Variety shop taking over the AK Shoe Repair space on East 9th Street

[Photo by Steven]

A new business is prepping to take over the recently vacated storefront at 350 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

The sign shows East Village Tobacco (Tobbaco) & Variety Shop opening soon. And variety is right: Aside from some usual deli-type items, there's promise of perfume and cloth.

The space was previously home to A.K. Shoe Repair, which closed at the end of August. The proprietor said that he was no longer able to sustain the business after his landlord raised the rent from $2k to $4.5k a month.

According to TripAdvisor, this East Village pizzeria is the best restaurant in NYC

[EVG photo from July]

Since opening this past July at 130 St. Mark's Place, we've heard good things about Via Della Pace Pizza. (Eater gave them positive notices here.)

But is it the best restaurant in NYC? Heh. Well, according to reviewers on travel website TripAdvisor, it is... somehow, the 23, 5-star reviews catapults the pizzeria near Avenue A to the top of the list... No. 1 out of 11,525 ...



... and ahead of such wannabes as Daniel (with 1,711 reviews) ... and Faicco's Pork Store ...



H/T @WexlerRules!

Revisiting 'Bettie Visits CBGB'

[Debbie Harry and Bettie Ringma]

Via the EVG inbox...

David Owen, the co-founder of London vintage booksellers IDEA Books Ltd, has chosen Marc H. Miller and Bettie Ringma's “Bettie Visits CBGB” as what he calls a “Superbook”: a rare work of exceptional cultural significance. Owen makes his point in an entertaining and evocative radio program just released by Radio Wolfgang.

A sound collage that mixes interviews with music, the program evokes the Bowery and the glory years of CBGB, using as its centerpiece this collection of 10 color snapshots in a handmade leatherette portfolio. The photographs in “Bettie Visits CBGB” show a young Dutch woman posing with Patti Smith, Blondie, the Ramones, Talking Heads, Richard Hell and other musicians ...

The program, produced by Olivia Humphreys, provides a human look at a remarkable five-year period of cultural history. Among those interviewed are Ringma and Miller, the creators of the portfolio; painter Curt Hoppe, their Bowery neighbor and collaborator; photographer Roberta Bayley, the doorwoman at CBGB; cartoonist John Holmstrom, the founder of Punk magazine; and Susan Springfield, the singer in the Erasers.

Miller, one of the creators of the portfolio, is founder of the website 98 Bowery and the related Gallery 98. To see pictures from the “Bettie Visits CBGB” series, click here. The radio program can be accessed on the website of Radio Wolfgang.

By the way, CBGB closed nine years ago today.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Q-and-A with Curt Hoppe: Living on the Bowery, finding inspiration and shooting Mr. Softee

Life at 98 Bowery: 1969-1989

Q-and-A with John Holmstrom, founding editor of Punk Magazine

John Holmstrom on the CBGB movie and the East Village of 2013

Late-afternoon strolls through Tompkins Square Park

Photo today by Lola Sáenz

Report: Organic Avenue is calling it quits

[Photo by William Klayer from April 2013]

Eater is reporting that the juice-bar chain is shutting down all its locations in the city at the end of the business day today ... there's an OA on Third Avenue and East Ninth Street that opened in the summer of 2013.

This location always seemed pretty desolate most times — a surprise (initially, anyway) given its proximity to NYU dorms and the Death Star ... the photo here shows the place from a visit during the afternoon on Aug. 18...



The empty shelves weren't due to high sales volume.

Racked had more on the company's financial troubles back in August:

It's believed that Organic Avenue’s operational losses were at about $600,000 a month between all its stores by May 2015; it lost a whopping $1 million during its worst month, January 2015, including private equity fees to Weld North. Out of the company’s ten locations, only three are profitable, sources say, because of poor location choices.

Racked was told that most of Organic Avenue’s losses came from waste. Its foods and juices come with a short shelf life, and must be tossed after three days: it’s not uncommon to walk by an Organic Avenue at closing time and see bags and bags of untouched food being tossed.

This retail strip on Third Avenue between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street will even be more desolate now... perhaps prompting more speculation about Duane Reade taking over the entire block.

Report: Associated owners not having any luck shopping for a lease renewal on East 14th Street

The other day, an EVG regular was shopping at the Associated on East 14th Street in Stuy Town. Word there was that ownership was currently renegotiating a lease renewal ... but that management "didn't feel confident they will get a renewal they can afford."

Well, turns out that the Town & Village Blog has been on this story.

In post from Sept. 29, Sabina Mollot reported that while the end of the store's 15-year lease is still two years away, principal owner Joseph Falzon has been asking about a renewal because he wants to renovate the store.

As he told Town & Village, Falzon "wanted to make sure the store had a future before making the investment, which he feels is necessary given competition from places like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods in Union Square."

Apparently, though, Stuy Town landlord CWCapital Asset Management hasn't been interested in such conversations.

To Town & Village:

“I called up last June and said, ‘It’s time to talk about a lease. We’d like to revamp the store,’ and at that time they just ignored me,” said Falzon. He continued to call but was told to ask again closer to when the lease would be up. But Falzon didn’t want to wait, explaining, “The store needs a face lift right now.” In a recent conversation, when he asked, “’When the time comes for a lease renewal will you talk to us?”, the answer from a company rep was that he “wasn’t at liberty to say right now,” Falzon said. “Our feeling is that the landlord doesn’t want us to renew when it’s up. We’re good tenants. We pay our rent. I don’t know if it looks hopeful.”

Additionally, recently, a representative from a competing supermarket who Falzon declined to name, has also approached CWCapital about taking over Associated’s space.

“He offered double what we pay and they said no,” said Falzon. “I don’t know if they have plans for it. They’re not telling us, anyway.”

In April, the owners of this Associated closed Met supermarket on Third Avenue and East 17th Street after a rent increase. That space remains vacant.

Some day, the East Houston Reconstruction Project will end, but not anytime soon

The East Houston Reconstruction Project, which started in the heady early summer days of 2010, is now reportedly three years behind schedule.

On Tuesday night, reps from the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) provided CB3's Transportation & Public Safety/Environment Committee with an update. BoweryBoogie was there and filed a report.

An excerpt:

Blame the delays on unforeseen obstacles and the ensuing quibbling between city agencies and utility companies over responsibility. Apparently such “unforeseen utility interference” requires “specialty work” that can only be handled by one company over another. For instance, Con Edison or Verizon called down to relocate certain equipment or maintain abandoned gas mains before the water piping infrastructure goes in. But no one involved owns up to the responsibility when there are delays or issues encountered.

Per BB, the latest completion date is now September 2016, and with a price tag hitting $88 million. Head to BoweryBoogie here for the full story.

The DDC is reconstructing/replacing combined sewers, trunk main, water mains, catch basins, fire hydrants, sidewalks, etc., etc., along East Houston Street, from the Bowery to the FDR Drive.


[Photo of Ed Strians by EVG]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Coming soon to East Houston: Construction, hell, rodent control stations

Long-threatened East Houston reconstruction starting this month

East Houston Street construction will be a living hell for an extra year

Attention business owners with bicycle deliveries

City Council member Rosie Mendez is sponsoring this workshop Tuesday afternoon at Cooper Union for business owners relying on bike deliveries.

The commercial bike law was approved in October 2012 (and went into effect in April 2013) after complaints about bikers speeding and weaving down sidewalks and my hallway.

Per the law: Commercial bicyclists are now required to carry an identification card and wear helmets and reflective upper body clothing with the business' name and cyclist's ID number on the back.

Hitchcocktober movie of the week: 'North by Northwest'

As we continue to cut-and-paste... Hitchcocktober continues tonight at the Village East Cinema on Second Avenue at East 12th Street.

Tonight at 8! "North by Northwest"



And upcoming:

Oct. 22 — "Marnie"

Oct. 29 — "Rear Window"

You can buy advance tix online here.

Moishe's Bake Shop has a new front window

[EVG photo from April]

In previous posts (here and here, for example) about the new sign at Moishe's Bake Shop, several commenters wondered when the longtime bakery on Second Avenue would replace the graffiti-etched front window.

Well, you might be happy to know then that Moishe's recently installed a new front window, as this photo via EVG contributor Derek Berg shows…



For whatever reasons, the shop near East Seventh Street has always seemingly been a graffiti magnet… Here's a photo from 2001 by James and Karla Murray…

Fonda debuts sidewalk cafe

An EVG reader noted that the new sidewalk cafe is now operational outside Fonda, the Mexican restaurant at 40 Avenue B near East Third Street. (The sidewalk section apparently officially opened this past Saturday.)

CB3 signed off on the cafe application during its August meeting.

And this is how the sidewalk seating looks with people…

The wonderful BRUNCH scene at our brand-new outdoor cafe at Fonda East Village! #brunch #nycbrunch #outdoorcafe #fonda #fondaeastvillage #eastvillage #fondanyc #bestbrunch

A photo posted by FONDA (@fondanyc) on Oct 10, 2015 at 1:58pm PDT

Reports: Contractor under investigation for 2nd Avenue explosion guilty in unrelated bribery case

According to published reports, contractor Dilber Kukic pleaded guilty today of felony bribery in a case involving two buildings he owns on West 173rd Street.

He reportedly admitted to paying an undercover investigator $600 last year to dismiss building violations at the properties. In admitting to the charges, he received three years probation, 200 hours of community service and a $4,000 fine.

Per the Daily News:

Kukic's lawyer Mark Bederow said he believed prosecutors refused to offer his client a misdemeanor deal, like they had for other defendants, because of his ties to the March blast on Second Ave., in which authorities were probing whether a rigged gas line was the cause of the deadly inferno which leveled two buildings.

Per the Post:

Investigators are looking at potential murder charges and Kukic and five others are the prime suspects, the Post exclusively reported in April.

“Although [this case] has nothing at all to do with the terrible accident in the East Village, the district attorney sought to punish him for that,” said Bederow.

Kukic is cooperating with the investigation into the explosion, the lawyer said.

@NYPDTWEETTOWER recognized for serving and protecting the Twittersphere

Back in July, the arrival of the NYPD Patrol Tower in the middle of Tompkins Square Park prompted the launch of the (fake) @NYPDTWEETTOWER account... documenting the daily travails of Officer Tubbs and his tweeting partner as they kept watch over the land...

PLEASE REFRAIN FROM POSTING PHOTOS OF THE TWEET TOWER ON SOCIAL MEDIA WITH THE HASHTAG #ASSHATS.

— NYPD TWEET TOWER (@NYPDTWEETTOWER) July 25, 2015

Now, in its annual Best of NYC issue, The Village Voice has named @NYPDTWEETTOWER the best local Twitter account.

For about a week, @nypdtweettower gifted its few hundred followers with gems like "TO WHOEVER CALLED 311 TO REPORT A 'PIECE OF SH*T TRANSFORMER' IN TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK: NOT FUNNY" and "APOLOGIES TO THE OLSEN TWINS. WE HAVE A HARD TIME TELLING BOHO FROM CRUSTY." When the police department folded up the tower and hauled it away a week later, @nypdtweettower piped down — for the most part, anyway. Mission accomplished.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Why yes — the Tompkins Square Park patrol tower now has a (fake) Twitter account

Reader mailbag: What's with the burning wood smell?

From the EVG inbox...

Has anyone written to you to say there has been a burning wood smell in the East Village since this morning? I opened the windows in the back of my apartment late this morning, and I got a big whiff of the smell. I have been out for a few hours and just got home, and now my whole apartment smells like burning wood! But I don't hear or see anything in the back of the building.

Reader report: Human bones found on 1st Avenue

Reports are coming in this morning about what are believed to be a pile of human bones found in the bike lane on the northwest corner of First Avenue and 13th Street.

East Village resident Nate Brown shared these photos from the scene, where the NYPD has now cordoned off the area...







We don't have any other information at the moment. To be continued...

Updated 2:48 p.m.

Photographer Scott Lynch at Gothamist has more photos... Scott doesn't think they are human bones "BUT WHO KNOWS? They looked gnarly as fuck, especially those spinal-column ones."

Updated 5:52 p.m.

An update via Gawker…

"The cops were there for an hour-and-a-half, two hours," a group of men working beside a Rose Demolition and Carting truck said. "They took the bones away in a black bag."

And per an officer at the 9th Precinct:

"They were animal bones and they were removed." She could offer no insight as to where the bones came from or why they were deposited on a street corner.

Out and About in the East Village

In this weekly feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village.



By James Maher

Name: Mickey Davis
Occupation: Law Professor, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
Location: Russ & Daughters
Time: 3:30 pm on Saturday, Oct. 10

I’m a New Yorker, but I’ve lived all over. I grew up in Long Island and then Manhattan, but my parents and grandparents are all from the East Village. I used to come here all the time growing up. I was here every weekend when we weren’t living here. My big date was going to the New York Public Library. It sure didn’t attract the girls but it always made me happy.

I just remember walking with my parents. There was still Little Italy. We’d always go down there to eat. When I was first started coming here it was still kind of a bustling neighborhood and it was productive in everything before it went into decline in the ‘70s. I remember when Katz’s was really a kosher meat place. The hits like Economy Candy are still around. That has always been a fixture and, fortunately, it’s still there.

We moved back to the neighborhood in 1990 and we started a family. When you have kids, you don’t go out too much, so for the first five years we were inside our apartment at night. Then one night I went outside, it was during the middle of the week, and there was a crowd in the street. I went running into my apartment and said, ‘You won’t believe this. It’s like Times Square out there. Something’s happening to the neighborhood.’ I just couldn’t believe it. I spent five years at nighttime in the apartment not realizing that the neighborhood was changing. And of course, one of the reasons we bought here was because it was reasonably priced because it wasn’t the greatest neighborhood. So this turned out to be a good investment and a good home.

I’m a professor of Law and I actually commute to Cleveland, Ohio, twice a week — on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’ve been doing it for 30 years. My wife is from Europe, and she wouldn’t live anywhere but New York, so we moved back to New York and I loved it and she loved it.

My name is Mickey Davis and I’m going to be running for the Democratic National Convention. I’m going to vote for Bernie Sanders. It starts in the spring. I want to be a convention delegate because I’m afraid they’re going to steal the nomination for Hillary. You just have to run and you have to vote but it’s a very small election, so if just a dozen of your friends vote for you then you probably win, because people don’t vote for that. The problem is that if Bernie Sanders gets a majority of delegates it doesn’t matter because the Democratic Convention has a rule that they can appoint the superdelegates, which are more in number. So no matter who wins, if they want to swing it some other way, they’ll do it. That’s going to create a riot I think.

I was in ’68 in Chicago and I know what it’s like. Riots — there were riots. That was the ‘60s. It was like a year or two years of just demonstrations. My biggest memory is of going by the National Guard, who were all lined up with their guns and they were guys my exact age so they felt exactly the way I did. I remember putting long-stem roses in each of their muzzles. It was kind of a good feeling.

James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.

CB3 to hear details on de Blasio's proposed Zoning for Quality and Affordability

Earlier this year, the de Blasio administration released a citywide plan called Zoning for Quality and Affordability … which entails several zoning changes.

To date, the proposal has reportedly concerned some neighborhood politicians, housing activists and preservation groups.

Here's more from the Greenwich Village Society of Historical Preservation:

GVSHP has expressed many concerns about the plan, particularly its impact upon the East Village where, on most avenues, it would increase the maximum allowable height of new development by 25 feet or up to 31 percent.

The premise of the plan is that it will create "higher quality" developments and allow for the creation of more affordable housing units, but we believe there is little or no evidence that either is the case, while the plan will clearly roll back hard-fought-for neighborhood zoning protections and result in a greater loss of light, air and scale in our neighborhoods.

You can read the city's PDF on how this would impact zoning in Community Board 3 right here.

Reps from the Department of City Planning will present the plan (PDF) this evening before CB3's Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee. The meeting will take place at the Educational Alliance Manny Cantor Center, 197 E. Broadway (at Jefferson Street, one block east of Essex Street). The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m., though this is the fifth item on the agenda.

The plan requires advisory input from Community Boards and borough presidents as well as approval from the City Council, per Capital New York, who has more on the proposals here.

Last days for Allied Hardware on 2nd Avenue

The family-run business is wrapping it up here at 59 Second Ave. between East Third Street and East Fourth Street after closing sales these past few weeks.

EVG reader Danielle Baskin stopped by the store yesterday, and learned that the owners have to turn over their keys to landlord Icon Realty on Friday. An auctioneer is coming by later today to take things in bulk, so there might not be too much left.

And a few of the items on the shelf look as if they have been here as long as the store has these past 30-plus years…





Danielle also notes that the owners have sold the 33-year-old front signage — for $100…

And the sign came down last evening...


[Photo via @JwalkinNYC]

Apparently there's also a second Allied sign that lights up that is also for sale, though there aren't any bids yet.

The hardware store had apparently been on a month-to-month lease with the previous owner. Icon, who bought the building earlier this year, is now asking $26,000 for the space.

Top 3 photos via Danielle Baskin

Previously on EV Grieve:
57 Second Ave. hits the market for $30 million

Reader report: Icon Realty new owner of 57 Second Ave.

Last day for Alex Shoe Repair on 2nd Avenue

Allied Hardware makes impending closure official on 2nd Avenue

Former Avenue A Wine & Liquor space for rent

[EVG photo from August]

The shop at 196 Avenue A between East 12th Street and East 13th Street closed back in August. (We never did hear a reason for the closure.)

And now the space is for rent. Here's the listing via LoopNet:

A Great retail space located in the heart of the East Village just off the corner of 12th Street. The space offers fantastic frontage of about18' with two display windows, 10' ceilings and nice open space. There is about 400 sf of space in the basement. Space can be vented for food use through the rear. All uses are considered.

This is a very hot area of the East Village with great restaurants, nightlife, retail and residential at the intersection.

The monthly asking rent for the 900-square foot space is $10,500.

Le Café Coffee adding new location on 4th Avenue

The folks at Le Café Coffee have carved out a second Union Square location here at 145 Fourth Ave. between East 13th Street and East 14th Street. (The other Le Café is around the corner at 7 E. 14th St. between Fifth Avenue and Union Square West.)



Not sure about an opening date — looks close to being ready.

Whenever they do open up, they'll have plenty of competition in the area … with the Wayside on East 12th Street just west of Third Avenue ... City of Saints Coffee Roasters on East 10th Street between Fourth Avenue and Third Avenue ... Third Rail Coffee on East 10th Street near Second Avenue ... Think Coffee on Fourth Avenue between East 12th Street and East 13th Street... Everyman Espresso on East 13th Street west of Third Avenue… Pushcart Coffee on Third Avenue at East 12th Street ... the Bean on Broadway at East 12th Street ... not to mention two Starbucks on Union Square… and the Dunkin' Donuts on East 14th Street between Fourth Avenue and Third Avenue ... and all the other places that I'm forgetting…