The ping-pong action today in Tompkins Square Park via Derek Berg...
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Week in Grieview
[Photo on Avenue A from Tuesday by Grant Shaffer]
Stories posted on EVG this past week included...
Developers reduce zoning variance request by two-thirds at 432-438 E. 14th St. (Thursday)
Recycle-A-Bicycle leaving the East Village (Friday)
See a production of Tennessee Williams' "In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel" on 3rd Street (Wednesday)
Happy St. Patrick's Day from McSorley's (Friday)
153 Avenue B returns to the market (Friday)
Black Market has closed (Thursday)
Former firehouse on 11th Street returns to the market for office use (Thursday)
The snow car of Fourth Avenue (Wednesday)
Citi Bike research: "Bikes are being used for errands and commuting" (Wednesday)
Mono + Mono's Fourth Street return (Monday)
Little Tong Noodle Shop looks ready to open (Wednesday)
East Village Barber Shop coming to 7th Street (Wednesday)
[Christo in Tompkins Square Park yesterday by Derek Berg]
It snowed (Tuesday)
A rental for "the most discerning guest" on Second Street (Monday)
L train shutdown now three fewer months than expected; plus an Avenue B substation (Saturday)
Vivi Bubble Tea debuts Third Avenue (Monday)
Mexican restaurant eyeing the former Babel space on Avenue C (Monday)
... and new on the gate at Julie's Vintage on Second Street at First Avenue... art by the Barcelona-based Axe Colours...
He also contributed a mural of Frida Kahlo this past week (next to the Andy Warhol by Bàlu...) in First Park...
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RIP Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry died yesterday at age 90.
An EVG reader shared the above poster from when Berry played at the Village Theater (later the Fillmore East) on Second Avenue at Sixth Street in April 1967.
The poster comes from the blog It's All the Streets You Crossed Not So Long Ago, which has a lot more on the bands who played the Village Theater.
New York Sports Club branding arrives at the former David Barton Gym on Astor Place
The New York Sports Club signage arrived this past week at the former David Barton gym on Astor Place.
Earlier this month, 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...
No sign of any member records lying in the snow.
David Barton abruptly closed in December.
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Report: L train shutdown now 3 fewer months than expected; plus an Avenue B substation
Some additional context. The delayed closure of the L train is good news! 15 month closure instead of 19. https://t.co/fQEf1mocw1
— Second Ave. Sagas (@2AvSagas) March 17, 2017
In a tweet yesterday, Second Avenue Sagas noted that the L train shutdown between Bedford Avenue and Eighth Avenue will now last 15 months instead of 18 months (if you're an optimist) ... with a start date of April 2019 instead of January 2019. (H/T Gothamist!)
This news was confirmed by the MTA's lead spokesperson...
Canarsie Tunnel closure now only 15 months instead of 1.5 years. Starts April 2019; better for L train riders all around
— Beth DeFalco (@BethDeFalco) March 17, 2017
The MTA issued a news release yesterday on this development...
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will seek board approval next week to award an expedited contract to accelerate the rehabilitation of the L Subway train’s Canarsie Tunnel under the East River by three months, improve two stations, and build a substation that will allow more trains to run on the L Subway Line, increasing capacity. The contract award calls for the tunnel work to be completed in 15 months, three months shorter than the previously discussed 18 months.
The $477 million contract, to be awarded to a joint venture consisting of Judlau Contracting Inc. and TC Electric, also adds $15 million in incentives to complete the tunnel project in 15 months. Contractual provisions were included to expedite demolition, encourage acceleration of the tunnel work, deter delays, enable traffic mitigation work, and the testing and commissioning of systems.
Consistent with NYC Transit’s objectives to expedite critical capital projects and improve customer service, NYC Transit will also implement procedures to ensure that the project advances in a fast-tracked fashion similar to the expedited nature of Design Build projects.
“The heavy damage sustained by the Canarsie Tunnel during Superstorm Sandy requires a full reconstruction in order to ensure the integrity of the tunnel and the safety of riders for generations to come,” said MTA Interim Executive Director Ronnie Hakim. “At the same time, we promised to do everything possible to mitigate the impact of this vital work on l line riders, and today, we’ve done just that, by shortening the tunnel closure from 18 months to 15 months.”
The release also notes that, prior to the tunnel closure, the First Avenue stop will receive an upgrade that will include new stairways, and four ADA-compliant elevators "and other work to improve customer flow."
In addition, the release mentions something I don't recall hearing about: the "construction of a new Avenue B substation ... to address power requirements that, combined with the existing CBTC signal system, will allow more trains to run on the line to accommodate growing ridership."
Previously
Weekend record shopping
Good Records NYC — 218 E. Fifth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery
Academy Records — 415 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue
Turntable Lab — 84 E. 10th St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue
A-One Record Shop — 439 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue
Celebrating the work of John Hejduk at Cooper Union
You likely noticed those wooden structures that a crew has been erecting outside Cooper Union. (There were the usual guesses as to what these are — namely wooden prisons used by the Lepharist Revolutionaries, temporary student housing or LinkNYC.)
These are representations of John Hejduk's pair of architectural structures, The House of the Suicide and the House of the Mother of the Suicide. (Read more about these here.)
Hejduk, a Cooper Union graduate, was the founding dean of The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at Cooper Union.
This is part of a month-long exhibit that starts on March 29.
Here's more:
The exhibition Hélène Binet – John Hejduk Works will present seven of Hejduk’s built works as photographed by Hélène Binet, a renowned London-based photographer who was Hejduk’s photographer of record. Binet’s photographs of both permanent and temporary structures will be presented, including the Berlin Tower, Wall House 2, The Collapse of Time, Security and Object/Subject.
The exhibition will also include a chronology of the numerous realizations of Hejduk’s design for the Jan Palach Memorial, which was permanently installed in Prague in 2016. Comprised of two structures — House of the Suicide and House of the Mother of the Suicide — this work honors the Czech activist and dissident Jan Palach, whose self-immolation in protest of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 served as a galvanizing force against the communist government then in power.
Updated 3/19
Updated...
H/T Lola Sáenz!
EV Grieve Etc.: Historic theater group relocating to St. Mark's; Christo & Dora prepping for more kids
[St. Patrick's Day flair on East Houston by Derek Berg]
Horrific car crash on the Williamsburg Bridge kills woman celebrating her 21st birthday; NYPD traffic agent to face DWI, vehicular homicide charges (NBC 4)
The historic Negro Ensemble Company relocating to Theatre 80 on St. Mark's Place (The Villager)
Dora lays an egg! (Laura Goggin Photography)
A suggestion for a "local priority" pass for local residents at Katz's (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)
The latest MTA increase starts tomorrow (Sunday!) and affect weekly and monthly MetroCards while leaving a single ride at $2.75 (New York Post)
[Stuck truck on 6th Street yesterday via Derek Berg]
Continued efforts to save the Rivington House on the LES (The Lo-Down) ... and soil testing begins on the property (BoweryBoogie)
Reviewing the stand-up steakhouse Ikinari on 10th Street (Eater ... previously)
Man charged with beating two Columbia University graduate students at Clockwork says that he was provoked (New York Post)
Blue Bottle Coffee opens at 71 Clinton St. (DNAinfo)
On Sunday, Jimmy No. 43 on Seventh Street hosts the Chefs’ Consortium, a walk-around, buffet-style brunch (Details)
"Grace Church is one of the reasons our neighborhood remains one of the most beautiful places in New York." (Off the Grid)
Alex's NYC video grab bag (Flaming Pablum)
The surprise NYC blizzard in 1888 (Ephemeral New York)
Cinekink 2017 wraps up this weekend (Official site)
Friday, March 17, 2017
A quick Fix
Amoun Kitchen and Lounge signage arrives
A quick update from Wednesday's post... as noted, Amoun Kitchen and Lounge has relocated from the Upper East Side to 320 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue ... the restaurant has been open, though without the Amoun signage ... anyway, Vinny & O shared these shots of the new signs ... as well as the grand opening banner...
Amoun serves Moroccan cuisine. They also have a hookah lounge. The previous tenant, Zerza, is expected to relocate to another space in the East Village, according to owner Radouane Eljaouhari.
Happy St. Patrick's Day from McSorley's
[Photo by Jimmy Carbone]
The line started forming around 7 a.m. for the 8 a.m. opening bell today at McSorley's ...
EVG line correspondent Steven shared these photos... perhaps the colder-than-usual temps for March 17 kept the line a little shorter than in previous years here on Seventh Street...
...and at 8 a.m. ...
The bar quickly filled up...
Meanwhile, at your all-new St. Patrick's Day HQ
Key Food going all out this year on Avenue A with this inspiring display, which includes, randomly or not, bags of Lay's potato chips.
Thanks to Stacie Joy for the photo.
153 Avenue B returns to the market
153 Avenue B between Ninth Street and 10th Street (and adjacent to the Charlie Parker Residence) returns to the market with a new broker and a slightly lower price.
Here's the deal via the listing at Leslie J. Garfield:
Featuring 23 feet of frontage on Tompkins Square Park, 153 Avenue B is a rarely available grand and stately townhouse in the heart of the East Village.
Owned by the same family for nearly 60 years, this oversized brownstone stands five stories tall, is built 54’-deep, and is approximately 6,200 square feet. Features of this exceptional townhome include excellent width, period details, gracious ceiling heights, and sweeping views of Tompkins Square Park. Currently configured as five floor-through units, 153 Avenue B can be delivered vacant for single-family conversion, or operated as an investment property with a strong existing rent roll. Additional potential uses include condominium conversion in a surging East Village market or the potential to live with income.
Surrounded by charming cafes, trendy restaurants, and boutique shops, 153 Avenue B presents an incredible opportunity in a prime location. In a neighborhood that has seen rapid development and record prices, 153 Avenue B offers a charming glimpse into Manhattan real estate history.
Asking price: $6.85 million.
The building hit the market with a different broker in May 2016 with a $6.95 million ask.
The current owners shared some history of the building with the Post:
Over the decades, past residents, according to the current owners, have included actress Marisa Tomei, music producer Hal Willner, and musician and composer Charles Mingus.
“On the night that Robert Kennedy was shot, for instance, Mingus rang our bell. I remember seeing this heavy-set man in tears, crying to my mother about how they shot Bobby, too. His longtime lover lived on the fifth floor of our building with her children — she must not have been home at the moment he stopped over."
Recycle-A-Bicycle leaving the East Village
Recycle-A-Bicycle is closing its shop at 75 Avenue C between Sixth Street and Fifth Street at the end of the month... the sign on the front door says that the community-based bike shop and nonprofit organization (they provide programming and workshops for kids) will reopen somewhere on the Lower East Side this summer...
No word at the moment why they are leaving Avenue C. Recycle-A-Bicycle launched in 1994.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
A moment with Christo in Tompkins Square Park
One of the resident red-tailed hawks perched on a low branch today in Tompkins Square Park... photo by Steven...
Breaking the ice on 7th and A
EVG reader Peter d. shared this photo from this evening... there were reports of falling ice at 109 Avenue A at Seventh Street... a crew from Paul Signs were called in with a bucket truck to remove ice from the building before any more fell...
Developers reduce zoning variance request by two-thirds at 432-438 E. 14th St.
[Photo from 13th Street taken March 8]
As previously reported, reps for the new development at 432-438 E. 14th St. have been lobbying to receive a zoning variance for a 12-story building — four more floors than the area's zoning allows.
Per previous reports, the site of the former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office between Avenue A and First Avenue "is burdened by a combination of unique conditions that result in practical difficulties in complying with the applicable zoning regulations."
There has been opposition to this variance. Last summer, Community Board 3's Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing Committee issued a denial to the developers (Benenson Capital Partners in association with the Mack Real Estate Group).
Now, however, the developers have cut back their zoning variance request by two-thirds, according to the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP), one of the groups opposed to the new building's height.
Here's more from a statement that the GVSHP released yesterday:
The developers were seeking a more than 50 percent increase in the allowable height and a more than 25 percent increase in the allowable size of the planned development as compared to what the zoning allows for the site. But after GVSHP and dozens of neighbors turned out to oppose the zoning variance request at a Jan. 24 Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) hearing, this week the developer submitted a revised application slashing the requested height and bulk variances by two-thirds, in anticipation of the next BSA hearing on March 28.
The developer is now requesting a 14.5 ft. increase in the allowable height of the building (restricted by zoning to a maximum height of 80 ft.), to allow the building to rise up to 94.5 feet. This is down from the 44 ft. increase requested in January, which would have allowed the building to rise up to 124 feet.
The developer is also now requesting a 10,000 sq. ft. increase in the allowable size of the development (restricted by zoning to a maximum of size of 103,800 sq. ft.), to allow the building to contain 113,929 sq. ft. This is down from a 27,550 sq. ft. increase in allowable size of the development requested in January, which would have allowed the building to contain 131,350 sq. ft.
Despite the decrease, GVSHP officials said that "the application still fails to demonstrate that the existing zoning imposes a 'hardship' upon the developer, and still fails to show that the proposed enlarged development would not negatively impact neighborhood character."
Here's a look at the building from its previous 12-story proposal...
You can find the revised and reduced variance application submitted this week here ahead of the March 28 BSA meeting.
The current approved plans show an 8-story building with 114 residences (reportedly 23 affordable, 91 market rate) and ground-floor retail. The residential entrance to the building will be on East 13th Street... while access to the storefronts will be on East 14th Street.
The Peter Stuyvesant Post Office, which had operated since 1953, shut down in February 2014. Berenson has been the longtime landlord at the address.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office slated to be demolished
The former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office will yield to an 8-story residential building
New residential building at former 14th Street PO will feature a quiet lounge, private dining room
A look at the new building coming to the former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office property
Black Market is not reopening
We noted yesterday that Black Market closed on Sunday... the sign on the door here at 110 Avenue A near Seventh Street notes that they are closed for renovations.
A now-former employee shared a text (said to have been sent March 7) from management about what was happening... per the text, Black Market won't be reopening ...
... a tipster said that the owners (Johnny T and Jesse Malin) are updating the space for another venture.
Black Market, which served burgers, oysters and cocktails, opened in 2010.
Report: Arrest made in Orchard Street beating
WANTED: 2 males for assaulting a 24-yr-old man in front of 156 Orchard St., Manhattan. Call #800577TIPS with info. @NYPD7Pct pic.twitter.com/Ycw8oO3Msu
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) March 11, 2017
Police have arrested one of the suspects wanted in a 2-on-1 beatdown on Orchard Street early last Friday morning.
Per PIX 11:
Nawang Choying, 23, of Queens, is charged with gang assault.
Sources say the beating was over the victim stepping on the attacker's shoe at Piano Bar.
The attack happened around 2:45 a.m.
Police say two men chased a 24-year-old man north on Orchard Street towards Stanton Street. The men caught up to the victim in front of 156 Orchard Street and began to punch and kick him multiple times in his head, face and body, police say.
The victim, 24-year-old William Franco, was taken to Bellevue for his injuries. His mother, who lives a block from the incident, said that her son is OK.
CBS 2 said that the police are continuing to search for the second suspect.
Updated 7:40 p.m.
Police have arrested the second suspect, Shachin Gauchan, 32, of Woodside, Queens, the Daily News reported.
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