Wednesday, July 29, 2015

1 year after closing, the Rodeo Bar space remains vacant on 3rd Avenue



Stepping away from the East Village for a moment… As we first reported last summer, the Rodeo bar — billed as "NYC’s longest running honky-tonk" — closed for good at the end of July after 27 years in business.

Now one year later, the storefront at 375 Third Ave. and East 27th Street remains empty. The asking rent is $58,333 per month.

In a message on Facebook, the owners said that recent rent increases, "combined with a changing landscape, have made it impossible for us continue."

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Zoltar sees a future without graffiti (at least for the next few days)



Over outside the Gem Spa on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place, Zoltar is receiving a summer scrubbing….

As these photos via EVG reader Lola Sáenz show, a worker is removing the various tags that well-wishers have left on Zoltar's home of nearly three years





Now if someone will please just return his crystal ball.

Avenue C subbing for Downtown Brooklyn today



Earlier today, EVG reader David G. noted the arrival of a new subway stop on Avenue C and East Second Street… site of the last gas station in the East Village.

Alas, just a tease prop from the crew of the CBS police drama "Blue Bloods," which is filming around here today.

The stop is for the 2,3,4 and 5 … the station is marked Nevins Street Station. After today's shoot, the station will be closed indefinitely for track work.

[Updated] The NYPD removes the patrol tower from Tompkins Square Park



Not sure when it happened… but as of around 9 a.m., the tower is no longer in the Park.



It first arrived last Tuesday.

Photos via EVG correspondent Steven.

Previously on EV Grieve:
NYPD installs patrol tower in the middle of Tompkins Square Park (149 comments)

The Post reports Tompkins Square Park 'has become a homeless haven' (113 comments)

Observer editors write, 'it's time to take back Tompkins Square Park' (49 comments)

Petition asks Mayor de Blasio to remove the Skywatch tower from Tompkins Square Park

Parts of Avenue C and D now with a SkyWatch tower, additional NYPD lights

[Updated] NYPD patrol tower arrives on Avenue D

Flyers urge removal of patrol tower in Tompkins Square Park

Updated 12:42

The Post spoke with some people in the Park about the Tower's removal.

“I don’t love seeing it here,” said Paul Engler, a 58-year-old business owner. “I think the police were doing their very best to make sure things stayed on the level, but I’d rather see cops walking around the park. That gives people access to them.”

And…

“I didn’t give a f–k it was here and I don’t give a f–k it’s gone. It didn’t change a thing in this park. It didn’t slow nobody’s roll,” a homeless person said Tuesday. “It was all a show to make people think they were doing something. The same people they put that show on for didn’t like. They didn’t like to see that when they’re paying all that money to live here. So now it’s gone.”

Exclusive: After 40 years, punk rock mainstay Trash and Vaudeville is leaving St. Mark's Place



Late last week we started hearing rumors that Trash and Vaudeville was leaving its home of 40 years at 4 St. Mark's Place.

Store owner Ray Goodman confirmed the move yesterday, telling us that if all goes well, Trash and Vaudeville will be selling its rock 'n' roll fashions and accessories from its new space at 96 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue early this fall.


[96 E. 7th St., site of the new Trash & Vaudeville]

"I love St. Mark's Place. There's no doubt it. There's something magical about it. This just isn't any block," Goodman told us on the phone. "The decision wasn't something that I took lightly. From a business perspective, we saw a shift in the clientele. The block is not as conducive for fashion shopping as it once was. Now it seems as if it's all food — fast food — and bongs. Even stores that aren't bong stores sell bongs."

He said that the changing business environment on the block between Second Avenue and Third Avenue was just one of many factors that played into the decision to relocate.

"The retail world is so different today," he said. "So much of it is done online."

And increasing rents are always a culprit.

"The rent is creeping up," said Goodman, who is a minority partner in the ownership of the historic Hamilton-Holly House at 4 St. Mark's Place. "Rent was a factor, but it wasn't the sole reason."

It also didn't help that the block will likely see protracted construction in the years ahead. For starters, the owners of the St. Marks Hotel directly next door filed plans late last fall to add six additional floors to the existing structure at 2 St. Mark’s Place and Third Avenue.

"I'll be in the middle of a construction zone for the next five years," said Goodman, who figures the Trash and Vaudeville storefront would be covered by a sidewalk bridge throughout the duration of the project. "Business is tough enough."

In addition, directly across the street, The Real Deal reported that real-estate investor Arthur Shapolsky is in contract to buy three properties at the corner of Third Avenue and St. Mark's Place: 23 Third Ave., 27 Third Ave. and 3 St. Mark's Place for some unspecified new development.

And there's just the history. "It has been 40 years. Maybe it is time to do a little facelift. Just try it," he said. "I wanted to make it to the 40th year. We made that."

During the heyday of punk, everyone from the Ramones to the Dead Boys did their shopping at Trash and Vaudeville.

"Me and Dee Dee would go there and try out the display clothing," Marky Ramone told The New York Times in 2013. "Joey had a problem finding pants to fit him and would always buy them there. He was 6-foot-5 ½ with a 36-inch waist."


[Photo from 1980 by Michael Sean Edwards]

Goodman believes that the block housing the new Trash and Vaudeville has a better retail variety. He cited the array of restaurants, as well as Big Gay Ice Cream, and shops such as Turntable Lab and Village Style, the vintage and consignment shop.

The new Trash & Vaudeville will incorporate three spaces at No. 96. (The address was previously home to Salon V and Angelo Lambrou's custom bridal gown boutique, both of which relocated to other parts of the city.) Overall the new storefront will have less space than on St. Mark's Place.

As for the business future of St. Mark's, he recalls opening the shop in 1975. "There were a ton of stores for rent," he said. "St. Mark's Place has always been a bit of a roller-coaster. I think it could come back with the right mix of retail."

Despite the relocation, Goodman, who lives on St. Mark's Place, hasn't given up on the neighborhood. He said that he looked into other areas to move the store, but nothing felt right.

"We're still in our natural environment. We're just a little further east," Goodman said of the new location, adding, "I love the East Village."

The Stop the Noise sticker campaign on East 10th Street takes a new approach



On and off in the past few years (dating to June 2010), we've spotted stop the rooftop noise stickers and flyers along East 10th Street between Fourth Avenue and Third Avenue.

We noticed more in recent weeks… as always, pointing to presumably loud activity atop 84 E. 10th St. …



Now, the stickers have a new message...



There will likely be a different kind of noise around here soon enough. New building applications were recently filed for a 10-story, eight-unit building at the long-empty corner space on Fourth Avenue and East 10th Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Another flyer campaign to 'stop the rooftop noise' at 84 E. 10th St.

Penthouse comes into view at the former Amato Opera on the Bowery



Apparently there will be a penthouse at 319 Bowery after all. Landlord Steve Croman received DOB approval last September to convert the former Amato Opera house between East First Street and East Second Street into a commercial and residential building.

The original plans showed three residential units above the ground-floor retail space, with a penthouse level. The approved permits that we saw later didn't list a penthouse level…



However, there is an amended permit dated July 8 that includes a penthouse, part of the fourth floor apartment.

In any event, you can now see this top level from the street…



In January 2009, Anthony Amato, the company's 88-year-old founder, announced that he had sold the building that the Opera had called home since 1964. The company closed in May 2009. Amato died in December 2011.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Life after the Amato Opera

Costume drama on the Bowery as the Amato Opera empties out

Ruin of the Bowery nearly complete: Last season for the Amato Opera

Amato Opera looks to be getting an encore as city OKs residential use

Work permits arrive at the former Amato Opera on the Bowery

Monday, July 27, 2015

Chase space on 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place is for rent



The retail space that is currently home to a Chase branch at 130 Second Ave. is on the market, available starting in January, according to a listing at Icon Realty.

Here are a few details from the listing:

130 2nd ave resides on St. Mark Place [sic] which is defined by a perpetual eclecticism born from an ever-evolving New York City and its mixing of the pop- and counter-culture movements. Dominated by pedestrians and boasting a lively, approachable and socialable sensibility.

-Prime East Village Corner Commercial Space on Second Avenue and St. Marks Place Accepting Offers for: General Retail Use, Restaurants/Bar, Office Space, Gyms/Fitness Centers
-New elevators will be installed and space will be delivered as a white box with a new all glass store front

And the asking rent? "$875,000 Per Annum." (Good for a mere $72,000 a month.)

Perhaps Chase figures they can do without this location… especially since there's another Chase branch two blocks to the north at East 10th Street.

And it appears that Chase is downsizing. There's a for rent sign above the Chase branch on Avenue A and East Second Street, as we noted last month.



This space is also available starting in January, according to the listing.

Bed-Stuy is the new East Village


Well, at least according to this listing at Craigslist…



Per the ad:

BedSty is new East Village but with out east Village price tag.
Perfect share for students, young professionals welcome.
Bring your cats and dogs with you.

The three-bedroom apartment is asking $2,500.

You will likely have to invest in a toilet-paper holder, though.


XYZ puts up its letters on East 7th Street



The signage has arrived for the new cafe opening at 102 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

XYZ will be serving "Spanish-influenced food," according to documents (PDF!) filed at the CB3 website for this month's SLA committee meeting. (This item for a new beer-wine license was not heard at the meeting.)

XYZ will be serving food daily from 7 a.m. to midnight. The proprietors previously ran Pintxos over on Greenwich Street. New York magazine gave that cafe high marks:

One of Europe's oldest cuisines, Basque, has a toehold on the west side. Though its roots lie in the Pyrenees, here it's surrounded by high rises in the form of nearby condominium building sites. But barring the occasional construction noise, this restaurant manages to feel unruffled and intimate. A husband-and-wife team serves not only in the namesake pintxos, the Basque equivalent of tapas, but also full-sized entrées. Simple dishes deploy characteristic Basque ingredients — seafood, peppers, pork—to great effect.

The previous tenant here, Tink's Cafe, closed in early June.

[Updated] Tokio 7 hasn't been open lately



Earlier last week an EVG reader stopped by the consignment shop at 83 E. Seventh St. near First Avenue … and was surprised to find the gate down… Tokio 7 remained closed through the weekend… and there isn't any note on the gate or inside noting a summer break. Calls to the store go unanswered.

Tokio 7 moved here (the former Seventh Street tumor) from across the street in 2010.

Updated:

The store is back open after a short holiday...

Ashiya Sushi has moved away from the East Village



The restaurant at 167 First Ave. has relocated to West 36th Street, per the sign on the door here between East 10th Street and East 11th Street...



And I've lost track of the various restaurants here since the faux-retro Bendix Diner closed in____?


[Photo from 1997 by Dave Buchwald]

Making way for Ben Shaoul's new retail-residential complex on East Houston



The demolition of the one-level row (except for Katz's!) of storefronts along East Houston between Ludlow and Orchard started back in early May, as BoweryBoogie first noted.

We were walking by the other day and checked in on the progress…





And EVG favorite Bereket remains in ruins



As previously reported, workers are clearing all this out to make way for Ben Shaoul's 10-story residential building that will include an Equinox gym.

And it will look something like this…

Sunday, July 26, 2015

A note about some old lady who rammed your car



Spotted on East Fourth Street tonight:

"Some old lady rammed your car multiple times trying to park in front of you at 7:05 p.m. …"

The note's author didn't catch the license number, but suggests watching traffic cam footage to find the culprit.

Photo by Derek Berg

Noted

Week in Grieview


[Photo from Tompkins Square Park yesterday by Bobby Williams]

RIP Charlie Romonofsky (Tuesday)

Groundbreaking on East 13th Street for the Bea Arthur Residence for homeless LGBT youth (Monday)

How Grace Farrell came to die outside St. Brigid's in February 2011 (Friday)

Here's the lineup for the 3rd annual MoRUS film festival (Wednesday)

Report: Bystander shot in foot during argument on Avenue D (Thursday)

East Village Spice back open on First Avenue (Friday)

NYPD rescues dog locked in car on Avenue B (Monday)

Hello Good Night Sonny (Monday)

Keeping up with Christo and Dora's new offspring (Friday)

Openings: Turntable Retro Bar & Restaurant on Avenue B (Tuesday)

In the case that you are just being an ass about the buzzers (Wednesday)

Paperwork filed to renovate Peter Brant's gallery space on East Sixth Street (Monday)

More about Bruno Pizza (Tuesday)

Blockheads opens (Wednesday)

Because we haven't posted anything about the incoming Black Seed bagels in more than two months (Thursday)

Ben Shaoul sells 31-33 2nd Ave. for $29 million (Thursday)

Former froyo spot will become body waxing center on 2nd Avenue, just because (Friday)

133 Avenue D is for sale (again) (Wednesday)

The former Contrada space is for rent (Thursday)

Summer Streets start next Saturday (Saturday)

First sign of the incoming CVS at 51 Astor Place (Friday)

Revisiting King Tut’s Wah-Wah Hut (Wednesday)

Continued dewatering at Ben Shaoul's 98-100 Avenue A prompts visit by the FDNY (Thursday)

Dunkin' Donuts moving into the Jefferson's retail space (Tuesday)

And in Tompkins Square Park: The NYPD patrol tower arrives (Tuesday, 149 comments) … prompting a fake Twitter account (Thursday) … a call for the tower's removal via an online petition (Thursday) … a flyer campaign (Sunday) … and a sleepover for Aug. 7-9 (Friday) … the tower also provided a backdrop for campgoers to discuss justice (Friday, 58 comments)

And in conclusion, some equal time for the candidates … spotted on East Houston (and elsewhere) …


[Art by Ivan Orama]

Check out the Little Free Library



At the Green Oasis Community Garden on East Eighth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D. Check out the garden's website for history and other info.

Photo yesterday by George Cohen.

Flyers urge removal of patrol tower in Tompkins Square Park


[Click on image for a better read]

Someone has posted these flyers… asking residents to call the 9th Precinct and politely insist that the NYPD "remove the ridiculous and unnecessary guard tower from the center of Tompkins Square Park" ...



Per the flyer's author:

When I spoke with Sgt. Wahlig on 07.22.15 at 11:33 AM, he could not answer. Instead, he bumblingly referred to the recent NY Post and Observer articles as evidence that the guard tower and patrol are needed. He also told me that since I am a parent, I should be glad that the guard tower is there, and that I should feel safer!! HA HA HA HA!!

The tower arrived in the Park on Tuesday. There is already an online petition asking Mayor de Blasio to remove the Skywatch tower.

Meanwhile, in other tower-related activities… concertgoers yesterday reported seeing a drone nearby …


[Photo via EVG correspondent Steven]

There was a report of a food delivery on Friday afternoon…


[Photo via an EVG reader]

… and EVG reader George Cohen tells us that a patrol tower has been parked at Avenue D and East Eight Street for the past month or so…





Previously on EV Grieve:
NYPD installs patrol tower in the middle of Tompkins Square Park (149 comments)

The Post reports Tompkins Square Park 'has become a homeless haven' (113 comments)

Observer editors write, 'it's time to take back Tompkins Square Park' (49 comments)

Petition asks Mayor de Blasio to remove the Skywatch tower from Tompkins Square Park

Parts of Avenue C and D now with a SkyWatch tower, additional NYPD lights

[Updated] NYPD patrol tower arrives on Avenue D

Last Sunday mass at the Church of the Nativity on 2nd Avenue



Via the EVG inbox…

Sunday July 26, 2015 marks the last Sunday mass at the Church of the Nativity. Parishioners will broadcast the service live via Periscope (@NativityNYC) from the 10:15 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. masses.

The Archdiocese of New York has denied Nativity parishioners the chance to appeal saying parishioners didn't meet the 10-day deadline after the November 2, 2014 announcement. Parishioners say they didn't know of the deadline and weren't allowed to see their decree (official document with information on the closure) until December 22, 2014.

Parishioners are now asking the archdiocese for a shrine or chapel in honor of Dorothy Day, a former parishioner who's on the road to sainthood. Day is also the co-founder of The Catholic Worker. They submitted an official request to the archdiocese two weeks ago.

Read more about the Nativity's request for a shrine for Dorothy Day in the Times here and The Wall Street Journal here.

As part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York's massive reorganization, the Church of the Nativity is merging with Most Holy Redeemer on East Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

The Church of the Nativity is located at 44 Second Ave. between East Second Street and East Third Street. Church supporters think the property will be sold, "since it is in a prime spot at Second Avenue and Second Street that is attracting more affluent neighbors," per the Times.

The final mass will take place on Friday at 7 p.m.

Breakfast special



East Second Street and Avenue C … photo yesterday by ‏@Jason_Chatfield