Gone but not forgotten

Remembering a few of our friends and neighbors who died in 2016...

Stephen Konzen (aka the East Village Magic Man), friend, magician



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Richard Kopperdahl, writer, patient



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Carmen Pabón, community activist, gardener



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Bill Gerstel, father, musician


[Photo from 2014 by James Maher]

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Ernest Russell, father, artist


[Photo by Legacy Russell]

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Adrian Gilboe, store owner, collector



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Brett Kilroe, designer, music lover


[Photo by Dan Winters]

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Lorraine Levine, sophisticated lady, advice giver

Don't freak out, but I died on Sunday. You can now reach me via the Ouija board. Will do hauntings for a buck. ❤️u pic.twitter.com/4x01HWTYGT

— Lorraine Levine (@ask_lorraine) May 23, 2016

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Tom Mulligan, Army veteran, Tompkins Square Park regular


[Photo by Michael Sean Edwards]

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John Farris, poet, mentor

[Photo of John Farris by EVG from 2010]

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Alan Vega, musician, icon


[Image via]

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Roland Legiardi-Laura, poet, director of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe

[Image via Nuyorican Poets Cafe]

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Al Orensanz, author, director of the Angel Orensanz Center



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Coca Crystal, writer, cable-access star


[Image via Facebook]

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Jim Hayes (aka Cowboy Jim), Tompkins Square Park, St. Mark's Place fixture


[Photo courtesy of John Caldwell]

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This evening's fiery sunset

From several positions...

On Avenue A (photo by Greg Masters) ...



From Third Street (photo by Felton Davis)...



From 10th and C (photo by Bobby Williams)...

Year-end Citi Bike stats: 14 million trips (bike trips)

[Photo from July by Derek Berg]

Mayor de Blasio released some year-end stats-n-stuff about Citi Bike this morning.

To the news release!

Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced that Citi Bike had set another ridership record in 2016, with nearly 14 million trips – shattering the record set in 2015 by more than 4 million. The Citi Bike program, the largest bike-share program in North America, now regularly serves over 60,000 trips per day – on par with Boro Taxis and the Staten Island Ferry. By one estimate, this year’s record number of Citi Bike trips have kept New Yorkers out of carbon-producing vehicles, sparing nearly 5,000 tons of CO² out of New York City’s air.

And!

Citi Bike served more than 60,000 trips on 23 different days this year; on October 19, riders completed nearly 70,000 trips – a one-day system record. Operated by Motivate, a national leader in bike share, Citi Bike continues to attract the highest ridership volume of any bike share system in North America. This year’s record represents a 40 percent increase over the previous year, an indication that Citi Bike’s popularity continues to surge all across the city.

And!

The Citi Bike program also added 139 stations and 2,000 bikes to its fleet in 2016 – expanding the network from Harlem to Red Hook in the second phase of an expansion plan that will double the size of the bike share network from 6,000 to 12,000 bikes by 2017. Citi Bike will continue to expand to Astoria, Prospect Heights and Crown Heights in the coming year.

Gothamist's coverage of the announcement noted ...

Citi Bike currently costs $12/day (unlimited 30-minute rides) or $177 for an annual membership (unlimited 45-minute rides). There are also lower-cost options for NYCHA residents and IDNYC holders, as well as some credit union members, Oxford health plan participants and Citi card holders. For comparison, currently one subway ride is $2.75 and a monthly unlimited pass (not including new card fee) is $116.50.

152 2nd Ave. storefront to yield a combo Greek yogurt and smoothie shop

[Photo by Steven]

Signage went up yesterday for the combo business coming to 152 Second Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street — a Greecologies and Pure Green.

Here's more about Greecologies from a June 2015 New York Times feature:

Yogurt is made on the premises at Greecologies, an airy emporium in Little Italy that offers the thick and tangy strained style of Greek yogurt as well as a sweeter, unstrained variety that comes with a layer of cream on top and whey on the bottom. Both use Hudson Valley milk, as does a lovely cultured butter spread that can also be stirred into strong coffee.

The menu includes a variety of Greek yogurts as well as desserts, coffees and teas. This will be the second NYC location for Greecologies.

Here's more about Pure Green, which has multiple NYC locations, from the company website:

Pure Green's focus is to make it easy to live a healthy lifestyle. Our philosophy is everyone should experience sustained energy throughout the day. Starting your day with our cold-pressed juice, drinking our handcrafted smoothies and nutrient-rich snacks will restore your energy and RECHARGE YOUR LIFE.

This is an ultra-competitive market for juices and smoothies. For starters, one block to the north, there's the well-entrenched Juice Press on 10th Street just east of Second Avenue … and Liquiteria on Second Avenue and 11th Street ... and there's beQu Juice on Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... with a a shop called JuiceGo opening soon directly across Ninth Street. Plus, there's Juice Vitality at 192 First Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street ... and East Village Organic on First Avenue between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place sells fresh juice ... as does Commodities on First Avenue between 10th Street and 11th Street. (Added: The Be Juice shop next to Basics Plus on Third Avenue between 12th Street and 13th Street.)

152-154 Second Ave. is the former Sigmund Schwartz Gramercy Park Chapel that Icon Realty bought, gutted, added three extra floors and opened as luxury rentals.

Little Tong Noodle Shop taking the former Schnitz space on 1st Avenue

A self-described "fast causal" restaurant called Little Tong Noodle Shop is set to take over the former Schnitz space on First Avenue at 11th Street.

The applicants are on the January CB3 docket for a beer-wine license. (This item will not be heard during the committee meeting on Jan. 9. This was also a sale of assets.)

According to the questionnaire (PDF!) on file at the CB3 website, the restaurant will be open daily from 11 a.m to midnight. The owners also plan on operating a four-table sidewalk cafe with 12 seats from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The application doesn't include a sample menu. Perhaps Little Tong Noodle Shop will be able to pick up a few of the customers waiting three storefronts away for Momofuku Noodle Bar.

Schnitz, which served old-fashioned schnitzel sandwiches with unconventional toppings, was in operation from March 2014 to August 2016.

Something Sweet, the family-owned bakery, was here until July 2012.

A stop by the Rogue House Salon on 7th Street

Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue is arguably one of my favorite blocks in the neighborhood. Rogue House Salon at No. 76 is one of the newest businesses on the block.

Jamielynn De Leon opened the hair salon back in August. I recently asked her a little about the space.

"I came here 10 years ago and, like many, had dreams of 'making it NYC,'" she said. "The East Village has a special place in my heart. It was the first place I lived here.

"I worked at your Fifth Avenue salons. Once I had the experience, I knew I wanted to work in a downtown salon. East Village salons are the best — they are accessible and community oriented."

She worked at two salons in the neighborhood, Birds & Fellas and Fox and Jane, before deciding to open her own place. She lived on Seventh Street, and had on occasion frequented Jasna Hair Studio at 76 E. Seventh St.

When Jasna's owner later died, the space went on the rental market. "I was searching for a salon, and right in front of me was Jasna's for rent. I personally did not know what was going to happen, but ... I became the new salon owner."

And her vision for the space?

"Before starting the design, my architect said, 'what do you value?' and I said community. Then he said everything in the space will lead back to community. Rogue House has a barbershop vibe in a modern boutique salon. The decor itself has a house-like feeling as if you're hanging out in a living room. The people on the block come by, say hi and even have a drink from time to time. We are part of the community and happy to make an impact any way I can."



Photos by Stacie Joy

The Times calls Avenue A newcomer Baci e Vendetta 'a stunning bar and trattoria'

Back on Dec. 16 we noted that Baci e Vendetta had opened at 131 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.

At the Times yesterday, Florence Fabricant gushes about the wine bar-cafe:

Here’s a stunning bar and trattoria with Old World bronze-trimmed elegance that outclasses its East Village location.

As the Times notes, Baci e Vendetta is the work of the group that "creates themed bars," including Kingston Hall and Shoolbred’s on Second Avenue.

This space was the 10 Degrees Bistro until the fall of 2015 ... and the Flea Market Cafe before that.

Previously on EV Grieve:
New-look Flea Market Cafe shows itself on Avenue A; reopens March 11

Team behind Shoolbred's and Ninth Ward vying for 10 Degrees Bistro space on Avenue A

Noted

The Strand weighs in on the year... photo last night by @fnytv

East Side Tavern in the works for former Redhead space on 13th Street

After 10 years in service, the Redhead closed on Dec. 17 here at 349 E. 13th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

The space, however, doesn't look to be empty very long.

Paperwork from an applicant vying for a liquor license is now up on the front door...



The applicant, going by the name East Side Tavern, is proposing to open a restaurant here.

So far, the applicant's questionnaire with more information about the establishment hasn't been posted to the CB3 website.

CB3's SLA committee meeting is 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 9 in the Thelma Burdick Community Room, 10 Stanton St. at the Bowery.

As for the Redhead, the well-regarded restaurant that served Southern fare, the lease was up for renewal ... and the partners have been living out of state.

Report: The Stone said to be closing in 2018; new venue in the works

With news that Cake Shop and Elvis Guesthouse are closing after New Year's Eve, it has been a tough time for fans of the area's live music venues.

Now comes word via The New York Times that the current home of The Stone, John Zorn's experimental performance space on Avenue C at Second Street, will close, though not until February 2018.

Per the Times:

In an emailed statement, Mr. Zorn confirmed the timing of the closure, but added that there was a likely future for the Stone in another space. “We hope to secure a new location and discussions are proceeding but as yet nothing has been definitely decided,” he wrote.

“We do hope you will all enjoy this last year in our historic underground East Village location and that you will all follow the music wherever it leads...

Check out the Stone's schedule here for a look of what's to come in the year ahead.

The Stone opened in 2005.

Last call for the Will Ferrell-themed Stay Classy on Rivington

Stay Classy, the Will Ferrell-themed bar at 174 Rivington St., is closing after service on New Year's Eve, as the Lo-Down first reported yesterday.



The owners plan on holding Stay Classy pop-up events in various cities as they just did in Los Angeles.

As for the space on Rivington between Clinton and Attorney, the owners told the Lo-Down: "We still own the space ... and are installing a new place there which is going to be so awesome can’t wait to start telling people about it!" Stay Classy opened in the fall of 2015.

Stay Classy owners Zach Neil and Brian Link also operate the Tim Burton-themed bar-restaurant Beetle House on Sixth Street. And Neil was the driving force behind 'MericaNYC, which closed after three weeks in the Zerza space.

A year-end look at Steiner East Village

Somehow three-plus months have passed since we last looked at the progress of the quite large Steiner East Village on Avenue A between 11th Street and 12th Street... Update: It is still quite large...



The 7-story, 82-unit building officially at 438 E. 12th St. features homes starting at $1.1 million... with the 4-bedroom penthouse with 1,364 square feet of terraces that's asking $11.25 million. (This unit is in contract, per Streeteasy.) There are currently seven units listed as available at the Steiner East Village website.

Previously

RIP 2016

Via Vinny & O ... there's an homage to some of the creative personalities who died in 2016 taking place tonight at the Bowery Mural Wall ... included in the projection: David Bowie, Bill Cunningham, Carrie Fisher, Leonard Cohen and George Michael ...











Other people honored included Prince, Natalie Cole and Gene Wilder.

Happy Birthday Lenny Kaye

Lenny Kaye, the influential guitarist and composer perhaps best known for his work with Patti Smith, turned 70 today.

On this occasion, EVG reader Jennifer, who lives on 15th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, hung a Happy Birthday Lenny Kaye banner from her terrace this morning. (Unfortunately, we didn't get a great shot of it. The winds this morning prevented the banner from staying up for too long.)

Anyway, per Jennifer: "We wanted to salute his many talents!"

There's a sold-out 70th birthday concert tonight at the Bowery Ballroom in his honor.

1st tree arrives in Tompkins Square Park mulch pens

As noted yesterday, MulchFest (sold out, but tix remain on StubHub) is Jan. 7-8.

Ahead of that, workers in Tompkins Square Park erected the holding area for anyone to toss their tree in... and as of this morning, we have our first tree-tossing taker, per this photo by EVG correspondent Steven...



As a reminder from mulch officials, remove all lights, ornaments, stands, plastic bags and gifts from the tree.

Updated 5:57 p.m.

A SECOND TREE HAS ARRIVED!


[Photo by Steven]

2 live music venues, Cake Shop and Elvis Guesthouse, closing after New Year's Eve

[EVG file photo of Elvis Guesthouse]

Live music takes another hit as two venues are shutting down after New Year's Eve.

• Elvis Guesthouse, 85 Avenue A

The bar, located in a subterranean space between Fifth Street and Sixth Street, recently confirmed — via Brooklyn Vegan — the rumors of a pending closure.

The venue opened in early 2015 ... and by November 2015 had drawn complaints from neighbors who say the owners didn't do enough to mitigate the noise from the space. At that time they were said to cut back on the number of shows in the space.

Elvis Guesthouse co-owners Zachary Mexico and Billy Jones, who operate Baby's All Right in Williamsburg, are opening a venue on Lafayette near Astor Place described as an "an indie music hall and restaurant."

• Cake Shop, 152 Ludlow St.

The 11-year-old cafe/live music venue between Stanton and Rivington has had its share of financial struggles ... which owners Nick and Andy Bodor were able to overcome with a crowdfunding campaign in 2012.

Earlier this year, the owners were looking to sell the ground floor cafe/bar while maintaining the well-curated live-music spot downstairs.

BoweryBoogie has more on what's ahead for the space via an email from the Bodors...

We will close for improvements January 1, and reopen as soon as possible, but the end of Cake Shop in its current incarnation is this coming New Year’s Eve. Tonight is the start of some very, very special goodbye shows, and we’d love to see you all!!

Location and sustainability in our current and long running model have been an issue for more than a long time, as I’m sure you’ve heard me whine about for years. As beloved to you and me as it is, we are failing to keep up with the bills, we have been for years. It’s been the longest, most fulfillable, most enjoyable project of my entire life.

You can find a list of their final shows here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Comeback special: Arrow Bar owners opening Elvis Guesthouse on Avenue A

Elvis Guesthouse officially ready for occupancy tonight

Report: Live music ends for now at Elvis Underground

Cake Shop will rock on

9th Street residential garage reveal

The plywood and sidewalk bridge have finally been cleared at 327 E. Ninth St., providing a full reveal of Icon Realty’s six-story, two-unit residential building nearly four years now in the making....



We haven't seen any listings yet for the two units at this site of a former parking lot here between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Thanks to EVG contributor Steven for the photos!

Previously on EV Grieve:
The big dig begins for 6-story, 2-unit condo on East 9th Street

East Ninth Street parking lot will yield to 6-floor residential building

Fresh & Co. closes 4th Avenue location

After 21 months on the southeast corner of Fourth Avenue and 13th Street, Fresh & Co. has called it a day...



What was the kale-and-quinoa chainlet's 12th NYC location closed late last week. Fresh fans are directed to nearby locations on Broadway at Waverly and Eighth Street at Mercer...



The last tenant here, Pie Face, didn't fare much better. Before the renovation and rent increase (to $30,000), the previous tenant, Brothers Deli, didn't seem to have any issues with business.

A psychic departs East 14th Street building accused of being a hotel

Over at 536 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, the Psychic (Psychi) Advisor who has operated out of the storefront for years ...



... has been told to vacate by the city...



The DOB website complaint notes this about the space: "illegally converted (west) store to Class A Apt with psychic office w/o providing required means of egress."

There are also complaints of "illegal hotel rooms" in the building. Per one complaint dated Dec. 11 (and left in the DOB ALL-CAP STYLE):

THERE IS A APARTMENT BUILDING BEING USED AS A SHORT STAY HOTEL.PEOPLE ARE CONSTANTLY COMING AND GOING. I SPOKE TO A RENTER AND THEY SAID THEY WERE STAYING FOR THIRTY DAYS. I HAVE IT ON VIDEO TAPE.

The building's longtime owner is listed as Betty & Lilly Corp.

In any event, this space is likely more attractive these days ... just two storefronts away from the new mixed-used building going in at 524 E. 14th St., where luxury housing and some retail are on the way.

For further reading:
"What Does the Future Hold for the City’s Tarot Card Readers and Fortune-Tellers?" (The Commercial Observer)

Thanks to Michael Paul for the photos!

Dahlia's Tapas Wine Bar appears closed for good

Last week, we noted that Dahlia's Tapas Wine Bar at 214 E. Ninth St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue had been closed of late during posted business hours.

A look inside yesterday reveals an interior in disarray ...



There aren't any signs up for patrons about a closure... and no one answers the phone.

The owners also operated Dahlia’s, the Mexican restaurant on Second Avenue and Fifth Street that the SLA busted for allegedly serving 50 minors last January. The restaurant closed in May.