Come along on a tour of the under-renovation 122 Community Center on 1st Avenue

The 122 Community Center on First Avenue at East Ninth Street is in the midst of an extensive, multi-year gut renovation.

Among other upgrades to the infrastructure, the former school will have new stairwells, an elevator and full ADA compliance. The renovation also opens the building by creating space for public use, including an outdoor courtyard, a large gallery and other shared spaces for meetings and community gatherings.

The city is paying for the upgrades — estimated at $35 million — as part of a code renovation to the circa-1894 building. The Department of Cultural Affairs owns the building at 150 First Ave. and leases it out to 122CC, the nonprofit organization managing the space. The AIDS Service Center NYC, Mabou Mines, Painting Space 122 and PS122 are the four organizations that comprise the space.

Last Tuesday, Community Center reps led a group of people, including several local media outlets, on a behind-the-scenes tour of the site. EVG contributor Stacie Joy was along for the preview and shared these photos of the work in progress.









































The building is slated for completion in the spring of 2016. Find more information about the renovations here.

Resurfacing underway at the new YouTube-backed basketball courts in Tompkins Square Park

After several weeks of inactivity, there's progress at the Tompkins Square Park basketball courts... EVG Facebook friend Erick Hartz shared these photos from yesterday, showing workers (in YouTube T-shirts) resurfacing the courts in the Park's northeast corner...



As previously reported, workers began tearing up the courts on May 29. The New York City Parks Department teamed up with YouTube for the renovations. (YouTube is funding the operation, estimated at $300,000.)


[Rendering via YouTube]

Parks officials originally said that work would be wrapped by the time that city schools let out for the summer on June 26. Workers estimate that the resurfacing would be complete by this evening.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Tompkins Square Park basketball courts closed for renovations; YouTube-backed hoops on the way

Summer's here: Grace's cold borscht has arrived at Polish G. I. Delicatessen

Thanks to Slum Goddess for passing along the sign at the Polish G. I. Delicatessen, where you can sign up for next week's batch of Grace's cold borscht.

The shop is at 109 First Ave. between East Sixth Street and East Seventh Street...

Empire Biscuit is hosting its first-ever comedy festival this August

Via the EVG inbox...

How long have you been waiting to read a press release combining the worlds of stand-up comedy AND biscuits? Because your wait is over. The inaugural Empire Biscuit Comedy Festival (EBCF) will be held in the Lower East Side biscuit restaurant Empire Biscuit (Gothamist’s Top 10 24-Hour Restaurants In NYC), 198 Avenue A between 12th and 13th, on Sunday, August 2 to Tuesday, August 4, 2015.

This year’s performers include Mike Lawrence, Nick Vatterott, Sasheer Zamata, Christian Finnegan, Hasan Minhaj and more. The 2015 festival will be held entirely at Empire Biscuit, which will host 9 shows with over 50 of New York City’s top comedians who have appeared on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, @midnight, CONAN, Comedy Central’s The Half Hour, Last Comic Standing, and more. In addition audience members will receive a free premium biscuit and a beverage with their ticket purchase — $14 online or $16 at the door. A festival pass is also available for $50, which includes admittance to all of the festival shows with a biscuit and beverage per night.

“The Empire Biscuit Comedy Festival is unique in that it features performances by stand-up comedians who normally perform in theaters and comedy clubs across the country, in an intimate 30-seat biscuit shop,” says festival co-producer Tovah Silbermann (Forever Dog Productions). “Also, hosting a festival in a biscuit shop is really funny.” EBCF is also co-produced by stand-up comedians Andrew Tavin (The Peoples Improv Theater) and Brandon Scott Wolf (freelance contributor to SNL's Weekend Update, DateBrandonScottWolf.com).

Go here for tickets and info.

Rent reduction at the former Bourgeois Pig space on East 7th Street

As previously noted, the former Bourgeois Pig space at 111 E. Seventh St. has been on the rental market. According to a listing, the storefront between Avenue A and First Avenue had been asking $10,500.

Perhaps a prospective tenant found the price too high? This message appeared on the door the other day...



Interestingly enough, the rent was recently reduced ... down to $7,750 monthly...



The Bourgeois Pig closed for good in late January, moving to a new location on MacDougal Street. As Eater reported back in November, a rent hike was behind the 10-year-old bar's East Village closure.

Tiny Empire signage up on Spring and Lafayette

Heading outside the usual coverage zone for a moment... down to Spring and Lafayette, where Tiny Empire is opening its first Manhattan juice shop...



Tiny Empire opened in Williamsburg a few years back.

Here's owner Anthony Spadaro in an interview with Cool Hunting from January:

"I was part of a strange teen angst movement called vegan/straight-edge; ultimately a continuation of punk. We hung out in skate shops, backyard half pipes and health food stores in upstate New York; caused trouble, skated and drank juice (sort of the antithesis of what people think of when they think juice). The activism fell off a while back, but juice has remained pretty constant. I came to the end of a career as a tattooer a few years ago, and it seemed obvious to pursue something based in juice/health, so I opened a juice bar in Woodstock, NY in 2010 (not Tiny Empire), and then Tiny Empire in 2012."

Mother of Pearl softly opens on Avenue A and East 6th Street

Several EVG readers have pointed out that the northwest corner of Avenue A and Sixth Street has a new look with the (soft) opening tonight of Mother of Pearl.

Owner Ravi Derossi's tiki-influenced bar replaces Gin Palace, one of the three bars (along with Cienfuegos and Amor y Amargo) that make up 95 Avenue A. The Gin Palace space was reportedly gutted during building repairs in late 2014 and early 2015.

Mother of Pearl officially opens tomorrow night. You can read previews of the place at Zagat and Eater.



Here is the menu via Eater...

Mother of Pearl

Previously on EV Grieve:
The 'Postmodern Polynesian' of Mother of Pearl replacing Gin Palace on Avenue A

Please never mind the explosion tomorrow night on Avenue B

The last time that we paid attention to "Violet" filming around the neighborhood, lead actress Krysten Ritter was falling into some trash outside Sophie's on East Fifth Street (for a scene in the Marvel Netflix series).

The show — "A.K.A Jessica Jones" under the working title "Violet" — will be filming around Tompkins Square Park again tomorrow evening. Which you may hear about.

Several EVG readers shared this via Notify NYC today:

Tomorrow, July 7th, there will be a simulated explosion in the vicinity of Avenue B between East 6th Street and East 7th Street in Manhattan. The stunt will occur once between 6:00 PM and 11:00 PM. NYPD and FDNY will be on site.

Partial reveal of the new residential complex coming to 185 Avenue B

[Photo from October 2013 by Bobby Williams]

After three-plus long years of demolition and construction at 185 Avenue B, we have our first glimpse of the new 7-story building here between East 11th Street and East 12th Street…



… and the rendering for the mixed-used residential building that will also house the Elim Pentecostal Church...



The northeast corner remains wrapped ...



The site has been a source of aggravation for neighbors since demolition started in July 2012... and even before, dating back to the fire that nearly destroyed the building in October 2006.

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

Messing with the hydrangeas prompts sharply worded Urban Etiquette Sign on East 7th Street

Spotted in a building on East Seventh Street…

To the low-life, bottom-feeder who saw fit to cut the blossoms of the hydrangea plant in the back yard: May you contact a painful disease, and you suffer mercilessly! You are sub-human.

Your fellow tenants

Photo via Daniel Root

Dewatering 98-100 Avenue A

On Saturday we wrote about the generator and steam (not smoke or fire) coming from behind the plywood along 98-100 Avenue A, Ben Shaoul's retail-residential complex coming between East Sixth Street and East Street.

According to a new sign on the plywood:

"We are currently performing dewatering on this construction site. This is condensation (water vapor) coming up through the pipes. There is no fire, no smoke, and no reason for alarm."

So what's going on behind that plywood? EVG reader John Cline shared these photos of the dewatering process...


[Click on image for more details]



After a seemingly long time, the demolition of the former theater-turned-grocery ended last November. No word on when the new building will be finished.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rest assured, there isn't a fire in the hole at 98-100 Avenue A

A look back at 1941, when 98 Avenue A was a movie theater

Yoo's Convenience Store — former home of New York's 'best coffee' — becoming a vape shop

[EVG photo from April 2014]

A rent hike ended Yoo's retail life at 50 Second Ave. back in April 2014.

The small shop, which boasted handmade signs touting the Best Coffee in NYC (and it was pretty good), had been on the market for months now here between East Second Street and East Third Street…



Anyway, EVG correspondent Derek Berg passes along word of the new tenant — Cloud 99 vapes…

1 residence remains for sale at 227 E. 7th St.

[EVG file photo]

You can still live at 227 E. Seventh St., the new condoplex just west of Avenue C … apparently a unit of the well-received building remains on the market (this building is not to be confused with the new condos at 277 E. Seventh St., aka Seven East Village) …



Here's some of the listing via Douglas Elliman:

This large, Townhouse like living residence is ideal for every demographic. A floor-thru duplex layout, set up as a true 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom living space with an oversize recreation room and a private, landscaped garden.

The recreation area has an oversize skylight, radiant heat floors, door leading to the private garden and a laundry room which can easily be converted into a powder room. This layout offers boundless opportunities for the end user. Ideal for home office, artists studio, yoga studio, playroom, media room or a sleeping den.

Garden which measures 34' x 20' is ideal for pet owners, gardeners, BBQ lovers and sun soakers.

Additional features include high ceilings, top of the line stainless steel appliances, central air on ground level with a separate heating and cooling unit in the rec room for cost efficiency, quartz countertops, washer/dryer, hardwood oak floors and abundance of light from North and South exposures.

Geographically, this is true New York. Everything is at your finger tips, from top restaurants like The Eddy, Frank, Edi & The Wolf, to top bars such as Booker & Dax, Elsa, mom & pop shops, nightlife, supermarket, Tompkins Square Park and so much more.

[Finger tips? Booker & Dax is on East 13th Street at Second Avenue and Elsa closed about a year ago.]

Anyway! The asking price is $1.875 million and there is an open house today from noon to 2 p.m.

H/t Dave on 7th!

Previously on EV Grieve:
Asbestos abatement on East Seventh Street, then a new 6-story building

New building at 227 E. Seventh St. — revealed (28 comments)

Teaser site up for new East 7th Street residential building that people don't hate

Take a look inside the new condos of 227 E. 7th St.

Here's your T-swirl Crêpe shop signage

[Back in April]

Back in April, we pointed out that a T-swirl Crêpe shop is opening at 247 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue … inside the recently shuttered Subway (sandwich shop).

Now EVG T-swirl Crêpe correspondent Pinch tells us that the T-swirl Crêpe signage has replaced the familiar Subway brandage...



This will be the second location for the Flushing-based business, who is also opening a shop in Philadelphia this summer.

Here's their description: "T-swirl crêpe makes Japanese style sweet and salad crêpes by hand using our secret recipes and tasty fillings."

T-Swirl is also hiring…