The house rules of a short-term rental on St. Mark's Place

We're hearing more about short-term rentals in the East Village following Friday's post about 528 E. 13th St. We heard from a former resident of 31 St. Mark's Place.

"I keep in touch with my old neighbors all the time and it sounds like the building has changed hands several times and most recently, we discovered that the owner is possibly illegally renting apartments like a hotel."

The resident points us to an Airbnb listing for a "DREAMY" apartment on St. Mark's Place...

The "approximate" address is 38 St. Mark's Place... which isn't an existing address on St. Mark's Place.

In any event, this particular listing is worth noting for the "house rules," which we reposted below... (The all caps are part of the rules; the bold is our doing)...

PLEASE BE COURTEOUS AND POLITE TO THE NEIGHBORS in the building. They do not want to live with crazy, loud people. Please: No crazy parties or loud drinking! TRY NOT TO TALK TO THEM. DO NOT TELL ANYBODY YOU ARE RENTING MY APARTMENT. DO NOT TELL ANYBODY WHICH APT YOU ARE STAYING IN. JUST TELL THEM YOU ARE A FRIEND VISITING. Please DO NOT TALK IN THE HALLWAYS. If anybody were to ask you something, you are a friend staying with me on holiday visiting New York and you did not pay me money to stay at the apartment BUT TRY TO AVOID CONVERSATION. Please try to be discreet going up the stairs and try not to linger in the hallways

Yet another chance to become Tom Cruise's neighbor

Every so often we'll tell you about units available in the American Felt Building on 13th Street near Fourth Avenue where, among other residents, Tom Cruise owns a place or two.

And we have the unit for you via Halstead.

This Fabulous high floor loft residence with open south and west views, in the heart of the Village, steps to Union Square features 12' ceilings, wood floors, wood burning fireplace, oversized master bedroom spacious second bedroom and newly remodeled oversized bathroom. Great gourmet open kitchen. The unit is tastefully decorated and it comes fully furnished. It is located in a well known full service condominium building close to great restaurants,shopping area and all means of transportation. Available immediately for a three to six months term!

And here's what your $8,000-per-month gets you...

(Are those photos of Suri on the wall?)

And we leave you with this real estate-ese left on StreetEasy about the building ...

This building’s name “The American Felt Building” says it all. It really is the one-time home of the American Felt Company, who supplied the hammer and bushing felt for the Steinway piano company, who’s showroom cum concert Hall was one block away back in the day. This was one of the first re-purposed buildings in the area, and remains one of the most desirable: the ceilings are high, the windows are big, the roof deck is wonderful (and under-used) and, not to be overlooked or undervalued, the construction is so solid you will never hear one of your neighbors; they could be playing Lizst on their Steinway piano and you would never know it. The floorplans may seem small, but some creative engineering has turned the loft apartments into unique spaces tricked out with platforms, balconies, extra windows, interior walls, etc. Truly, no two apartments are alike in this building.

What about someone playing the Black Keys?

Previously on EV Grieve:
Your chance to be Tom Cruise's neighbor

Coen Brothers Week begins here tomorrow

Back on Feb. 4, we noted that the Coen Brothers will be filming the 1960s period piece "Inside Llewyn Davis" in the neighborhood ... Tomorrow, they'll be filming in and around First Street and Second Street ... between Second Avenue and Avenue A...

They'll be towing your ass starting tonight at 8. (Important to note in case you are driving around here for a Valentine's Day Night dinner.)

Anyway ... The movie follows a protagonist loosely based on singer Dave Van Ronk, a friend of Bob Dylan’s. Oscar Isaac stars as the title character while Justin Timberlake co-stars as another folk musician. Carey Mulligan and John Goodman are also in the film.

Thursday should be a more interesting day for acting as if you don't give a shit gawking. The production crew will "temporarily dress several storefronts and buildings" to fit the period on East Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Reps at Zi Pep on East Ninth Street told Grub Street that "the entire block ... will be transformed into the sixties Village [and] ... The Southern Italian restaurant will be made over as a folk club."

Last time a film crew needed someplace to serve as a 1960s-style Greenwich Village club for a shoot, Sophie's heeded the call for "Greetings From Tim Buckley."

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Coen Brothers want to dress up East Ninth Street

Prepping East Ninth Street to make to look like it did, oh, 40-plus years ago...

Speaking of the Coen Brothers... Bobby Williams notes that various carpenters and crew members started the transformation of East Ninth Street in advance of Thursday's shoot here for the 1960s period piece "Inside Llewyn Davis."

Whatever you think abut the Coen Brothers (have you watched "Blood Simple" lately?) ... it brings back some film-shoot cred around here after "The Smurfs" and "Step Up 3D."

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Coen Brothers want to dress up East Ninth Street

Coen Brothers Week begins here tomorrow

Heeeere's your First Avenue Starbucks...

EV Grieve contributor jdx was walking by the incoming Starbucks on First Avenue at East Third Street last night right when the workers pulled down the brown paper from the windows... revealing a familiar-looking layout...

Any bets on whether the Starbucks brass will continue to allow the Monk Thrift Shop to keep the sandwich board propped up against the building?

Previously on EV Grieve:
Today's sign of the apocalypse: Starbucks taking over The Bean's space on First Avenue and Third Street

East Village first and second graders display anti-Starbucks sentiments at the Bean

The Pee Phone's humanitarian tone

Yesterday at Avenue A and Seventh Street.

No tears for Sniff as store is able to relocate

After 20 years at 21 E. Seventh St., Sniff Aromatherapy, which sells custom-mixed bath oils and what not, lost its lease at the end of 2011 ... (reported here previously)...

Fortunately, in this case, Sniff was able to secure another location nearby... at 65 E. Fourth St. ... and, in case you haven't noticed, they are open here for business...

Noted

From the NYU Local blog comes a post titled "The Ladies Of NYU’s College Republicans Have A Newt Gingrich Themed Sleepover."

Someone anonymously sent the student-run site a slew of photos like this one...

More at Buzzfeed.

H/t Matt LES_Miserable.

Follow-up about the fire this morning on St. Mark's Place

Around 7 this morning, we took some blurry photos of the FDNY responding to a report of a fire on St. Mark's Place... (we sent them out via Twitter here ... and here...)

Anyway, DNAinfo reported that "The fire sparked about 6:45 a.m. on the first floor of 17 St. Marks Place, FDNY officials said. Fire officials said an unidentified woman suffered a minor injury. She was taken to New York Hospital."

An NYU student who lives in the building got a look inside the fire-damaged apartment and noted, "everything was gone."

Report: Fonda opens at 40 Avenue B next Tuesday

Diner's Journal reports that the second location of the Park Slope-based Mexican eatery Fonda opens next Tuesday, Feb. 21.

Per Diner's Journal, Fonda will have "60 seats and a menu of well-crafted, richly flavored regional dishes, including Yucatean shrimp, a Guajillo-style burger and chicken from the north with Chihuahua cheese. Crowd-pleasers like taquitos, flautas, braised pork in adobo sauce, and enchiladas suizas are also featured."

The address has been a carousel of eateries. Last May, the "Global Jewish" restaurant from "Top Chef" alum Nikki Cascone closed after six months. Chabela's and Russo's have been in and out of here in fairly quick succession in recent years.

And now, photos of Rose McGowan in her room at the Standard East Village

Via her Twitter account.

Outside Cooper Union, the NYPD warns about death from above

Heh. "Authorized Drone Strike Zone." But just 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., though that includes Sunday, per the sign.

More about the signs via The New Yorker here (subscription required) ... and CNN.

Spotted by EV Grieve reader Blaine this morning.

On the Bowery, a synagogue opening above 7-Eleven

Over on the Bowery, in the space above the 7-Eleven and below the 52E4 pool, "a former Deadhead couple" will open a synagogue, the Post reports today in an article titled "Hasid shul of rock."

As the paper notes, this address is near the former CBGB space.

“CBGB was the hub of punk-rock culture, driven by passion, excitement and energy — an energy that’s an expression of spiritual thirst,” said [Rabbi Dov Yonah] Korn, 33. “Two blocks north, we’re harnessing that energy in a Jewish way.”

Also!

“The Bowery used to be a place you wouldn’t walk around at night,” Sarah Korn said. “But now it’s safe, it’s hip, and it needs a shul.”

Rabbi Korn said Jewish East Villagers and NYU students alike will be welcome to their Chabad Serving NYU synagogue — who have been running this since 2002 — when the space opens later this winter.

Curbed noted this opening in January 2011:
A Rabbi and John Legend Walk Into a Bowery Condo Building...

Owner: Painting over art on Life Cafe's roll-down gates was 'sacrilegious'

On our post Friday about work permits at the Life Cafe, Goggla pointed out that workers had painted over the restaurant's roll-down gates at 10th Street and Avenue B...

Sure enough... a photo of the gates from a few years ago...


Apparently this development came as a surprise to Life Cafe owner Kathy Kirkpatrick, who left this comment on the post:

It is sad and tragic to see Scott Borofsky's graffiti art destroyed. Removing it from the gates of Life Cafe was sacrilegious. His art was an iconic and important element of the fabric of the outdoor art arena from the 1980s. I am touched by the ongoing sentiments of support and loss expressed here and elsewhere. I miss you and many of my staff still tell me they miss being with you all at the Cafe as well. I want you to know that I'm still fighting for Life but cannot say more at this time. However, when this is over I promise to share the full Life story of the last few years.

Here's the hole in the ground where 9-17 Second Ave. was

...and on the plywood outside the construction site ...

Previously.

Exclusive first look inside the First Avenue Starbucks

Coming soon to First Avenue and East Third Street...

And.

The door is open!

Is that a Starbucks-issued snow shovel?

Then! A worker spotted us and closed the door.

Reminders tonight: CB3/SLA committee meeting; plus, several scratches

Just a reminder that the CB3/SLA licensing committee meets tonight at 6:30 — JASA/Green Residence, 200 East 5th Street at Bowery. (We looked at the items on the agenda here.)

Here's an updated look at the February docket. As you can see there are a few scratches for whatever reasons... most notably, Nublu and Nevada Smith's...

Previously on EV Grieve:
The founder of Pirate's Booty is taking over the Holiday Cocktail Lounge

Oh no! Robin Raj is no longer Robin Raj!

On Friday, EV Grieve reader evilnyc passed along the following photo from Third Avenue near 14th Street.

A name change at Robin Raj!

We went to investigate and found everything to be ... exactly the same...

Simon Doonan's The window displays...

...the cartoon food (and, what, exactly, is that to the left of the cake?)

... the broken LED light board zipper thing...

Everything is the same except the name...

The name will likely grow on us. Once we can say it three times fast while holding our tongue.

Robin Raj moved here from the corner in January 2009.

Actually, the space has been on the market. Apparently the new owners are keeping it as is.

Check out the rents (and key money). We heard that they paid just under $30,000 when they were on the corner of 14th Street and Third Avenue... and that the landlord was raising the rent to $60,000. Not sure what 5 Napkin Burger is paying, but that's a lot of burgers either way...

For all of our Robin Raj coverage, including an alternate ending, please go here.

Speaking of businesses with new names that are exactly the same...

In case you missed our post from late Friday afternoon... Roastown Coffee is now Eastside Bakery.net on St. Mark's and Second Avenue...

Oh, that new name! Per a commenter: "so can i just walk in or do i have to log on?"

And we did walk in (our first time here). The counter person said that the new sign went up on Friday... and that there weren't any other changes. All said with a shrug.

And this space was once home to a Gap. Read about that here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Roastown Coffee coming to Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place

Head games on St. Mark's Place

By Bobby Williams.