'fully stocked' food truck tomorrow on First Avenue

Starting tomorrow, the Bean won't be open at their flagship First Avenue and Third Street location. Instead, the Bean will have "a fully stocked food truck" parked in front of the location at 49 1/2 First Avenue.

The Bean is closing — presumably tonight right now — here to make way for a Starbucks.

The Bean will open new locations on Third Street and Second Avenue and Ninth Street and First Avenue ... as well as First Avenue and Second Street. Until then, they'll have the truck.

Updated:

Dave on 7th passes along this photo of the Bean right now from around 2:45 ... they are packing it in... workers have removed the Bean awning...

Updated:

jdx sends along photos of workers dismantling the cafe...

DNAinfo was on the scene today and spoke with some regulars who are upset the place is closing...