A new community arts and performance venue on 8th Street and Avenue B

Starting in early December, the former yoga studio in the basement of 295 E. Eighth St. (this building) at Avenue B was transformed into Planeta Space.

Per their website, Planeta Space "is a community arts and performance venue focused on multidisciplinary collaboration within the fields of digital media, virtual reality, architecture, and music."

The space is part of Planeta, a research-and-development studio that works on applications for mobile devices and virtual reality.

This weekend, Planeta is hosting an exhibition of young Nicaraguan artists (Saturday at 6 p.m.) and a "KID'S Disco (Sunday at 4).

Check out Planeta's Facebook page for more upcoming events.

Beyond Vape latest shop to depart St. Mark's Place

The sale continues at Beyond Vape, the upper-level shop closing at the end of the month at 19-23 St. Mark's Place...





I do not know why this store is closing, whether it's an unmanageable rent increase or ongoing e-cigarette competition on the block. (Or perhaps the new FDA regulations enacted last spring have made an impact.)

Beyond Vape opened here in late 2013. At that time, it was the growing chain's first East Coast outpost. Today, there are eight other NYC locations of Beyond Vape.

Grand Sichuan closed next door back in the fall. Other more recent closures on this block include Friterie Belgian Fries and Lab -320°.

New broker for former 7-Eleven space on St. Mark's Place

The 7-Eleven at 37 St. Mark's Place at Second Avenue closed at the end of November 2013. And the storefront has been empty ever since... there's now a new broker for the retail space. (The listing isn't online just yet at Walter-Samuels.)

A few of the storefronts here in the corner building have sat empty since late 2011. (RIP Timi's Gelateria Classica™.)

However, there will be a new tenant soon enough next to the former 7-Eleven with the arrival of 98 Favor Taste, which will specialize in traditional Korean-style barbecue and Chinese hot pot meals

It would have been a good day for some football, except for 1 small detail

Photo in Tompkins Square Park by Bobby Williams...

2nd Avenue ring toss

Photo this morning by Derek Berg...

RIP Rita Lasar

Rita Lasar, a longtime East Village resident and business owner, died of cancer on Sunday in her Village View home. She was 85.

Her son, Raphaël Lasar, told me more about his mother:

She was a peace activist and retired businesswoman who moved to the neighborhood in 1965. She had filled her prescriptions at Block Drugs all those years and ate at Three of Cups more often than just about anyone and brought them numerous new customers. She and my father ran an electronics manufacturing business at 59-61 E. 4th St. from 1967 to 1989.

She sold the business, the Electric Eye Products Company, which made electrical security devices for retail stores, in 1989 after her husband Ted suffered a stroke. He died in 1991.

On 9/11, her younger brother Abraham Zelmanowitz died in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Instead of leaving the building, he stayed with a quadriplegic co-worker until firefighters could arrive.

Her brother's death inspired her to become an activist.

From a remembrance written by her other son, Matthew Lasar:

Three days later President George W. Bush cited Abe’s courage in a speech before the National Cathedral, but Rita began to fear that her brother’s sacrifice would be used as justification for recklessness abroad.

On September 17, she sent a letter to The New York Times that expressed this concern. “It is in my brother’s name and mine that I pray that we, this country that has been so deeply hurt, not do something that will unleash forces we will not have the power to call back,” she wrote. The letter attracted widespread attention. Dozens of spouses, children, and siblings of victims of the attack called or wrote to her to share their concerns.

Not long after this statement, Rita travelled to Afghanistan with three other victim family members to protest the US/NATO bombing of civilians. As the US deployed forces across the Middle East in the name of a “war on terror,” Rita chose another mission and path. “I will stay behind just as my dear brother did” she promised audiences. “I will stay behind and ask America not to do something we can’t take back.” In February of 2002 she became a co-founder of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows.

There will be a short gathering in her honor at The Riverside Memorial Chapel on 76th Street and Amsterdam Avenue tomorrow (Jan. 13) at 11 a.m.

Did Friterie Belgian Fries close on St. Mark's Place?

The gate was down during business hours yesterday afternoon at Friterie Belgian Fries, 36 St. Mark's Place.

A man putting a lock on the gate told EVG correspondent Steven that the business was done. Calls to the shop between Second Avenue and Third Avenue are directed to a message noting that this customer hasn't set up a voicemail box.

Meanwhile, the business that shares the address, Topoo Village Gifts (Best Head Shop in 2012 per the Voice) cleared out back in the summer. That space now has a for rent sign...



Friterie Belgian Fries opened in June 2015 ... in an attempt to fill the void after Pommes Frites was lost in the deadly Second Avenue gas explosion on March 26, 2015. (Pommes Frites reopened last May on MacDougal Street.)

The previous tenant here, Fasta ("Pasta Your Way"), lasted less than six weeks in business.

And before that, it was the $1.50 branch of 2 Bros. Pizza, which closed in February 2015.

The art of the deal at Taj Restaurant

Several EVG readers noted the ongoing special at the old timer on Sixth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue ...



It's a "Trump Surprise" with 50 percent off all ... "whenever we decide." (Sounds like a gag leftover from former neighbor 'Merica NYC.)

In any event, the 25-year-old, family-owned Taj Restaurant was closed for part of the fall... a sign pointed to an issue with Con Ed...


[Photo from October]

The restaurant reopened in November... and they seem to be emphasizing more of their later-evening bar business...

F*ck your New Years Resolution party tomorrow night. Starts at 10 pm, all drinks are $6 🍻310 E 6th St NYC

A photo posted by Taj (@tajeastvillage) on Jan 6, 2017 at 12:53pm PST

New mural in the works for Houston and the Bowery

[Photo from yesterday morning]

After nearly a five-month run, workers have started removing the stenciled tapestry by Logan Hicks at the Houston/Bowery Mural Wall.

According to BoweryBoogie, the Spanish street-art duo Pichi & Avo will begin a new mural here at the end of the month (weather permitting).

Here's a sampling of their work from Lisbon in 2014...


[Image via]

Water issues on 10th Street

The 10th Street water main replacement and sewer rehab continues this week between Avenue A and First Avenue... EVG Water Main Replacement and Sewer Rehab correspondent Daniel shared these photos from this afternoon...



The work has required some water shutdowns along the block...



This has caused Russian & Turkish Baths to adjust their schedule...



Per their website:

Due to water mains being turned off on 10th Street our schedule will be changing daily.

On Wednesday, January 11th, Woman's day has been suspended and we will be opened at 2pm for regular CO-ED hours. Information about Thursday and Friday will be announced the night before but our hours will most likely be 2pm-10pm.

During Regular business hours you may call for updates at 212-505-0665

As Daniel noted, the work on this block is pretty intense as workers are moving the water main from the south to north side of the street.

Updated: A few more days for Caffe Bene's reopening on Avenue A with an expanded menu

As we noted last week, Caffe Bene on Avenue A at 13th Street closed for renovations.

The signage noted that the cafe was adding items such as burgers, steaks, quinoa bowls, tacos and quesadillas to the menu.

Caffe Bene remains closed today, just a day past the expected reopening... the new sign notes that they need a few more days on the renovations...



Rish, the owner here, left a comment on the previous post. He wrote, in part:

1) The previous menu is still in full effect — we'll still have yogurt, acai & pitaya bowls, avocado toast, waffles & soups.
2) We're adding a menu through which we can attract more of a crowd in the evening. We close at 11PM on most nights and midnight on the others so it's very tough for us to cater to "late-night drinkers"

Thanks to Steven for the photos!

Updated 2 p.m.

EVG reader Lola Sáenz shared these photos... she was there to hang a piece of her art in the cafe...



... she also shared a photo of the new menu...



Updated 1/18

The cafe is now back open.

Out and About in the East Village

In this ongoing feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village.



By James Maher

Name: Ali Sahin
Occupation: Owner, C&B Café
Location: 7th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B
Date: Thursday, Jan at 4 pm

I’m from Turkey. I came here about 9 or 10 years ago. I visited here once before when I was a kid, and I guess it was time. New York is a charm. I’ve been in restaurants in New York for eight years now, cooking mostly, but I’ve done almost anything. I went to culinary school back in the day and worked for some fine dining restaurants in New York City, and then I wanted to open up something simpler and more approachable than fine dining.

Fine dining was a great experience. You learn a lot, but you can’t eat in a fine dining restaurant everyday — one financially and two it wouldn’t be that healthy. It’s a weird thing when you work in these fancy restaurants that you can’t afford to eat in. It was a good learning experience. It was like a school but they pay you, although kitchen work is pretty hard. The fine-dining world takes itself the most serious, which is great in one way, and it’s not that great in another, because at the end of the day it’s just food.

I was working in the West Village and there was this great little café owned by a French couple, 11th Street Café. I would always go and have a sandwich and coffee and they had a great staff and delicious food, fresh. So I thought, “Maybe I can do something like this, but a little different.” There it was very simple — we are very simple too but we make our own breads and sausages and stuff, so I took that and I said, “You know what, we’ll make everything in the house,” which is not an easy concept. We couldn’t do everything in house in the beginning because it takes a lot of labor and we didn’t have that much money, but as we started generating more money then I managed to hire other people, and now we make everything in house except cheese and butter — two years in.

I actually wanted to open in Brooklyn, where I lived at the time, but it didn’t work out — the hype and expense in Brooklyn was really high. I couldn’t find a place and I couldn’t agree with the landlords. I honestly never looked into the city because I thought I couldn’t afford it. I just randomly ran into an ad for a space below Houston, which was affordable, and so I started to look into lower Manhattan, and then the next ad was for this space, and it worked out. It happened in like 15 days after three years of trying to find a space.

The type of food is kind of hard to explain. We serve breakfast and lunch only — we serve breakfast all day and lunch starts after 11. Everything is made here and made to order. It’s a small café but it works like a high-end restaurant. We start cooking everything once you order. The idea is more approachable, more affordable, good food, which I think is still missing in New York City, and in America unfortunately. Food in New York at least is suffering a lot right now. A lot of places are closing down and big names are going out of business.

I never did a coffee shop concept, restaurants yes, but I was mostly behind the scenes. The first day we were open, I think it was a blizzard day, and I didn’t have milk or cream and people kept asking. Of course they asked for milk. One of the neighbors here, Daniel, who’s a longtime East Village person and used to be a theatre director, a very kind and artsy gentleman, brought us the milk and cream from his house. That was pretty great and he still comes in. And last year there was a blizzard and they shut down the subways, and I walked all the way from Bed Stuy. It was a two-hour walk. I didn’t know, but a bunch of people walked in that day. It was a great business day. Now I’ve moved back, a little too close. I live about 50 steps away — I never leave work.

I lived in this neighborhood when I first moved to New York, on Avenue C between 7th and 8th for the first two years, then I moved to Brooklyn and I worked in the West Village and Upper East Side. The East Village is special. The people here… especially after I started the business, now I talk to everybody who comes in and lives in the neighborhood. They’ve been really kind and generous. It’s amazing. I’ve talked to other people who run businesses in the neighborhood and we all feel the same way. I don’t think it could work anywhere else, honestly.

I feel like we’ve managed to build a place where it’s not just a hyped-out restaurant. It’s more like an in the neighborhood-forever type place. We can name about 70 percent of the people who walk into this place and have a small talk or conversations about their life – and then they know when they need to move faster too. We gotta work.

James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.

CB3 gives OK for East Side Tavern to take over the former Redhead space on 13th Street

As we've noted, Michael Stewart, a co-owner of Tavern on Jane at 31 Eighth Ave., is opening East Side Tavern in the former Redhead space on 13th Street.

On Monday night, CB3's SLA committee gave their blessing for the new venture. And those in attendance were happy about the arrival. Per BoweryBoogie: "It was a rare sight to see so many longtimers in attendance to support Stewart’s endeavor."

Several EVG readers have said they liked the idea of a Tavern of Jane-type place in this neighborhood. Per one commenter: "Tavern on Jane is the sort of place I'd love to see in the EV: not overly expensive, decent food in a nice surrounding, no uber-trends or the sort of crowd that rushes in to be part of a 'scene.' If the new place is like ToJ, then that could be a nice addition to the hood."

Here's what New York magazine had to say about Tavern on Jane, which opened in 1995:

Bleecker Street may be teeming with expensive boutiques and cupcake tourists, but the Village vibe lives on at Tavern on Jane. With vintage posters on its exposed brick, an embossed ceiling, and low, topaz lighting, the dining area feels as inviting as a bustling English roadside inn. Most customers sip brimming pints of ale in the front room’s convivial bar, or settle into the back room to doodle with fat crayons on each table’s butcher paper. The Tavern’s brand of classy pub grub goes for hearty flavors over foppish modern flourishes. Tender, marinated hanger steak comes with your choice of potato and vegetable — the emerald asparagus is charred and sweet, while potatoes au gratin have the creamy bite of blue cheese. The grilled, juicy burger, capped with gooey cheddar, comes nestled inside a toasted bun and served with tawny fries and a dish of sweet coleslaw...

Stewart said that he will replicate that Tavern on Jane vibe on 13th Street. "My whole idea is to make it feel exactly the same as Tavern on Jane feels," he told DNAinfo.

After a few minor renovations Stewart hopes to have East Side Tavern open in March. The committee did stipulate a 2 a.m. closing time instead of the proposed 4 a.m. hour. (East Side will close on midnight on Sundays.)

The Redhead closed here just west of First Avenue last month after 10 years in business.

Updated: 2 more Vietnamese options coming soon

Two new Vietnamese restaurants appear to be ready to open...

First, there's Madame Vo Vietnamese Kitchen at 212 E. 10th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue...



... which will be open for lunch and dinner. You can find their menu here. The space was home until last summer to Iron Sushi.

And the sign arrived last week for Hà Nội House at 119 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue...



You can find their menu here. The restaurant is now open.

The previous tenant here, Luca Bar, closed in April 2015.

Turning 2 at Sweet Generation

Last week, we mentioned that Sweet Generation, the bakery at 130 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, was celebrating its second anniversary ... and here is the deal today...

This Wednesday, January 11th, our East Village bakery turns TWO✌️! We will be celebrating all day with 2 for 1 specials and FREE MINI CUPCAKES🎉🍥🎂🎈🍪 #sweetgeneration #sweetenthefuture

A photo posted by Sweet Generation Bakery (@swtgeneration) on Jan 9, 2017 at 10:40pm PST

Sweet Generation partners with several nonprofit organizations and local high schools to create an internship program that teaches baking, food safety, customer service, work readiness, and entrepreneurship to teens and young adults from low-income communities.

Remembering David Bowie 1 year after his death

Today marked the one-year anniversary of David Bowie's death... there is a small memorial outside his former residence on Lafayette just below Houston.

And these two photos by Joshua are from nearby on Sunday, which would have been Bowie's 70th birthday...





Previously

A discussion on creating green space at the Lillian Wald Houses

A photo posted by Destiny Mata (@destiny.mata) on Jan 9, 2017 at 7:46am PST

The first 2017 meeting for Opening the Edge, a community project on creating green space at the Lillian Wald Houses on Avenue D, is tomorrow night.

Here's more:

The Design Trust for Public Space, in partnership with NYCHA will work with residents to reimagine the green space at Wald Houses. We will focus on connectivity between the development and streetscape to encourage social interaction and promote public health. The Design Trust plans to construct a prototype of the design, coordinating with NYCHA, in a second phase of work.

Read more background on Opening the Edge here. The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Republic, 888 E. Sixth St. near Avenue D.

About Patisserie Florentine, now open on 10th Street

[Image via Instagram]

Patisserie Florentine is in soft-open mode now at 280 E. 10th St. just west of Avenue A.

This is the second location for the bakery. The first opened in Englewood, N.J., in 2013. The bakery is owned by brothers Tomer (the chef) and Itay (the accountant) Zilkha.

Itay Zilkha shared more about what to expect on 10th Street.

"We are most known for our almond croissant, by far our best seller in Englewood, and we hope to become a destination for pastry lovers in the East Village," he said via email.

Unlike the well-regarded New Jersey location that has a full bistro menu, the 10th Street space will be limited to baked goods, made on the premises, and coffee. (There is a more limited menu and hours for now during their soft-opening phase.)

So why the East Village for PF's second location?

"We love the vibe and we love the people," Itay said. "We believe that the East Village can accommodate the biggest range of food styles as a result of the large demographic mix in the area and the residents' open-minded approach. It is important for us that our guests enjoy the 'neighborhood feel' in our store same as we managed to deliver at our store in Englewood."

And you'll likely recognize a familiar face at the bakery. Guy Jacobovitz, who ran Cafe Silan in this space until last summer, has partnered with the brothers to run the East Village store.

183 Avenue B, with potential to double in size, is for sale

The building between 11th Street and 12th Street just arrived on the market.

Here's the listing via Corcoran:

Acquire a classic East Village, mixed-use building, with unbelievably low taxes of $4029 annually. The building features six income producing studio apartments over a vacant retail store ready for immediate occupancy, a large garden, and substantial build-able air rights. The residential portion is fully occupied, providing income from day one, with all tenants on one-year 'free-market' leases.

The retail component is in the heart of the East Village and a short walk from densely populated Stuyvesant town. For a user it's exceptional — the store will be delivered vacant, allowing for immediate operation. 183 Avenue B has the potential to be almost doubled in size with 3400 SF of additional build-able air rights and no landmark restrictions, making it an ideal live/work opportunity. Gut renovated four years ago, this is a clean, solid investment asset, with room to grow.

The asking price: $4.750 million.

Several years back, there were reports of damage to No. 183 during the never-ending construction next door of the luxury rentals known as The Hub.

Water Witch Mercantile hasn't been open this year

The specialty food shop at 115 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue has been dark of late. According to a resident who lives nearby, Water Witch Mercantile hasn't been open yet in 2017.

There aren't any signs posted on the shop or its social media properties noting a temporary closure... (Yelp reports that the shop is closed.)



The shop opened in early November, and sold $14 specialty sandwiches like the Confit of Bluefin Tuna from Montauk, cured meats, artisanal cheeses and drip coffee, among other items. Water Witch was said to be a collaboration with the previous tenant, Box Kite Coffee, which also abruptly closed early last August.