An EVG reader on East 14th Street shared this photo... showing that a "for rent" sign has arrived on the Saving$ Paradise marquee here at 250 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.
The inexpensive (and cluttered) shop sells a little bit of everything — housewares, school supplies, greeting cards...
...St. Patrick's Day flair...
Not sure if they have "over 10,000 items" like the sign promises, but it seems like it...
Anyway! They are not closing, according to the store's proprietor. In the weeks ahead, Saving$ Paradise will be moving a few storefronts to the west ... to No. 242... to the current home of I.Q. Decor (RIP) ...
It's a smaller space, which might mean more like "over 7,000 items" for the new Saving$ Paradise.
The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space (MoRUS) will bring cinema to the people every third Thursday of the month with Movies @ MoRUS, a series of films highlighting such themes as social justice, political reform, environmental activism and Lower East Side history.
Each screening will be followed by a talk back and discussion. The first of the Movies @ MoRUS series will be held on Feb. 18. In observance of Black History Month, the first film screened will be "Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal" directed by Stephen Vittoria. The film is an in-depth examination of the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal, a journalist on death-row whose conviction in the case of the 1981 murder of a policeman in Philadelphia continues to raise questions about the death penalty, the judicial system and race in America.
Upcoming Movies @ MoRUS include:
• Thursday, March 17 — "1971," dir. Johanna Hamilton, 2014, 80 min.
The second film is "1971," a documentary exploring the infamous activist burglary of a FBI office. The heist in 1971 led to the exposure of unlawful measures the Bureau had underwent in surveillancing anti-war activists, and continues to provoke thought on the ethics of our government’s intentions.
• Thursday, April 21 — "Garbage Warrior," dir. Oliver Hodge, 2007, 86 min.
In honor of Earth Day, our third film is "Garbage Warrior," about U.S. architect Michael Reynolds and his mission to introduce radical sustainable housing to the masses.
• Thursday, May 19 — "Food Inc.," dir. Robert Kenner, 2008, 94 min.
The documentary examines how big corporations heavily influence all aspects of food production in the U.S.
Movies @ Morus is free to the public but a suggested donation of $5 is always appreciated. Showtime is 7 PM at MoRUS, 155 Avenue C between 9th and 10th Streets.
And in other dry cleaning news... there has been a "for rent" sign up in recent months at Discount Cleaners at 230 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... and eventually a moving sign arrived... according to the sign, they are moving into (merging with?) the Metro Cleaners around the corner on Third Avenue between East 15th Street and East 16th Street...
...as of yesterday, the East 14th Street space has been dismantled... with a few items that haven't been claimed left behind for now...
Andrew Trombettas, the master plumber who allegedly supplied his license to an unqualified worker involved in the deadly March 26 gas explosion on Second Avenue, signed off on 19 other jobs that violated regulations, the Post reports.
Trombettas “was negligent, incompetent, or lacked knowledge of or disregarded relevant laws; made material false or misleading statements on documents [and] endangered public safety and welfare,” Administrative Law Judge Astrid Gloade wrote in calling for his license to be yanked.
Many of the violations went undetected by city inspectors because the law allows “master plumbers” to “self-certify” certain jobs.
The Buildings Department audited about 400 jobs where Trombettas obtained permits and issued 82 violations — including multiple violations in many cases. The judge upheld most of the violations and concluded that Trombettas’ license should be revoked.
Last Thursday, the D.A. charged Trombettas with two counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony.
The D.A. charged four other people with second-degree manslaughter: Dilber Kukic, the contractor; Athanasios Ioannidis, an unlicensed plumber; Maria Hrynenko, the landlord of 121 Second Ave. and other nearby properties; and her son, Michael Hrynenko Jr.
The storefront closed without any warning... or note indicating a temporary closure. Several readers noted, however, that the proprietors of the deli, which sells homemade Pakistani-Punjabi food, were just freshening up the interior.
At last look in November, the former four-story residence at 253 E. Seventh St. between Avenue C and Avenue D had been reduced to a pile of bricks.
An LLC with a Grand Street address bought the building in August 2014 for $4.3 million. The new owners had plans to put up a 6-story building with six residences on the property. However, the city has yet to approve those plans.
Now this empty property is for sale. It arrived on Streeteasy yesterday. Per the listing at the E Property Group:
Subject property is currently vacant land, & ready to go development site. Perfect for a:
• Boutique condo building
• Rental building,
• Your dream custom mansion townhouse
Prime Location:
Located on one of the east village’s most beautiful & serene tree-lined historic blocks. Preserved gardens to the west & north create a grand opportunity for lot-line & rear country like views. 1.5 blocks from Tomkins sq. park & just a few doors down from the magnificent flowerbox condos.
Pre-approved plans available for a high-end 6-unit condo building, EPA, & boring sample
The asking price is $6.25 million.
And here's a rendering of sorts that accompanies the listing...
Again, despite what the listing says, these plans haven't been approved by the city...
As we noted back in the December, people were using the former Mobil station on East Houston and Avenue C as a parking lot.
No more though! As of last Thursday, workers erected a (rather flimsy TBH) fence around the property... and posted a "private property" sign...
The station closed in September 2014, and there are plans in the works for a 9 (or 10!) story retail-residential building here. However, the project appears to be in limbo. Nothing recent has happened with the application, which the DOB rejected in April 2014 for incomplete drawings, per city records. And there haven't been any demolition permits filed yet either to remove the structure left on the property.
Workers removed the plywood around the storefront at 114 Third Ave. near East 14th Street ... the incoming deli/cafe will go by Bagel Belly...
The proprietors, who also own Namu Deli & Grocery at 252 Third Ave. between 20th Street and 21st Street, were on CB3's SLA committee docket back in December for a beer-wine license. (This item was not heard during the committee meeting.)
EVG contributor Derek Berg took a look inside the space the other day to see how the renovations were going... as workers are de-Red & Gold Boil-ing the interior...
The larger space for the falafel restaurant is expected to open this spring.
Environment Furniture, which "creates timeless contemporary collections for the home that respect the planet," has been holding a going-out-of-business sale at its showroom on the Bowery between Great Jones and East Fourth Street. Now the storefront is for rent. (The listing isn't online at Ozymandius Realty.)
Meanwhile, there are plenty of other storefronts available nearby (in the few blocks between East Fourth and East Houston) on the Bowery ... such as the former Subway sandwich shop...
EVG regular William Klayer spotted this in the window at the KHL check-cashing/loan shop on First Avenue between East 10th Street and East 11th Street...
In one of our very first gazette dispatches here at EVG, we noted a new "old ale house" opening at 15 E. Seventh St. near Cooper Square.
At the time, it was not clear if founder John McSorley had appeared before CB3 or bothered collecting signatures of support or had proper permits for the big belly stove.
A few readers expressed displeasure. For example:
"I wish they'd keep their doors closed. I can hear the barkeep dropping nickels into the soup bowl from a block away."
And!
"Don't we already have enough establishments around here in which to drink ale and eat raw onions?"
And!
"Oh great, another place catering to the tanners, bricklayers and slaughter-house butchers."
And!
"I give it 6 months."
And!
"There goes the neighborhood."
Anyway, (I kid because I love), 162 years later, give or take eight years, McSorley's is celebrating today...
And as always when mentioning McSorley's and anniversaries... There are some doubters ("doubters gonna doubt!") about when McSorley's actually opened. Per New York: "Though McSorley’s claims it opened its doors in 1854, NYC historian Richard McDermott used public records to prove it really opened in 1862." Which means Lincoln never set foot in the place.
Still, Lincoln will likely make an appearance here today as in previous years...
Arrests in the Second Avenue explosion: landlord, three others charged with 2nd degree manslaughter (Thursday) Former residents talk about landlord Maria Hrynenko (Saturday)
City plans more penalties for serious construction-safety lapses; de Blasio makes announcement outside under-renovation building on East Eighth Street where undocumented worker died (Friday)
