Reader report: Large portfolio of East Village buildings ready to change hands

[233-235 E. 5th St.]

We've heard from several residents in recent weeks about the impending sale of several buildings on East Fifth Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square.

Here's part of an email from one of the residents:

My building, like four others on the block (223, 229, 231, 233 and 235), is owned by Morton Tabak and Co. LLC. When I originally rented the apartment, I rented it from Morton Tabak himself, who was a very nice man and a decent landlord. Several years ago, his family took over the management of the building, at which point they switched the ownership to the LLC. They're not as nice as Mr. Tabak was, but there have been no major problems dealing with them.

Twice now in the past few weeks there have been notices posted near our mailboxes mentioning the "sale" of the Tabak buildings on Fifth Street and inviting tenants to meetings about it.

Now a tipster tells us that the East Fifth Street buildings are part of a larger portfolio that's changing hands.

Here's some preliminary information from the tipster:

The Tabak family is currently in the process of selling 17 of their buildings — most of them in the East Village. The buyer is Brook Hill Properties/Goldmark Property Management. As of now we are not aware of any official closings.

However, some tenants have already been contacted by Brook Hill Properties introducing themselves as the new landlord. They are measuring apartments and taking photos of people’s spaces. In addition, an official letter was emailed to some tenants announcing the transfer of "management and ownership" to Brook Hill Properties.

At the same time many tenants are being told that this is only a transition in management. The whole process has been opaque and extremely disorganized.

Goldmark Property Management made headlines in the spring when residents at 444 E. 13th St. claimed that the company "has waged a campaign of harassment aimed at driving them out of their rent-regulated apartments," according to published reports. A staff attorney at the Urban Justice Center, who is representing the East 13th Street tenants, told reporters that "there are tape recorded conversations where the landlord is threatening to drop dynamite on the building and then let everyone 'figure it out themselves.'"

Have more information on what's going on with the Tabak-owned buildings? Please hit us up via email.

Barnyard Cheese 'closed until further notice' on Avenue C

Barnyard Cheese Shop at 149 Avenue C between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street has shut its doors for now.

There's a note on the door, which offers the following explanation:

"Barnyard will be closed until further notice while we work in conjunction with our fellow building residents to make much needed improvements in order to be able to continue to bring you the quality food, service, and comfort that you deserve and that we strive to bring you every day.

"It is our hope that this closing will be brief and that we will be back and better than ever very soon."

Not sure what to make of that... aside from reading between the lines. As for improvements, there's nothing on file with the DOB to indicate any major construction project.

Barnyard, which sells a variety of meats and cheeses and soups and sandwiches, opened in November 2007.

Thanks to Zack Mack for the photo!

Wylie Dufresne is closing Alder on 2nd Avenue

[EVG photo from August 2013]

News made the rounds yesterday that chef Wylie Dufresne will close Alder at the end of this month.

Dufresne, who noted the closure on Twitter this past Friday evening, hasn't said why he's shutting down his well-regarded bistro at 157 Second Ave. near East 10th Street.

Eater, who first reported the news yesterday, theorized that "it sounds like a rent hike might have something to do with it."

Here are some thoughts from the Times on all this:

Like WD-50, Alder was a showcase for the chef’s inventiveness. He reconfigured ingredients with the help of a toolbox that included meat glue, and devised surprises like rye pasta with pastrami that tasted like a sandwich from Katz’s delicatessen nearby.

Mr. Dufresne is one of the few truly experimental chefs in New York, a city that has not been particularly generous in embracing molecular gastronomy and other avant-garde trends in food. He worked for Jean-Georges Vongerichten before opening 71 Clinton Fresh Food in a tiny space in 1999; in 2003 he opened WD-50 in somewhat grander premises across the street.

In his tweet, Dufresne did write that "The search for a new home begins…"

No. 157 was previously the address for several restaurants before Alder opened in the spring of 2013, including Plum … and Cafe Brama.

Did you hear a country music jamboree Saturday night from an East 13th Street rooftop?

From the EVG inbox...

Did you happen to hear about (or hear yourself) the apparent country music jamboree that took place on a rooftop on 13th Street between 1st Avenue and Avenue A Saturday night around midnight?

It was all-out gawdawful, but I couldn't report it as I couldn't pinpoint the address. It was a LOUD amplified country singer who was really, really bad. People cheered after about the first 10 songs and then no more woo-ing, yet he continued. I felt bad for who ever though they were having a an awesome party. It really sucked! And it could be heard 2-3 blocks away.

Today is the National Night Out Against Crime

The annual National Night Out Against Crime happens today from 3-8 outside the 9th Precinct on East Fifth Street … there will be games for kids (we heard something about a dunking booth) and food … and hopefully an appearance by the original patrol tower — the officer on stilts…


[Photo from 2013 by Slum Goddess]

Puppeteers unite for fundraiser to help couple who lost their home in the 2nd Avenue explosion

Via the EVG inbox...

Puppeteers are gathering at The Connelly Theater on Tuesday, Aug. 4 from 7 pm to 10 pm to help raise funds for their friends Matt and Nora Brooks, who lost their home, belongings and life’s work in the deadly gas explosion on March 26 that leveled three buildings.

Master puppet-builder Matt Brooks has worked in Jim Henson’s Puppet Workshop. His wife, Nora Brooks, is an MFA student at The New School and a writer..

Their puppeteer friends are coming together to create a one-night-only puppet variety show fundraising event to help them out.

Where:
The Connelly Theater, 220 E. 4th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.
Tickets are $40 per person with 100 percent of the proceeds going to Matt and Nora Brooks. Tickets are available at the door or online here

Find more detail about the performers at the Facebook event page. Read more about Matt Brooks here at WNYC.

2 Caffe Bene locations coming to the East Village

Caffe Bene, the coffeehouse chain based in Seoul, South Korea, with nearly 20 locations planned for NYC, will be opening two outposts in the East Village in the months ahead.



The first location is on the southeast corner of Avenue A and East 13th Street (above).

This Caffe Bene is seeking a beer-wine license for the address, and reps will make their case during this month's CB3 SLA committee meeting on Aug. 17.

The previous longtime tenant, Kim's Laundromat & Cleaners, got rent-hiked out of here in July 2014. The new tenant will likely mean the end of Chico's tribute from 2009 to Eric "Taz" Pagan outside the laundromat. Pagan, 42, a bouncer at the former Forbidden City lounge on Avenue A, was shot and killed trying to break up a fight on Aug. 23, 2009. Pagan was not on duty at the time of the shooting.

---

The second Caffe Bene is coming to 24 St. Mark's Place between Third Avenue and Second Avenue … in the former Pinkberry space.



According to the Commercial Observer, who first reported on this deal, Caffe Bene signed a 10-year lease, with asking rent in the $240 per-square-foot territory.

The brokers told the Commercial Observer that the building's landlord, Beame Realty, "is looking to tap into the hedge funds and tech companies coming to 51 Astor Place, as well as the New York University and St. John’s University crowd."

The IBM Watson Building/Death Star at 51 Astor Place looms large over the block in more ways than one…

Development drama continues at the former P.S. 64, where the city approved dorm-conversion permits (again)

[Photo from Saturday]

The saga of the former P.S. 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street is now in its 17th year ... on this occasion, there are a few developments to note as landlord Gregg Singer continues his quest to convert the landmarked space into student housing.

The DOB approved permits for conversion of the existing building to a college dormitory dated from June 19.

This approval apparently caught local activists and politicians by surprise. Last September, the DOB issued a Stop Work Order to halt any construction that may have begun under a Partial Work Permit that was issued based on misinformation to the department, according to City Councilmember Rosie Mendez's office.

Here's Off the Grid with a report from Friday:

At a meeting [last] week of the SOCCC-64 (Save Our Charas Community Center PS 64) steering committee, Mendez said she was deeply frustrated with DOB’s apparent lack of oversight, issuing permits when the developer still does not appear to be adhering to the requirements of the community facility use restriction: that is, signed leases with qualifying institutions, rather than promises of leases with organizations that may or may not qualify.

When recently contacted by The Villager, Singer said that he wasn't commenting on the project.

The latest Schedule A on file with the DOB shows the following…


[Click on image to go big]

The proposed plans show "sleeping accommodations" for Joffrey Ballet … as well as "music practice rooms" on floors 2-4 and "individualized dance instruction studio" on floors 3-4. The fifth floor and mezzanine remain vacant.

In any event, the approved permits may be short-lived. On Friday, the DOB added a "notice to revoke" message atop the permit.



Check out the Off the Grid post for more details on the current situation.

Singer bought the formerly city-owned building in 1998 for $3.15 million … and has to date unsuccessfully been able to convert the long-emtpy space into a dorm. Meanwhile, there has been a movement to return the building between Avenue B and Avenue C to use as a cultural and community center.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Rebranded P.S. 64 up for grabs: Please welcome University House at Tompkins Square Park to the neighborhood

Deed for 'community facility use only' at the former P.S. 64 now on the market

Efforts continue to fight the dorm planned for the former PS 64 on East 9th Street

Testimony Of Councilmember Rosie Mendez regarding the former PS 64

[Updated] At the 'Save Our Community Center MARCH AND RALLY'

Landmarks Preservation Commission asks to see modified plans for former PS 64

The Landmarks Preservation Commission approves application for modifications at PS 64

'Misinformation' cited as DOB issues Stop Work Order at the former PS 64; community meeting set for Sunday afternoon

Rent hike dooms East 6th Street mainstay Gandhi

We saw that the gate was down this past weekend at East Sixth Street anchor Gandhi ...

The sign directs people to go to Haveli Banjara around the corner on Second Avenue...



Turns out that this is a permanent closure here at 345 E. Sixth St. just west of First Avenue. A staffer at Haveli confirmed to EVG reader Michael Hirsch that Gandhi has closed for good, that a rent increase pushed out the restaurant.

Gandhi, which opened in 1984, is the second longtime Indian restaurant to close this year on East Sixth Street because of a rent hike. The 42-year-old Mitali East was Cromanated back in March.

Both Gandhi and Mitali East directed their customers to Haveli, just like Banjara did in 2013.

BYOB

In case you didn't see these posters around Tompkins Square Park this past weekend … and are interested in donating blood … There's a blood drive tomorrow from noon to 6 p.m. at Urban Realty, 212 Avenue B near East 13th Street.

No word if the blood will suffice as your deposit and first and last month's rent.

A smaller Galleria J. Antonio reopens on Avenue A, 2 doors down

Earlier this year, the store closing signs arrived at Galleria J. Antonio at 47 Avenue A between East Third Street and East Fourth Street.

However, Galleria J. Antonio curator Jesse Gee decided to reopen two doors down at No. 43, where he will continue to sell arts and crafts and custom jewelry and watches…

As he told us at the start of the summer: "I can't stop working because I love what I do and STILL NEED A JOB, but — I must slow down and work fewer days and hours."

And now the new, smaller Galleria J. Antonio is open, as EVG regular Peter Brownscombe reports…





As for No. 47, we hear that the owners of the Essex Card Shop at 39 Avenue A are opening a second outpost.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Galleria J. Antonio is closing on Avenue A

Avenue A storefront shuffle

All photos by Peter Brownscombe

Bodhi Tree closes on 3rd Avenue

The Thai restaurant at 58 Third Ave. between East 10th Street and East 11th Street shut down late last week … and a for lease sign has already arrived in the front window.

The proprietors ran two other places in Brooklyn, both of which are closed now as we understand it.

Bodhi Tree opened in the spring of 2009 … the space was previously home to the worst Taco Bell in America.*

The building at 58 Third Ave. remains on the market. The listing notes that "the building currently has 6,308 sq ft, but an additional 4,786 sq ft. may be added."

* Blanket statement

An opening date is within sight at B&H Dairy

[EVG photo from Saturday]

Some very good news yesterday for B&H Dairy, the 73-year-old diner that has been closed since the deadly Second Avenue gas explosion on March 26.

After a number of unexpected setbacks and upgrades and inspection bureaucracy, the Department of Buildings approved all the recent work yesterday here at 127 Second Ave. between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

Next steps? From the B&H Facebook page:

Gas should be turned on early [this coming] week and then they stock and get cooking. We will announce an opening date soon – could be as soon as a week.

And here is the reaction from owners Fawzy Abdelwahed and Ola Smigielsk upon passing the inspection …


[Image via Facebook]

Meanwhile, a crowdfunding campaign continues for B&H. The current fundraiser is to help pay for the new exhaust system, a gas line upgrade, three months of employee wages, rent, taxes, utilities as well as food to stock the restaurant kitchen. You can find more details here at YouCaring.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Progress and frustration at B&H Dairy

Week in Grieview

[Friday night's blue moon via Derek Berg]

After 40 years, punk rock mainstay Trash and Vaudeville is leaving St. Mark's Place (Tuesday)

Chase space on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place is for rent (Monday)

The NYPD removes the patrol tower from Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday)

The 3rd annual MoRUS film festival is underway (Friday)

The Church of the Nativity closes (Friday)

Report: 28% of East Village apartments serve as illegal hotel rooms on Airbnb (Thursday)

Checking in with Kita the Wonder Dog of East 10th Street (Friday)

Out and About with Wendy Scripps (Wednesday)

Summer camp at Cooper Union (Friday, 57 comments)

Reader report: Super Mario statue swiped from Sixth Street (Wednesday)

Ashiya Sushi has moved away from the East Village (Monday)

Alex Shoe Repair on Second Avenue has closed (Friday)

Reports: Prep school teacher arrested for having sex with 16-year-old girl in bathroom at Lit Lounge (Thursday)

Shelter for homeless woman on Lafayette sold to make way for retail (Wednesday)

Hoops dreams: Checking in on the Tompkins Square Park basketball courts (Wednesday)

Bed-Stuy is the new East Village, per a Craigslist ad (Monday)

Penthouse comes into view at the former Amato Opera on the Bowery (Tuesday)

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

XYZ puts up its letters on East Seventh Street (Monday)

Homeless model says that he lived on an East Village rooftop for six years (Thursday)

Avenue C subs for Downtown Brooklyn (Tuesday)

Zoltar gets a scrubbing (Tuesday)

Signage spotting: Sea Beauty Spa on Avenue B (Thursday)

A note about some old lady who rammed your car (Sunday)

One year after closing, the Rodeo Bar space remains vacant on Third Avenue (Wednesday)

CVS has teamed up with Watson, IBM’s supercomputer (Friday)

… and parallel parking is always the most difficult part of learning to drive…


[Photo on East 9th Street via Derek Berg]

After hours

[Tuesday]

Last week, Ray announced that he was cutting back his hours at Ray's Candy Store, 113 Avenue A … from 24/7 to 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. for the time being as he continues to recuperate from heart valve replacement surgery earlier this summer.

So much for those hours — at least perhaps on a Saturday night … here's the scene at 3:20 a.m. … with a line at the window and the counter…



Photos by Peter Brownscombe

Previously on EV Grieve:
Get well soon, Ray!

Welcome back Ray!

East Village Vintage Collective opens today on East 12th Street

A photo posted by EV Vintage Collective (@evvintagecollective) on Jul 30, 2015 at 10:44am PDT

The shop opened today at 545 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Here's their description via Instagram: "Vintage clothing for women, men & kids, records, books, home goods & so much more."

There's a grand opening party this evening from 7-10 featuring 20 percent off everything in stock.

The Essex Street Market might look like this one day

[The current Essex Street Market via]

Not the above photo, but this…



Yesterday, 6sqft got a look at a rendering for the building that will likely replace the 75-year-old Essex Street Market.

Per 6sqft:

Known simply as “Site 9″ in the Essex Crossing mega-development, the 12-story mixed-use development would contain market-rate condominiums and two levels of commercial space at its base. The design of the market-replacing building was penned by GF55 Partners who hope the brick, metal, and glass structure will “co-exist with the area’s visual clutter and loudness of the Williamsburg Bridge traffic.” In the sole image provided, a distinguished two-story base recalls the structural features of the nearby Williamsburg Bridge.

The current Essex Street Market is expected to relocate to the base of the 24-story Essex Crossing tower at the southeast corner of Essex and Delancey in roughly 2018. Or so.


[The Essex Crossing tower]

Head over to BoweryBoogie and The Lo-Down for more on Essex Crossing… those sites have been covering the day-to-day developments more than any other news outlet.

H/T Curbed

Summer Streets underway

This was the scene on Fourth Avenue between East 12th Street and East 13th Street around 7:45 a.m. The streets along this corridor remain car-free until 1 p.m.

Then you are on your own.



If you missed today, then you can try again the next two Saturdays. Find more info here.

Mad Max: Fury Road image via

A better man

The Libertines are back, and they have a new record — "Anthems for Doomed Youth," their first in 11 years — due out in September. Here's the first single, "Gunga Din."

The 'urination, defecation, masturbation' vacation outside Cooper Union

The Post has a new front for its ongoing exposes on perceived quality-of-life offenses: The Cooper Union academic building.

The annual appearance by the travelers/crusties/whatever-you-like, who have been camping out here every summer since the school opened the building six years ago at 41 Cooper Square between East Seventh Street and East Sixth Street, prompted this headline-worthy quote:

“I have seen drug deals, public urination, defecation, masturbation in broad daylight in the Taras Shevchenko alley,” a Cooper Union faculty member told The Post.

Apparently the group didn't care for reporter Kevin Fasick, who earlier this summer posed as a homeless person outside Gracie Mansion, attempting to interview them.

Nine of the drifters were splayed out on bits of cardboard Thursday morning, and began hurling insults, water and bits of cookie when approached by a reporter.

“I was going to chase him down and beat the s–t out of him,” one thin, bedraggled man spat in anger.

“If I ever see you or that photographer again, I’ll kick the s–t out of you,” he threatened.

And where was the Post in 2010 when a serial vomiter (careful with that link) was targeting this building?

Updated 4:32 p.m.

Oh! We didn't see the paper's version of the story with this headline…



Thanks Matt Rosen!