East Village Burritos & Bar is now Spicewala Bar Indian Cuisine

[Photo Friday by EVG reader Steph]

On Friday morning, EVG reader Steph wrote in with news of [another] name change for the restaurant on the southwest corner of Sixth Street and First Avenue.

Please welcome Spicewala Bar Indian Cuisine...





So, to recap.

The space that houses East Village Burritos & Bar, on the corner, and Apna Masala next door on the Sixth Street side, have been closed since late September. A sign on the door point to "construction work."

After Banjara left the corner in 2013, Figaro Villaggio, an Italian bar-restaurant, opened in January 2014. They later changed the name to Figaro Cafe Bistro Bar & Grill and, by November 2014, gave up part of the space to an Apna Masala. (All from the same owners, as we understand it.)

Then in March 2015, Figaro Cafe Bistro Bar & Grill changed its names/concepts to La Esquina Bar & Grill ... then the name evolved to La Esquina Burritos and Bar ... and eventually East Village Burritos & Bar. And now, Spicewala Bar Indian Cuisine.

Meanwhile, the Apna Masala signage remains up... for now.

Future Swiss Institute gets the plywood treatment on 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

On Friday, workers started putting up the plywood around the former Chase branch on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place...



As previously reported, the Swiss Institute, a non-profit cultural center currently located on Wooster Street, has signed a lease for the whole building...



There aren't any permits on file with the DOB as of this morning about the renovation of this space. According to the previously distributed news advisory on the relocation:

Swiss Institute has hired Selldorf Architects to oversee the transformation of its new building. The 7,500 square foot space features four levels – basement, ground, second floor, and roof. The design for the building will create spaces for exhibitions, projects and public programs, a library, a bookstore, and a usable rooftop.

ARTnews floated a rumor that there will be a biergarten on the building's roof. A little early for more confirmation on that.

The Chase merged with the location two blocks to the north last November.

Steven took the above photos on Saturday... by yesterday, the ads had arrived...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Swiss Institute moving into the former Chase branch on 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

Vivi Bubble Tea coming to former Organic Avenue space on 3rd Avenue

Several Organic Avenue locations reopened late this past spring, as someone decided to revive the brand. (As Eater put it, OA was "being pumped full of life-restoring elixirs by a coven of benevolent kale sorcerers.")

The OA on Third Avenue at Ninth Street was not among the returning storefronts. At least for, say, bottles of Sweet Greens and to-go platters of Chikn' & Sweet Potato Waffles. Signage has arrived noting the arrival of the latest Vivi Bubble Tea franchise...



This location looks to be called the St. Mark.



Vivi now has 30 locations across the US of A.

The entire Organic Avenue juice-bar chain abruptly shut down last October. The company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.

As for bubble tea. Saint's Alp Teahouse, purportedly the first teahouse to bring bubble tea to New York City, closed nearly directly across the street last fall.

The supermoon in the wild

People are talking about the moon ... and taking photos of it. Per NPR:

It's the nearest supermoon in almost 70 years — and we won't see another like it until 2034.

"When a full moon makes its closest pass to Earth in its orbit it appears up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter, making it a supermoon," NASA says.

And!

In the U.S., we'll get three chances to see the moon at its brightest and biggest, from around sunset Sunday to Monday's predawn and sunset. On both days, the moon will rise around sunset.

EVG reader SylviaG shared these photos from today...





Keep an eye out for Felton Davis with his telescope on Third Street and Second Avenue outside the Bean.

Week in Grieview

[Yesterday morning on A and St. Mark's]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Report: Man sentenced to 14 years for three sexual assaults in the East Village (Monday)

Porchetta has closed on 7th Street; owners searching for new location (Tuesday)

A look at the 12-floor retail-residential building coming to 79 Avenue D (Tuesday)

DOH temporarily closes McSorley's (Thursday)

Election day (Tuesday ... and the aftermath)

The Redhead closes for good in January (Monday)

About the Alamo spinning again without barricades on Astor Place (Tuesday)

A look inside the Kati Roll Company on Second Avenue (Tuesday)

Rendering (and porta-potty) watch: 75 1st Ave. (Friday)

Worrying about Healthfully (Friday)

On Avenue A, Soothsayer is now Chao Chao (Friday)

Turntable Lab latest business to vacate 7th Street between Avenue A and 1st Avenue (Thursday)

Luxury rental building sells for $10 million on Fifth Street (Tuesday)

Wowfulls bringing Hong Kong egg waffles to East Houston Street (Monday)

Here's your Tim Ho Wan full reveal on 10th Street and Fourth Avenue (Monday)

Live above the (soon-to-depart) Citibank at 50 Avenue A (Friday)

It takes a Poke Village (Monday)

Cheers to the East Village couple who got married at McSorley's

McSorley's is currently closed by order of the DOH. However, that didn't stop an East Village couple from still getting married inside the bar as planned on Friday.

Per the Post:

East Village residents Kevin Golden, 44, and Catherine Talabac, 52, had been planning their big day since March. “McSorley’s is just one of my favorite places. I live two blocks away, and I always gravitate here,” said Talabac. “I asked if they do weddings there and they said no. But when I asked if we could, they said ‘ f – – k yeah.’ ”

“Some girls dream about the Plaza,” she said. “That wasn’t me.”

McSorley's can't serve any beer at the moment. So! "[T]he party moved over to the nearby Copper Still for a drink afterward." (And the dinner party was next door on Seventh Street at Porsena.)

Bartender/McSorley's historian Shane Buggy thought it was the first time a wedding ceremony had taken place inside the 162-year-old bar on Seventh Street.

“We’ve had plenty of proposals, but I can’t ever recall an actual ceremony,” he told the Post.

Noted

Urban Etiquette Sign on Fifth Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square...



"Would you like this pool of dog urine in front of the entrance to your house? Please curb your dog!! Thanks."

At the start of the March Against Trump in Union Square today

Another day, another Donald Trump protest. Several thousand people gathered in Union Square earlier today for a "Trump is NOT my president" march from Union Square to the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue. (The Facebook invite listed 16,000 people as attending.)

Per amNewYork:

David Bruce, of Manhattan, said demonstrating was less about challenging Trump than showing support to women, the LGBT community and people of color.

“It’s about love, it’s not about trashing Donald Trump,” Bruce, a 35-year-old film critic, said. “Donald Trump is preaching pure evil, he is preaching hate."

Organizers of the demonstration called it a peaceful protest. "Divided is the reason we just fell. We must unite despite our differences to stop HATE from ruling the land," the Facebook event said.

EVG correspondent Steven shared these photos...





















---

And via Derek Berg...

Nov. 12

Given that the Christmas/holiday tree stands will be arriving in about two weeks, it seems like a good idea to go ahead and toss last year's edition... which might be why EVG reader Riian Kant-McCormick spotted this fresh-looking pine beauty on Avenue A and Sixth Street today... easily setting a new tree-tossing record, for anyone keeping track of such important things.

Workers cleaning out McSorley's basement this morning; plus, Minnie McSorley comments

A crew was out early today, hauling some lumber and other items from the basement of McSorley's on Seventh Street near Cooper Square.

As we first reported on Thursday, the DOH temporarily closed McSorley's following an inspection on Wednesday.

The bar, which may or may not have been established in 1854, has had A grades from the DOH in previous years. This time around, though, inspectors found evidence of rats/mice in the basement, according to the inspection report.

Owner Matthew Maher blamed the never-ending Cooper Square reconstruction for the presence of the critters. (A construction storage area nearby on the street was a rat hotspot as anyone who ever walked by noted.)

Per DNAinfo:

"There was a whole load of building equipment here, when the city opened up the pipes and all that, and they just took that away a couple of weeks ago, and that was a haven for rats," he said, noting he had seen the rodents scurrying around near the site during the restoration project from the city's Department of Design and Construction, which included tearing up the pavement in the plaza to install a new gas main.

When a health inspector came by unannounced on Wednesday afternoon, rat droppings were found throughout the basement, said Maher, who suspected the vermin got in when workers installing a new heating system weeks prior failed to shut the basement door on the sidewalk.

And!

But rats are just a part of city living, said Maher — unpleasant, but not uncommon, especially near construction sites.

"Can you imagine New York City anywhere there isn't a rat? Are you kidding me?" he exclaimed.

Maher will appear at the city's Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings on Monday, and hopes to be able to reopen after that.

Meanwhile! Former house cat Minnie McSorley — banished by the DOH — offered her take on the matter on Facebook Thursday (h/t Daily News): "Good thing the health department made me move out, huh?"

Previously on EV Grieve:
Exclusive: Minnie McSorley's first interview

Tompkins Square Park status reinstated on Google Maps

[Back in August]

Back in August, EVG reader Mike W. noticed that Tompkins Square Park didn't show up on Google Maps for whatever reasons.

Despite not appearing on the map, it was still actually there, as we exclusively can reveal.

Anyway! Mike W. just let us know that the Park is back on Google Maps...



And a closer look...

Good morning, here is a photo of the moon last night

Photo from Earth by Grant Shaffer.

Reader report: An election comment, then an assault

An EVG reader reported being assaulted last night around 10:15 on Eighth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. Here's what he shared with us:

I am a 54-year-old white straight male. A youngish man walked beside me and said, "Sucks about the election, huh?" I responded "yup." And then ... my hat was knocked off my head, and three other young men appeared. All wearing hooded sweatshirts. Someone pushed me. Someone shouted "fucking faggot!" And someone spit on me. Someone took a punch at me, but hit my jacket. I screamed for help...but no one was on the street. They ran."

The reader reported the incident to the NYPD.

I couldn't describe them. But they were white. Young. And I think they all wore hoodies. I am okay. But incredibly shaken...the cops were kind of helpful, but without details, were not sure they could help more, other than to "look out for more incidents in the area."

Heavy trash

Brooklyn's Surfbort opens for Thee Oh Sees tonight at a sold-out Bowery Ballroom. (They're also on a bill Nov. 21 at Baby's All Right.)

The above video is for "Trash."

Rendering (and porta-potty) watch: 75 1st Ave.

Just a quick follow-up post about 75 First Ave., where an 8-story condoplex featuring 22 residences will rise here between Fifth Street and Fourth Street.

Renderings are up on the plywood... not a lot of detail, but you get the idea...




The building, designed by HTO-Architect, looks to be a cantilever ... taking up some space over the Rite Aid next door...



The big porta-potty is also off the Avenue (as seen in the top pic) ... though cyclists still need to veer into traffic to pass the site...





Since I took the top photos, workers have added a warning sign about construction in the bike lane.

Previously

Worrying about Healthfully

Several EVG readers have expressed concern in recent weeks over the longterm health of Healthfully Organic Market, 98 E. Fourth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Per one reader: "The shelves are looking sparse ... and they seem to be posting their hours weekly."

As of this week, the shop has been closed during posted business hours. There's no word for patrons about a temporary closure on the door or elsewhere. (Healthfully's Facebook page has not been updated since 2012.)

And yesterday, a reader noted that there's a 40 percent off everything inventory sale going on...



At the end of the summer of 2011, Kim Kardashian, her sister Kourtney and 50 photographers discretely shopped at Healthfully.


[Photo by Zinno Park]

Live above the (soon-to-depart) Citibank at 50 Avenue A

[Photo from 2014]

As noted last month, the Citibank at 50 Avenue A is closing for good in January. Several readers commented that the building housing the bank branch is rather unattractive.

I never thought much about it. There is a residence in the building for sale. Perhaps it's much better from the inside. Here's a look at the listing via Streeteasy:

This beautifully renovated apartment, one of the loveliest two bedroom, two full bathrooms currently on the market in the east village, is spacious, serene, and light-filled. Three blocks from Tompkins Square Park, four from the F train, and a five minute walk to SoHo, it's location puts you in one of the most convenient and authentic spots from which to experience our magical city.

The new renovation includes sanded oak floors, a raised ceiling with painted beams, exposed brick in every room, open kitchen, mosaic tiles in the bathroom, and custom made, rustic fixtures and furniture, which can come with the apartment. Rustic wood wraps the roaring fireplace, there is washer/ drier setup in unit, stainless steel oven, microwave, dishwasher, air con units and a powerful heating system under the individual apartment's control. There is a ton of storage space in the apartment and additional small, medium and large storage units available in the basement.

Located in a super safe (a new camera intercom is going in this month), conveniently located building on Ave A and third, you are steps from a 24 hour grocery store with plenty of organic produce, one block from the newest and largest New York Sports Clubs, within two blocks of a 24 hour Duane Reade, Union Market, bookstores, art galleries, restaurants, community gardens bars, nightlife, theaters and so much more.

And two pics...





Asking price: $1.25 million. And there's an open house tomorrow afternoon from 2:30-4:30.