Noted

Another edition to the ongoing Squirrels Being Cute series from Tompkins Square Park...



Photos via Steven...

Feel the breeze

Video from Tompkins Square Park today by Grant Shaffer

Week in Grieview

[Photo on 2nd Avenue by Derek Berg]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Details emerge about the city's plans for HDFC buildings (Tuesday)

Out and About with Mark Seamon, owner of Love Shine (Wednesday)

Brix Wine Shop now open on Avenue B (Sunday)

Pardon My French team bringing Moroccan cuisine to Fourth Street with Chouchou (Wednesday)

Former David Barton space on Astor Place will become an 'elite' New York Sports Club (Friday)

Sixth Street retail space bricked up for residential use (Monday)

"The Art of New York Waste" now on display on Avenue A (Thursday)

Rustico has closed on First Avenue (Thursday)

JuiceGo opens on 9th Street (Tuesday)

On Third Avenue, rooftop cottage back in play, though now it's $19k monthly (Thursday)

Odin's East Village location has closed on 11th Street (Wednesday)

Performance at Vector Gallery draws heavy FDNY presence on Third Street (Wednesday)

Apartment listings at 250 E. Houston look to offer glimpse of former Red Square's future (Wednesday)

On CB3's SLA docket for March: The return of Mono + Mono and Poco's sidewalk cafe (Thursday)

A boutique office building a possibility for Broadway and 11th Street (Monday)

Haile Bistro looks to be closed (Monday)

Express Thali pulls into 2nd Avenue (Monday)

With court date looming, Babu Ji 'is taking a break' on Avenue B (Friday)

Stool just wants a loving butt (Thursday)

Bricks and penthouses come into view at Steiner East Village (Tuesday)

...and EVG reader Charlie Chen spotted this beaut yesterday on First Avenue... someone likely making room for the Easter decorations...





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Report: There's a $10-million lawsuit over use of Great Jones Alley for new development

[EVG file photo]

The 12-floor condoplex with a $30-million penthouse is moving skyward at 688 Broadway between Fourth Street and Great Jones.

The 16-unit project is known as 1 Great Jones Alley, which the developers say will include a "private gated alley" via Great Jones Street...the broker bunting on the sidewalk bridge promises "a private paradise" ...

However, this paradise is currently clouded in a lawsuit. The co-op board of 684 Broadway, the building at the corner of Great Jones with multi-million-dollar condos, is suing the developers of 1 Great Jones Alley.

Here's the Post with details of the $10-million lawsuit over the 137-foot alley:

The developer is “not authorized to remove and/or alter the gate that sits at the entrance to the alley … [and] do not have the right to advertise the alley as ‘private’ to potential buyers,” according to court papers.

The developer of 1 Great Jones Alley cannot even allow cars to sit and idle in the space — without the consent of 684 Broadway, the suit contends.

The co-op wants the condo’s misleading ads to end, and are asking a judge to order 1 Great Jones Alley to tell their residents no cars, or changes, will be permitted.

“The board believes that part of the alley and gate belongs to 684 Broadway, and felt that they had to file this lawsuit to protect their property rights,” said 684 Broadway in a statement via its lawyer, Robert Brown.

Here's how the alley looked in July 2015 ...



And in the rendering ...

A photo posted by Fredrik Eklund (@fredrikeklundny) on Jul 10, 2015 at 8:06am PDT

On the topic of 684 Broadway, when did that Brazilia Café in the retail space close? Only just noticed that the other day.

And you can read some history of the alley here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Retail plans revealed for 12-floor condo building replacing open-air market on Broadway

NoHo flea market gutted ahead of new condo project on Broadway

Looking at One Great Jones Alley, 'a private paradise'

At the former home of the Broadway flea market, condos will cost upwards of $22 million

Construction watch: 688 Broadway, aka 1 Great Jones Alley

Corners

First Avenue at Fourth Street (top) and Second Street...

Updated: Man in hockey mask shoves reporter to the ground during live broadcast on Delancey Street

Police are looking for a man who confronted then shoved CeFaan Kim, a correspondent for ABC 7, during a live broadcast on Delancey and Norfolk last night, as Patch reported.

Kim tweeted a clip of the incident this afternoon...

This is the man who attacked me last night during a live broadcast. If anyone has seen him around please give the 7th precinct a call. pic.twitter.com/enkqQe0mxC

— CeFaan Kim (@CeFaanKim) March 4, 2017

A man in a hockey mask is seen shoving Kim to the ground. The man, who takes off his mask on live television, then says Kim attacked him.

Updated 3/6:

The Post talks with the mask-wearing man, Key Jonta Foster, who goes by the stage name Majesty Da Rebel.

“The reason I did it was because I knew I’d get negative feedback from it,” Foster told The Post. “I can always flip that. I saw an opportunity and took the opportunity to promote my video and mixed tape. From the beginning, it was friendly — I put my arm around him, and then he pushed me, grabbed me.”

Updated 3/7

Foster turned himself in, DNAinfo reports.

A winter in the life of an abandoned salt spreader on Avenue A

In other important stories... this winter, a salt spreader has been locked up on the east side of Avenue A between Fourth Street and Fifth Street



Even during the rare snowfall this winter, the salt spreader remained locked in place...



Then last week, the salt spreader made a brief appearance above the van that had been parked on Fourth Street at Avenue A...



... and now the salt spreader has returned to the street, though this time locked up on the west side of Avenue A opposite of its former home...

Finnerty's returns from spring cleaning

Finnerty's, the Bay Area sports bar at 221 Second Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street, closed in February for a spring cleaning, as noted here.

It was originally meant to be a two-week closure... but the original Feb. 17 reopening date was pushed back...



To yesterday... and Finnerty's is back ... I've never been to Finnerty's, so I can say what is different...



So here's the word from them via Twitter...

Higher ceiling ✔️
Energy efficient AC's/lights ✔️
Custom murals ✔️
Bigger TV's ✔️

The last time the bar will look this good ✔️ pic.twitter.com/NnneKMmvTy

— Finnerty's (@Finnertys) March 4, 2017

EV Grieve Etc.: Attempted rape on the LES; Essex Crossing housing lottery underway

[Photo by Derek Berg]

Police looking for this suspect in attempted rape in building on Norfolk and Rivington (ABC 7)

Mayor de Blasio claimed he had nothing to do with the recent firing of the city official who lifted the deed restriction at Rivington House (DNAinfo)

How de Blasio stacks up against Bloomberg on rezoning (The Real Deal)

The annual CineKink NYC Film Festival starts March 14 at several EV theaters (Time Out)

NYPL's Library for the Performing Arts acquires Lou Reed's archives (Gothamist)

The U.S. English language premiere of Guillermo Calderón’s "Villa" on stage through April 1 at the Wild Project on Third Street (Official site)

Cholo Noir, a forthcoming West Coast-style Mexican restaurant and art gallery, opening with or without a liquor license on Sixth Street (DNAinfo ... previously)

Villanelle, serving "serving vegetable-forward fare," opens on 12th Street between Fifth and University (The New York Times)

A look at the 1980s zines of Raymond Pettibon (Dangerous Minds) ... and his retrospective at the New Museum on the Bowery continues through April 9 (Official site)

Essex Crossing Site 5 affordable housing lottery is open (The Lo-Down)

"Citizen Kane" this weekend at Anthology Film Archives (Official site) ... while Ingmar Bergman's "Shame" plays at the Metrograph down on Ludlow Street (Official site)

This week's hawk action in Tompkins Square Park (Laura Goggin Photography)

It's the 'End of the Week'

Here's something from Merchandise's sixth studio album (and second for UK imprint 4AD), A Corpse Wired," which came out last fall.

The video is for "End of the Week." Merchandise is touring now, but no upcoming NYC dates as of now.

1 week left to apply for the Stuy Town Lottery

Via the EVG inbox...

The StuyTown Lottery, a middle-income affordable housing lottery at Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village, has one week left to run.

The deadline to apply is March 10. Anyone with between $84,150 and $149,490 in pre-tax, combined household income might be eligible. We are offering one- and two-bedroom apartments.

More information, including floorplans, FAQs and instructions on how to apply can be found at www.stuytownlottery.com.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Lottery open for below-market rate apartments in Stuy Town

With court date looming, Babu Ji 'is taking a break' on Avenue B

The dining room was dark last evening at Babu Ji, the popular Indian restaurant on Avenue B at 11th Street.

A sign greeting patrons at the door noted that they are "taking a break." (There isn't any mention of this on the restaurant's social media properties.)



The temporary closure comes after a report yesterday by Eater's Ryan Sutton outlining details of a second wage-theft and overtime lawsuit against owners Jessi and Jennifer Singh.

Per Eater:

The first lawsuit against owners Jessi and Jennifer Singh was filed in July 2016 by two employees. By late September, the Singhs agreed to pay a total of $95,000, split almost evenly between the employees and restaurant labor attorney Maimon Kirschenbaum. The owners did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement, according to public court records.

The second wage lawsuit was filed in September 2016, but an amended version from February 2017 contains newer, more incendiary allegations, accusing an owner of making profane and threatening remarks against a server and his family — including insinuations of violence in retaliation for bringing the wage suit. That owner is also accused of berating another server with an incest-laced profanity and threatening him with a countersuit. The case is set to be tried by a jury.

According to the lawsuit, Jessi Singh allegedly made threats against one of the plaintiff's relatives — "you know that in India a man paid $100,000 rupees to have someone’s family killed." Jessi Singh also allegedly threatened one of the plaintiffs by saying, "I’m going to fuck you up." The lawsuit says that he called the other plaintiff a "sisterfucker." You can head over to Eater for more details.

The parties involved in the lawsuit are due back in court on Tuesday.

Babu Ji opened in June 2015.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Babu Ji on Avenue B hit with another wage lawsuit

Former David Barton space on Astor Place will become an 'elite' New York Sports Club

Back in December, the four David Barton Gym locations in Manhattan, including on Astor Place, shut down without any warning to its members or staff.

That prime Astor Place space won't be staying vacant for too much longer. Yesterday, Town Sports International, the owners of the New York Sports Clubs brand, announced that they had bought the 10,000-square-foot space ... which will become one of New York Sports Clubs' collection of Elite clubs.

Here's more from an announcement that arrived in the EVG inbox:

New York Sports Clubs will pay homage to the rich neighborhood culture originally created by David Barton at 4 Astor Place by retaining many of the club's original finishes and signature touches while bringing in a new fresh new wave of equipment, facilities, amenities and class offerings.

The new location at 4 Astor Place will feature several new programs and will also boast Rogue rigs, Woodway treadmills, lifting platforms and expanded training zones.

New York Sports Clubs Elite membership gyms are the evolution of the Sports Clubs brand. This new tier of membership will offer customers a higher level of service, amenities, programming and partnerships as well as providing access to the nearly 150 clubs within the TSI network.

For more information about the Astor Place location, you can visit the official gym website here.

Last month, State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a lawsuit against Club Ventures Investments LLC d/b/a David Barton Gyms

David Barton arrived on Astor Place in 2009.

From Rustico to Paquito's

[Reader photo]

As noted yesterday, Rustico, the cafe at 135 First Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street, has closed. And a source tells us that a rent increase was behind the closure.

Meanwhile, the owners were selling off what was left of the small restaurant yesterday.

And some of Rustico will be staying nearby... the owners of Paquito's, a few storefronts away at 143 First Ave., bought some of Rustico's tables and chairs...


[Photo last night by Raquel Shapira]

H/T Lola Sáenz

Blue 9 Burger is officially closed

As we noted in early February, Blue 9 Burger appeared to have shut it down at 92 Third Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street ... we haven't seen any activity at the space... EVG reader Harry Weiner shares these photos from yesterday, showing that the quick-serve burger place has been emptied out...



Blue 9 opened in 2003... several EVG commenters noted that the place served a tasty burger, but that the quality had deteriorated in recent years.

The Blue 9 Burger on the Upper East Side has also closed.

Christo in flight

Thanks to Steven for these photos of Christo the red-tailed hawk from Tompkins Square Park today ...

A loving butt wanted on 2nd Street

EVG reader Mark White spotted this treasure up for grabs today on Second Street between Avenue A and Avenue B...

The sign reads "free to a loving butt" ...



Your move, @LinkNYC

Taking in the Tompkins Square Park dog run this morning

[Click to go big]

Panoramic shot by Allen Semanco

Rustico has closed on 1st Avenue

Rustico, the cafe that specialized in crêpes and Italian coffee at 135 First Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street, has closed.

The owners are selling off the contents of the restaurant ...



There isn't any mention of the closure on Rustico's website or social media properties. It was a small place, so it always seemed busy, particularly during high brunch time on the weekend. (I never ate here, so I can't speak to the quality of the food or service.)

Rustico opened in November 2013. Before this, the address was home to everyone's favorite — Iconic Hand Rolls, which closed in April 2013 after 10 months in business.

Thank you to Lola Sáenz for the photos

Celebrate 'the Art of New York Waste' starting tonight

Tonight is the opening reception for "The Art Of New York Waste," a show celebrating 20 years of the work of what's billed as "NYC's only Rock'n'Roll Underground Newspaper."

The opening is from 8-10 p.m. at Art on A Gallery and Shop, 24 Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street. The exhibit will be up through March 23. Find more details here.