Coming soon signage arrives for new deli on Avenue A and 12th Street

Was just talking about this place yesterday. The sign is up now for NY Grill & Deli ... which is going in the under-renovation corner space on the southwest corner of Avenue A and 12th Street.

Poppy's Gourmet Corner, the previous tenant here, closed at the end of January.

Noted

It was laundry day today in the small dog area in Tompkins Square Park as a dog-less traveler removed his pants to hose them down before rejoining his friends elsewhere in the Park.

Photo by Derek Berg

September opening expected for the 2nd Avenue location of Tompkins Square Bagels

An opening date is within sight for the Second Avenue location of Tompkins Square Bagels.

As I reported late last year, owner Christopher Pugliese's build out got bogged down, in part, by city bureaucracy. As he said in December:

"The killer is, the DOB approved all of our major alterations very quickly," he said. "They came back to us with a list of about 12 minor objections and asked us to make adjustments. Little things like 'move this staircase six inches to the right,' or 'put the skylight here instead of there.' That has been dragging on for months."

However, Pugliese told me on the phone the other day that the brunt of the work is complete. Workers installed the oven last week. Most of the equipment is in. Con Ed has turned on the gas service.


[The oven at 184 2nd Ave. last week]

"All the big stuff is done. All the plumbing is done. All the electric is done. We're bringing in coffee equipment now. We getting to the end," he said.

Considering how long the renovations have taken for the former Open Pantry space at 184 Second Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street, does he even want to offer up a possible opening date?

"We're getting really close. I feel like it won't be any later than Sept. 10-15," Pugliese said. "At this point now I can do the fun stuff, like I'm talking to local artists. I'm thinking about where all the seats will go."

Tompkins Square Bagels opened on Avenue A between 10th Street and 11th Street in December 2011.

"I love my store. I love my customers. I've gotten to know so many great people. I was trying to create the kind of place that I grew up with," said Pugliese, a Brooklyn native.

Nine years remain on the Avenue A lease. However, he has doubts that landlord Jared Kushner will offer him a lease renewal at that time. Which is one reason he scouted for another location.

"I want to be like Veniero's, Russo's or East Village Meat Market," he said. "I want to be 70 and still in there working. I want to stay in the East Village."

And he has a good feeling about Second Avenue.

"There's something about that block and the surrounding blocks that feels good — really cozy and comfortable," he said. "And St Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery is there. We lost a church on A, so I'm back even again."

Pugliese also said that there will be fewer menu options on Second Avenue than at Avenue A. "The place is a bit smaller, so that has to be. And we want to speed things up a bit. That's hard when you have such a giant menu."

There will be a few items only available at the Second Avenue TSB, such as bialys ... as well as knishes from Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery.

"It's the biggest project that I've ever done in my life," he said. "But it will be totally worth it."

Previously on EV Grieve:
After 40-plus years, Open Pantry looks to be closing on 2nd Avenue

Rumor: Tompkins Square Bagels possibly opening a 2nd East Village location on 2nd Avenue

A 2nd Tompkins Square Bagels confirmed for former Open Pantry space on 2nd Avenue

Tompkins Square Bagels makes it official on 2nd Avenue

The new Tompkins Square Bagels will arrive before the 2nd Avenue subway

Espresso bar-barber shop in the works for 137 Avenue A

A tipster told us last month that a coffee shop will open in the former Top A Nails space going under renovations now at 137 Avenue A between Ninth Street and St. Mark's Place.

That is partially correct. There is a CB3 SLA notice now on the storefront noting applicants are opening Three Seat Espresso and Barber in this space...



The applicants are seeking a beer-wine license for the business. This item will not be heard during this month's meeting, which is Aug. 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

There isn't any other information about the cafe-barber shop combo just yet. (There is a website that appears still under construction.)

As for Top A Nails, they moved next door to No. 139 in May.

Gotham Pizza now open on 3rd Avenue

[Photo by Harry Weiner]

The pizzeria opened this past Friday on Third Avenue and 12th Street... here's a look at their menu... a regular slice starts at $2.75... with pepperoni $3.50...



Will definitely stop back for a slice... and a taste-test post (#pizzagram)

Previously

Scott Stringer's audit blasts City Hall for inaction in Rivington House deed lift

Here's a look at part of the report via the EVG inbox...

New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer released a report today detailing the findings of a five-month investigation into actions taken by the City of New York that allowed Rivington House – a nursing home on the Lower East Side of Manhattan – to be sold for a $72 million profit in February 2016.

The Comptroller’s Office found that multiple City agencies and dozens of City officials were involved in deliberations about the removal of two deed restrictions that previously limited the property’s use to a not-for-profit residential health care facility.

The Comptroller’s investigation found the Rivington House property was allowed to slip away because of poor execution of City processes that were intended to elicit public opinion and protect the City’s best interests. This deal resulted in patients losing their homes, healthcare workers losing their jobs at the site, a neighborhood losing a vital community asset, and the City losing its power to ensure that the property was used for a public purpose “in perpetuity.”

Over the course of the investigation, the Comptroller’s Office reviewed more than 80,000 documents, including communications among the Rivington House sellers and buyers and City officials and interviewed Administration officials who were engaged over a two-year period with issues related to this deal.

Investigators found that, despite 48 City staff meetings and hundreds of emails and phone calls, lapses in the oversight of the deed removal process allowed Joel Landau, principal of the Allure Group, to secure the removal of the Rivington House deed restrictions at the same time that he was working to “flip” the property into luxury condominiums.

“No individual should be allowed to profit off the loss of vital community resources,” Comptroller Stringer said, “But what’s worse is that the checks and balances in place to avoid this kind of outcome were mismanaged. We have to make sure our government operates with the highest level of accountability to guarantee this never happens again.”

You can find a PDF of the full report here.

U.S. Attorney General Preet Bharara and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman are also investigating the removal of the deed restriction.

Previously

Another day at the Houston/Bowery Mural Wall

Last Monday, Logan Hicks started work an intricate stencil project on the Houston/Bowery Mural Wall.

Unfortunately, though, the heavy rains and stifling heat early last week caused the wall to shift... and Hicks and Co. were forced to stop, remove their work to date and wait for repairs.

The wall looks as if it has been buffed ... and ready for Hicks to return ... Meanwhile, there's a tempting blank canvas ...


[Photo by Lola Sáenz]

More on Target, and a look at its incoming home on 14th Street and Avenue A

In case you missed this news from late Friday afternoon, Target has reportedly signed a lease for the retail space at 500 E. 14th St., Extell's new development between Avenue A and Avenue B. (The Real Deal had the scoop.)

First, a look at how the development is developing... Extell is putting up two 7-floor retail-residential buildings ... 500 E. 14th St. at Avenue A will have 106 residential units … while, further to the east, 524 E. 14th St. will house 44 residential units. (It's still unclear whether these will be rentals or condos.)







As previously noted, construction has been slow going here. The excavating started in June 2015.

Meanwhile, not sure what all this is about... the pipe has been attached to 220 Avenue A for several months... now there's also a protective rooftop shed ...







As for Target, this will be a small-format store, like the one opening in Tribeca. The marketing copy at RKF says the retail space at No. 500 totals 42,367 square feet, including 24,735 square feet on the street level with 17,632 square feet down below. The corner space has some 250 feet of frontage on East 14th Street and another 52 feet on Avenue A.

The Tribeca location is 45,000 square feet — a third of the size of a regular Target, according to Fortune.


[255 Greenwich St. rendering via Target/Fortune]

Here's more about what we can expect from the small-format stores, via Fortune...

Much like the stores it has opened near Fenway Park in Boston and downtown San Francisco, the Manhattan location will have an assortment of products aimed at catering to local needs. For instance, at the Fenway store, Target offers locally brewed Samuel Adams beer. While Target is still refining its plans, the TriBeCa store will proportionally offer more grab-and-go food options for harried office workers, more organic foods for those finicky TriBeCans, and a lot of apparel. Target will adjust its home goods selection to fit smaller New York City homes.

Seeking to capitalize on what is a major hassle for the many New Yorkers whose buildings don’t have doormen to receive packages, the TriBeCa Target will be equipped for in-store pick-up of orders placed on target.com, allowing it to offer customers the same assortment they’d get in a big-box location (except for grocery items).

This Target, rather development at No. 500, replaced a row of single-level buildings that housed, starting at Avenue A: Stuyvesant Grocery, Pete's-A-Place, a hair salon and Jackson Hewitt Tax Service (before they were destroyed by fire on May 12, 2010), Rainbow, the Blarney Cove, a jewelry shop, a laundromat (which relocated closer to Avenue B) and Rite Aid.



It was also reported last week that Extell received a $140 million construction loan for the development.

And there is no timeline on when all this will be complete. The retail listing for No. 500 states possession will be available "Fourth Quarter 2016." As you can see on the progress to date, that isn't a realistic timeline any longer.

Updated 9:45 a.m.

For some perspective on the size of this incoming Target with the Kmart on Astor Place... let's go to this article from The New York Times, dated Oct. 1, 1996:

In a major push, Kmart is opening two huge new stores, one on 34th Street adjoining Pennsylvania Station, which opens tomorrow, the other on Broadway between Eighth and Ninth Streets, which will open next month. The company, swallowing the high operating costs, is going for volume. Each store will be expected to contribute more than $50 million in sales.

A kind of cultural exchange has begun as well.

"People don't realize how normal New Yorkers are," said Myles Johns, who was appointed general manager of the 34th Street store two months ago. "They're just like everybody else."

The new stores, each with more than 140,000 square feet, are not flagships in the usual sense -- Kmart has larger stores elsewhere in its 2,144-store chain -- nor are they even the first in New York City. Kmart opened stores in Queens and the Bronx in the early 90's, not to mention in the 60's on Staten Island.

Previously on EV Grieve:
East 14th Street exodus continues

Conspiracies: What next for 14th Street and Avenue A?

Those ongoing rumors about the future of East 14th Street between Avenue A and B

Petland is moving away from East 14th Street, fueling more new development rumors

The disappearing storefronts of East 14th Street

[Updated with correction] 8-lot parcel of East 14th Street primed for new development

New 7-floor buildings for East 14th Street include 150 residential units

Breaking (pretty much!): Target is coming to 14th Street and Avenue A (40 comments)

Mono + Mono coming soon — again!

[Photo from last week]

Last week a reader tipped us off to the fact that a flower shop was in bloom operating out of the former Mono + Mono space at 116 E. Fourth St.

A recap of what happened to the restaurant that specialized in Korean fried chicken (and with a collection of jazz records): In April 2013, a two-alarm fire swept through the single-level building. Through the years the owners provided multiple updates that they'd return to the space between First Avenue and Second Avenue. That never happened. And then when the signs arrived for the florist, it seemed as if the Mono + Mono return plans were kaput.

But! There is an amendment to the signage... that Mono + Mono is still in the works...



The last update of the M+M Facebook page is from October 2014 (and it's for the Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival). The M+M website site is currently down. The GoDaddy notice says it expired on July 15, and is "pending renewal or deletion." The M+M phone number is no longer in service.

Meanwhile, we have yet to see anyone inside the shop. And the number goes to a generic voice-mail box.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Early-morning fire at 116 E. Fourth St., home of Mono + Mono

(Kind of) An update on Mono + Mono

What is happening with the Mono + Mono space?

Report: Mono + Mono plans fall reopening

With new building OK'd, corner of 4th Avenue and 10th Street finally ready for razing

Workers prepped the southeast corner of 10th Street and Fourth Avenue late last week for demolition. (H/T to a reader for alerting us to this on Friday.) This comes about nine months after the permits were filed.

The parcel includes the four-story, turn-of-the-century townhouse at 82 E. 10th St.



Last Monday, the city OK'd the plans for a 10-story building here. The approved permit shows retail on the ground floor and 12 dwelling units above. The residential portion encompasses more than 24,000 square feet, so those units will presumably be condos. Floors 2-5 will each have two units while 6-8 will each have one unit while a two-level duplex to top things off.

The plans also show a rooftop "recreation space" ... with more outdoor space on the ground level. Residential perks include a media room, an exercise room and storage for seven bikes, according to the permits.

SBLM Architects are listed as the architects of record. We didn't spot a rendering at their website ... but there is this diagram on file with the DOB...



It has been a long time coming for this — or any — development here. The previous tenants, including the Green East deli and St. Marx Music (and previously the Atlas Barber School), were cleared out in early 2007. There were once plans to build a 13-story hotel, though the city never OK'd that proposal, Curbed reported in 2009.

The plans for the 10-story building were filed last summer, as New York Yimby first reported. The layout has been amended somewhat. The plans from last summer showed just eight residences. Folks living here will just have to make due with a little less space.

82 E. 10th St. was thought to have housed the Hilda Carmel Gallery in the late 1950s and early 1960s, where the likes of Pollock, Rothko and de Kooning showed their work.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Demo permits filed to raze southeast corner of 4th Avenue and 10th Street

The 'tremendous retail potential' of East 10th Street and 4th Avenue

10 stories of condos in the works for the long-vacant corner of 4th Avenue and East 10th Street

[Updated] Another deli/market looks to be replacing Poppy's on 12th and A

In the shadows of Steiner East Village, the renovations continue at the former Poppy's Gourmet Corner on Avenue A and 12th Street.

There are detailed plans on the plywood... helpfully pointing out where the various items will be inside the incoming deli/market...



Among other things, the plans show a counter, a back counter, coffee, ice cream, a fryer, grill and juice bar.

And now, courtesy of EVG regular Greg Masters, an exclusive look at the market's new refrigeration units...







Poppy's closed at the end of January. Owner Mike Attal told Poppy's regular Shawn Chittle that a rent increase made it too challenging (Kushnered) to stay in business.

Updated 8/2

The coming-soon sign is now up for NY Grill & Deli...

Drunken Dumpling coming soon to 1st Avenue

We have a signage reveal at 137 First Ave., where Drunken Dumpling is opening soon between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street...



The Drunken Dumpling proprietors are seeking a beer-wine license, and are on this month's CB3 SLA docket (that meeting notice has not been posted at the CB3 website as of this morning)...



This space was last home to Le Marécage, a nice little place that could only hang on for 10 months.

First strike

Here's a scene from Tompkins Square Park this afternoon... as one of the red-tailed hawk youngsters apparently made its first solo pigeon strike... EVG reader Peter Shapiro shared these photos... as he noted, "freshly picked pigeon feathers were gently falling toward the crowd of onlookers."






... and a few hawk shots from earlier today via Bobby Williams...

Week in Grieview

[Sunrise the other day]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

The L train shutdown countdown clock is on (Tuesday)

Police searching for suspect who groped, then punched woman several times on First Avenue (Wednesday)

At long last, 76 E. Houston St. reveals itself (Monday)

Cops looking for suspect who tied up woman after robbery on 13th Street and Avenue B (Thursday)

Esperanto opening a 2nd East Village location (Tuesday)

Q-&-A with Susan Seidelman, director of 'Smithereens' and 'Desperately Seeking Susan' (Friday)

Workers demolish the former Puck Fair and BP on Houston and Lafayette (Tuesday)

Man steals security camera that caught him breaking into an East 14th Street apartment (Tuesday)

Looking at some East Village gym options (Thursday)

Out and About with Creaux (Wednesday)

Small-format Target coming to 14th Street and Avenue A (Friday, 40 comments)

Hells Angel arrested for waving gun, chasing man down Third Street with a baseball bat (Wednesday)

Last splash: The Deep End Club closes on First Avenue (Thursday)

Astor Place reconstruction now slated for a fall completion (Tuesday)

Moonstruck Eatery closes on Avenue A (Wednesday)

The charming 65 E. Second St. is for sale (Monday)

Rentals underway at the Hub on Avenue B (Wednesday)

The 's is back at Ray's (Monday)

Blackout at the Houston/Bowery Mural Wall (Wednesday)

Rainbow! (Monday)

Empire Biscuit appears to be toast on Avenue A (Thursday)

... and just admiring the new awning at Fineline Tattoo, 21 First Ave. ...

Trash can in the trash can

A reader shares this from Third Street and Avenue B... where someone is clearly flouting the city's ban on household trash in street trash cans ... by dumping an entire household trash can ...

Gem Spa hat trick

Photo outside Gem Spa on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place via Derek Berg

Happy holidays, and watch out for the sinkhole

Someone has combined creating a sinkhole warning with offering holiday wishes on Third Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...

Thanks to the ever-vigilant @salim for the photo!

Last day for Inutilious Retailer on Ludlow Street

Photos and text by Nick McManus

This Saturday marks the closing for Ludlow Street's art-concept-store Inutilious Retailer. (Word is the new building's owner at 151 Ludlow St. won't renew the lease.)

Opened last September by artist Adrian Miller, it has become a hub for local artists Cash4 SMELLS, Brandon Sines and Hek Tad to name a few. Over the course of the year, he has invited painters of all kinds to do work in his back yard in addition to featuring a different artist every week with on top of his basement stairs.


[The rooftop of Inutilious Retailer's building looking north]


[The backyard of Inutiliuos Retailer last week]


[Bike messenger Gary McKnight in front of Inutilious Retailer featuring a Frank Ape painting by Brandon Sine last March]