Is the under-renovation 205 Avenue A already too tall?

205 Avenue A is now all snug behind scaffolding and construction netting ... and work continues on adding a two-floor extension to the existing four-floor building via developer Terrence Lowenberg and architect Ramy Issac, aka "the controversial penthouse king of the East Village."

With all the construction gear, it is difficult to tell what is happening from out front on Avenue A. However, there's a clearer view from behind No. 205, where EVG regular Greg Masters notes that the back building is already at seven stories (the street-level story is hidden in the photo below).

And there's a palette of cinder blocks in the backyard, which portends the addition of another story. Still, as it stands now, the building is seven stories — one more than the DOB permitted. Certainly not the first time a renovated building has suddenly become taller without the OK from the city...

Previously on EV Grieve:
205 Avenue A primed for 2 new floors

Actress Jennifer Esposito's Jennifer's Way Bakery opening soon on East 10th Street

Workers are putting the finishing touches on Jennifer's Way Bakery on East 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. (It's right next door to Quintessence.)

This will be the first store for Jennifer Esposito, the Brooklyn-born actress who was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2009. (Her acting credits include "Summer of Sam" and "Crash.")

She has said that she was booted from CBS' "Blue Bloods" because of a misunderstanding of her limitations due to her celiac disease diagnosis. She has been selling her gluten-free products online.

Here's more about the store in a blog post from Jan. 21:

I’m happy to say Jennifer’s Way Bakery is ALMOST here. A gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, soy free, peanut free, allergy friendly, organic bakery that will be a SAFE ZONE and the CELIAC STANDARD for gluten free baked goods. I’m going to also make it a center for information about this disease, and a place to find understanding and support. To say its been a TON of work would be an understatement.

Besides hand-picking every last detail, even sanding the refurbished wood in the store myself, I have spent days upon days researching the SAFEST, cleanest, purest, organic, non GMO, local ingredients I could find. I WILL NOT bake with anything less. DO you want to know why? Because as a celiac, a severe allergy ridden one, I have learned that whole, clean, HEALTHY foods is what my body needs to function. So I’ve used my own savings to make this dream spot happen not only for me but for so many like me.

[Via Jennifer's Way]

Noted

Per a commenter last night on More about last week's 17-building deal:

So much for the new management. Residents of 167 and 165 Avenue A came home from work tonight only to find the electronic key system not working so they were locked out of their buildings. Tenants were standing in front in the freezing cold. No one answers the phone at the management office and calls to the super yielded "there is nothing I can do - I will call the management office to send someone tomorrow." Residents took matters into their own hands and someone was able to get inside the building [through] the roof and let other residents in.

Look at Subway's big new sign on First Avenue

[Via an EVG reader]

An EVG reader notes the recent arrival of a large banner hanging above the Subway on First Avenue near East Sixth Street... "there's a new sign, in addition to the perpetual 'Grand Opening' sign ... they are now 'Open Late' for all the drunks coming out of bars I guess," per the reader. (And this location hasn't always packed 'em in ... as seen here ... and here ... and here...)

We noticed the banner ourselves for the first time this past weekend. Hard to miss...

This Subway opened last Feb. 8. And what are the term limits for a Grand Opening anyway?

After a 9-year eviction battle, marshal seizes the Village Scandal on East 7th Street

Village Scandal, the vintage hat shop, is in its 18th year at 19 E. Seventh St. However, for the last nine years, owner Wendy Barrett has been embroiled in an ongoing eviction battle with her landlord. It's a long, complicated story. We covered it here.

Yesterday afternoon, a tipster noted that a marshal seized the store. More details as they become available.

Storefront renovation for 117 Second Ave.; last call for Song 7.2?

We've noted the renovations going on at 117 Second Ave. at East Seventh Street. (Right here, if you'd like). But we've never noted the status of the ground-floor tenant, Song 7.2, the Korean joint. (And why did we never mention Song 7.2? Well, in part ... to be honest, we've never met another living soul who has been inside this place.)

Anyway! As you can see, they closed just after the New Year, with a return date of Jan. 19...

As of yesterday, Song 7.2 was still closed...

...and the interior looked mostly demolished...

So. No idea when or if Song 7.2 will return. (The phone number is still temporarily disconnected.) Song 7.2 opened in the spring of 2008, just five days after the unintentionally hilarious American Grill/Go-Go Curry closed... all in the space that once housed Kiev.

As for the rest of 117, the address is on next Thursday's CB3 Landmarks Subcommittee. (117 Second Ave. is part of the new East Village/Lower East Side Historic District.) Per that docket:

• Cert of Appropriateness: 117 2nd Ave, new storefront
• Cert of Appropriateness: 117 2nd Ave, 2nd floor façade renovation (Here's a PDF of all the plans.)

Workers are replacing the floor-to-ceiling aluminum/windows combo so that the second floor looks like the top-two floors...

[2007, via Curbed]

Prepping 9th Street lot for the residential after life

Last Friday, the last vehicle had to be out of the parking lot at 327 E. Ninth St. ... to make way for a six-story, two-unit residential building.

And yesterday, we spotted a few workers on the scene, digging and so on. Apparently the developers aren't wasting anytime on this project.

Previously.

Short stack alert!: Expect some lines at IHOP today

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Batter up, breakfast lovers! IHOP®, one of America’s most popular family-friendly restaurants, known for “everything you love about breakfast,” will once again invite guests to enjoy free pancakes during National Pancake Day on February 5, 2013, while celebrating Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ 30th Anniversary. On this day, the restaurant chain hopes to raise $3 million as the first national fundraising campaign to kick off the 2013 fundraising year for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

During National Pancake Day, the company’s largest philanthropic event of the year, more than 1,500 IHOP restaurants across the country will invite guests to enjoy a complimentary stack of IHOP’s signature delicious buttermilk pancakes ... Guests will be encouraged to make a voluntary contribution to the local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital or other local charities. One hundred percent of the donations will help local charities provide vital equipment, life-saving procedures and critical care for sick and injured children.

The East 14th Street location has the offer going from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Flashback to last year....

H/t to Crazy Eddie for the heads up on this...

Tough day for critters in Tompkins Square Park

First, there was the squirrel who either wanted to play. Or just be a pain in the ass.

The squirrel had to make a quick getaway. The hawk was in no mood.

But a rat wasn't so fortunate.

And, for the rest of the afternoon, the critters kept a low-profile...

Photos by Bobby Williams.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

Looking at "Beat Memories: The Photographs of Allen Ginsberg" (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

New venture for Marshall Stack owner (BoweryBoogie)

More adventures with the hawk in Tompkins Square Park (The Gog Log)

Robert Sietsema tries the mini hots at the Regal Union Square Stadium 14 (Fork in the Road)

Neon New York with James and Karla Murray (Daily Beast)

Revisiting the Coney Island classic "Little Fugitive" (Amusing the Zillion)

More about last week's 17-building deal

On Friday afternoon, The Real Deal first reported that developer (and New York Observer publisher) Jared Kushner closed on a portfolio of 17 walk-up apartment buildings in the East Village for some $130 million.

There were slightly different accounts of the addresses in the article in The Real Deal and the Post.

The Real Deal:

201 East 2nd Street, 23 Avenue A, 129 First Avenue, 143 First Avenue, 338-340 East 11th Street, 165-167 Avenue A, 500 East 11th Street, 504 East 12th Street, 191-193 Avenue A, 435 East 12th Street, 516 East 13th Street, 211 Avenue A and 49 and 1/2 First Avenue.

The Post:

165-167 Ave. A, 129 1st Ave., 143 1st Ave., 191-193 Ave. A, 201 East 2nd, 211 Ave. A, 23 Ave. A, 338-340 E. 11th St., 435 E. 12th St., 500 E. 11th St., 504-508 E. 12th St. and 516-518 E. 13th St.

Can any residents of 49 1/2 confirm that their building was part of the sale?

In any event, Kushner's affiliate, Westminster Management, has taken over the, uh, management of the buildings.

Per the Westminster website:

Westminster Management, a division of Kushner Companies, is a diversified real estate organization headquartered in New York City with regional offices in New Jersey, Maryland and Ohio. Our company is responsible for the ownership, management, development and redevelopment of countless properties. Our national reach consists of more than 15,000 multifamily apartments and we plan to continue to make acquisitions as the market presents opportunities.

One resident sent along this note that was slipped under his or her door on Friday...

And said another building resident:

The first communication from them is promising. PVE wouldn't even give out an address, so now we have a landlord with a name, address and an Internet portal, which is 3 more things than we had before.

Ben Shaoul's Magnum Real Estate (Westbrook Partners, Meadow Partners, PVE Associates and Fortune East LLC, et al) reportedly previously managed the the properties.

One possibly interesting development: The deal included 500 E. 11th Street, site of the incoming 7-Eleven... the one that apparently no one wants... and whose opposition has received global news coverage...

Have other tips or photos about the situation here? Please send them our way via the EV Grieve email

What 'Alphabet City institution' is looking for 'hipster girls ... bearded guys' to open a bakery?

An EVG reader sent along the following Craigslist posting...

Artisanal Baker/Pastry Chef Looking for Kitchen Space & Opportunities! (East Village)
Our east village restaurant / lounge / bar has a fantastic kitchen and is available in the mornings & afternoons, 7 days a week. You are someone with the perfect combination of experience and desire to grow your business. This arrangement is the perfect opportunity for an aspiring artisanal baker or pastry chef (muffins, breads, pastries and desserts) in your early - late 20s, hipster girls (tattoos a plus), bearded guys, skateboard aficionados. You'll have access to the industrial tools available in a fully functioning, established kitchen with a possible opportunity for retail space.

An Alphabet City institution, we've been an integral part of this neighborhood for well over a decade and are interested in adding a neighborhood-style bakery & coffee shop atmosphere to our menu. We've been featured on the Food Network, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and endless industry publications.

For consideration, please submit a photo, resume (make sure to include website & social media) and cover letter. Looking to launch the kitchen share mid-February.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Any guesses? I have no idea. Maybe Caracas Arepa Bar on East Seventh Street? They opened in 2003 ... are not open in the mornings... and have appeared on Throwdown with Bobby Flay.

A 'laundry bistro' in the works for East First Street

In its Plywood Report on Friday afternoon, Eater had some more details on the liquor license application for 44 E. First St. between Second Avenue and First Avenue ... "for what appears to be a laundry/bistro ... It may or may not be called Weary Dreamer."

This particular application for the Feb. 11 meeting isn't online yet... but there is a notice on the door that includes contact information for the applicant. So we sent an email.

Yes, it is true — our intention is to open a laundry bistro called The Wash House at 44 E. 1st Street. It will be a full service laundromat that will feature free wifi, flat screen tvs and a food bar. In addition, if the Community Board gives its approval, we will also serve beer & wine.

'Orange is the New Black' filming in the East Village

Noting TV shows that are filming in the East Village isn't all that newsworthy. But! The new series "Orange is the New Black" from "Weeds" creator Jenji Kohanis is filming around here today... It's a new Netflix comedy-drama based on Piper Kerman's memoir "Orange Is The New Black: My Year In a Women's Prison."

Kind of an interesting backstory. Kerman, a Smith College graduate, spent 11 months in prison — more than a decade after the crime — for reportedly helping sorta launder money for some West African kingpin. (Read more about it all here.)

The series features Taylor Schilling, Jason Biggs and Laura Prepon. And Kerman lived in the East Village for a few years, per a reader who told us all about this in the first place.

Today's hawk in Tompkins Square Park

And everyone was excited...

Photos by Bobby Williams.

Sundays for Butch at Nublu in February

East Village-based jazz artist Butch Morris died this past week of cancer. He was 65. And Nublu is celebrating his memory on Sunday nights during February. Find more details here. Nublu is at 62 Avenue C between East Fifth Street and East Fourth Street.

[Thanks to Dave on 7th for this]

Even the NYPD wasn't spared during the Saturday night snow-dick spree in the East Village

Via EVG reader Mdmn.

Week in Grieview

RIP Butch Morris (Wednesday)

Noisy construction returns to 185 Avenue B (Monday)

Happy No. 80 Ray (Wednesday)

At the LES Unity Rally (Thursday)

An aerial view of the neighborhood 100 years ago (Friday)

The end of Lulu's on East Sixth Street? (Monday)

The Red Room is closing on East 4th Street (Thursday)

Paul Kostabi's global East Village view (Wednesday)

A look at the dwindling number of East Village lots (Thursday)

"Solas Gone Wild" (Tuesday, 81 comments)

Stills from the forthcoming CBGB movie (Wednesday)

Rent hike will force this East 10th Street laundromat to close (Monday)

Live above the Grassroots! (Thursday)

Inside St. Brigid's (Sunday)

Bowery Poetry Club's return (Thursday)

[Updated] The Silence of the Limbs

[East 10th Street via William Klayer]

OK, I wasn't going to post any of these. But my spirit has been broken. Or something. I'm amassing quite a collection of snow dicks, boobs and poop. They're everywhere.

[Montage via EVG reader Julie Larsen]

Heard that East Fifth Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square remain snow-dick free.

Otherwise, the dusting of snow last night left an array of snowffiti.

[East Sixth Street via EVG reader Billy]

Why?

[East 10th Street via EVG reader Marjorie]

I saw several disgusted residents wiping away the snow parts.

And do we blame NYU?

Updated 4:40

Pinhead shows that there were positive messages to come out of this as well...

Updated 11:15

And EVG reader Malin shared this one from all the way over on East 12th Street and Fifth Avenue, where they aren't immune to such hijinks...

Another reader noted that this dickfoolery made it all the over to Washington Square Park...

Photos of yesterday's East Village Bodega Walk

Yesterday, , as part of the ongoing No 7-Eleven movement, a handful of residents gathered on Avenue A and East 11th Street for a walking tour of nearby delis.

A chain-wearing Bob Holman, founder of the Bowery Poetry Club, led the walk... Shawn Chittle was along to take these photos.

For more information about the No 7-Eleven campaign, you can follow them on Twitter at @No7ElevenNYC ... and on Facebook here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] More from the anti-7-Eleven front on Avenue A and East 11th Street

Avenue A's anti-7-Eleven campaign now includes arsenal of 20,000 stickers

'No 7-Eleven' movement goes global with BBC report