Digging in at 185 Avenue B

[Bobby Williams]

Well, the shock and relentless pile-driving phase of construction is now over here on Avenue B at East 12th Street, where a 7-story mixed used residential building is in the works. (The building will include the new home of the Elim Pentecostal Church.)


[BW]

And do nearby residents notice the difference? Said one: "Now they have a parade of noisy dumptrucks, but it isn't unbearable. The worst is the continuous loud beeps early in the morning whenever [the trucks] back up.


[Dave on 7th]

One parent told us that she worries about so much construction equipment on the move here on Avenue B with the East Village Community School right next door on East 12th Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Inside the Charles

Former landmark countercultural theater now for rent on Avenue B

7-story building in the works to replace former countercultural theater/church on Avenue B

Construction site at 185 Avenue B remains shut down for now

[Updated] The 'insane' noise and pounding are back at 185 Avenue B

Butt of course! Former Cedar Tavern space becoming European Wax Center

I was enjoying a leisurely read over at Flaming Pablum... checking out a post about the Modern Lovers ... and a little West Village street art experiment when...

I had missed Alex's post from Saturday... pointing out that 82 University Place, which was home to the last incarnation of the Cedar Tavern, was becoming a European Wax Center ... with a tagline "Luxurious waxing is now for everyone."

Seems about right. The last time I looked, workers had stripped the interior, showing a charmless space fit for a ... European Wax Center?

The Cedar Tavern closed in December 2006, supposedly temporarily. Anyway, I have nothing to add to what Alex wrote. Except maybe: Ahhhhh!

From hair salon to campaign headquarters

There has been some activity of late at the long-vacant former hair salon on Avenue C between East Sixth Street and East Seventh Street... right in between Alphabet City Wine Co. and ABC Beer Co.

Turns out the space will be the campaign headquarters for Rick Del Rio, a Democrat running for City Council against Rosie Mendez. You can read about him here.

Report: Boca Chica closed for now

Rumors started spreading this afternoon that Boca Chica, the inexpensive Latin American restaurant on First Avenue at First Street, had closed as of yesterday. Earlier, we received an email from an EVG regular with the subject line "Boca Chica Dead."

Ugh.

However, this doesn't appear to be the case. Serena Solomon at DNAinfo reported that two partners abruptly exited the business yesterday, and the remaining owner was "frantically searching for new partners." The remaining partner was hopeful to continue operations.

The restaurant opened in March 1989.

[Image via Google +]

Reader report: Small fire scare on East Second Street

From a resident at 157 E. Second St. There was a small fire this afternoon in someone's apartment on the fifth floor. Per the reader: "Seems like everything's under control, though."

Noir moon

Last night over the East Village (and the rest of the city, really...)

Photo by EVG regular jdx.

Looking at the retail component of recent East Village developments

There are currently three major upscale housing developments in progress in the East Village ... each of which will have a retail component:

• 21 Jupiter

A 4,300-square-foot TB Bank branch has inked a deal here at Second Avenue and East First Street. And there are those Mars bar comeback rumors too.

• The Jefferson



There are two retail spaces available here on East 14th Street at the former Mystery Lot...

• 84 Third Ave.

As far as we know, there aren't any deals in place yet for 84 Third Ave., the 12 story retail-residential combo coming to the corner of East 12th Street.

There you have all that.

So let's take a look back at three recent developments to see how the retail component fared...

• 2 Cooper Square



The retail space remains empty... and on the market since the apartments hit the market in 2009...

• 52 E. 4th Street



The retail portion of the 15 stories of condo on the Bowery and East Fourth Street sat empty, save a few odd pop-up shops (remember Bowery Bazaar in 2009?)... until plans for a 7-Eleven were eventually unveiled ... the convenience store opened on Dec. 23, 2011.

• The Copper Building



The retail space here on Avenue B and East 13th Street remained vacant for several years until the East Side 99¢ shop moved in last October.

So, the three high-end developments have yielded a 7-Eleven and a 99-cent shop (which relocated from around the corner). Residents are willing to pay big money to live here, but retailers aren't as interested to follow suit... What's going on here?

Here's what happens when you allegedly try to shoplift a pair of socks at the 1st Ave. Rite Aid

The Post reports today a 29-year-old man allegedly tried to take a pair of socks from the Rite Aid at East Fifth Street.

"When [the man] realized he’d been spotted, he started running, smashing into displays and sending toothpaste and bottles of mouthwash flying. But he was soon nabbed."

The NYPD reportedly charged the would-be thief with petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and criminal mischief.

No word of what impact this had on the always long wait at the checkout line.

[The online version of this story didn't contain a photo credit]

There will be balls: At the annual Mr. Lower East Side Pageant

Reverend Jen hosted the 14th Annual Mr. Lower East Side Pageant last Thursday evening at the Cake Shop on Ludlow Street. Competitions included "best male tits," "congeniality" and "best nutsack."

EV Grieve Facebook friend Walter Wlodarczyk shared some photos, even blocking out the privates where necessary for our family-friendly website ...

















Jugger-nut provided the musical entertainment. (Watch a video at the band's Facebook page.)





...and here he is... this year's Mr. Lower East Side — Johnny Bizarre, who, among other acts, hammered a nail into his pee hole.



Slum Goddess has a lot more photos and videos here, which may be NSFW.

And here's a video that the New York Post produced...

Noted

Spotted outside Arabella 101, the newish luxury apartment building on Avenue D...



Haven't seen "yuppie" scrawled on much of late... perhaps we're seeing a return to, say, 2008 ... or maybe earlier.

[Updated] Remnants of Sandy off Avenue C; FEMA deadline tomorrow

A quick survey of damage caused by Superstorm Sandy's floodwaters on Avenue C... Two businesses that were shut due to storm damage recently reopened — C-Town and Verso ... (Kasadela on East 11th Street near C was unable to reopen.)

Late last week, workers removed the portable boiler set up outside Eastville Gardens on Avenue C and East Eighth Street...


[November]

...now...



There's still a portable heating system set up outside the NYCHA property on East Sixth Street at Avenue C...



And from the EVG Grieve inbox ... via Paul Newell, Democratic District Leader, 65th Assembly District ...

This Wednesday, February 27th is the deadline to register for FEMA disaster recovery plans. I strongly encourage everyone impacted by Superstorm Sandy to register – as damages sustained may not yet be known, and insurance payouts may be less than predicted. Wednesday is the last day for Sandy survivors in the 13 New York counties designated for federal disaster assistance to register with FEMA and complete and return low-interest Small Business Administration disaster loan applications, an important step in the FEMA grant process.

Survivors who register may be eligible for federal grants to help cover various disaster-related expenses including rent, essential home repairs, personal property losses and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

For more information, here's FEMA's Hurricane Sandy website.

Updated:
Gov. Cuomo extended the deadline day from Feb. 27 to March 29, per The Real Deal.

[Updated] Jennifer's Way Bakery opens Friday Saturday on East 10th Street

As we noted at the beginning of the month, Jennifer Esposito, the Brooklyn-born actress who was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2009, is opening a bakery on East 10th Street. A sign on the door says that it opens Friday. The sign now says Saturday.

She has said that the space will be "a gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, soy free, peanut free, allergy friendly, organic bakery."

And an interior photo from last week via Twitter...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Actress Jennifer Esposito's Jennifer's Way Bakery opening soon on East 10th Street (46 comments)

Report: Emerald Isle closing on April 30, becoming a Kate Spade store

EVG favorite The Emerald Inn, the Upper West Side saloon that has been serving up drinks since FDR was in office, is officially closing on April 30. The fucking rent increased from $17,500 to $35,000. And because this is the way of NYC these days — a Kate Spade store is taking over the space.

West Side Rag had the scoop. The Times confirmed the closure.

Previously.

Flight 2

East 10th Street and Avenue D late this afternoon... Photo by Bobby Williams.

Messy hot dogs; free hot days

1. At Fork in the Road, Robert Sietsema weighs in on the "7 Messiest Hot Dogs" in New York. And the Umami Dog at Japadog at 30 St. Mark's Place made the list at number four... which reminds us...


2. The free Japadog giveaway continues today tomorrow...

'Endless possibilities' await you at 650 E. Sixth St., now for sale

There's a new listing for this townhouse at 650 E. Sixth Street, just west of Avenue C. Here's the listing via Douglas Elliman:

Endless possibilities await a discerning East Village buyer to invest, live or work in this townhouse gem. Opportunity for expansion and/or conversion with an additional approximate 3,620 sqft unused buildable sqft (air rights). On the 97' lot, this 20' wide and 48' deep townhouse is currently configured as 4 free-market floor-through rental apartments totaling approximately 4000+ gross sqft. In addition, the building has an unfinished basement, beautiful 700+ sqft south facing garden and additional 200+ sqft sun deck.

Hallways are in great condition and a new boiler is being changed from oil to more efficient and affordable gas. All apartments have renovated baths and kitchens with dishwashers, washer/dryers, central air conditioning and hardwood floors. The gross rental income from the property is currently $165,600 per year, well below market value. There are no controls and the property could be delivered vacant or with tenants in place to negotiate a new lease.

The opportunities are endless to make this townhouse your new home or a wonderful investment for your future!

Price: $2.75 million. Photos that follow are of the top floor apartment.







In the grand scheme of things, $2.75 million doesn't seem like that much for this, huh? Anyway, by the time you finish this post, Jared Kushner will have purchased it...

Ads for The Jefferson mock your crummy apartment

Last Wednesday, we noted the new ad campaign for The Jefferson, the condo going up now at the former Mystery Lot... we saw the ads on the East 13th Street side plywood ... there are also a few different ads now on the East 14th Street plywood ... such as!



...and...



The last one there is likely meant to be playful... like those Manhattan Mini-Storage ads that read "Why leave a city that has six professional sports teams, and also the Mets?" Still. Really?

Previously on EV Grieve:
City approves new building for Mystery Lot

The Mystery Lot likely facing a luxurious end

The last days of the Mystery Lot

Before it was the Mystery Lot

The Mystery Lot developers using famous dead comedians to sell condos at The Jefferson

East 14th Street exodus continues

With new development looming on East 14th Street, businesses in the way of the still-unspecified project continue to leave... Bargain Bazaar closed for good on Jan. 3 ... its neighbor to the east, Petland, moved to First Avenue... and now the last tenant in this three-store strip, the ABC Animal Hospital, has announced that it will relocate to 200 Avenue A, per the Local.

The move isn't a surprise — EVG regular Gojira passed along word in September that Dr. Tufaro and staff were looking for a new home.

As we first reported in December, eight parcels consisting of 222 Avenue A and 504 - 530 E. 14th St. were leased for a 99-year period by the respective owner to East Village 14 LLC. (East Village 14 LLC is a Delaware Company that registered with the New York State Department of State in October 2012.) Public records put the cost of this parcel at $35 million.

So we're looking at everything from where Stuyvesant Grocery and Pete's-a-Pizza were before the fire on May 12, 2010 at Avenue A east to, and including, the Animal Hospital. The lone exception: 520 E. 14th St. Presumably new development will happen on either side of this building.

Meanwhile, the new tenant at 200 Avenue A ends an ugly chapter in recent East Village history. The space was home to Superdive, which started its reign of woorrorism on June 25, 2009. (Relive that night here) ... then came the lengthy battle for a liquor license with the applicants who wanted to open an "art gallery with a full-service restaurant." The State Liquor Authority finally granted them a license last April after the applicants agreed to a midnight closing time, as we reported here.

However, the group, going by Hospitality LLC, figured that they wouldn't be able to make a go of it with a midnight closing time, and they moved away from the project. In October, 200 Avenue A was back on the market.

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

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

Petland is moving away from East 14th Street, fueling more new development rumors

[Updated with correction] 8-lot parcel of East 14th Street primed for new development

Bargain Express has closed on East 14th Street

Is a Chinese restaurant opening at NYU's Broadway Windows?

Just noticed this over on Broadway at East 10th Street... where there's paper in the windows at Broadway Windows, one of two NYU Steinhardt Windows Galleries ...



This sign is taped to the inside of the window...



The most recent exhibit, Stars on Broadway!, closed on Feb. 2.

So. Is this simply some kind of off-beat attempt at announcing the next exhibit? Or, is a Chinese restaurant really opening here? (And there are Ping's Seafood locations in Chinatown and Queens.)

We'll update as soon as we hear back from someone at Steinhardt.

Kamui Den has closed on Avenue A

Not sure when exactly this happened... a tipster pointed this out to us... Kamui Den at 186 Avenue A near East 12th Street has closed... and a "for rent" sign is now in the window of the Japanese restaurant ...