Last day before move for Trash & Vaudeville is now Sunday

And not Monday as they originally announced...

Closing day of our Saint Marks location has changed to this Sunday, Feb 28! Come hang with us and celebrate the past 40+ rocking amazing years we've had on Saint Marks before we're all hanging at 96 East 7th street in early March! Here's a photo of Trash & Vaudeville on Saint Marks Place in 1982, taken by Paul Wright ❤️

A photo posted by Trash and Vaudeville (@trashandvaudeville) on Feb 24, 2016 at 8:32am PST

Their new home will be at 96 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Avenue A...


[Photo of 96 E. 7th St. from last summer]

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

Out and About in the East Village, Part 2

By James Maher

Name: Rafael Hines
Occupation: Sales Director, Morningstar, Writer
Location: Café Mogador, St. Mark's Place
Time: 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9

In part 1, Hines talked about growing up with his mother on Avenue D and East Third Street starting in 1961. "We were there until 1968. Our upstairs neighbor was trying to date my mom. She said no, so he set our apartment on fire." They eventually moved to St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

Being part of the community has been fantastic. On the positive, the artist culture and the music — one of the things that kind of pushed me to be a writer, is all the creativity, which is still here. I see so many of the same people, who were quote-on-quote citizens like myself.

Back then, you were a citizen or involved in this whole other life. Those people I still see, and many of them are still on the block. My wife says, ‘Oh you’re going to the store, so you’re going to be back in two hours,’ because I have conversations every step of the way. All these people moved here, created a healthy economy in the neighborhood, and have been that fabric outside of this other stuff that’s been going on, which kind of comes and goes. There are just so many good people in this neighborhood.

I want to give Mogador a plug, because this place right here is magic. It’s been around for about 30 years. The hostess would carry each of our kids around when they would seat people. My kids eat here three times a week for dinner, and I come here for breakfast.

There was this guy Steven, who lived upstairs, and for year and years he would print out the Good News Newspaper, from newspapers all around the world. It was all articles about people helping other people, and he would staple it together and hand it out here in the morning. There was me and probably six other regulars and we would read our own newspaper and have this morning dialogue about people helping other people. He passed away about six months ago now. He was a really interesting guy.

I remember, the Boys Club and the 14th Street Y for me was just like home. I’m on the board there now. I went there as a kid and now I’m on the board and I’m part of the scholarship committee. The way people impacted my life and mentored me, I try to do the same thing. My mother was on the board there for years. My mother was such a part of this community as well.

That Y does such amazing things. I could talk about that for two hours. It’s a community center. They have a theatre, and then there’s the early childhood program ... a nursery school, a community center for the elderly and yoga classes — all under one roof. They also have a special-needs program, where no one is turned away, where the whole family can be involved. There’s basketball, soccer. All the counselors and everyone involved are deeply committed to caring about this community and the people who it serves.

My mother also had a bridal store on East 9th Street, until she got really sick last year. At one time, I actually had three bridal stores. I was going to be the gown king. It was a total side project. I had three stores on 9th Street between 1st and 2nd, which started out as a little side gig and then grew and grew, until they all kind of imploded.

Now I work for the company Morningstar, which does the ratings for mutual funds and everything else. I’m on the energy side. They acquired the company I worked for in 2009. We were a family-run businesses for commodities and energy.

I’m also a writer. In the past, I used to fly all over the place for work, and I would always pick up the latest thriller and the latest bestseller. I kept thinking, ‘You’ve got a story in you.’ And then during 9/11, my office was in the south tower. Obviously the whole tragedy was overwhelming. At the time, I think a lot of people thought there would be follow-up attacks, although it never happened.

That was my thought and from there that was the genesis of my book that’s coming out this week. I started by just putting small stories together that I thought were funny and then characters started showing up and dialogue started appearing out of nowhere and now I’ve got a full suspense thriller, "Bishop’s War."

It’s an action thriller about a guy who stops a terrorist attack in Union Square Park. The terrorists come after him and his family, but his family is a crime family on the Lower East Side, so it comes full circle. The characters are based on all the people who I grew up with, basically the cops and gangsters. I did a ton of research and I have friends who are over in Afghanistan, who I was sending chapters to.

It’s funny. The first agent I went to said, ‘You know, the dialogue doesn’t ring true.’ I said, ‘That’s funny, because that is word for word what that guy said.’ I didn’t even make that up. I was just using someone’s lines.

Read Part 1 here.

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

Report: 4-building portfolio on St. Mark's Place in closing for $44 million

Investor Elliot Sohayegh is in contract to buy four adjacent rental buildings on St. Mark’s Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue for $44 million, The Real Deal reports.

The walk-up buildings are: 28 St. Mark's Place, 30 St. Mark's Place, 32 St. Mark's Place and 34 St. Mark's Place. The retail tenants in these buildings include Kung Fu Tea (No. 28), the incoming Mamoun's Falafel (No. 30), 2 Bros Pizza (No. 32) and Khyber Pass (No. 34).

Some details, per TRD:

Asking rents for retail on the block are about $250 per square foot. Meanwhile, a market-rate apartment at one of the buildings rents for $3,200 per month on average, according to StreetEasy. About 40 percent of the apartments are market-rate units; the rest are rent-stabilized.

The deal is expected to close in the next couple months, sources said.

The seller is an investor affiliated with the entity St. Marks Assets Inc., which has owned the buildings since the late 1970s, property records show.

The buyer-to-be is planning renovations, sources said

Also on this south side of the block, 34 1/2 St. Mark's Place remains on the market... as does 4 St. Mark's Place, where tenant Trash & Vaudeville is closing Monday ahead of a move to 96 E. Seventh St.

More about the underage drinking bust at Dahlia's; plus, reaction from NYU students

[EVG photo from Monday]

As noted the other day... The State Liquor Authority (SLA) has temporarily yanked the liquor license from Dahlia's on Second Avenue and East Fifth Street after the NYPD found a lot teens drinking inside the Mexican restaurant on Jan. 30, the Post reported.

The SLA has posted its media advisory about the incident... and the reported number of underage drinkers actually numbered 50, and not 43 as the Post noted.

Per the SLA statement (PDF):

The New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) suspended the license of Vargomez Corporation, doing business as “Mary Ann’s” at 300 East 5th Street in Manhattan. The suspension was ordered by Members of the SLA, Chairman Vincent Bradley and Commissioner Kevin Kim at a regular meeting of the Full Board on Tuesday February 16, 2016. Effective immediately, no alcohol can be served or consumed on the premises.

On January 30, 2016, New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers from the 9th Precinct responded to a 911 call reporting underage drinking at the bar. Upon arrival, NYPD officers found the doors of the bar locked and observed numerous patrons appearing to be under twenty-one years of age drinking at the over-crowded bar. After gaining entry to the premises, NYPD officers documented sales to fifty underage patrons, forty-two of which were 18 and younger, including five 16 year olds and one 15 year old teenager.

On February 12, 2016, the SLA charged Mary Ann’s bar with 55 violations, including 50 separate sales to minors, failure to supervise, and code violations for exceeding maximum capacity and having locked doors. The licensee, present at the time of the incident, was also arrested.

And!

The SLA’s decision to summarily suspend a license is not a final determination on the merits of the case. The licensee is entitled to an expedited hearing before an administrative law judge. An order of summary suspension remains in effect until such time as it is modified by the SLA or a reviewing Court.

Meanwhile, the Mexican restaurant was reportedly well-known among underage drinkers. Washington Square News, NYU's independent student newspaper, talked to underclassman about the bust in an article published yesterday.

An excerpt from the students interviewed:

“Honestly I’m surprised they weren’t shut down sooner. The restaurant is right next to the police department so it really wasn’t smart for them to have such a lax ID policy. I only went there twice because it’s one thing to see underage college students sipping on overpriced mojitos but most of the people there looked like high school freshmen. It was really disturbing.” — Mairead McConnell, freshman

“I think that it’s sad but like I guess it had to be done if people didn’t show up making a scene when they left then maybe it would’ve stayed under the radar for longer. The first couple weeks everyone went and drank there. It was a cool spot before the lines went out the door and were two hours long. But it wasn’t my number one spot.” — Thomas Fortune, freshman

“I was definitely sad to hear about Dahlia’s, but when I read the news article with my roommate we couldn’t help but laugh because we were not surprised in the slightest. I feel badly for the employees who were arrested because there are countless other bars and restaurants who serve minors nightly, but in all honesty Dahlia’s was infamously known by NYU freshmen and local high-schoolers for not [asking for ID], so I figured it was only some time until they got caught.” — Taber Brown, sophomore

Dahlia's remains open for food service. They are not allowed to serve alcohol for now.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Slowly but surely the exterior of the former Mary Ann's is becoming Dahlia's

Report: Dahlia's busted after cops find 43 minors drinking inside locked restaurant

Ichi 88 hasn't been open lately

An EVG reader tells us that Ichi 88 on First Avenue between East 11th Street and East 12th Street has been closed since at least last Thursday.

There isn't any answer on the phone. To date, there isn't any mention of a closure on the Japanese restaurant's Facebook page... and no note on the gate that points to a temporary closure.

Per the EVG reader: "Too bad, as the food was exceptional, authentic according to a Japanese ex-patriot and reasonably priced by the standards of the East Village 2016."

It appears very possible that you can't use cash at this self checkout at Key Food

Despite all the signage, EVG Self-Checkout Correspondent Stacie Joy noted that several that people here at the Key on Avenue A and East Fourth Street tried to use cash anyway...

Today in budding sinkholes

Today's contestant is on First Avenue at East Seventh Street. Good luck!

Photo by William Klayer

Updated 12:55 p.m.

An instant request...



Updated 2-24

A hole lotta love!...



And if you want to see a 3-second video of the hole on Instagram (right here).

Construction watch: 64 E. 1st St., paying homage to the Williamsburg and Manhattan Bridges

Here in The Bowery District, a made-up term to help sell 64 E. First St., work is moving along quickly on the luxury condos between First Avenue and Second Avenue ...





The teaser site for the six, full-floor residences now includes interior renderings and pricing for the units.

Rounding up or down a little, the home prices vary from $3.2 to $3.9 million. (Of the three units listed, one is in contract. It's not clear if the other homes have already been called for.)

Some descriptions from the website:

With its open-plan living, kitchen and dining concept, window walls that allow abundant natural light to pour in, and ceiling heights maximized by revealing the structural beams, the interiors of 64 East are defined by an incredible sense of expansiveness.

And!

A consummation of modern innovation and sleek style, bathrooms at 64 East are an inviting haven of clean simplicity and surprising dimension, with classic design elements like subway tiles, floating cabinetry, and gleaming, all-nickel plumbing fittings with cross handles and escutcheon plates from Waterworks’ distinctive “Ludlow” collection.

And!

A stylish and welcoming open-air lounge, the rooftop terrace offers a fully-equipped outdoor kitchen and lush greenery, against the stunning backdrop of the surrounding New York cityscape.

Here's the final product...an updated rendering from the last one that we saw...



Here's more about the building's inspiration via the 64 E. First Ave. website...

The façade, with its clean lines of stone and glass, is contextual with the existing masonry structures of the neighborhood. By blending the traditional look of the window layout with decorative metal rivets, this stunning city home stylishly pays homage to the nearby iconic Williamsburg and Manhattan Bridges.

... and an interior rendering...



... and outdoors...



Previously on EV Grieve:
La Vie has closed; neighbors rejoice

Former La Vie space on East First Street will be demolished

Getting rid of the rats at the former LaVie ahead of a new 6-floor residential building

Here lies the remains of La Vie

Here's a look at the new condos coming to East 1st Street

This is what the new condo building at 64 E. 1st St. will really look like

The 'stunning boutique collection' of new residences on East 1st Street in 'The Bowery District'

Former Sock Man space for rent on St. Mark's Place; presented as a 'vanilla box'

[Workers dismantle the former Sock Man space on Feb. 3]

As we first reported last month, The Sock Man closed on St. Mark's Place after nearly 33 years here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Now that space at No. 27 is for rent.



Here are some details via the listing at Sinvin:

-All quality uses considered, including food
-Easy to vent
-Landlord presenting as a vanilla box with HVAC and 200 amp electric panel
-New storefront to be installed
-Brick walls
-Sorry, no tattoo or piercing parlors
-On the best block of St. Marks, busy 24/7

The asking rent for the 500-square-foot space (with another 300 square feet for basement storage) is $9,000, per the listing.

Owner Marty Rosen was apparently facing an unmanageable rent hike from new landlord Raphael Toledano.

Rosen has said he hopes to find another space in the neighborhood. Meanwhile, the Sock Man remains open for business at www.thesockman.com.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Sock Man is closing on St. Mark's Place

The Sock Man says thank you; store closes on Saturday

Closing portraits at The Sock Man

Gutting some 3rd Avenue storefronts

Renovations continue on several of the storefronts along Third Avenue between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street...

Workers are tearing down the walls and gutting the former P&P Convenience Store, East Village Cheese (now on Seventh Street!) and Excel Art and Framing Store (now on the other side of Third Avenue!)...



...this is what the old EV Cheese space looks like...





Per the DOB work permit (in their ALL-CAP style): RENOVATION OF EXITING RETAIL SPACE. WORK TO INCLUDE PARTITIONS, FLOORING, CEILING AND FINISHES.

The rumor is that the Duane Reade on the corner of East 10th Street will expand into these spaces to make an even longer Duane Reade.



Previously on EV Grieve:
Rumors: Duane Reade expansion will take over adjacent storefronts, including East Village Cheese (74 comments)

East Village Cheese makes move to 7th Street official

Spin cycle: Flywheel Sports opening next month in 51 Astor Place

[EVG photo from the other day]

Yesterday, we noted where we thought the incoming Flywheel Sports was going to live behind the plywood at 51 Astor Place/the IBM Watson Building/Death Star.

And just like that, signage arrived yesterday noting an opening next month...



This indoor cycling location will feature a stadium-seating studio with more than 70 bikes.

There hasn't been any research just yet to see how Flywheel compares to the Citi Bikes stationary workout.



Previously on EV Grieve:
3 retail spaces available at 51 Astor Place (22 comments)

You can finally shop at 51 Astor Place!

3 new retail tenants for 51 Astor Place: Bluestone Lane Coffee, Chop’t and Flywheel Sports

Chopping soon signage up at the Death Star

Here's the Bluestone Lane Coffee signage at 51 Astor Place

Chest of Pleasure has closed on St. Mark's Place

The shop on the upper level at 31 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue has (seemingly) quietly closed.

Chest of Pleasure, which sold things like the (waterproof) Neon Luv Touch Mini Mite and edible massage oils, opened last August.

There isn't any mention of a closure on their Instagram account, where the last post shows the proprietors having beers in honor of their grand opening.

And a last look inside the shop...

Christo and Dora have been busy [blanking] in Tompkins Square Park

[Photo by Bobby Williams]

Christo and Dora, the red-tailed hawks of Tompkins Square Park, have been quite active this winter. For starters, they have built a nest in the ginkgo tree near the Park entrance on East Eighth Street and Avenue B.


[EVG photo from yesterday. Lemme know if you need an arrow]

Head over to Goggla's site for the nest-building activity.

Meantime, it is high mating season. For the hawks. They have been busy, you know, mating. (Can you guys be like mature about this subject matter?)

Still, out of concern for our younger readers, we will not be posting any photos of the hawks being natural here.

However, Goggla has several tasteful photos of nature being nature (as my health-ed teacher referred to it in 7th grade) here ... and here.


[BW]

Selling off Nino's

The auction is going on this afternoon at Nino's...various workers are carrying out the remains of the pizzeria, which is now closed for good on Avenue A and St. Mark's Place.

As previously reported, owner Nino Camaj accepted a low six-figure amount to walk away from his remaining 10-year lease and surrender the pizza shop that he opened in 1989. He had been in a dispute with the landlord over back rent and a closure due to a gas leak in the building.

James Morrissey, who owns The Late Late on East Houston, had been after the Nino's space to combine with the former Hop Devil Grill next door to create The Honey Fitz. Those plans are on hold for the moment, though Morrissey told DNAinfo the he "remains interested in the location, assuming all outstanding lease issues have been resolved."

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Honey Fitz in the works for St. Mark's Place and Avenue A (54 comments)

Gas leak closes Nino's for now

Nino's and Yoshi Sushi served with eviction notices on Avenue A

Encouraging signs at Nino's

Report: The Honey Fitz on hold; and RIP Nino's

Incoming Bagel Belly now with Bagel Belly signage

Since the new storefront was unveiled at 114 Third Ave. near East 14th Street ... the Bagel Belly coming soon signage has arrived...

As you can see, the bagels here will be "hand rolled & kettle boiled" ...



No mention of toasted.

The proprietors here also own Namu Deli & Grocery at 252 Third Ave. between 20th Street and 21st Street.

And these two questions came up the last time we mentioned Bagel Belly.

1) Is Tompkins Square Bagels still opening an outpost on Second Avenue?

Yes. Renovations were slowed down by some DOB-mandated modifications. Read more here.

2) Is Black Seed Bagels still open on First Avenue?

Yes. They are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

9-story office building for sliver of space on Lafayette and Great Jones

Here on the corner of Lafayette and Great Jones, a 9-story office building is now in the works for the 50-foot-wide lot...



According to New York Yimby, who first reported on this development, 363 Lafayette St. will feature 8,325 square feet of community facilities and 27,743 square feet of commercial space.

Per NY Yimby:

Retail and a lobby will occupy the first floor, followed by a mix of community facilities and offices on the second and third floors, and the remaining six floors will be devoted to office space.

We wonder if this property will be marketed directly to NYU, which owns dozens of buildings on the surrounding blocks. In that case, the community space could become classrooms, or possibly offices for a non-profit.

As some of you might remember, this corner was home to the Jones Diner from 1938 to 2002...

[Image: Spencer Platt/Getty Images]

The Shape of Lies going on hiatus starting March 1 'to rethink the future'

The Shape of Lies, the longtime jewelry store at 127 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, is taking a break.

We'll let their website explain the situation:

GOOD NEWS: We have not lost our lease and we are not leaving the East 7th location. Starting March 1st we are taking an extended hiatus to rethink the future direction of the shop.

BAD NEWS: Several of our designers have fallen in love and moved on. Without these talented women The Shape of Lies will NOT specialize in jewelry next incarnation.

A sign on the storefront mentions a two-month closure.

Meanwhile, there's a sale going on. Go here for details. The shop opened here in 1979. As they say on their Facebook page, "Last of the live/work artists in the East Village."

[Updated] Chopt opens today at 51 Astor Place; free salads in return for a donation

Chopt opens today over at 51 Astor Place/the IBM Watson Building/Death Star ... on the Fourth Avenue side at East Ninth Street...

And the self-described globally inspired salad company has an incentive for people to eat a salad (or salad wrap!) today via their Chopt Gives Day.

Via the EVG inbox...

This Monday, Chopt will open the doors to its new location at 51 Astor Place and give away free salads and salad wraps to all customers in exchange for any donation to their charitable partner Wellness in Schools, a non-profit that promotes healthy eating and environmental awareness to kids in public schools across the US. Hours: 11am - 1:30pm, 6pm - 8:30pm.

And here's a look at the Chopt space...





Meanwhile! As for the other new businesses at No. 51 here in MiSo... Bluestone Lane Coffee is setting up shop next to Chopt ...



Looks as if they have a ways to go before opening...



And the Flywheel Sports looks to be going in right behind the plywood on the southeasterly facing side of the building...



According to Well + Good, the incoming Flywheel will feature a stadium-seating studio with more than 70 bikes. Plus! "[I]t will be the first to introduce a new, instructor-controlled LED lighting system."

Hope that doesn't disturb Watson, deep in thought upstairs.

Updated 5 p.m.

EVG reader Brian Polay shared this photo... showing that folks were lining up for the salad deal today...



Previously on EV Grieve:
3 retail spaces available at 51 Astor Place (22 comments)

You can finally shop at 51 Astor Place!

3 new retail tenants for 51 Astor Place: Bluestone Lane Coffee, Chop’t and Flywheel Sports

Chopping soon signage up at the Death Star

Here's the Bluestone Lane Coffee signage at 51 Astor Place

Petition launched to close Webster Hall after fight involving rapper Skate Maloley and security

[Image via Spin]

There are multiple reports about a fight last night at a sold-out concert at Webster Hall featuring rappers Nate "Skate" Maloley and Derek Luh, fans and security.

Much of the reporting seems to be based on accounts posted on Twitter, where the incident became a trending event.

According to one report, Luh lunged at a security guard ... then "was dragged off stage and security began shouting at fans to go home, leading to outrage among the fans near the stage. Some of them also got into altercations with security guards, leading Nate to step in and 'defend his fans.'"

There are accusations that the security guards used a taser on a concertgoer.

Per Complex:

According to Maloley, he was midway through his set when he noticed that the security in front of the stage were assaulting a group of fans and decided to intervene on their behalf. Maloley, as you can see on the video below, reached down toward one of the security personnel after allegedly catching him using a taser on a fan close to the stage and was overwhelmed by the security force as the crowd watched on in horror.

Sad a sold out show had to end like that. It's love for my family and my fans to the death. We ride together. One love.

— Skate (@skatemaloley) February 21, 2016

CBS 2 talked to two fans who were at the show.

“He grabbed like security like off of a fan, and that’s when he got like stomped to the ground,” one woman said.

“They picked him up and threw him on the ground and starting kicking him,” the other said.

A police source told CBS 2 that there weren't any assault complaints, arrests or charges filed. It wasn't clear if there were any injuries.

The Mirror published the following sentence: "The event echoes the famous Rolling Stones Altamont tragedy in which a riot erupted among fans and the Hell's Angels."

Webster Hall posted the following message on their Tumblr:

Saturday’s incident is being fully investigated, as there are misreports about what took place. Webster Hall’s staff do NOT carry tasers and are not armed. They carry strobe flashlights. The safety of all guests is always our primary focus.

Meanwhile, fans of the rappers created an online petition to shut down Webster Hall. Per the petition: "Webster hall is disgusting after tonight 2-20-2016 they no longer deserve to be in business they had no right to race those people and assault skate, Derek and the others. It was all unnecessary [sic] and something needs to be done about it."

As of 8:30 p.m., there were 4,176 signatures.

Week in Grieview

[Photo Monday in Tompkins Square Park by Derek Berg]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Report: Judge says plumber allegedly involved in Second Avenue blast should have his license revoked (Tuesday)

Feb. 29 is the last day on St. Mark's Place for Trash and Vaudeville ahead of move to East Seventh Street (Friday)

Looking to carry on the legacy of St. Mark's Bookshop (Thursday)

Minca Ramen Factory returns next Wednesday (Friday)

The Honey Fitz on hold; and RIP Nino's (Wednesday ... Friday)

Monthly Movies @ MoRUS series kicks off (Wednesday)

Pak Punjab Deli and Grocery back open (Tuesday)

A visit to Cacio e Vino on Second Avenue (Thursday)

Take a survey about noise (Friday)

Out and About with Rafael Hines (Wednesday)

Property at 253 E. Seventh St. now for sale; perfect for a "dream custom mansion townhouse" (Tuesday)

Bagel Belly! (Tuesday)

Pork Pie Hatters is closing on East Ninth Street (Friday)

Third Avenue penthouse cottage returns to market as a $17k monthly rental (Friday)

Happy No. 162 McSorley's (Monday)


[A Bowery before and after]

The Bowery street sign returns without the David (Thursday)

You likely had a feeling of what is opening in this storefront on East Sixth Street (Thursday)

LinkNYC OFFICIALLY launches (Thursday)

Saving$ Paradise moving on East 14th Street (Wednesday)

A quick look inside the new Mamoun's on St. Mark's Place (Tuesday)

News about dry cleaners (Wednesday)

You can't park at the former Mobil station any longer (Tuesday)

Suffolks Arms now open on East Houston (Thursday)

The storefronts for rent on the Bowery (Tuesday)

... and a scene from Tompkins Square Park yesterday...


[Photo by Bobby Williams]