Retail/medical space now on the market at 189 Avenue C

[Image via RKF]

While residents starting moving into the then-new 189 Avenue C some three years ago … the retail space here between East 11th Street and East 12th Street has just hit the market…

Here are a few details from RKF:

SPACE
Ground Floor 2,250 SF

POSSESSION
Immediate

TERM
Long term

FRONTAGE
36 feet on Avenue C

SITE STATUS
New Construction

NEIGHBORS
C-Town, Cafecito, Matilda Restaurant, Yankee Deli

COMMENTS
Landlord may deliver a warm shell
Potential for Tenant Improvement Allowance
All retail/medical uses accepted

There isn't any mention of rent. And what, exactly, is that part about delivering a warm shell? Is this code or something for a Chipotle opening here?

Late-afternoon scenes from Tompkins Square Park

Photo by Bobby Williams

Report: Landmarks Preservation Commission OKs plans for hotel next door to the Merchant's House

The Landmarks Preservation Commission today approved plans for an 8-floor hotel to rise next door to the landmarked Merchant's House Museum at 27 E. Fourth St., as Curbed reports this afternoon.

This decision comes nearly 18 months after the developers first brought the proposal before the LPC.

Preservationists remain concerned that the construction could possibly damage the circa-1832 Merchant's House.

The space next door to the museum is currently this one-level structure… housing Al-Amin Food Inc., which stores food carts…


[Via Google]

Meanwhile, does this area really need another hotel?

Previously.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[Avenue B in the rain last night via Fallopia Tuba]

Meet the 5 new Community Board 3 members (The Lo-Down)

A Chase branch turned temporary art gallery on Delancey (BoweryBoogie)

Prepping for Passover at Streit's (CBS 2)

A look at the last of the urban horsemen (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Exploring off-limits NYC (AnimalNY)

Last-ditch effort to spare Rizzoli Bookstore from demolition (DNAinfo)

The Coney Island Museum reopens May 26 (Runnin' Scared)

... and we removed the post from earlier of the woman allegedly using a slice of Artichoke Pizza as a pillow... the person who sent along the photo was told that it was from the East Village... it was not. Looks like Cardiff!

Report: Max Fish clears first hurdle in return to the Lower East Side

The CB3/SLA committee voted early this morning to support Max Fish's return to the Lower East Side ... specifically a new two-level home at 120 Orchard St. (We can almost taste those new Max Fish menu items!)

Owner Ulli Rimkus and her new partners (former Max Fish employees) as well as supporters (and at least one naysyaer) waited to nearly 1 a.m. to appear before a crowded CB3/SLA docket.

You can head over to The Lo-Down and BoweryBoogie, who were in attendance, for the play by play.

BoweryBoogie also reports that the folks looking to take over El Sombrero on Stanton and Ludlow got the go-ahead as well. The new proprietors, who are related to the previous owners, plan to keep the name intact.

Max Fish closed last July after 24 years at 178 Ludlow St. Plans to open an outpost in Williamsburg never materialized.

Previously on EV Grieve:
First sign that Max Fish is returning to the Lower East Side

A few more details (hard-boiled eggs!) about Max Fish, which hopes to return to the LES

Season's Greetings

As we head into the Easter holiday season, we just wanted to stop and wish all of you a Merry Christmas.

Spotted early this morning outside Gem Spa on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place.

After 50 years in business, Gino DiGirolamo is closing the Royal Tailor shop

[Photo by James and Karla Murray]

It's the end of an era for the Royal Tailor shop … James and Karla Murray pass along the news that Gino DiGirolamo is retiring, and his shop at 520 E. 14th St. is closing on May 31.

Gino moved here between Avenue A and Avenue B in late 2006. Previously his shop was on Avenue A near East 12th Street.

Jeremiah Moss wrote about Gino in January 2008.

He wears a measuring tape around his neck. He has two televisions sitting one on top of the other. His walls are covered with pictures of the Italian soccer team, boxer Rocky Marciano, and a poster showing popular lengths of sleeves and trouser legs.

Matthew Handal shot several videos of Gino back in 2007…







So long to one of the delightful characters in the neighborhood…

Previously on EV Grieve:
A pile of clothes at the Royal Tailor

Mary Pupillo — 'A true relic of the East Village'

Rent this East 10th Street apartment, gain access to a rooftop 'art gallery'

There's a new listing for a one-bedroom apartment at 269 E. 10th St., a walk-up between Avenue A and First Avenue… the listing via The Modern Group is blah, blah, the usual… until!

Best kept little secret....Amazing art gallery & views on the rooftop, perfect for photoshoots, selfies or drinks with friends.

(Selfies! Heh.)

And the Streeteasy listing includes photos of this art…









Anyone know anything about who created all this?

On an unrelated note, a search of this address turned up this tidbit via New York Songlines:

The first home to have a Christmas tree with electric lights was in the East Village at 269 E.10th Street in 1883. It was owned by Edward Johnson, an associate of the famed inventor Thomas Edison.

Wonder if they waited until August to throw away the tree?

Construction watch: 401 E. Eighth St., now with a foundation

Let's see what's going on behind the graffiti-free plywood at 397-401 E. Eighth St. at Avenue D… where a nine-story residential building with a penthouse is in the works…





Akeeb Shekoni of Queens-based Akson Architect is listed as the architect... and the building's owners are the vague 399 E8 Development LLC.

Here's a rendering…



And about that graffiti-free plywood? Sometimes you just have to ask…



Previously on EV Grieve:
Meanwhile, before we christen Avenue D the next Greenpoint...

Stalled development site on Eighth Street and Avenue D asking $5.2 million

Long-stalled East 8th Street lot coming back as 9-story residential building — with penthouse

Openings: Handsome Dan's on 1st Avenue; INA 'super store' on East 13th Street

Handsome Dan's Snocone & Candy Stand quietly opened late last week at 186 First Ave. Per the store's About on Facebook, Handsome Dan's serves "the Finest Homemade, All-Natural Snocones, Vintage Sodas, Hot Cider, Old-Time Candy, Cotton Candy, and Chocolate this side of the Mississippi!"

Proprietor Daniel Levin opened his first stand in Williamsburg in May 2012.

Previously, 186 First Ave. near East 11th Street was home to A-1 Music for 26 years until January.

-----

Meanwhile, INA opened its sixth consignment shop on East 13th Street near Fourth Avenue last Monday…



This location is dubbed a "super store" … and it does look pretty massive as far as these kind of places go…



Here are some details from Racked's coverage of the opening:

While the stores typically consign higher-end names — their list of acceptable designers includes Chloé, Balenciaga, Judith Leiber, and Rag & Bone — they'll now also be accepting what they're dubbing as "secondary brands." That includes J. Crew, BCBG, Urban Outfitters, Uniqlo, Diesel, Theory, Banana Republic, Express, and Anthropologie.

This space was previously home to Photo Tech Repair Service, which merged with its location on West 34th Street.

9 months later, Avenue B's Subway finally replaces sad 'Lone Ranger' contest poster in front window

Nearly nine months after its theatrical release, the Subway on Avenue B near East 14th Street finally decided to remove the cardboard cutout of the critically reviled box-office bomb "Lone Ranger" from the front window… So your chances of winning great prizes are now over!

Per a release about the contest:

Throughout June and July, fans can look for codes on specially marked Lone Ranger 30 oz. cups and avocado sandwich wrap stickers. The codes access free plays on the new "Partner Up And Win" interactive game on www.subway.com, offering fans the chance to win cash, rides, adventures and more. Customers can also receive playing codes through SUBWAY® social media channels, and by tweeting a photo with Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer standees found in SUBWAY® locations across the U.S.

And now in the front window … an ad for Flatizza™ …

Today in photos of a squirrel eating a banana peel in Tompkins Square Park

The photo from earlier today is via Goggla, who wishes that she videotaped this encounter. "The squirrel was scraping the tasty bits off the peel by rolling it up and then pulling it out between its teeth."

JUST LIKE A HUMAN.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[Flower shopping outside Key on Avenue A]

RIP Leee Black Childers (This Ain't the Summer of Love ... artlyst)

The 9th Precinct gets a new commanding officer (The Lo-Down)

Angel Orensanz Foundation may reopen next week (DNAinfo)

I like this photo that Miss Heather took on Avenue A! (New York Shitty)

The always reliable Manatus closes on Bleecker (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Some now-and-then shots of Broadway and East 12th Street (Flaming Pablum)

Expansion in the works for Epstein's Bar (BoweryBoogie)

...and from last night while waiting for the L at Union Square ... via Gothamist...

Why the East Village smells like a campfire this morning

Oh, morning! Pretty nice out. Kinda misty/smoky though... and there's a noticeable odor...

@evgrieve why does our hood smell like a campfire?

— Amy Marsh (@amyruthmarsh) April 7, 2014

Thanks to some alert EVG Facebook friends ... here's the answer... via NBC 4:

The smell of smoke wafted over New York City early Monday after a brush fire broke out in a state forest in central New Jersey, authorities say.

Storm Team 4 meteorologists say that winds most likely carried the smoke to the area Sunday evening. Winds died down overnight, settling the odor over the city. The odor should be observable for the next eight to 12 hours.

Working on the EVG Odorama feature now...

More eggsciting hawk news from the Christodora House

So much coming and going the past few days up at the hawk nest on the 7th floor of the Christodora House on Avenue B and East Ninth Street …





The big news though, via Goggla, is that there are now two eggs in the nest…


[Photo by Francois Portmann]

Check out Goggla's recent posts here … and here … and here for more on this mating/nesting action.

And find more nest cam shots from Francois right here.

Top photos by Bobby Williams

Previously on EV Grieve:
Red-tailed hawks nest on the Christodora House

The hawks of Tompkins Square Park have laid an egg at the Christodora House

P.S.
I'm sorry about that headline.

'Moving Murals' marks the first exhibit for City Lore on East 1st Street

City Lore is now up and running at 54 E. First St. with its new gallery space at the former home of the Lower Eastside Girls Club.

For starters, a little about City Lore. Per the organization's website:

Founded in 1986, City Lore’s mission is to foster New York City – and America’s – living cultural heritage through education and public programs. We document, present, and advocate for New York City’s grassroots cultures to ensure their living legacy in stories and histories, places and traditions. We work in four cultural domains: urban folklore and history; preservation; arts education; and grassroots poetry traditions. In each of these realms, we see ourselves as furthering cultural equity and modeling a better world with projects as dynamic and diverse as New York City itself.

"Moving Murals," City Lore's inaugural exhibition, opened this past Thursday … it features the photography of Henry Chalfant and Martha Cooper…



Here's a description:

Photographed during the "Golden Age of Graffiti" in the '70s and early '80s, Chalfant and Cooper's images of graffitied subway cars are among the major documents of American popular culture in the late twentieth century. Moving Murals presents the images in a wall to wall mosaic of over 850 muraled trains, creating an ultimate All City graffiti trainyard environment. Complimenting the murals: photographs of the writers in their element.

And for the first time, the exhibit provides an interactive audience experience through the addition of Chalfant's recently published iBook viewed on a large screen, complete with the train image archive, artist interviews, and videos.

We stopped by to check it out…












The exhibit is up through July 10. And there are a few special events associated with it, including a screening of the hip-hop documentaries "Style Wars" I and II on April 17.

The Gallery is open every Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.

For more about City Lore and their new space, you can read this article by Serena Solomon at DNAinfo from February.

Reader report: Shakespeare & Company loses lease on Broadway

Another book store appears to be in danger. A reliable source tells us that the 30-plus year-old Shakespeare & Co. location at 716 Broadway has lost its lease.

Per our tipster: The landlord wants more money for the storefront here between Washington Place and Waverly Place… an increase that's too much for Shakespeare to manage.

There isn't any official word yet from the store about a possible closure … and our tipster says that there is interest among some regulars in launching a fund-raising campaign to help the store either stay in its current location or find a new home.

The Shakespeare & Company closed on the Upper West Side back in 1996. The location on East 23rd Street closed several years ago. There are still locations on Lexington Avenue near Hunter and in Brooklyn near Brooklyn College.

[Image via Yelp]

Closed for renovations: Veselka until tomorrow; Tofu House till who knows when

As you can see from the sign, Veselka is closed until tomorrow morning...

We wanted to give you all a heads-up that Veselka will be closed for a little maintenance from MIDNIGHT SUNDAY until TUESDAY MORNING.
— Veselka Restaurant (@veselkanyc) April 5, 2014

All the tables and chairs were moved from the dining room and workers were buffing/something the floors.

Meanwhile, at 6 St. Mark's Place, the Tofu House closed yesterday...



Signs point to a renovation.



There's no other information available. Phone calls get routed to a generic Verizon voice-mail box. The Tofu House Facebook page hasn't been updated since December 2011.

Report: Clayton Patterson leaving the Lower East Side for the Austrian Alps

[Photo of Elsa and Clayton from 2011 courtesy of Curt Hoppe]

As you may have heard, longtime neighborhood documentarian Clayton Patterson and his companion Elsa Rensaa are moving away from the city.

In an article from the Times yesterday (online Friday) titled "Last Bohemian Turns Out the Lights," Patterson discusses his decision to leave after 35 years on the Lower East Side.

Early this winter, to the shock of those who knew him, he made an announcement: He was leaving New York. This was news in what remained of the creative underground that sits below 14th Street. After all, one of the last men who could credibly claim the title of Manhattan’s last bohemian had not only decided he was quitting the city, he also figured he could find a richer existence 4,000 miles away — in the Austrian Alps.

“There’s nothing left for me here,” said Mr. Patterson, who, at 65, is still a physical presence, with his biker’s beard, Santa Claus belly and mouth of gold teeth. “The energy is gone. My community is gone. I’m getting out. But the sad fact is: I didn’t really leave the Lower East Side. It left me.”

Read the whole article here.

Vote expected tomorrow on the proposed 9-story hotel next to the historic Merchant's House

The Landmarks Preservation Commission is expected to vote tomorrow on the proposed 9-floor hotel next to the Merchant's House Museum on East Fourth Street between the Bowery and Lafayette.

Ahead of the meeting, the third on the matter, preservationist groups are rallying for support in protecting the circa-1832 building.

As the city’s only Federal-style house that survives with an intact exterior and interior (including family furnishings), it is a miraculous, irreplaceable, but fragile architectural artifact.

The Merchant’s House Museum previously suffered severe damage from the demolition of 31 East 4th and the subsequent below-the-surface drilling for the acquifer that is located there.

While there isn't any public testimony tomorrow, the Merchant's House is encouraging people to show up in support… and these stickers will be available to wear…



Meeting details:

Tuesday, April 8, 10:45 a.m. (Arrive 10:15 a.m. to sign in. Bring a photo ID.)
Place: NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission
Municipal Building
1 Centre Street (at Chambers St.), 9th floor.

Find Curbed's coverage of the proposed development here. BoweryBoogie has more details/background on this today right here.

The Merchant's House was the sixth landmark designated in 1965, when LPC was first created.

The space next door to the museum is currently this one-level structure… housing Al-Amin Food Inc., which stores food carts…


[Via Google]

Previously