Tuesday, June 7, 2016

The St. Mark's Church Greenmarket returns today



The Greenmarket outside St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery on Second Avenue at East 10th Street returns for its 35th year today.

A few details:

Open Tuesdays, June 7 - November 22
Market Hours: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

GrowNYC's Textile Recycling: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
GrowNYC's Compost Collection: 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Cash, EBT/Food Stamps, Debit/Credit, WIC Vegetable & Fruit checks & FMNP coupons accepted.

Farmers
Mi Ranchito Farm Specialty vegetables, New Farmer Development Project Participant from Monmouth County, NY
Kernan Farms Vegetables from Cumberland County, NY

Updated 9:30 a.m.

A photo via Steven of the Greenmarket this morning...




Former Avenue D Rite Aid has been demolished to make way for a 12-story building



Workers have wrapped up the demolition of several one-level storefronts, including Rite Aid (and Shady's pizza!), on Avenue D between Sixth Street and Seventh Street...





In January, the Rite Aid relocated one block north to the vacant retail space in the Arabella 101 building.

As for 79-89 Avenue D, the approved permits on file with the city show a building with a total of 96,038 square feet (7,868 of them for the retail component). There are 110 dwelling units listed.

L&M Development Partners, one of the groups involved in the Essex Crossing development at the former Seward Park urban renewal site, bought the three parcels of 79-89 Avenue D in 2014 for $12.5 million.

We have not seen any renderings for the new building just yet. GF55 Partners, whose area work includes Jupiter 21 and 48 Bond, are the architects of record.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Space that houses Rite Aid on Avenue D hits market for $22.5 million

Report: New 12-story, mixed-use building in the works for Avenue D

Permit pre-filed for new 12-floor building at 79-89 Avenue D

East Village-based artist Ori Carino unveils Ramones mural in Forest Hills


[Ori Carino with Mickey Leigh]

On Sunday afternoon, East Village-based artist Ori Carino unveiled a new mural at the "Thorneycroft Ramp" in Forest Hills, Queens. The ceremony was part of a day of events organized by the Queens Museum, which is currently showing "Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk."

Carino painted the image of the four Ramones at the ramp based on a 1975 photograph by photographer Bob Gruen.

Presiding over the unveiling was musician and author Mickey Leigh (brother of Joey Ramone), who recalled times spent at the ramp in his 2009 memoir, I Slept with Joey Ramone: "We’d always wind up at Thorneycroft, the apartment complex across the street from John's [Johnny Ramone] building...Invariably everyone would meet up at the Ramp to shoot the shit, pull pranks, hide from the cops, and of course get high."


[Carino]


[Marc H. Miller, curator of "Hey! Ho! Le's Go" and artist-musician Claudia Tienan, partner of Tommy Ramone]

The exhibition "Hey! Ho! Let’s Go!" is on view at the Queens Museum through July 31.

H/T Marc H. Miller and Bowery98 for the information

Something brewing (demolition) for former beer distributor on East 2nd Street


[EVG photo from March]

Expect to see a demolition crew soon enough at the former Houston Street Beer Distributors at 298 E. Second Street between Avenue C and Avenue D.

The demo permit is now on file with the DOB... ahead of some unspecified new development.

We first reported back in September 2014 that the one-story warehouse was for sale. Per the listing:

It is located in an R8A zoning district with an FAR of 6.02 (approx. 15,941 SF) or up to 7.2 FAR with Inclusionary Housing designated area bonus (approx. 19,066 sq. ft.) This prime development site is across the street from Hamilton Fish Park and a branch of the New York City public library, offering unobstructed southern exposures.

A new development would enjoy sweeping views of downtown and midtown Manhattan, Williamsburg, LIC and more.

The asking price was $8.9 million. According to public records, it sold for a little more than $7 million last fall to 298 East Village Owner LLC.

To date, there haven't been any any work permits filed for this property, which sits adjacent to two other new developments — The Adele on East Houston and Avenue D and The Robyn on East Third Street near Avenue D.

Previously on EV Grieve:
298 E. 2nd St. latest development site up for grabs

East Village now minus 2 beverage distributors

Monday, June 6, 2016

A farewell show for Other Music



The owners of Other Music, which is closing for good on June 25, have announced a farewell concert at the Bowery Ballroom.

Here are the details for the show on June 28:

After 20 years, the iconic New York City record shop Other Music will be closing their doors on June 25, and three days later, they are bringing together a broad cross section of NYC artists they love for one last blowout party. Record shops are all about community, and none more so than Other Music, who for two decades created a haven for artists, fans, and music industry to come together for the love of records. Come celebrate 20 years of Other Music at this benefit concert and farewell celebration!

Julianna Barwick, Frankie Cosmos, Helado Negro, Menahan Street Band, Matana Roberts, Sharon Van Etten, Yo La Tengo, John Zorn's Simulacrum (with John Medeski, Matt Hollenberg and Kenny Grohowski) plus more special guests and surprises TBA!!

Tickets are $25 in advance; $30 at the door. They go on sale Friday at the Bowery Ballroom box office and at Other Music on East Fourth Street between Lafayette and Broadway.

Kanye West News Hour



The News Cycle on the aborted early-morning Kanye West show at Webster Hall shows no sign of cycling out... local news crew are camped out outside the venue on East 11th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue...



There are all sorts of first-person accounts from the Kanyefest/Pablo Mob, including at The New Yorker and Los Angeles Times.

And a passage from DNAinfo's reporting...

Neighbors who woke up to find their cars had been used as bleachers overnight were not amused.

"I thought it was going to be a quiet evening, a quiet day, and it was going to be safe," said optician Michael Gomez, 55, who parked his Chrysler and Impala in front of Webster Hall, and came back to find both had dents in the roofs and vomit on the ground nearby.

He estimated it will cost him thousands to fix his cars and says he cannot afford to make the repairs.

"I'm in shock. I'm stunned. I know I'm never going to park here again."

H/T EVG Pablo Mob correspondent Christine Champagne

Screaming Mimi's is leaving its home of 25 years on Lafayette for West 14th Street


[Image via LoopNet]

On Friday, we spotted a retail listing for 382 Lafayette St. — longtime home of the vintage clothing boutique Screaming Mimi's.

Not a great sign, obviously. So we checked in with Screaming Mimi's owner Laura Wills to find out what was happening.

Turns out the building was sold about a year ago, and Wills decided to relocate.

"We are one of the fortunate few who were given lots of time to explore other options," Wills said via email. "We had lots of time to find our dream location."

And that spot is 240 W. 14th St. between Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue.

"We are very excited — it's a beautiful space. The parlor floor of a brownstone with lots of character and amazing light. It is very Screaming Mimi's," Wills said. "We're renovating now and we hope to be open by Sept. 1."

She will be staying on Lafayette Street through October and celebrating Halloween in both locations.

The shop has been in this storefront between East Fourth Street and Great Jones for the past 25 years. They were briefly around the corner at 22. E. Fourth St. before this. Screaming Mimi's, now in its 37th year, started on the Upper West Side.

This stretch of Noho is also undergoing a rapid luxurification phase, with the arrival of two upscale residential projects a block to the south... and with more on the way. (Here and here and here.)

"To be quite honest, we never considered staying. Lafayette Street was a wonderful home for almost 25 years but it has changed so much," Wills said. "I fear it will very soon be blocks of big glass and steel storefronts with no soul. Mostly everyone who opened when we did is gone."

She acknowledged that area of West 14th Street, where the West Village, Chelsea and the High Line converge, is also changing. However, Wills noted: "It still has character and characters!"

------

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation named Screaming Mimi's its Business of the Month in March. You can read about more history of the store in this post.

Cyndi Lauper worked at Screaming Mimi's in the early 1980s before her recording career took off ... here's Lauper returning to the store to shop in 1986 for an MTV clip...


How was your surprise Kanye West concert at Webster Hall earlier this morning?


After Governors Ball officials cancelled Day 3 of the outdoor festival yesterday due to the weather, several of the acts looked to play shows elsewhere. Headliner Kanye West announced a 2 a.m. show at Webster Hall.

A few people showed up...


Some accounts put the crowds at 4,000-plus in the streets surrounding the venue on 11th between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue.



On other East Village streets, people were excited.


Anyway! Not sure whatever was officially supposed to happen... but there wasn't a show...


Check out Gothamist for an account of the chaos.

The Daily News reports that it took two more hours after the show was canceled to clear the street. Police said one person was arrested for disorderly conduct.

Too bad there's not a hotel right across the street from Webster Hall that fans could have stayed in instead.

Sugar Sketch setting up shop on East 2nd Street



Sugar Sketch, a bakery (cakery per the sign), is coming soon to the empty storefront at 172 E. Second St. between Avenue A and Avenue B...



Here's more about the proprietor from the Sugar Sketch website:

Martina Nardo has been a Pastry Chef and Cake Designer for the past six years in New York City. Born and raised in Rome, Italy, her passion for both food and art stems from her heritage. Her grandmother taught her to appreciate the simplicity of Italian cuisine, its flavors, and the cultural value associated with it. Her mother – a graphic designer and illustrator – has played a major influence encouraging her to apply creativity towards her cakes making them true works of art.

Upon receiving her BA in Psychology from the New School, she began her studies of the Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education and finished her studies with a degree in Cake Designs and Techniques at The French Culinary Institute in NYC. After working in several kitchen settings throughout Manhattan, Martina launched Sugar Sketch in 2013.

She has been making cakes, cupcakes and cookies by order... this will be the first retail space.

H/T EVG reader Ronnie!

Exclusive 1st look at the expanded Duane Reade on 3rd Avenue



About 18 months after first hearing that the Duane Reade on Third Avenue and East 10th Street would be expanding into the two adjacent storefronts... we finally got our first look at the expanded space...

Woo!



Looks pretty Duane Reade-y.

No word on when the work on the new, longer drug store will be ready for Duane Reade-ing.

The two previous businesses that were Duane Reade-d here between Ninth Street and 10th Street are in new locations — Excel Art and Framing Store on Third Avenue and East Village Cheese on Seventh Street.

The large Duane Reade will be a welcome addition in this area so underserved by retail pharmacy chains. (KIDDING.)

4 St. Mark's Place gets the plywood treatment



Workers finished putting up the plywood outside 4 St. Mark's Place on Friday...



Until this past February, the retail space was home to Trash & Vaudeville for 41 years. (The store is now at 96 E. Seventh St.)

The storefront is for rent via Eastern Consolidated. It appears that the space will be divided into two different storefronts, based on the listing...



Details per the listing:

Upper Retail: 2,600 Square Feet
Lower Retail: 2,600 Square Feet
Storage Space: 1,500 Square Feet

Asking Rent
Upper Retail: $160 PSF
Lower Retail: $135 PSF (including storage basement)

The listing notes that the landlord will deliver a fully renovated space. The only permit on file so far with the DOB is for the construction fence.

As for the landlord. The landmarked building (whose first owner in 1833 was Alexander Hamilton’s son) sold for $10 million in the spring. According to public records, the LLC that bought the property shares an address with Castellan Real Estate Partners/Liberty Place Property Management. (These landlords have been in the news in the past.)

The building, which includes four apartments here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, arrived on the market last fall for $11.9 million.



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

4 St. Mark's Place is for sale

How you can be first to see the innovative beauty of a new line of Cadillacs



A film crew will be out today (until nightfall!) to shoot a TV commercial "featuring the innovative beauty of a new line of Cadillacs," per the posted signs. (Thank you Steven for the photo!)

Filming will occur on Stuyvesant Street, East Ninth Street and East 10th Street. The sign notes that their "working vehicles" will be parked on East 11th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

The new Cadillacs are probably pretty nice, but do they have a stuffed tiger inside?

Updated

EVG reader Daniel caught a little of the action on 10th Street... you can see the innovative beauty behind the totally awesome high-tech selfie Benz...





Sunday, June 5, 2016

And a double rainbow to end the weekend



And Lenin approves atop Red Square... thanks an EVG reader for the photo this evening!

Updated 9:20 p.m.

And another view via James and Karla Murray...


Week in Grieview


[Avenue A last evening]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

22-year-old man gunned down outside the Lillian Wald Houses (Friday)

CB3 committee to hear more about Mount Sinai Beth Israel's future plans in the neighborhood (Thursday)

Joggers pull suicidal man from the East River (Wednesday)

At the 29th annual Loisaida Festival (Sunday)

Fake Uber driver robs woman after a night in the East Village (Wednesday)

Out and About with fifth-grader Ceasar Noel Soto (Wednesday)

So long to the Yaffa Cafe mural (Sunday)

Police looking for suspect who tackled woman and stole her purse on East 10th Street (Thursday)

New residential building on Eighth Street and Avenue D called THREE99OnEIGHTH; condos start at $685k (Friday)

Getting to know Raphael Toledano (Thursday)

Vegan doughnut shop coming to St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

Report of a fire at 500 E. 12th St. (Thursday)

Checking in on the Bea Arthur Residence (Wednesday)

What might become of this vacant lot on East 14th Street? (Wednesday)

Icon Realty announces public art project for the East Village (Friday)

Charlie Parker's neighbor is for sale on Avenue B for the first time in 50 years (Tuesday)

Building no longer receiving mail (Tuesday)

Plans to convert the haunted beauty 104 E. 10th St. into a single-family home with two extra floors (Thursday)

Lab -321 is now open on St. Mark's Place (Friday)

You may now report your annoying Airbnbers directly to Airbnb (Tuesday)

The stacked townhomes of 347 Bowery are now available for purchase (Friday)

...and several readers have noted the arrival late last week of these stickers in various sizes... like this one on Avenue A and Third Street...

Tree on St. Mark's Place finally bearing White Sox hats



Photo today by Steven...

Independence Day: Resurgence. Fireworks will return to the East River.


[2015]

Just in case you missed this from Friday afternoon... the city announced that the Macy's 4th of July fireworks will be back on the East River this, uh, July 4th.

A few particulars via DNAinfo's report:

The show — which will start at 9:25 p.m. on July 4 — will once again be shot off from four barges on the water located between 23rd and 37th streets in Midtown and another below the Brooklyn Bridge near South Street Seaport, officials said.

And!

This is the 40th year for the annual holiday show, which will last 25 minutes and feature more than 52,000 shells, according to organizers.

And now... relieve last year's fireworks via this drone footage...

Two choices. Without music...



...or with musical accompaniment …

Saturday, June 4, 2016

Baby's day out



The hawklets in Tompkins Square Park have gotten so big... here's one of Christo and Dora's offspring stretching out today... Goggla has more on the kids and their fledge days ahead right here.

Photo by Bobby Williams

Weekend crane action with the 1st sign of Ben Shaoul's Orchard Street condoplex above ground



The crane crew has been set up on Orchard Street and East Houston ...and the steel beams are rising at Ben Shaoul's latest condoplex...

Look!



...and via the Blogger Portal...



As previously reported about 196 Orchard St., there will be 94 units — studios to three-bedroomers ... with pricing starting at just under $1 million and measuring from 555 square feet.

Shaoul's reps applied for a special permit through the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals to open a three-level Equinox (gym) in the retail space.

As BoweryBoogie noted this past week, the first floor of the proposed gym will include a reception area, lounge and juice bar with the second and third floors reserved for the usual gym stuff.

Shaoul's reps will appear before CB3's Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee on June 15 to discuss opening a "physical culture establishment" under the current zoning restrictions. Find more details (PDF) here.

Updated 6-5

An update on the work...



...hope the neighbors don't mind...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Making way for Ben Shaoul's new retail-residential complex on East Houston

Katz's is now the last business on East Houston between Ludlow and Orchard

Send a salami to your boy next door in the condo

Get Folked up in Tompkins Square Park this afternoon



Folk the Park VIII happens today in Tompkins Square Park... starting at noon... I haven't seen a list with set times just yet... (The Event page on Facebook mentions that David Peel and the Lower East Side Band are on at 4:30 p.m.)

Front pages for The Greatest





At Gem Spa this morning...

H/T Steven