Week in Grieview

[Wish you were here outside Toy Tokyo, photo by Derek Berg]

Jared Kushner's residents at 118 E. Fourth St. would like gas for cooking and some heat (Thursday)

City changes way it will treat people drinking or urinating (or both) in public (Thursday)

The Stage Restaurant will not be reopening (Wednesday) Fake NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene sign at Stage takes aim at landlord Icon Realty (Wednesday)

"Gentrification in Progress" tape arrives at former Trash & Vaudeville and Stage Restaurant spaces (Thursday)

Cops storm East Ninth Street, apparently find nothing (Thursday)

Final visits to five downtown businesses (Tuesday)

Krystal's Cafe 81 has closed for good on East Seventh Street (Thursday)

At the Parkside Lounge's new back room (Friday)

NYC Velo cycling to new storefront next door on Second Avenue (Friday)

Two beverage distributors depart East Second Street. What next for the spaces? (Wednesday)

Baiting the former Chase branch on Second Avenue for rats ahead of demolition (Friday)

The Calyx has been branded on Avenue C (Tuesday)

Out and About with Annie Ju and Melissa Scott, owners of an.mé /ahn-may on East Ninth Street (Wednesday)

Developers buy former LES nursing facility on Rivington for luxury housing (Monday)

Hakata Hot Pot (RIP Sushi Lounge) has moved on St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

The former Russian Souvenirs will become a coffee shop on East 14th Store (Monday)

Banana Leaf closes on East Sixth Street (Wednesday)

Take a chance on living in a rent-stabilized apartment in Stuy Town (Tuesday)

A branch of the Southern California-based Sugared+Bronzed salon (Monday)

Tacos in the works for East Second Street (Monday)

Maybe Fairway won't be coming to the East Village (Tuesday)

East Seventh Street maintaining rep for stunt parking (Wednesday)

100 Avenue A reps say that 100 Avenue A is already 50-percent sold (Thursday)

How about a new smoke shop for East Houston (Monday)

... and the last of the fake movie snow has been packed up on East Fourth Street...


[Photo by Derek Berg]

Monster Track 2016

The 17th annual street race (brakeless, fixed gear) started yesterday in Tompkins Square Park...







Photos by Derek Berg

Mystery Noah Baumbach project filming this week on a street near you

If you're a Noah Baumbach fan, then you may be interested in knowing the the filmmaker ("Mistress America," "Frances Ha," "The Squid and the Whale") will be in the and around the neighborhood this week working on his next project, "Yen Din Ka Kissa," according to posted flyers ...





As for the mystery, well, there doesn't appear to be much online (such as on his IMDB profile) about YDKK, described on the flyer on East Fifth Street and Cooper Square as a film that "tells the story of an estranged New York family coming together in preparation of artist & patriarch Harold's career retrospective."

Film crews will be around tomorrow (Monday!) and Tuesday on East Fifth Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery... East Fourth Street between Second Avenue and First Avenue... East Sixth Street between Second Avenue and and First Avenue... Lafayette between Bond and Bleecker...

A question on the extra lights and police presence along Avenue D

Photos and email from an EVG reader...

Any word on the reason for the heavy police presence along Avenue D & FDR Drive as well as the assemblage of generator lighting throughout Jacob Riis Houses?

Reader report: Man throws trashcan into 7-Eleven's front window on Avenue A

Around 8:30 this morning, an EVG reader said that a man, who was believed to be homeless, threw a city trashcan into the front window of the 7-Eleven store on Avenue A and East 11th Street. His motive was unclear. Police were quickly on the scene, though it wasn't known if they had any suspects.

Oh hi, there's a hole here

[Last Sunday]

Last Sunday, we noted the sinkhole in the works on Avenue A at East Third Street. It had already eaten a pylon, and was on its way to becoming a rare 5 Pyloner and potential film franchise for Dwayne Johnson.

Anyway, EVG reader John Iz shared these photos showing the developments here this past week... and the DOT's various attempts to warn vehicular traffic of the hole in the Avenue...

Tuesday!



Wednesday!



Thursday!



Friday! (Yesterday!)



What else might the DOT place here to warn motorists of the sinkhole?

Updated:

John shared photos from the hole from Saturday...



...with bonus shot of the can of spray paint used to mark the perimeter...

Logos Urbana at the 2nd Avenue F stop

Just checking out the final mural by BluDog10003 outside the Second Avenue F stop at East Houston ... The mural is called Logos Urbana...

And here's another angle via BluDog10003...

A band called Eerie Wanda

Amsterdam quartet Eerie Wanda released their first record, "Hum," last week on Brooklyn's Beyond Beyond Is Beyond Records.

And you can catch their U.S. debut Monday night at the Cake Shop on Ludlow Street.

EV Grieve Etc.: Metrograph debuts; gas shutoffs surge

[Photo of Lucy's last night by @JustAnotherRich]

A look at the Metrograph, the new cinema-bookstore-bar-restaurant on Ludlow Street that opens today (Time Out ... Indie Wire ...The New York Times)

A surge of gas shutoffs in NYC, particularly for rent-stabilized tenants (NYPress)

An ode to St. Mark's Bookshop (Literary Hub)

The mating continues in Tompkins Square Park (for the hawks!) (Laura Goggin Photography)

Arlene Gottfried’s vintage pictures of the Lower East Side (The New York Times)

Renderings of the Ace Hotel coming to the Bowery (BoweryBoogie)

A review of the opening program at the Avant Music Festival, on through tomorrow at the Wild Project on East Third Street (The New York Times)

Updates on the battle to replace Sheldon Silver in the 65th Assembly District (The Lo-Down)

Dee Dee Ramone book reissues arrive (Alternative Press)

Restoring St. Peter’s on West 20th Street (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Revisiting Lou Reed's "Take No Prisoners" and West Fourth Street (Flaming Pablum)

Tomorrow (Saturday!) afternoon, author-artist Sally Eckhoff's reads from "F*ck Art, Let's Dance! An East Village Memoir" an the Mulberry Street branch of the NYPL:

This memoir, by a former Village Voice writer and critic, is a cockeyed personal history of the East Village — a place nobody moved to on purpose. This is a short stretch of history, to be sure, framed as it is on one side by the Summer of Sam and on the other by the Tompkins Square Park riots, two notorious incidents that defined an age. The naive protagonist's lies, dreams, and daily blunders, overcome in places only by spectacular acts of will, might remind you of what it feels like to be a beginner in a land of crooks and geniuses. And because there’s nothing everyday about everyday people in New York, the citizens that appear on these pages, whether shy or brazen, upright or felonious, are always new.

Find details here.

That time this year it snowed on March 4

East 10th Street at Avenue C this morning via Bobby Williams...

At the Parkside Lounge's new back room

[Photo by James and Karla Murray]

Words and photos (except where noted) by EVG contributor Stacie Joy

I recently stopped by The Parkside Lounge, 317 E. Houston at Attorney Street, to talk with co-owner Christopher Lee about the newly renovated back-room lounge and accompanying brand-new bar.



Lee started bartending at this Lower East Side mainstay in 2003, and became co-owner (joining Karen Waltermire) in 2009. Originally from Natchitoches, La., Lee says he knew the minute he walked into the long-standing bar it was the place for him.

Here, he discusses the new space and what it took to make it happen.

What is different about the new back room compared to the old space? 

We renovated everything back there with the goal of it being a more inviting space to perform in as well as be more comfortable for our patrons.

The room no longer smells like old stale beer thanks to the new hardwood floors. Just getting rid of the carpet was a big addition. There's a brand new air-conditioning unit and ducts to better regulate our seasonal climate. I love the aesthetic that it brings as well. What used to be something we tried to hide is front and center, shiny and functional.

We took down a non-load-bearing wall to open up the space and make room for our new bar. The room really does feel much bigger now.

Between the new floor and the wall coming down, we were concerned about the acoustics of the space. We’ve had many musicians over the years tell us that the sound in the room was amazing and we didn’t want to mess that up. The carpet that was there didn’t smell very good but it really kept the sound warm. To that end we brought in some super high-tech soundproofing that was installed underneath the new sheetrock (our neighbors appreciated this step as well). We also invested in an updated PA system for the performances back there.

We’ve got new lights to update that aspect of the space. I’m an actor and love seeing people come in and rethink the room for theater. We’ve had a few shows in here recently and I really love it when the playing space isn’t on the stage. Now refocusing lights will be a button click away rather than something we have to manually do before each performance. Flexibility in what you can do as a business is important. With the neighborhood around us in a constant state of flux staying relevant is what keeps our doors open.









What about the bar back there?

We installed a full bar dedicated to the space. This was a big step for us. Between the requirements for the city and the State Liquor Authority (SLA), getting the license alone was a marathon endeavor.

Having bartended for years in high-volume environments, being able to serve a packed room was an important part of the design but we didn’t want it to take over the space either. The wood is beautiful, tough, and fits in perfectly back there. I love perching on the corner back there watching bands over everyone’s heads. It just feels great.

What was involved in making the changes and how long did it take?

Oh dear Lord, I can’t fully answer this. Let me just say that coordinating with City Hall, the SLA, contractors, plumbers, snow storms, and all the other wackiness of New York City, there were always balls up in the air. It took a full two years to get the room renovated and the bar licensed.

You can find a schedule of upcoming events at Parkside's Facebook page here. You can follow them on Twitter here.

Reader mailbag: What is this on East 10th Street?

[Photo by Lola Sáenz]

Since it arrived late last year after some Con Ed work on East 10th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue (roughly outside The New Theatre Building) ... several readers have asked what that air raid-looking thing is ...

There's also one on Great Jones near Lafayette...



So! Anyone know what these are? (Excluding popular comments beer store! and Amy Schumer)...

Updated:

Thanks to the readers for the answers! it's a Con Ed pipeline pressure regulator/vent.

NYC Velo cycling to new storefront next door on 2nd Avenue

Paper arrived on the windows at 66 Second Ave. between East Fourth Street and East Third Street a few weeks back.

Per EVG correspondent Steven, NYC Velo will be moving here one storefront to the north to take the space that last housed the short-lived Red Mango.

The current bike shop storefront is now for rent... and we understand that an increase in rent here at No. 64 prompted the move next door...



And as we posted about several years ago, 66 Second Ave. was once the home to the Anderson Theatre...

... where you could see the Grateful Dead for $2... Later, Hilly Kristal ran the CBGB Theater here from late 1977 to early 1978. The Talking Heads christened the CBGB Theater, followed by shows featuring the Dictators, the Dead Boys and Patti Smith.

You can find a lot more history and photos of the Anderson Theatre at the blog It's All the Streets you Crossed Not So Long Ago right here.

An epilogue sale at St. Mark's Bookshop

St. Mark's Bookshop closed for good on Sunday... however, there will be an epilogue sale tomorrow (Saturday!) at the shop, 136 E. Third St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

From noon to 8 p.m., they'll be selling off more of what's left — books and magazines for $2. (And out-of-season cards are 46 cents, per the sign on the front door.)

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: St. Mark's Bookshop prepping fundraiser ahead of possible move to Avenue A.

Is this the new home for the St. Mark's Bookshop?

Report: St. Mark's Bookshop signs lease for East 3rd Street space

Renovations at the future St. Mark's Bookshop on East 3rd Street

St. Mark's Bookshop seeking buyers with an ownership interest

Report: Last stand for St. Mark's Bookshop

Report: Latest woe for St. Mark's Bookshop — possible eviction

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

Farewells: St. Mark's Bookshop will close for good on Sunday

No deposits: Baiting the former Chase branch on 2nd Avenue for rats ahead of demolition

The orders are in to demolish the former Chase branch on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place.

Ahead of that, workers are baiting the building for rats, as you can see from the subtle placements of the baiting stations that arrived on the sidewalk on Wednesday ...



The Commercial Observer reported in August that J.P. Morgan Chase sold the 2-level space to Stellar Management for $12 million. (Stellar and Icon teamed up to buy No. 128 next door.) The former Chase site allows for redevelopment of the 2,380-square-foot site into a mixed-use retail and residential project of 9,520 square feet, according to the Observer.

Icon Realty had been trying to lease the space with an asking monthly rent of $72,000.

The branch consolidated with the Chase two blocks up Second Avenue back in November.

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

2 East Village Chase Bank branches are closing for good on Nov. 12

Chase branch on 2nd Avenue at St. Mark's Place has the potential to get 4x larger with new owner

The East Village is down 2 Chase branches

Icon wraps former Chase branch at St. Mark's Place with retail ribbon

'Good riddance' Chase, and — a development to watch in 2016

Meal deals at Dahlia's

Since the SLA temporarily suspended the Mexican restaurant's liquor license for serving a reported 50 minors one night in late January.

Photo on Second Avenue and East Fifth Street via Vinny & O.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Dahlia's busted after cops find 43 minors drinking inside locked restaurant

Fake snow makes a return to East 4th Street

Crews for "Collateral Beauty" were out again earlier... spreading the fake snow* on East Fourth Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery ...





The dramatic comedy stars Will Smith, Kate Winslet, Keira Knightley, Helen Mirren, Naomie Harris and Edward Norton.

Photos by EVG Fake Snow Powder correspondent Derek Berg.

---

* we hope that this is fake snow and not a non-licensed asbestos removal team

[Updating] Reports of major police activity on East 9th Street near Avenue A

#eastvillage Twitter friends: what is happening 9th & A? Tons of police w/riot gear

— Celia Alicata (@CeliaAlicata) March 3, 2016

We haven't heard anything just yet...



We'll continue to monitor the situation and update when there's more information...

Updated 8:40 a.m.

From the photos via William Klayer, it appears the police are concentrated on 438-440 E. Ninth St. ...









Updated 9 a.m.

UNCONFIRMED report of an armed robbery at Tacos Morelos.

Updated 9:30 a.m.

Another reader photo shows the NYPD concentrating on Tacos Morelos ... several bystanders said that police did not find any suspects at the scene...

Jared Kushner's residents at 118 E. 4th St. would like gas for cooking and some heat

[Image via Streeteasy]

Via the EVG inbox...

Tenants of 118 East 4th Street in the East Village appear back in Manhattan Housing Court on Thursday March 3rd at 9:30 AM as part of ongoing litigation against their landlord, Jared Kushner. Tenants are calling for the immediate restoration of essential services and for living conditions to be rectified.

The tenants have recently endured bouts of no heat, mounding trash, and have been without cooking gas since October 2015. Con Ed shut down all gas for the building and Jared Kushner has yet to take the necessary procedures with the city to restore it. This comes on top of the landlord’s failure to repair a multitude of potentially dangerous conditions in the building, including:

• No cooking gas
• Collapsed ceilings
• Questionably safe electrical systems
• Mounding trash
• Deprivation of heat
• Apartments entered without notice
• Blocked mail delivery
• Vermin

The tenants filed an HP Action for repairs and services in January to seek a remedy for these unsafe conditions. The landlord received a default judgement at the first court appearance on February 4th as Kushner failed to appear in court to address matters – a sign the tenants interpret as further disregard for the issues they face. At the time of a previous court appearance, the building had a total of 17 open violations with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, including 4 considered “immediately hazardous.” The current violation count is now 35 in total with 8 class “C” immediately hazardous violations. A motion was recently filed in court to hold Kushner in contempt of court due to the lack of restoration of services.

You can read the whole notice at the Cooper Square Committee website. The news advisory includes quotes from Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer, State Sen. Brad Hoylman and Councilwoman Rosie Mendez.

It hasn't been easy at 118-120 E. Fourth St. through the years. Ben Shaoul's Magnum Management, in partnership with Meadow Partners, bought the buildings in late 2010. Fortune East LLC reportedly managed the buildings. The blog Occupy East Fourth Street had been documenting renovation horror stories. (Like this one.)

Kushner bought the buildings during his East Village land grab in February 2013.

Occupy East Fourth Street continues documenting the situation inside No. 118. Here's a post from Feb. 14:

Woke up this morning to 7 degrees, its now 14 degrees outside, and no heat at 118 East St. Through some communications with the other tenants, it seems the heat is on in one line of the building. That line contains the market rate tenants. There are 2 other heat lines that are off and those lines contain the majority of rent stabilized tenants, including some senior citizens in fragile health. I think one or two market rate folks are getting the frozen treatment if they are unfortunate enough to reside above or below a rent stabilized tenant. Calls to the Westminster office provide no results as usual. There seems to be a Westminster person living in 118 at the moment. A call put into him goes unanswered and he has no voice mail set up on his phone. The same goes for the "Super". No answer. No voice mail set up on phone.

City changes way it will treat people drinking or urinating (or both) in public

[Pee Phone™ photo from 2014]

Well, we somehow missed this announcement on Tuesday... via the DA's office...

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., New York City Police Department Commissioner William J. Bratton, and Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced a new initiative to change how individuals who commit low-level offenses are processed in Manhattan.

Beginning on Monday, March 7, 2016, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office will no longer prosecute most violations or infractions, and the NYPD will no longer arrest individuals who commit these offenses – such as littering, public consumption of alcohol, or taking up two seats on the subway – unless there is a demonstrated public safety reason to do so.

This initiative will enable the NYPD to devote its resources to investigating serious crimes, while further reducing the backlog of cases in Criminal Court. The issuance of summonses instead of arrests is expected to result in the diversion of approximately 10,000 arrests that would be prosecuted in Manhattan Criminal Court.

Public urination is also on the list of low-level offenses, per published reports.

Will the city's new policy make you more likely to urinate in public?

Yes

Yes, and when is SantaCon?

No

If you don't like urinating in public, then move to _____

Beer store!

personality test