Something in the works to take over the former Polonia space on First Avenue

[EVG file photo]

CB3 just sent out the October CB3/SLA docket (meeting is Oct. 15). It hasn't been posted yet online...

One item of particular interest — No. 18, which is the former Polonia space, the Polish diner that closed in December. We heard that a "foodie type" was eyeing the space, which has been on the market. (The ad called for "established food operators.") We'll see if we can track that one down over the weekend.

We'll have more on all this on Monday... but here it is in the meantime:

Renewal with Complaint History

1. One & One Bar (Nexus Lounge), 76 E 1st St aka 12 1st Ave (op)

Applications within Resolution Areas

2. One More Thai Corp, 6 Clinton St (wb)

3. Apartment 13 (115 Avenue C LLC), 115 Ave C (op)

4. Tiny Fork (Project 6 LLC), 167 Orchard St (op/alt/add bar in basement)

5. 106 on the LES LLC, 106 Rivington St (op)

6. Yardbird LLC, 162 Ave B (wb)

7. Nublu, 151 Ave C (op)

Alterations

8. Jane's Sweet Buns (Derossi Chelsea LLC), 102 St Marks Pl (wb/alt/lengthen bar)

9. Parkside Lounge (Sterling Parkside Corp), 317 E Houston St (op/alt/additional bar)

New Liquor License Applications

10. Paulaner Brauhaus Restaurant LLC, 265-267 Bowery (op)

11. Entrez (Entrez Bar & Grill Inc), 162 2nd Ave (op)

12. Sunshine Lounge (Cinema Beverages Holding Company LLC), 143 E Houston St (op)

13. Souvlaki Gr LES (Uber Caffe LLC), 116 Stanton St (change of class from existing wb to op)

14. Shanghai Asian Manor Inc, 21 Mott St (wb)

15. CMH BBQ Holdings LLC, 103 2nd Ave (op)

16. Glaze 4th Ave LLC, 139 4th Ave (b)

17. To be Determined, 269 E Houston St (op)

18. To be Determined, 110 1st Ave (wb)

19. Noodle Bar (One Noodle Bar Inc), 141 1st Ave (wb)

20. La Meridiana I Ltd, 176 2nd Ave (wb)

21. Cowboy Pizza LLC, 201 Clinton St (wb)

22. Seven Spices (Village Grill 82 Inc), 82 2nd Ave (wb)

23. To be Determined, 123 Allen St (op)

24. Organic Grill, 123 1st Ave (wb)

Corporate Change (not heard at committee)

25. Balade (Great Caterers LLC), 208 1st Ave (wb)

26. Hotel Chantelle (The Amber Avalon Corp), 92 Ludlow St (op)

-----

b=beer only | wb=wine & beer only | op=liquor, wine, & beer | alt=alterations

Report: The LES Pathmark is closing in December

Dunno if you ever shop at the Pathmark down on Cherry Street by the Manhattan Bridge. The Lo-Down gets confirmation that the store is closing at the end of December.

Per a store spokesperson:

We are relinquishing the lease to accommodate a large scale residential development and improvement project, while preserving the right to operate once the project is complete.

There was an uproar back in November 2007 when rumors circulated that an enormous development would take the store's place. This time it seems like a done deal.

Tonight, the Last Unicorn returns to the Pyramid, until the seas go dry

From the EV Grieve inbox...

On FRIDAY SEPT 28, we shall dance once more pon de floor with our superpsychedelic 'chef's choice' dj's, radical go-go pushers & special guest performers.

~FEATURING~
'the unihorned wonder' ~REVE~
'the great performer' ~MIKE DIANA~
'legendary lord of the dance' ~DON ENG~
'tiny might rapper' ~HILA THE KILLA~

~MUSIC & LIGHT OFFERINGS BY~
'the sultan of swag' ~MIKE BILL$~
'the DJ Duo of BONE AND BOOGALOW'

When will we stop partying? Only when the sun rises in the west, sets in the east. When the seas go dry, when the mountains blow in the wind like leaves.

BASEMENT OF PYRAMID CLUB, 101 Avenue A
DOWNSTAIRS FROM 80S NIGHT!
$6 - entrance to both!!

...and this Hila the Killa video is a good one...



Previously.

Lucky Cheng's celebrates its 19th anniversary this weekend

And over on the Lucky Cheng's Facebook page, there's a post that this weekend marks the cabaret's 19th anniversary... "Come celebrate with us one last time at our birthplace in the East Village."

And per the Lucky Cheng's Twitter feed:

A look back at our humble beginning. Mr. Cheng with the original 1993 staff: Tora, Poupée, Mama Mei-Ling, and Daisy.

Not sure when they are actually moving up to Times Square. There have been a lot of different dates mentioned via various sources. So we'll just go with "soon."

Meanwhile, for more on the Lucky Cheng's building on First Avenue at East Second Street, Jeremiah's Vanishing New York has a nice history of the space here.

Remembering Bob Arihood

Bob Arihood died last Sept. 30. One year later, his presence is still felt along Avenue A ... where an awning hangs at Ray's in his honor ...

... and a clipping about his death from The East Villager is taped to the front door of Lucy's.

I miss my email exchanges with Bob. His assessments of what was going on in, say, Tompkins Square Park. His theories. I'd occasionally ask for advice about a story. He'd offer wisdom. He sometimes seemed to be looking for some, mentioning that he was getting too old to be doing his site, Neither More Nor Less, and later, Nadie Se Conoce. (Both sites have been preserved, and are an invaluable resource about the East Village.)

Then I'd see him perched near the entrance to Tompkins Square Park at East Seventh Street and Avenue A talking to some regulars. Camera strapped around his neck. He would never be too old.

I miss his photos, his brand of journalism and the narratives that captured another side of the neighborhood. The side that has been on its way out, but still holds on despite the ongoing changes.

Every person who I talked to about Bob in the past few weeks leading up to this anniversary said how much they missed him. His best friend, Mike, said that he thinks about him every single day.

In recent weeks, a law office relocated from Avenue B to the storefront apartment that Bob lived in on East Fourth Street.

I hesitated to post the photo. This is a situation where I'd ask Bob what he thought.

For further reading:
Many people wrote tributes about Bob last year. Here are some of them.

Slum Goddess

Gothamist

Jeremiah's Vanishing New York

The Gog Log

Marty After Dark

Runnin' Scared

NY Through the Lens

East Village Corner

BoweryBoogie

Shawn Chittle

DNAinfo

The Villager

[Dave on 7th]

Those ongoing rumors about the future of East 14th Street between Avenue A and B

Ever since the fire wiped out Stuyvesant Grocery and Pete's-a-Place on East 14th Street at Avenue A, we've heard all sort of rumors about what was coming next. Dorm! Hotel! Condo!

The usual.

In the past six weeks, we've heard from a dozen different people who passed along various tips about incoming development. To date, there hasn't been much hard evidence, such as a real-estate listing or demolition permit.

We heard more after yesterdays's post about the East Side 99¢ store relocating.

Per THE NOTORIOUS L.I.B.E.R.A.T.I.O.N.:

Someone recently told me the stretch of 14th Street between Avenue A down to the Blarney Cove is about to get a major overhaul.

Per Gojira:

The vet at ABC Animal Hospital, Dr. Tufaro, is also looking for new space; he told me yesterday that the whole south side of that block from the former Stuyvesant Grocery down to his location is slated for demolition and development. He also said the owners of Bargain Bazaar were in court trying to hold onto their lease, which runs through 2016 but which the landlord wants to break. Can you say "upscale luxury condo", boys and girls? Sure you can.

This is consistent with what we've heard. And various tipsters/readers have passed along three different scenarios:

1) All the space to the west of the Rainbow clothing shop, the area that fell to fire, will be developed into some type of housing-retail complex.

2) All the space starting at the Rite Aid west to Avenue A will be developed into some type of housing-retail complex.

3) The big one. All the space starting at the ABC Animal Hospital west to Avenue A will be developed into some type of housing-retail complex.

So far, there isn't anything to prove any of these rumors. And remember — they're only rumors at this point. (We recall walking into the Blarney Cove about 10 years ago only to hear the news that they were closing soon due to a new development. And we got to drink for free since they were closing!)

However, the last time we heard this much chatter about a rumored development: 74-76 Third Ave. ... and in a few months, all that became official with the news of an 82,000-square-foot, nine-story residential building with 94 units.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Conspiracies: What next for 14th Street and Avenue A?

Those persistent rumors about 74-76 Third Avenue and the future of Nevada Smiths

[Images via Google]

Speaking of low-rise stretches of businesses that will soon be extinct

On Sunday, I was walking along Delancey. I stopped to look at the incoming Holiday fucking Inn coming to the corner at Suffolk. I took a photo, and tried to imagine how noisy a room would be here given its location overlooking an insanely busy bridge and thoroughfare.

Taking in the block, I figured the one-level row of businesses to the east of the hotel had a short life span. Not exactly a visionary statement given the ongoing rush to develop parcels of land with so much potential.

In any event, BoweryBoogie had the news yesterday that the one-story strip of 156-164 Delancey Street next to the Holiday Inn is on the market. Per the listing, there are 11,990 square-feet of developable air rights. The parcel has a $3.95 million price tag.

Wonder if that Holiday Inn has triple-paned windows ...

A Stop Work order at Avenue A's incoming 7-Eleven

A tipster points us to the front door at 500 E. 11th St. at Avenue A, where workers erected a lot of plywood over the former bars here to build out for a 7-Eleven via developer/landlord Ben Shaoul.

In any event, the city served a Stop Work Order here dated Sept. 21 (but apparently served on Monday) for "BLDG CONSTRUCTION WORK BLOCKING SECONDARY MEANS OF EXIT."

Per the notice, the only work allowed here is to "cut access holes in the fence for fire escapes."

Previously on EV Grieve:
7-Eleven alert: Are 2 chain stores replacing Bar on A and Angels & Kings?

[Updated] Bakery replaces Porchetta.Hog on East Fifth Street

Porchetta.Hog quietly opened on East Fifth Street just east of Second Avenue back in May... And by the beginning of September, they were temporarily closed, as Slum Goddess first noted.

Apparently that "temporary" is more permanent. Yesterday, a new bakery opened in its place. We stopped by, and found about eight kinds of bread baked on the premises and a few trays of cookies... The young man working didn't know much about what was happening here. He rather sheepishly admitted that he didn't even know the name of the place. Maybe something with a G?

It was as if the new owner had his nephew watch the place for 5 minutes while he ran an errand...

As far as we could gather for now, the place will sell bread and cookies and eventually add more items, such as sandwiches...

And we bought a baguette of sorts ... for $1, which may not have been the right price. (He had a sheet of paper with prices in his pocket ...) But the bread was very good. And we'd go back.

Thanks to @SarahMShaker for the tip.

Updated 10:09 a.m.

Eater has a few more details, including their hours: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. And the name: Ballaro.

When you open a restaurant, should you trash your more popular and established competition?

When it comes to restaurants, perhaps trash talking the popular, well-established competition isn't the best business tactic, at least based on two quick closings in the East Village.

Case in point No. 1:
The Meatball Factory

In June 2011, an EVG reader talked with one of the partners opening the Meatball Factory on Second Avenue at East 14th Street.

Per our coverage:

Then the worker fired the first meatvolley, saying that the meatballs here "will put the Meatball Shop to shame."

The Meatball Factory opened to some fanfare in October, before closing temporarily in May, then reopening, then mercifully closing for good in early July.

Case in point No. 2:
Porchetta.Hog

Porchetta.Hog quietly opened on East Fifth Street just east of Second Avenue in May ... not too far away from the popular Porchetta on East Seventh Street ...

Per an EVG reader:

I ate a coupla sandwiches at P.Hog: deeply meh, and the guy behind the counter talked shit about Porchetta.

Earlier this month, a sign appeared on Porchetta.Hog's door that they were temporarily closed. That closure became permanent with the opening of a new bakery yesterday.

And, for the record, I've never been to The Meatball Shop ... and I don't care for Porchetta based on the two times that I tried it... Competition is always good, of course... but the work should speak for itself. Or not?

A Cold Stone Creamery, co-branded switcheroo shocker on East Houston

Back in August, the Tim Hortons banner went up at 203 E. Houston next to Katz's ... So we would get our first taste of Timbits around here...

But wait.

Now EVG reader Chris F., who sent us the above photo, got a look at the apparent new tenant taking over the space... A Cold Stone Creamery...

And the Cold Stone(d) website confirms the arrival... Let's welcome store No. 23064!

But wait again. OK, OK... word is this will be a Cold Stone-Tim Hortons combo... like the ones on West 42nd Street and West 72nd Street... The two companies started co-branding stores in the United States and Canada back in 2009.

Earthquake sale at Raymour & Flanigan?

Spotted on East 14th Street at Irving Place...

Day 2 of the wall work at 420 E. 12th St.

Workers were back at 420 East 12th St. today... where they are taking care of a structural defect on the school's eastern wall...

Students from East Side Community School and the Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle School, who share the space at 420 E. 12th St., have been temporarily relocated to other schools.

East Side officials held an informational meeting tonight for parents... perhaps we can get an update later about what transpired...

Also, NY1 has a report on the situation here.

Previously.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[East 12th Street this morning]

The Mosaic Man's McMansion work on East Third Street (BoweryBoogie)

More about Morrissey assisting a woman who collapsed at the Strand (Gothamist)

A 12-story building for Pitt and Delancey (The Lo-Down)

A night at the Blackbird on Avenue B (The New York Times)

The Yom Kippur riot on the LES in 1898 (The Bowery Boys)

Changes at the Bleecker Street station (Off the Grid)

An appreciation of Neil's Coffee Shop on the UES (Jeremiah's Vanishing NY)

The end of 5 Pointz (The Observer)

Through the years with the sunlight-blocking Hyatt Union Square, opening Nov. 15

Well, here we are at 132 Fourth Ave. and East 13th Street ... at the site of the incoming 178-room Hyatt Union Square — five years in the making! Where it looks as if a piece of metallic space junk landed upright on a formerly historic two-level building...

Yesterday, real-estate blogger Andrew Fine, who has been monitoring the lack of progress here for years, noted that the opening is tentatively set for Nov. 15.

Oh, the memories that we've had here!

2009!


And there goes the view and daylight... (and this must have really been awful to cope with... from the construction noise to loss of the views and sunlight) ...

[Via A Fine Blog]

[July 2011]

In any event, the stalled/unstalled/too tall/view-blocking hotel project dawdled along ... Curbed's first post on it went up on July 18 2007.

And it wasn't always a Hyatt property. Early on hotel developer Sam "McSam" Chang's group was heading up the construction. It became Hyatt's problem property in November 2010.

Andrew found this shot of 132 Fourth Ave. (on the right) from 1924 via the NYC Municipal Archives...

He has more details about the hotel (like room rates) here. You can also find more details at the hotel's website, which is now live... You don't have to look, though — we'll have about 20 more posts on it before Nov. 15.

h/t Curbed

2 small shops out on East 14th Street, though 1 is moving into the Copper Building

EVG reader John passes along information about the friendly fellow named Ba, a Senegal native, who has a sliver of a shop next to East Side 99¢ on East 14th Street near Avenue B.

"He works very long hours selling socks, gloves, phone chargers, etc. — all kinds of stuff," John wrote. Unfortunately, the landlord is looking for a big rent hike, and both shops will be out.

John said that Ba is looking for a new space in the neighborhood, or perhaps elsewhere. "If anyone hears of anything, it would be nice to let him know."

As for the East Side 99¢ shop, it's our understanding that they are moving into the retail space in the Copper Building around the corner on Avenue B at East 13th Street. (Several readers noted this after our post on it here.)

The stock is piling up at the store (unless a Copper Building resident is hoarding personal toaster ovens and blenders) ...

We like this addition to this corner...

[October 2010]

Here is your Nevada Smiths signage

Yesterday afternoon, workers put up the Nevada Smiths sign at their new home at 100 Third Ave., as this photo by EVG reader Clive shows.

And here's a photo from this morning. You can't really tell how the sign glows from this shot.

According to a Sept. 5 post on the Nevada Smiths Facebook page: "The new location should be ready by October. Closer to the actual date we will blast it on our Facebook and website."

Back in July, Paddy McCarthy gave DNAinfo's Serena Solomon a guided tour of the new space between 12th Street and 13th Street. (You can read that here.)

A few highlights of the $3 million establishment:

The bar will broadcast soccer matches and other sporting events from around the world on 20 plasma televisions scattered throughout the space, as well as a pair of massive projection screens that measure 18 feet by 10 feet.

"It will be the only [television screen] you can see life-sized people on," said McCarthy, boasting that the projection screens are the biggest of any bar in New York City. The screens are so large, in fact, that a crane had to hoist them into the building through a window, with the job requiring an eight-man team.

Despite some concern from neighbors about possible quality-of-life issues (noise, public drunkenness, etc.) the CB3/SLA gang gave the green light for a license here on Sept. 10.

According to Grub Street, there were several stipulations with the passage, such as a 2 a.m. closing time on weeknights and 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. There's also reportedly a requirement that McCarthy must meet with residents monthly to address potential complaints.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Those persistent rumors about 74-76 Third Avenue and the future of Nevada Smiths

The East Village will lose a parking lot and gain an apartment building

A hands-on event tonight at ABC No Rio

ABC No Rio celebrates the installation of a new mural by Brian George on the building's facade tonight ... Per the ABC No Rio website, the event starts at 7 over at 156 Rivington.

Meanwhile, in case you were wondering about the status of ABC's new HQ, Scoopy had an update on it at The Villager on Sept. 13. Scoopy talked to ABC No Rio director Steve Englander.

Basically, he said, instead of doing it in phases, as originally planned, they tried to bid out the project as one job. But all the bids came back too expensive — about 30 percent too high. So now it looks like they’ll be segmenting the project again and rebidding the work, hopefully soon.

ABC No Rio first unveiled the plans for the new building back in March 2008.

For further reading on EVG:
Looking at "ABC No Rio Dinero: The Story of a Lower East Side Art Gallery"

The EVG Files

Spotted on First Avenue near East 13th Street...

Any connection? From Sept. 18.

This is what a tow tow truck on East Houston looked like on Sept. 23, 2012

This year, we'll post photos like this of various buildings, streetscenes, etc., to capture them as they looked at this time and place... The photos may not be the most telling now, but they likely will be one day...


Previously on EV Grieve:
The East Village will soon be down to 1 gas station