Saabsicle discovery this morning on East 12th Street

Apparently a pipe broke on East 12th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B sometime recently... Andrew Adam Newman on Ave C noted the Saabsicle (his term!) ... and several other cars in the same predicament.

Sucks. But it's likely much less off a disaster than our dear old friend... the Icicle Audi of East Second Street... back in the balmy days of the winter of January 2011...

Out and About in the East Village 2013 recap

Since Aug. 1, 2012, East Village-based photographer James Maher has provided us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the neighborhood for our series Out and About in the East Village.

Thank you to James! And thanks to Joann Jovinelly and Stacie Joy who contributed features when James was traveling. And thanks to everyone who took the time to be interviewed... So here's a look back at our 45 subjects from 2013... we'll be back with Out and About in the East Village on Jan. 15.

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• Jan. 9 — Lee Schramm

• Jan. 16 — Chris Riffle

• Jan. 23 — Jane Kelton and Little Egg

• Jan. 30 — Paul Kostabi

• Feb. 6 — Cheryl Pyle

• Feb. 13 — Mike Bakaty

• Feb. 20 — Jacquelyn Gallo

• Feb. 27 — Reverend Jacqui Lewis

• March 6 — Manny Garcia

• March 13 — Annette “Mistress Evil” Moccaldi

• March 20 — Katie Kenney

• March 27 — Lucille Krasne

• April 3 — 2013 recap

• April 10 — Jasmin Olmo (and Rocko)

• April 17 — Nicolina Johnson

• April 24 — Bryan Alejandro Scott



• May 1 — Terry

• May 8 — Jeff Underwood

• May 15 — Markian Surmach

• May 22 — Edward “Eak the Geek” Arrocha

• May 29 — Matt Torres

• June 5 — Danny Lama

• June 12 — Elisabeth Diekmann

• June 19 — Yadi Maria

• June 26 — Phillip Giambri

• July 3 — Phillip Giambri, Part 2

• July 10 — 2013 recap

• July 17 — Michael Duggan

• July 24 — Elizabeth Cunningham

• July 31 — Elissa Jiji

• Aug. 7 — Hannah Rad

• Aug. 14 — Richard “Handsome Dick” Manitoba and son Jake

• Aug. 21 — Kathy Von Hartz



• Aug. 28 — Angel “Petroleum” Luis Roman

• Sept. 4 – The Baroness

• Sept. 11 — Sven Furberg

• Sept. 18 — Christopher Tanner

• Sept. 25 — 2013 recap

• Oct. 2 — Sally Young, Part 1

• Oct. 9 — Sally Young, Part 2

• Oct. 16 — Seth Tobocman

• Oct. 23 — Tom Kopache and Chia

• Oct. 30 — Jerry

• Nov. 6 — Melissa Hotchkiss (and Jess)

• Nov. 13 — Nico D Smith

• Nov. 20 — Manuel

• Nov. 27 — Jenny Adams

• Dec. 4 — Rew Starr

• Dec. 11 — Santo Mollica

• Dec. 18 — Nick Sitnycky, Part 1

• Dec. 19 — Nick Sitnycky, Part 2

• Dec. 25 — Merry Christmas!

[Updated] Reader report: 7A will close at the end of the month

Back in November, we started hearing rumors that Avenue A mainstay 7A would close in the coming months… sold to a group who planned to open a southern-themed restaurant. (Mama Lulu's or something similar, said a tipster at the time.)

Fast-forward to yesterday when, according to a tipster, management informed staff that the 24-hour restaurant will close at the end of January.

We didn't hear any official reason for the closure. However, it is not because of a rent hike, we're told. 7A owner Moshe Hatsav also owns part of the building at 130 E. Seventh St., which was recently renovated ... where the penthouse is fetching $16,995 a month. (Also, 7A had been closed for renovations last January … as well as in January 2011.)

In any event, there have been rumblings that the restaurant that has anchored the southwest corner of Avenue A and East Seventh Street since the mid-1980s had been going downhill of late, that staff moral was waning.

Per our tipster: "The saddest part, other than the loss of an institution in the community, is that many of the employees have worked there for a decade at least."

No official word just yet on what will take 7A's place.

Updated 1 p.m.

7A confirmed the closure on the restaurant's Facebook page, noting simply: "7A will be closing for good by the end of the month."

Updated 2:22 p.m.
Are Serge Becker and Josh Pickard taking over 7A?

Here are details on applying for one of the 30 affordable units in Alphabet Plaza

[Via Curbed]

This past year, we've been keeping tabs on Alphabet Plaza, the 12-story mixed-used apartment building going up at East Houston and Avenue D.

In total, the building will include 135 apartments — with 30 of them designated as affordable units. Yesterday, The Lo-Down reported that the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development has shared information about the upcoming lottery for those units.

Per The Lo-Down:

Under NYC’s affordable housing program, studios will rent for $847; one bedrooms are priced at $909; 2-bedroom units are $1101. Applicants need to meet income requirements (annual household earnings ranging from $30,000 to nearly $60,000 for the largest units). Residents of Community District 3 (including the Lower East Side and Chinatown) will be given preference for the apartments.

Go here to find details about how to apply. Feb. 18 is the deadline.

The building amenities include 24-hour doorman, valet services (laundry drop-off and pick-up), fitness center, residents lounge, landscaped roof decks with BBQ area and bike storage.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: 12th-story 'Alphabet Plaza' in the works for Second Street and Avenue D

Alphabet Plaza ready to rise on Avenue D

Alphabet Plaza is rising on East Houston and Avenue D

Easy as...: Alphabet Plaza makes first appearance above ground

Alphabet Plaza starts to apply sun block

James and Karla Murray pick their favorite pics from 2013

Photographers James and Karla Murray have selected a few of their favorite photos from 2013... and the East Village is well-represented ... including the two in this post ... Check out all the photos here.



The urban documenters have several books to their credit, including "New York Nights" and "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York."

Con Ed Plant vs. the Polar Vortex

[Photo by Rob & Mike]


[Photo by Shawn Chittle]


[Photo by Julee Bailey]

As we exclusively reported earlier today, it was fucking cold out.

At least the frigid temps made for a photogenic Con Ed power plant at the end of East 14th Street...







Bottom three photos by Bobby Williams

Good news! You can now rent the penthouse at 1 Avenue B for $19,500 a month

Back in June, we noted that the "rarely seen Penthouse One" at 1 Avenue B at East Houston was on the market ... with all the amenities that you might expect from a place asking $5.95 million.

To refresh your memory (key words only):

... gracious gallery foyer ... 19-foot ceilings ... Lutron lighting system ... a 63" TV home theater system ... sleek Poggen Pohl kitchen ... wrap-around terrace with built-in hot tub ... outdoor grilling station ... ... Brazilian walnut flooring ... your Ipe pergola draped in wisteria ...

Yeah, that place! Anyway, apparently there weren't any takers just yet ... the place is now on the rental market for $19,500. (A month.)

Previously on EV Grieve:
See this 'rarely seen duplex' at 1 Avenue B

Wacky Wok has closed

The 4-year-old Wacky Wok has closed on Avenue D and East Ninth Street. The owner of the healthyish Pan Asian restaurant told WW fan Zachary Mack simply that "costs were over running our income. We needed more walk-by traffic."

Wacky Wok was also known for a fairly aggressive menu-dropping campaign around the East Village … with menu droppers who could easily slip into the Wacky Wok time continium vortex.

As we wrote in September 2012:

At some point, every single home or business or church or structure of any kind — empty, under-construction or abandoned — in the East Village has had a Wacky Wok menu placed on the front door. Multiple times. Maybe daily. Probably daily.

Regardless, we mostly liked their food… they will be missed.

And RIP Wacky Wok Menu Dropper Guy…

Previously on EV Grieve:
Looking for the elusive Wacky Wok menu dropper

Newsstand vendor Jerry Delakas meets Mayor de Blasio

By now, you likely know the situation with Jerry's Newsstand on Astor Place outside the downtown 6 entrance.

On Dec. 9, the Department of Consumer Affairs shut down the stand that Jerry Delakas has operated the past 26 years before he could file an appeal with the city to stay in business. (Find more background about this ongoing legal battle here.)

On Sunday, Jerry was one of the thousands of New Yorkers to stand in line to meet Mayor de Blasio at Gracie Mansion.



In total, he waited three hours…



He eventually got to meet the mayor.

From the Save Jerry's Newsstand Facebook page:

Jerry met new mayor Bill de Blasio who said of Jerry's Newsstand to Jerry "Great place!" Paraphrasing the rest: after being told of lock out, de Blasio said he 'is aware, there is a great injustice, and then instructed his aides to 'get on it immediately.' ... Jerry then spoke to aid who took from him the specifics of the case.

Jerry and East Village resident Kelly King also presented the mayor with a mini Jerry's Newsstand. (Jeremiah Moss has a lot more details today on the mini stand and the meet-and-greet with the mayor.)



Meanwhile, there is word that State Supreme Court Justice Carol E. Hull will hear arguments tomorrow "on whether the stand should be reopened while the appeal is pending," as The New York Times put it.



And Jerry's supporters are holding a "We Got Your Back" rally tomorrow morning at 9 on the steps of New York County Courts at 60 Centre Street ahead of the hearing.

You can find more information at the Save Jerry's Newsstand Facebook page.

Meanwhile today, Colin Moynihan files a piece for the Times on the case and the changes that Jerry has seen on Astor Place since he started at the newsstand in 1987.

Previously on EV Grieve:
City shutters Jerry's Newsstand on Astor Place for 'operating illegally'

The story about the city shutting down Jerry's Newsstand on Astor Place actually gets worse

More about saving Jerry's Newsstand

Helping Save Jerry

Construction watch: 277 E. Seventh St.

Work started last summer at the former parking lot at 277 E. Seventh St. near Avenue D, home one day to a six-floor, six-unit apartment building that will look like...



It appears as if they're up to about the fifth floor.

Curbed got the scoop in August about what to expect from inside...

There are five 1,200-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom homes — two of which have private rooftop decks— and the sixth unit is a 900-square-foot ground level apartment, which has a private garden.

The interiors will feature wide plank floors, white lacquered kitchen cabinetry, Caesarstone counters, etc. Construction is estimated to wrap by the Spring.

Meanwhile, how has life been living behind this construction site? A reader shared some details...



"We've been woken up at 7 am every workday to incessant pounding, shouting and yet more noise for months now ... I've coped by keeping a very loud in-wall fan running every night in the bedroom and wearing ear plugs meant for a shooting range, but it's still hard to sleep."

Previously on EV Grieve:
The next sliver of space for development: The parking lot at 277 Seventh St.

Seventh Street parking lot destined to become 6-floor apartment building

A look at the dwindling number of East Village lots

City OK's 6-floor, 6-unit condo for former East Seventh Street parking lot

Here's your new compost drop-off site

From the EVG inbox yesterday…

The NYC Compost Project hosted by the Lower East Side Ecology Center is starting a commuter compost drop- off site at the west side of 1st Avenue between E. Houston and 1st St. It will be open Monday thru Friday 8 A.M. till 11 A.M.

Commuters are encouraged to bring their acceptable food waste to this drop-off site. Acceptable food waste includes:

• Fruits and vegetable scraps
• Coffee grounds, filters & paper tea bags
• Breads and grains
• Egg and nutshells
• Stale beans, flours and spices
• Cut or dried flowers
• Houseplants and potting soil

The collected food waste will be brought to the host site’s facilities at the East River Park for composting. The finished compost will be distributed to local community gardens, street tree stewardship and other community development purposes. This is a great opportunity for community members to easily reduce their bulk waste and help support the city's efforts to do the same.

Last call for Revival on East 15th Street

Real-estate blogger Andrew Fine passes along word that Revival closed for business after service last night.

Apparently the owners of the bar on East 15th Street between Irving Place and Third Avenue are going to renovate the space and turn it into something "schmantzier."

Meanwhile, you still have Shades of Green next door.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[East 9th Street last night by @apay00]

The Middle Collegiate Church is now serving the homeless meals from the Soul Food Truck Sunday afternoons (DNAinfo)

Remembering the great See Hear (Ephemeral New York)

Who bought the Sarkozy-Olsen "love nest" on East 10th Street (Page Six)

A stash of Citi Bikes under the Williamsburg Bridge during the snowstorm (BoweryBoogie)

The giant Chinatown snowman returned last week (The Lo-Down)

A look at Gracie Mansion (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Amazing shot of NYC's last sunset of 2013 (BoingBoing)

Reminder: "Astor Barber All-Stars" screens tonight at the Anthology Film Archives (Karen Gehres)

Claim: Sapporo East has closed for good

On Friday, we noted that several readers had expressed concern over Sapporo East. The 30-year-old Japanese restaurant on East 10th Street and First Avenue has been closed the past week or so, and there isn't any sign noting a vacation or closure on the front door.

This past weekend, a very reliable source told us that Sapporo East has closed for good.

Meanwhile, in a double whammy, we understand that Shima, another sushi old-timer on Second Avenue at East 12th Street, has also closed.



Several readers noted this as well over the weekend; calls to the restaurant go unanswered. Shima opened on Waverly Place in the early 1980s, but was priced out by NYU… arriving at its current location in the late 1990s. Sapporo East and Shima share the same ownership. It's unclear if Shima will reopen in its current form.

In September 2012, Robert Sietsema at the Voice wrote about Sapporo East, which was the oldest existing Japanese restaurant in the East Village … opening in 1983.

And then along came Sapporo East. Even the facade looked jazzy and Japanese-y, and the interior, with its bobble-headed white waving cat — the first one we'd ever seen — set the standard for dozens of restaurants to follow. In fact, Sapporo East was an early harbinger of Little Tokyo, the city of young Japanese expats that lies within the East Village, and includes sake bars, grocery stores, pastry shops, hair salons, ramen parlors, sushi spots, and dozens of other institutions centering on 9th Street but spreading for blocks in several directions.

As Sapporo East has looked on and become something of the gray lady of neighborhood, the fantastically low prices have remained.

It was all upon a foggy night...

Last night's fog provided a stunning backdrop for photos in Tompkins Square Park … these shots are from EVG regular Grant Shaffer…









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…and an aerial view via EVG reader Anna…

Reader report: Viva Herbal Pizzeria has closed on Second Avenue

Viva Herbal Pizzeria, the gluten-free, vegan pizza joint at 179 Second Ave. near East 12th Street has apparently closed…



The photos and report comes via Viva's #1 customer. "It was open Saturday night but [Sunday night] all the lights are off, the bench is gone and the inside looks like a hot mess. No sign to indicate a remod or anything." The phone also went unanswered.





Indeed, the space had been on the market since last August.

The former PS 64 after it snows

The former PS 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center has been sitting derelict now for what, the past 15 years or so… as owner/developer Gregg Singer continues to work out plans for turning the building here on East 10th Street/East Ninth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C into a dorm.

The lack of activity here is especially apparent after a snowfall, like this past Thursday night/Friday morning. A nearby resident notes: "Every year, at least in which we get snow, [Singer] never shovels … ice builds up, people fall, garbage accumulates. The scaffolding is in disarray, the lighting only occasionally works, there's a tent city beneath the scaffolding, etc, etc."

Here are a few photos of the sidewalks outside the building from last Friday morning…





… and on the East Ninth Street side…









Meanwhile, Community Board 3 passed a resolution on Dec. 17 requesting that the de Blasio administration return the building to the community. Perhaps someone in the community will shovel the sidewalks.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Efforts continue to fight the dorm planned for the former PS 64 on East 9th Street

Landmarks Preservation Commission asks to see modified plans for former PS 64

The Landmarks Preservation Commission approves application for modifications at PS 64

Here are a few scant details about chef Alex Stupak's new venture on St. Mark's Place

If you are looking for more details about chef Alex Stupak's new restaurant at the former Sushi Lounge space, then you will be mildly disappointed in the paperwork filed ahead of this month's CB3/SLA meeting. There aren't too many clues about what's coming here, other than the number of tables, etc.

Stupak, who runs the well-regarded Empellón Cocina and Empellón Taqueria, plans to open his third restaurant here at 132 St. Mark's Place at Avenue A, where the Sushi Lounge closed at the end of October.

According to the documents on file (PDF!) on the CB3 website, the unnamed new restaurant has proposed hours of 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily… there are 18 tables with 48 seats, one bar with eight seats … plus an "open kitchen with dining counter."

And here is a sketch of the interior layout that accompanied the CB3 materials…



Stupak told Eater on Dec. 23 that he hasn't decided on the concept for the space just yet.

The CB3/SLA committee meeting takes place next Monday night at 6:30.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Chef Alex Stupak vying for former Sushi Lounge space on Avenue A and St. Mark's Place

As the for rent signs turn on Avenue A