Bowlmor Lanes replacement: 23-floor residential building

[EVG photo from July]

After 76 years in business at 110 University Place, Bowlmor Lanes closed for good this past July 7.

Bowlmor was the last of the businesses here on the west side of University between East 12th Street and East 13th Street to clear out to make way for some unspecified luxury development via landlord Billy Macklowe, who bought a long-term controlling position in the building back in 2012.

Late last week, developers filed preliminary plans with the city for what's next: A 23-floor residential building.

Per New York Yimby, who first reported on the filing:

Residences at 100 University Place will be slightly smaller than those inside its new neighbors, with 107,965 square feet of residential space split between 52 apartments, resulting in an average unit size of just over 2,000 square feet – still very large, especially for Manhattan standards.

SLCE is listed as the architect of record.

And what about SLCE's work?

Per Curbed:

SLCE ... has a track record for building sorta boring but not offensive apartment buildings and hotels ... But will whatever design they produce offend the neighbors, because of its sheer height (309 feet) amid a low-rise neighborhood? All bets point to yes.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Building that houses Bowlmor Lanes will convert to condos, like everywhere else around here

76-year-old Bowlmor Lanes closes for good today

Bowlmor says goodbye

M & J Asian Cuisine coming to 14th and B

[Photo by Bobby Williams]

Workers put up the new signage Friday at the restaurant opening soon on the southeast corner of Avenue B and East 14th Street.

We don't know too much else about the new place (ownership, opening date, etc.) at the moment.

The previous tenant, AlphaBet Cafe, closed this past April 1.

As for that AlphaBet Cafe signage, workers stuffed it into bags on the curb.



Thanks to ace East Village photographer (and EVG Facebook friend) Michael Paul for the tip and above photo.

Also, hat tip to EVG regular Crazy Eddie who passed along this news of the new tenant a few months back.

205 A Gallery now open at 205 Avenue A

The retail space at Icon Realty's recently gut-renovated 205 Avenue A — home of rooftop ragers — is now also home for now to an art gallery.

The first group photography exhibit is titled "you can count on me."



One EVG reader who went for the opening last Thursday said there were a lot of "selfies and Polaroids of girls in underwear."



The rent for the retail space had an asking price of $10k monthly.

Full reveal now at 31-33 Second Ave.

The plywood came down from the new retail space at 31-33 Second Ave. late last week … showing off the full exterior of Ben Shaoul's new residential building here just south of East Second Street.

As BoweryBoogie pointed out, a Petco-branded store is set for the retail space. (The rendering showed Petco signage.)



Per previous reports, workers remodeled the existing commercial space on the ground floor ... remodeled the existing apartments on the 2nd and 3rd floors ... and added three floors on top of the existing building. Each floor will contain two apartments, according to DOB documents.



Previously on EV Grieve:
Ben Shaoul planning a 3-story addition at 31-33 Second Ave.

Now at Red Square — AMERICA'S LARGEST COSTUME SELECTION

Hey, the Ricky's Halloween pop-up shop is now open in the Shoppes of Red Square along East Houston…

As the sign promises, there is a large selection for just about everyone (what is the difference between an infant and a toddler?) … except maybe pets.

We'll be back for a comprehensive review of the costumes, especially the sexy ones. (Or are they sexy plus couples?)

Of course, we have been browsing the Ricky's Halloween costume superstore website… where, for example, the Adult Lady Gaga 2009 VA White Performance Costume has been slashed from $69.99 to $9.91…

Fall in love with this section of East 4th Street

[EVG photo from today actually]

At the Times today, writer Julie Besonen checks in with a piece on two good reasons to visit East Fourth Street between the Bowery and Lafayette. (Spoiler: The Merchant's House and Swift Hibernian Lounge.)

Among tother things, the article provides an update about the new 8-floor hotel going up next door to the Merchant's House.

To the article:

Margaret Halsey Gardiner, the museum’s executive director, struck a conciliatory note. “We’re trying to work with the developer and their engineers on protection plans that will ensure the safety of the house during demolition of the garage, excavation of the foundation and the construction of the hotel,” said Ms. Gardiner, who is known as Pi.

Read the whole article here.

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

Week in Grieview

[Photo by James and Karla Murray]

City OKs residential use at the former Amato Opera on the Bowery (Wednesday)

First sign of future development at 79-89 Avenue D (Tuesday)

Angelica Kitchen is latest East Village restaurant in danger of closing (Wednesday)

Out and About with Mike Schweinsburg (Wednesday)

Security guards and Stop Work Orders for Icon Realty-owned East 12th Street building (Thursday)

That low-flying helicopter above Avenue B (Thursday)

BSA tells Ben Shaoul to remove the illegal penthouse on East 5th Street within 60 days (Wednesday)

An Urban Etiquette Fucking Drugs Sign (Monday, 48 comments)

Workers cut down a red oak in Tompkins Square Park (Monday)

A visit to Fly Dove NYC, a new boutique on East Seventh Street (Friday)

Retail space for lease in the new Cooper Square dorm (Monday)

Touching up the Joe Strummer mural (Friday)

Revisiting Cafe Mogador (Friday)

Boarding up the former Mobil station on Avenue C (Tuesday)

Salon V leaving East 7th Street after 10 years (Tuesday)

Ian Schrager unveiled the sales office and model apartment for his incoming hotel-condo tower at 215 Chrystie (Thursday)

You always post photos of abandoned stuffed lions on St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

Citi Bike fixing all those cracked seats (Tuesday)

… and we forgot to note this yarn installation (???) next to Artichoke on East 14th Street…

This will take a little time to get used to

The central part of Tompkins Square Park without the shade of the leaning elm…



Of course the Hare Krishna Tree is still a sight…

NYPD releases Rev. Billy after yesterday's Bendy Tree arrest

The NYPD arrested Rev. Billy yesterday morning after he tried to prevent workers from cutting down the leaning elm in the middle of Tompkins Square Park.

Rev. Billy tried to climb the tree, which workers were already removing. Then he stood on top of the Parks Department's cherry picker.

He argued that the tree was healthy enough to preserve, that the Parks Department should get other opinions from arborists.


[Photo by Gary Golembiewski]

Several people watching yelled back that, as sad as it was, it was time for the tree to go, that the tree presented a danger. Others pointed out that the branches that were being cut still looked healthy.

After a short prayer, Rev. Billy came down from the truck, where the waiting officers handcuffed him and led him away.

According to Rev. Billy this morning, the NYPD charged him with Obstruction of Government Administration (he pleaded guilty), and sentenced him to time served — about 14 hours. The NYPD released him a little before midnight.



Previously on EV Grieve:
UGH: Bendy tree in Tompkins Square Park has been condemned

Bendy-lujah

More about Angelica Kitchen's uncertain future

As we noted this past week, Angelica Kitchen is facing an uncertain future. The 38-year-old vegetarian favorite launched a public awareness campaign to help keep its doors open on East 12th Street.

Gothamist spoke with owner Leslie McEachern about the situation. She signed a new 5-year-lease in March for $21,000-plus a month. (When she opened in 1985 on St. Mark's Place, her rent was $450 a month.)

Per Gothamist:

"The rent was already way too high per square foot compared to what others in the neighborhood are paying," McEachern says. "We need to make $7,000 a night just to make overhead; utilities, rent, taxes, insurance, the whole shebang." Last winter, with its multiple Polar Vortexes, was particularly difficult for Angelica, and McEachern says there were "many" days over the winter where the restaurant "barely brought in $2,000. We were barely able to stay open."

Before that, Angelica was hard-hit by Hurricane Sandy. "We lost a lot of money during that week because our insurance refused to pay business interruption insurance, which it did with other businesses in the East Village. Things just dropped off after Hurricane Sandy. The whole neighborhood economy just slammed shut, for quite a while."

Read the rest of the post here.

Angelica Kitchen is located at 300 E. 12th St. near Second Avenue.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Angelica Kitchen is latest East Village restaurant in danger of closing (35 comments)

That's it for Bendy Tree

… a little later via EVG reader blm…



Previously on EV Grieve:
UGH: Bendy tree in Tompkins Square Park has been condemned

Bendy-lujah

NYPD arrests Rev. Billy for trying to stop Bendy Tree's removal

Rev. Billy arrived this morning at Tompkins Square Park, where workers are cutting down the leaning elm in the middle of the Park.

He stopped work when he climbed atop one of the trucks…



The NYPD was called to the scene… and they eventually arrested him … no word just yet what the charges are…






[Via EVG reader Russ]

… then work resumed on cutting down Bendy Tree…



As previously reported, an arborist hired by the Parks Department found the favorite tree structurally unsound and recommended that it be cut down.

Previously on EV Grieve:
UGH: Bendy tree in Tompkins Square Park has been condemned

Bendy-lujah

Bendy tree is coming down this morning

As of 8:16 a.m. We didn't stick around to watch... 

…and moments before the trucks arrived...



Previously on EV Grieve:
UGH: Bendy tree in Tompkins Square Park has been condemned

Noted

EVG Discarded Mattress Correspondent Derek Berg spotted this on East Fourth Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery early last evening… not quite sure what this electrical get-up is…



As with most things in life, there is likely a logical explanation.

'Head' games

Here is the L.A.-based Bleached with "Dead In Your Head" from last summer. And they just released a new 7-inch single this past week... which Other Music has...

98-100 Avenue A used to be here

Ben Shaoul's demo gang pretty much has the former 98-100 Avenue A wiped out now between East Seventh Street and East Sixth Street...



Coming one day: a 6-floor residential building with 29 apartments.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A little bit of Hollywood on Avenue A

Inside the abandoned theater at East Village Farms on Avenue A

Reader reports: Village Farms closing Jan. 31; building will be demolished

Asbestos abatement continues at 98 Avenue A, Ben Shaoul's latest East Village trophy

Meanwhile, 98-100 Avenue A is lying in ruins

Workers back demolishing what's left of 98-100 Avenue A

[Cinema Treasures]

Nino's is back open

The 27-year-old pizzeria on Avenue A and St. Mark's Place reopened today after two bouts with the health department in the past month.

Per a report by DNAinfo's Lisha Arino:

Owner Nino Camaj, however, denied most of the allegations. He said there were no mice in the restaurant and that the inspector overstated the number of flies observed.

“This place is the cleanest place in New York City. I tell the truth,” said Camaj, who has owned the pizzeria for 27 years.

Camaj said there were only two or three flies in the pizzeria when the inspector visited Monday and that they came from Tompkins Square Park across the street.

“Every time the door opens, you see a fly come in and out,” he said.

Anyway, we stopped by for a slice today … and found it to be as good as always…

Give ’Em Enough Paint

Yesterday afternoon, graffiti artist Dr. Revolt returned to touch up the vandalized Joe Strummer mural outside Niagara on East Seventh Street and Avenue A.

Someone scrawled on Strummer during the overnight hours on Sept. 11.

Revolt and Zephyr created the original mural back in 2003... after the Clash frontman's untimely death in December 2002.

Photo by gibedendo via Instagram

P.S.
OK, that headline is pretty bad, mostly.

[UPDATED] Report: Man struck by car on Cooper Square 'clinging to life'

The collison happened last night at 11:45 on East Fifth Street and Cooper Square, the Post reports.

There's not much information at the time. The victim is in critical condition at Bellevue. The Post notes that the driver remained at the scene, where "it was not immediately clear who had the right of way."

UPDATED

Nevermind. This story was from March. We didn't carefully look at the date after a reader sent the link to us today. Our apologies.

Does anyone happen to know whatever happened to the pedestrian?

At Fly Dove NYC

In August, longtime East Village resident Rachel Breitman opened Fly Dove NYC, a women's boutique in a basement space at 197 E. Seventh St. between Avenue B and Avenue C.



We asked Breitman, who moved to the neighborhood with her mother as a child in 1979, a few questions about her start. Stacie Joy stopped by for some photos.

How did the shop come about?

It was somewhat of an evolution of rethinking my life-long interest in fashion and exploring the idea of having my own business. I figured this would be the best time in my life to take the risk, although I still have my 9-5 while I get this off the ground.

I started two years ago with the idea to design some outerwear, then I realized that it was too expensive and competitive of a business. Along the way, I would do weekend markets in Nolita, Long Island City and the West Village. By doing that, I discovered that I enjoyed the retail aspect of it all and started to envision what my boutique would look like.

I always loved editing, styling, and the idea of being a buyer for a store always intrigued me. However, I did want to do something of my very own — create my own vision. It was a one-two year long process but eventually I started looking at spaces in Alphabet City last fall.



Was this something that you had always thought about doing?

I did not always think of doing something like this. In fact, I always saw myself having a nonprofit centered around the arts, education and economic/community development, etc. Working in the Loisaida community was my background before getting into finance.

East Seventh Street between Avenue B and Avenue C is one of my favorite blocks in the neighborhood. Was there something in particular about this block that made you want to open your business here?

It is a great block. A lot of trees and a nice mix of buildings — good foot traffic too.

I definitely wanted to be in Alphabet City and Seventh Street just felt right. Of course the affordability of the rent really was a factor too. When I started looking, I really was surprised how many commercial vacancies there were and how many businesses were closing.

However, landlords want to charge crazy rents that only a bar would be able to afford to pay and/or someone with a trust fund. [Laughs] But, they don't care — they will stay empty.

Once I get my business off the ground I definitely want to explore what can be done in terms of affordability of commercial space for small business startups or existing in this area. Perhaps get together with some of the other neighboring businesses.

It was also important to be in the vicinity east of Avenue A and between 14th Street and East Houston because there wasn't really any other option to find on-trend women's clothing within my price point. Pricing things affordably is very important to me.

What has been the response so far to your shop?

The response has been amazing! I get new faces coming in every day checking out the boutique. The place is still being discovered, especially since I am a basement location and nothing has been here for more than 20 years. So I plan to continue to market as much as possible, host events and get the word out!