Witness to a tragedy in Tompkins Square Park

[Image via TSP3A]

On Monday afternoon, 39-year-old Aleim Perkins of Harlem was playing with his niece in Tompkins Square Park.

Some time around 4 p.m., witnesses said that he started pushing an empty tire swing, which struck him in the face and knocked him out. He was rushed to Beth Israel, where hospital officials said he was dead on arrival.

An EVG reader was in the playground off of East Ninth Street at Avenue with his child when the incident occurred. The reader shared this:

I can't being tell you how devastated I am at the tragic death of this man.

I noticed him horsing around with the kids.

My back was turned when the incident occurred and I wasn't aware that anything had happened until I heard the playground go eerily silent.

When I walked over to see what happened, he was lying still on the ground. Someone immediately called 911 and one of the parents who had emergency training assisted Mr. Perkins, who was unconscious and unresponsive. It's tough to judge in retrospect but it couldn't have been more than 5 minutes from the time of the incident until EMS was assisting him.

This is the first time I've seen him at the playground, but I did notice the fun he was having and the joy in his face just seconds before he was struck. He was just goofing around and a one-in-a-million accident took this poor man's life.

You can read more about the story at DNAinfo.

Previously

Updated 8:11 a.m.

The Post notes that Landscape Structures, which manufactures the Arch Tire Swing, has previously sold unsafe playground equipment, prompting recalls of swings and slides in recent years. A Parks Department spokesperson said that they are investigating the tragedy ... and wouldn't say if the Department planned on removing the swings.

Updated 9:34 a.m.

According to another resident: "[He] was shadow boxing with the tire and ducking as it swung back. He was pushing it very hard. It's very unfortunate that it happened however."

Construction watch: 22 Bond St.

Just pointing out some activity at 25 Great Jones/22 Bond St., a long-dormant site that saw a handful of concepts (hotel!) and ownership partners through the years.

Now, though, the project has new life as a 6-unit condo, as The Commercial Observer reported back in the spring. (The building is officially 22 Bond Street, though it's also known as 25 Great Jones since the property extends through the block.)

Here are details via the Observer to refresh your memory:

BKSK Architects designed the exterior and TKA Studio is designing the interiors. The façade will be made of glass and Corten steel, or weathering steel, the same material that was used for the exterior of Barclays Center. The Lafayette-facing side will be painted with a huge abstract mural by artist José Parlá.

The rendering on the plywood points to a September 2015 completion.



Updated 8:28 a.m.

Thanks to a reader who passed along a link to a post on The Real Deal that reveals the pricing:

All told, the building at 22 Bond Street/25 Great Jones Street in NoHo will have six duplex units ranging in price from $9.26 million to $19.88 million ...

Pricing starts at $3,200 — a foot.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Your chance to buy a boutique hotel on Great Jones

25 Great Jones St. returns to the land of undead developments

Prime corner space on 12th and B asking $10k a month

We recently noticed that there is a new broker for the long-empty retail space on the northeast corner on Avenue B and 12th Street.

The signs were up for Massey Knakal … now Misrahi Realty Corp. has the listing, though we didn't spot it online just yet.

But here are details via LoopNet:

This massive space with extremely high ceilings make this flagship corner retail space PRIME NYC real estate. Sprawling frontage on both 12th street & Ave B make this space perfect for a Banking branch, office, gallery, retail etc...

The asking rent is $10,000.

Evening rain

Photo this evening by James and Karla Murray

Report: Tire swing kills man in Tompkins Square Park

[EVG file photo]

A 39-year-old Harlem resident died yesterday when a tire swing struck him in the face in Tompkins Square Park.

According to the Post, the man, identified as Aleim Perkins, took his niece to the playground off of East Ninth Street at Avenue A.

While the girl was playing, he began “aggressively swinging” an empty tire swing, which hit him in the face, knocking him unconscious and causing him to bleed from the mouth, a police source said.

EMTs took him to Beth Israel, where he was pronounced dead.

277 E. 7th St. condos rebranded 'Seven East Village,' and will feature a bike-sharing program

Units at the new luxury condo at 277 E. Seventh St. near Avenue D hit the market in early October.

Hilarity ensued in the accompanying marketing materials:

This intimate new development presents a bold alliance of concepts and materials. The neutral concrete façade incorporates the pewter patina of weathered zinc panels arranged in a vertical “reveal” pattern with glass curtain walls and balconies facing north and south, framed in architectural stainless steel mesh. The result is a contextually and thoughtfully designed newcomer to the heart of the East Village’s vibrant and diverse neighborhood, best known as the birthplace of the Beat Generation poets, experimental theater and music and the post modern art movement.

Shockingly, not a single unit, which are in the $1 and $2 million range, is in contract after two-plus months. Which is why The Real Deal reports that broker Ryan Serhant, star of “Million Dollar Listing New York,” is taking over the sales.

His team will be rebranding the building the ominous sounding "Seven East Village" early in the New Year "with a high-profile launch party." (Can't wait to read about it on Page Six!)

What else?

Part of the rebrand will be creating a bike-sharing program for the building and auctioning off a Vespa at the launch party.

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

Pricing and interior shots of the 'intimate new development' at 277 E. 7th St.

East Village represented on this list of the city's worst landlords

[EVG file photo of 149 First Ave.]

The Village Voice released its list of the worst NYC landlords yesterday.

Coming in at No. 10: 149 Associates LLC. As we first reported in August, the landlord sent notices telling residents that they were losing their lease because the owners probably needed to tear down the building.

The only violation on file with the Department of Buildings was a failure to file an annual boiler inspection report from 2012. Probably not worth tearing the building down for... Meanwhile, the residents of the building between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street banded together and worked with various housing advocates to fight the evictions.

And there is a landlord who needs no introduction at No. 8: Steve Croman.

Per the Voice:

Over the years, tenants claim, he's initiated pointless lawsuits, ignored requests for repairs, and flat-out refused to renew leases, all in an effort to drive them out of their rent-stabilized units. If Croman had a mustache, he would have twirled it throughout – but what he lacks in diabolical facial hair, he makes up for in henchmen.

However, neither of these East Village property owners made the Public Advocate's list of the worst landlords in New York City.

428 E. 10th St. now available for multiple uses

428 E. 10th St., a currently vacant commercial co-op between Avenue C and Avenue D, is now on the market.

Per the Massey Knakal listing:

The unit does not have a Certificate of Occupancy and does not allow for food use. The ground floor portion of the unit has approximately 3,600 SF with 11'-12' ceiling heights. In addition, there is a lower level that contains approximately 800 SF with 6' celling heights. The option exists to possibly purchase an additional 800 SF in the basement. The space is suitable for multiple uses such as retail, office, gallery, and more.

The asking price is $3.250 million.

Let's take another look at the New York Sports Club on Avenue A

Last Friday, workers took down all that construction gear covering up the under-renovation 28 Avenue A … home soon to a New York Sports Club…

Here are two photos from Saturday…





Reader reaction was swift and brutal. For example!

• Anonymous said...
It's sure the winner in the Ugliest New Architectural Atrocity Award.

• RJJNY said...
All the verve and appeal of a multi-story car park.

• Anonymous said...
wow a big step down from International Style to suburban aluminum siding style.

• Gojira said...
You have got to be kidding me. Someone actually got paid to design this piece of crap?

• Ken from Ken's Kitchen said...
So the developer just did a major rework that turned an iconic facade into blah to attract a gym? People pay $$$ for quality period stuff and people/companies pay $$$ to do biz in a building with a period facade like that.

Feel any differently about it after a few days to get used to the façade?

And several people were disappointed to see that workers removed the familiar Burger-Klein sign in July. (Furniture seller Burger-Klein occupied the building as early as 1939.)

We were reminded that New York Sports Club took over part of the former Chopin Theater space in Greenpoint ... and they didn't actually get any style points for this rehab either...



At least they kept the eagle from the building's days as the American Theatre.

Thanks to our friend Miss Heather at New York Shitty for this photo!

More details on Bruno Pizza, opening early next year on East 13th Street

The buildout continues at 204 E. 13th St., just east of Third Avenue and across from the former Mystery Lot Jefferson.

Bruno Pizza is the new tenant. And Grub Street and Eater have more details on what first-time restaurateur Demian Repucci has planned for the space.

In addition to serving Neapolitan pizza, he has hired the two chefs who created the tasting menu at Box Kite Coffee on St. Mark's Place.

Per Eater:

Repucci is still working out all of the details, but for now, he plans to make the tasting menu a reservations-only option for just a handful of seats at the restaurant. The space is much larger than the tiny Box Kite, but to keep the intimate relationship between chefs and diners, Repucci built a 20 person bar looking into the kitchen and a few special seats right at the pass, where the chefs will cook.

As we reported back in May 2013, Repucci, a restaurant designer, planned to open his pizzeria at 223 First Ave., where Birdbath Neighborhood Green Bakery vacated. However, the lease fell through, and eventually Mee Noodle Shop moved in.

The city's 1st cat cafe is now open on Hester Street

Christina Ha and Emilie Legrand, the owners of Macaron Parlour on St. Mark's Place, officially opened Meow Parlour at 46 Hester St. (between Essex and Ludlow) yesterday.

Many sites had inside looks at the space featuring gratuitous cute cat photos... You can visit Eater or Gothamist or USA Today for their reports.

Head to the Meow Parlour website for more details on how it all works.

But briefly:

At Meow Parlour, you can rent time to access to our space, where we have adoptable free roaming cats. You can come for as little as half an hour so you can just pet the cats or stay for up to five hours where you can use our free wi-fi while a cat naps next to you.

You can bring in food or beverage you purchase at Meow Parlour Patisserie, located around the corner from Meow Parlour and enjoy a sweet treat in the company of a furry friend.

All the cats are adoptable. Meow Parlour has teamed up with KittyKind, an all volunteer, no kill rescue group located in NYC. KittyKind specializes in adopting out cats so if you fall in love, you can apply to adopt one!

Anchoring (and lighting) Keith Haring's 'Self Portrait' on Astor Place

Workers this afternoon are apparently anchoring the Keith Haring "Self Portrait" sculpture into place outside 51 Astor Place. (They were also adding lights to the base.)

The circa-1989 sculpture arrived here on Dec. 2 ... and it had a rather temporary look with the barriers set up around it...

And we still haven't heard if the work will be a permanent part of the public plaza outside the Death Star.

Thanks to Ray LeMoine for the photo

2 things to note about this block of First Avenue

On the west side of First Avenue between East 13th Street and East 14th Street:

1) The Checkers sign has arrived!

2) The E Smoke Shop is now open with welcoming festive balloonage.

Thanks to an EVG reader for this photo today...

Extell Lake

Permits for the two, 7-floor retail-residential buildings from Extell Development along East 14th Street are still pending.

According to DOB records, the city disapproved the plans for the building at 500 E. 14th St. (at Avenue A) back on Nov. 18. (The city disapproved the plans for 524 E. 14th St. on Sept. 18.)

Meanwhile, a nearby resident points out that the empty lot at No. 500 filled up with water (again) after last Tuesday's rain … (the reader wondered if there is something going on with the area's water table … )





And an aerial shot of Extell Lake…



Also, on Friday, new rat baiting signs went up along the plywood…



Maybe workers plan on drowning the rats?

Previously on EV Grieve:
New 7-floor buildings for East 14th Street include 150 residential units

More about the 1st show at Walter De Maria's former home-studio on East 6th Street

Last week we noted that a new exhibit was now taking place at 421 E. Sixth St., the former home-studio for Walter De Maria that Peter Brant bought for $27 million.


[Photo last Wednesday night by Shawn Chittle]

Andrew Russeth, co-executive editor of ARTnews, has an essay on the show, titled "Dan Colen: The L...o...n...g Count." For starters, this is NOT not a project of the Brant Foundation Art Study Center. Brant told the Times back in October that he plans on opening this space in a few years.

So we don't know if this is just some one-off show … or the first of many before the new space officially opens.

And now some thoughts via Russeth's article:

It will be hard for many — this writer not included — not to see the Colen show as the latest example of the relentless commingling of big money, new art, and real estate in present-day New York, but let’s just admit that there is a very slim silver lining: at least it wasn’t converted into condos.

And!

[M]y hope is that, when Brant opens the space, he will get weird in a major way. Yes, he should do some big-name exhibitions (the Urs Fischer and Karen Kilimnik shows at his Greenwich estate were superb), but he should also take some aggressive chances, inviting in marginal institutions and little-known young names. He should give artists, big and small, free rein and see what happens, establishing a legacy.

The Colen show, which Russeth described as "deeply mediocre," runs through Sunday here in the former Con Ed substation between Avenue A and First Avenue.



Previously on EV Grieve:
About that "giant-robot laboratory" on East Sixth Street

RIP Walter De Maria

What is your East Village dream home?

Walter De Maria's 'giant-robot laboratory' going for $25 million; inside is amazing as you'd expect

Walter De Maria's home/studio on East 6th Street is now on the market for $25 million

Rumor: The Brant Foundation buying Walter De Maria's E. 6th St. studio for an exhibition space (19 comments)

Confirmed: Peter M. Brant buys Walter De Maria's amazing East 6th Street home and studio

1st permits filed for renovation of Walter De Maria's former home-studio on East 6th Street

A soft opening at the Brant Foundation's new space at Walter De Maria's former East 6th Street studio

Rest in pieces: The Salvation Army's former East Village Residence is gone

The Salvation Army's former East Village Residence on the Bowery at East Third Street is pretty much officially gone. We spotted a few bricks and beams through the plywood on Saturday. Otherwise…



Flashback!



The serious demo work commenced on Nov. 10.

Workers demolished the building to make way for a 13-floor, 30,000 square-foot mixed-use residential development. We haven't seen any renderings for the new building yet.

Here's a sketch of the proposed building for 347 Bowery that we spotted at the owner Urban Muse's website back in March...



At 13 floors, it will be blocking some views to residents who live next door at 52E4, the 15 stories of condo with a gated entrance on East Fourth Street. Some residents of the new building will also enjoy pool views below at 52E4.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Whatever happened to that really ugly hotel planned for the Bowery?

Permits filed to demolish former Salvation Army residence on the Bowery

The Salvation Army's former East Village Residence will be demolished on the Bowery

Looks like 347 Bowery will be home to a 13-floor mixed-use residential development

Spot Dessert Shoppe shaping up on St. Mark's Place

As we pointed out back in November, the owners of Jum Mum at 5 St. Mark's Place decided to transform the space into an annex of their dessert place Spot a few storefronts away.

Anyway, the new sign for Spot Dessert Shoppe arrived late last week. It will be a take-out only uh, spot with coffee and stuff once it opens soon…

At the 23rd annual tree lighting in Tompkins Square Park

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by for the ceremonies... featuring music from Mandel & Lydon Trio and carolers of Olde New York from Theatre for the New City ... Here are a few scenes from late this afternoon...

[Updated] NYPD patrol tower arrives on Avenue D

After nearly a month, the NYPD patrol tower (SkyWatch) has left the corner of East Third Street and Avenue C.

However, an EVG reader reports that a tower (maybe the same one?) is now parked on Avenue D between East Fifth Street and East Sixth Street … after a report of gunfire late Friday night… apparently the second time there has been a shooting here this past month, according to residents…

Updated 2:11 p.m.

DNAinfo reports that police are searching for a suspect who shot a 19-year-old man twice outside 60 Avenue D Friday night around 11:20.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Parts of Avenue C and D now with a SkyWatch tower, additional NYPD lights

Week in Grieview

[Photo from East 10th Street Friday by William Klayer]

Author/bar owner Evelyn Dahab dies in East First Street apartment fire (Wednesday)

International owners planning seafood market-restaurant for the space (Monday)

More about the world's smallest screening room coming to Two Boots on Avenue A (Tuesday)

Ben Shaoul's bland new Second Avenue building is called The East Luxe (Friday)

Ray's Candy Store hit with $200 fine for inadequate doughnut labels (Wednesday)

Here is the New York Sports Club building on Avenue A (Friday)

Wechsler's Currywurst and Bratwurst has closed on First Avenue (Tuesday)

MoRUS turns 2 (Thursday)

Part two of our interview with Arthur Nersesian (Wednesday)

Partial dorm reveal on Cooper Square (Friday)

A 14-screen Regal Cinemas theater with electronic reclining seats coming to the LES (Monday)

Fire destroys two apartments at 542 E. 14th St. (Wednesday)

One way to support the trees in Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday)

The former Gracefully space is for rent on A (Monday)

Bendy thing action at 185-193 Avenue B (Tuesday)

City Comptroller audit finds poor maintenance and shoddy oversight of the Citi Bike program (Friday)

Jared Kushner East Village buying spree continues (Thursday)

The latest Steve Croman legal news (Tuesday)

The Dee Dee Ramone exhibit is now open (Wednesday)

Rendering mix-up at 67 Avenue C (Monday)

BARA debuts on East First Street (Tuesday)

… and yesterday, the NYPD removed the month-old patrol tower on East Third Street and Avenue C …