The Empire has officially fallen: Former Biscuit shop for rent on Avenue A

A for rent sign arrived on Friday at 198 Avenue A between 12th Street and 13th Street, marking the official end of Empire Biscuit.

The quick-serve biscuiteers were only open a few days in 2016. They announced reduced hours in January 2016, and then never reopened. Empire Biscuit owner Jonathan Price promised a return in March. That same month, someone there posted a disposable plate on the front window noting that they were peelin' potatoes.

so many potatoes.

— Empire Biscuit (@empirebiscuit) April 27, 2016

Legal documents from the landlord arrived on the front door back in the fall. According to that paperwork, the Biscuit owner was in arrears on rent and back taxes to the sum of $106,000.

Meanwhile, the for rent sign stipulates no bars or restaurants.

Empire Biscuit opened, originally 24/7, to some fanfare in the fall of 2013. Several near-by residents were turned off by their slogan — Breakfast Lunch Dinner Drunk.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Incoming Empire Biscuit on Avenue A launches Kickstarter campaign (122 comments)

Report: Empire Biscuit opens today (65 comments)

More renovations for Whole Foods Market® Bowery

A few weeks ago I noted some renovations underway at the Whole Foods Market® Bowery. For starters, a new bakery is going into the store's northeast corner at the Bowery/Houston entrance.

There are more renovations on the way. In addition to the bakery, parts of the area adjacent to the salad bar region were recently boarded up ... the sign promises more prepared foods...





I recall a sushi station here... and a pizza stand, which is still there... and what else was back here?

Anyway, some Whole Foods Market® Bowery regulars and semi-regulars have noted the 10-year-old store is seeming a little tired these days.

Back in January, the Post went in for a look at the dining area on the second level.

Substance abusers, drug dealers and homeless people are turning the sunny cafe area, where shoppers can dine on pulled pork or Vietnamese sandwiches, into their own private social club for the cost of a cup of coffee or nothing at all.

During five visits to the store in recent weeks, a reporter saw a modern-day Bowery bum sleeping in the fetal position, another nodding out in an obvious drug-induced haze, a few who appeared to be drunk, and one smearing toothpaste on his face and mumbling to himself.

A new era of Bowery bums, plus more workout choices

Over the weekend the Post checked in with a feature on the boutique gyms and studios that continue to pop up along the Bowery and various side streets.

The article, titled "Bowery, once gross, now bursts with boutique gyms," provides an overview of the new spaces, such as New York Pilates, who use some butt sidewalk signage for their studio at 262 Bowery.

Meanwhile! There are more gyms on the way ... coming-soon signage has been up since November for Rumble, which will offer boxing-inspired, group-fitness classes on Broadway at Fourth Street (there's a location on West 23rd Street)...



Also on Broadway... the new Equinox Fitness at Bond Street looks close to opening is now open (thanks commenters!)... (the entrance is on Bond)...

Week in Grieview

[Photo Wednesday in Tompkins Square Park by Derek Berg]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

A look at the Moxy Hotel coming to 11th Street (Monday)

Report: Raphael Toledano selling major EV portfolio; foreclosure proceedings underway (Tuesday)

Lottery open for below-market rate apartments in Stuy Town (Wednesday)

Clay Pot, from Hong Kong to St. Mark's Place (Tuesday)

Out and About with Lola Sáenz (Wednesday)

A Valentine's Day rally to get some love for the former PS 64 (Friday)

Tsukimi bringing sushi to 10th Street (10th Street)

It snowed (Thursday)

Blue 9 Burger has not been open lately (Friday)

A state-of-the-art Quad Cinema expected to open this spring (Friday)

A visit to Uogashi on First Avenue (Friday)

Sugar Cafe has closed (Monday)

Work underway on 10-story condoplex at 4th Avenue and 10th Street (Tuesday)

Report of a fire at 86 E. 10th St. (Tuesday) ... Black & White looks to reopen early next week (Saturday)

Construction watch: 253 E. 7th St. (Wednesday)

196 Orchard's 'Culture & Cuisine' (Monday)

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Check out the new Turntable Lab location today

Last Sunday was the last day on Seventh Street for Turntable Lab.

After 16 years the vinyl-and-stereo shop moved to a larger space at 84 E. 10th St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue.

And they are ready to open the doors today with a soft opening starting at noon...

soft opening this sunday 2/12! the @turntablelabnyc crew has been busy getting our new storefront ready. come check it out tmrw at 84 east 10th street, 12-8pm.

A photo posted by @turntablelab on Feb 11, 2017 at 4:44pm PST

Report: Man in wheelchair tased, robbed on Avenue D

A man in a wheelchair waiting for a bus late Thursday night on Avenue D was robbed by three men who shocked him with a stun gun.

According to NBC 4, the men took $100 from the victim, who is 60.

The incident occurred near 10 Avenue D at 1 a.m.

The NBC 4 report did not include any descriptions of the suspects.

Image via Google Street View

Updated: Report of a fire at 68 2nd Ave.

[Photo by Russell K.]

Multiple EVG readers have pointed out a large FDNY presence on Second Avenue late this evening... the @FDNY feed points to No. 68 ...

FDNYalerts MAN ALL HANDS 68 2ND AVE, MULTIPLE DWELLING FIRE IN A BASEMENT,

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) February 12, 2017

...this is the building on the southeast corner that houses Queen Vic...


[Reader submitted]

Will update there's any more info...

Updated 10:30 a.m.

Walked by this morning... no one was around... the sidewalk gates were up... there was a post-fire smell coming from the basement... couldn't really tell the extent of any damage...

Christo and Dora, sitting in a tree...

A moment with the red-tailed hawks today in Tompkins Square Park (Christo on the left, Dora the right)... photo by Steven...

[Updated] Black & White looks to reopen early next week

The Black & White has been closed since the fire Tuesday afternoon on an upper floor here on 10th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue.

The low-key bar, which recently recently celebrated its 17th anniversary, provided an updated via their Instagram page:

Thanks for all the well wishes. Everybody got out safely and the bar sustained little damage. We should be open sometime soon after the weekend. Check here for updates.

[UPDATED 2/14: The bar is back open tonight.]

As for the rest of No. 86... here's a look at the damage...



...the fire apparently started in the third-floor apartment...



Patch reported that emergency responders evaluated two people at the scene for injuries. There wasn't any other information about cause or the extent of the damage.

According to public records, an LLC going by Elk Mas 86 East 10th owns the building. The third-floor unit, listed at two bedrooms, was asking $5,645 a month, per Streeteasy. The space above Black & White previously housed the company behind the Governors Ball Music Festival and Wiz Kid Management.

Finnerty's closes for spring cleaning this winter

Speaking of other temporary bar closures ... Finnerty's has been closed this past week on Second Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street for what the signage describes as a spring cleaning



Finnerty's will be back open on Friday. The bar is allegedly a Bay Area Sports haven, though they do not seem to show much love for the best teams there — the Oakland A's and Oakland Raiders.

A smoking manhole on 7th Street

[Photo by Derek Berg]

There was a report of a car that appeared to be smoking yesterday on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. Someone called it in... turns out it was the manhole the car was parked over that was causing the disturbance in the force concern...


[DB]

The FDNY blocked off the street around 4 p.m. while ConEd came to check it out.

Apparently there's nothing imminently serious here... as of this morning, just some ConEd cones and FDNY fire line tape remain...



... the car has been moved/shoved back... and the manhole continues to smoke/gurgle... salt is likely the culprit on the wiring, per unnamed observers...



Also, unrelated, someone broke the window at Todd Hase, the high-end home furnishings shop that just opened here at No. 111 back on Monday night...

Mystery on St. Mark's: the new 98 Favor Taste signage is — gone

[Photo by Steven from Tuesday]

On Feb. 3, workers put up colorful signage for 98 Favor Taste, the incoming restaurant that will serve traditional Korean-style barbecue and Chinese hot pot meals on St. Mark's Place at Second Avenue.

And one week later, the signage has been wiped away... this happened sometime yesterday...



To be continued...

Friday's parting shot

A view toward the East River late this afternoon via Bobby Williams...

EV Grieve Etc.: A vigil at the 9th Precinct for officer killed in crash; forum on Rivington House’s future

[1st Avenue and 10th Street at sunset yesterday]

A vigil to honor Officer Bianca Bennett outside the 9th Precinct (DNAinfo)

Community forums on Rivington House’s future (The Lo-Down)

About the "foreclosed" birdhouse in First Park (DNAinfo)

A visit to Three Seat Esresso & Barber on Avenue A (ABC 7 ... previously)

Nest activity picks up in Tompkins Square Park (Laura Goggin Photography)

The Anthology continues tradition of toxic yet sublime anti-romantic films in honor of Valentine's Day (Official site)

Brazilian model lists 11th Street home (Luxury Living NYC)

Past Best Picture winners, including "The Apartment" and "Midnight Cowboy," are part of this series at the Metrograph (Official site)

Rentals at Puck Building now asking up to $150k monthly (The Real Deal)

Iggy Pop and Thurston Moore documentary playing at Rough Trade in Brooklyn on Sunday (Brooklyn Vegan)

"Taxi Driver" was released on Feb. 8, 1976 (Off the Grid ...previously)

...and a little outside the neighborhood... not sure when this happened — the 13th Street (between Fifth and University) location of NYC vegan chainlet Blossom Du Jour has closed after some 18 months in business...

Only 'You'

A pre-Valentine's Day song for you... a cover of "Can't Get Used to Losing You" by the English Beat... from 1983...

Today in photos of a Maserati being dug out of the snow on 1st Avenue

Photo by Derek Berg

A Valentine's Day rally to get some love for the former PS 64

This coming Tuesday (Valentine's Day!), City Council Member Rosie Mendez and other community leaders, organizations and residents are holding a rally and press conference on the steps of City Hall to get Mayor De Blasio's attention on the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on East Ninth Street.

As previously reported, developer Gregg Singer, who bought the property between Avenue B and Avenue C from the city in 1998, is reportedly pushing de Blasio's administration to remove a stop-work order that has been in place since 2015.

According to published reports, Singer has a signed lease with Adelphi University, and hopes to have students move in by the fall of 2018.

Preservationist groups and other residents have been opposed to Singer's plans, and want to see a return of the landmarked building to use as a cultural and community center.

The rally starts at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Previously

Blue 9 Burger has not been open lately

[Photo by Harry Weiner]

The quick-serve burger place at 92 Third Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street has not been open the past week. (An especially bad sign that they were closed on Super Bowl Sunday.)

There hasn't been any activity here, including someone answering the phone. And the various food delivery services note that Blue 9 is not currently taking any orders.

I don't recall when this place opened. I found a review at Serious Eats from May 2005, which is about the last time that I ate here.

Take in a free reptile workshop at Social Tees

[EVG photo from Jan. 30]

The fine folks at Social Tees Animal Rescue on East Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue are offering this workshop tomorrow (Saturday!) at 5 p.m. ...

So some cool news is: We are starting to host FREE REPTILE WORKSHOPS where beginners as well as seasoned "herpers" can come to learn and share info on snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises, and more! (Fun fact: The first critters we rescued back in the day were reptiles, and that's how our whole rescue operation began!) The first official workshop will be THIS SATURDAY (February 11) at 5pm at Social Tees on 5th Street. Many reptile owners accidentally aren't giving their pets proper care because there is so much bunk advice out there in the pet industry, and we want to make sure your scaly beloveds are getting the right nutrition, lighting, etc. so they can thrive. COME ON DOWN for an hour of tips, suggestions, and important info! Kids are welcome (accompanied by an adult, of course). We'll have some really awesome live animals (including this one!) for demonstration. PLEASE EMAIL robert@socialteesnyc.org if you can make it, we are looking forward to having you! #reptile #tortoise #russiantortoise #reptilesofinstagram #animalrescue #nature #nycevent #workshop #education #raisingawareness #reptilerescue #beautiful #socialtees #socialteesnyc #straypride

A photo posted by SocialTeesNYC (@socialteesnyc) on Feb 9, 2017 at 8:53am PST

Previously on EV Grieve:
Out and About with Robert Shapiro, founder and director of Social Tees

A visit to Uogashi on 1st Avenue

Uogashi opened on First Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street back on Dec. 1.

We hadn't heard much about the place. This past week, though, Robert Sietsema checked in with a solid review over at Eater.

An excerpt:

Located in the East Village, Uogashi concentrates almost solely on sushi. Its parent organization, according to the greeter one evening, owns a fish wholesaler and several stand-up sushi counters in Tokyo, which explains how the prices at Uogashi can be so low. Sushi assortments run $38 and $45 for nine pieces of nigiri sushi, soup, salad, and a hand roll, or $75 for a more elaborate omakase.

And!

I’ve eaten there twice, and sampled all three sushi assortments, and the fish and crustaceans are pristine. The $45 Uogashi sushi begins with a tiny salad in a clear glass bowl and progresses to a miso soup bobbing with slender enoki mushrooms. The sushi course came on a single plate on a banana leaf, and the highlights recently were medium fatty tuna, Japanese sea scallop, and river eel, served warm and burnished in the usual way with sweet soy sauce.

You can check out the restaurant's website and menu here.

The space here previously housed Oyama, and whatever came after that.

Image via Yelp