Pop-up bubble tea exhibit brings crowds to the Bowery

[Photo yesterday by Derek Berg]

The Boba Room made its debut Saturday at the Open Space Gallery on the Bowery between Third Street and Fourth Street.

Here's more about the pop-up exhibit via Gothamist:

Conceived of by Chaimi Food Studio co-founders Yanqiong Zeng and Iris Danlu Xing, Boba Room is an intersection of art, design and food that combines the duo's appreciation for food with their backgrounds and experiences in visual art, photography and food engineering and science.

And per The Daily Meal: "For those who are in the dark about boba, it’s an edible, chewy ball made from the cooking and cooling of tapioca. Boba is used in bubble tea."

The Boba Room is open through May 6 (from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the week; 10 p.m. on weekends). Tickets are $10 each ($7 for kids or seniors).

A retail vacancy at 51 Astor Place

Back in September 2014, hotelier-developer Ian Schrager became the first ground-floor tenant at 51 Astor Place/the IBM Watson Building/Death Star with the sales office and model apartment for his incoming hotel-condo tower at 215 Chrystie just below East Houston.

That's all built and mostly sold now (just one residence out of 11 left!), so they've packed up and left...



Leaving a nice space for rent on the Ninth Street and Third Avenue side...



There haven't been any for rent signs posted just yet ... and no word on what might be joining the building's other retail tenants — CVS, Flywheel Sports, Orangetheory Fitness, Bluestone Lane Coffee and Chopt.

Thoughts/wishes on a new tenant? Duane Reade? An all-ages venue for unsigned bands?

Previously on EV Grieve:
You can finally shop at 51 Astor Place!

Ben Shaoul's East Houston Street condoplex makes first street-level appearance

[Photo from Saturday]

It has been about two years since the demolition of the one-level row of storefronts on East Houston at Orchard Street... and now Ben Shaoul's incoming condoplex finally makes it above the plywood (aside from that steel beam).

Here's a look at the site from yesterday...







As noted, the available condos here in the 11-story, 94-unit building range from a 551-square-foot studio for $1.075 million to a 2,069-square-foot three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom apartment asking $5.995 million. There will also be a three-level Equinox (gym) in the retail space.



Previously on EV Grieve:
Making way for Ben Shaoul's new retail-residential complex on East Houston

Katz's is now the last business on East Houston between Ludlow and Orchard

Send a salami to your boy next door in the condo

Matcha tea shop opens today on 7th Street

As previously mentioned, there's a tea shop opening at 74 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue... and today is the opening day for Setsugekka...



The storefront will be a shop run by the owners of Tea-Whisk, whose aim "is to introduce the beauty of Japanese Tea Ceremony in NY."

Weekend parting shot — you've lost that loving feeling

Photo off Third Avenue by Rob Halpern...

Today in freebies on 6th Street

A collection of Nora Ephron's writing, an unopened pack of women's briefs by Hanes and three tubes of foot and hand creme with avocado all here between Avenue A and Avenue B... photo via EVG reader Mark White...

Week in Grieview

[Monday morning on Avenue A via]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

NYPD offers explanation into Kelly Hurley's death: "she slipped" (Tuesday)

Madison Realty Capital now managing Raphael Toledano's East Village portfolio (Tuesday)

The owner-founder of JuiceGo on 9th Street dies (Monday)

Checking in on John's of 12th Street (Thursday)

Caffe Bene closes on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

A look at Che Cafe, home of empanada pouches (Wednesday)

Angelica Kitchen space for rent (Wednesday)

Demolition watch: 118 E. First St. (Monday)

A coffee at the Famous Cozy Soup 'n' Burger (Friday)

Out and About With James the Leather Man (Wednesday)

Long-vacant retail space hits the rental market at 250 E. Houston St. (Tuesday)


[St. Mark's Place wedding party photo yesterday by Derek Berg]

Time for the Sixth Street Community Center CSA (Tuesday)

On 3rd and 13th, Blue Mercury arriving; dinosaur mural not yet extinct (Monday)

Pizzeria in the works for former pizzeria at 130 St. Mark's Place (Friday)

The Mosaic Man's smokin' tribute to David Peel on Astor Place (Wednesday)

Looking for signs of Artichoke on 14th Street (Monday)

Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company coming to 8th Street and Broadway (Thursday)

Report: Avenue A deli clerk arrested for assault; allegedly calls customer a tranny (Wednesday)

A new vendor for the Bowery Market (Thursday)

EV photographers James & Karla Murray hosting workshop on capturing disappearing storefronts (Thursday)

Full FULL reveal on 1st Street, Avenue A and the Bowery (Tuesday)

Disc-O-Rama closing on 8th Street (Monday)

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Neon by Cheng opens on 7th Street

Neon by Cheng opened last week at 66 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue... the boutique is via designer Cheng-Huai Chuang

@chenghuaichuang debuted his own fashion line in 2010 and has been featured in publications such as Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, WWD, Interview, V Magazine, Nylon, Essence, and more. His clothes have also been worn by famous celebrities like Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Khloe Kardashian, Taraji P. Hensen, Zendaya, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Osbourne, Brandy, Christina Ricci, Justine Skye and Debbie Harry, to name a few. Now you can buy his designs at NEON boutique. #cheng #chenghuaichuang #neonbycheng #oneofkind #couture #7thstnyc #eastvillageloves #makeinnyc #madeon7thst #fashion #style #love

A post shared by neonbycheng (@neonbycheng) on Apr 16, 2017 at 2:26pm PDT

The space last housed Barbara Feinman Millinery, who moved down the block... and now goes by East Village Hats...

Saturday's parting shot

Photo on Second Avenue at Fifth Street by Derek Berg ... Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving!

Happy Earth Day!

Hop in and we can catch the end of the March for Science!

Photo on Lafayette by Lola Sáenz

Zero wasting

Noted

Not sure how long this plywood has been here on Third Avenue at 14th Street. Did someone really place it here yesterday and will pick up today? Or is it like one of those wacky Free Beer Tomorrow signs you might see in a bar? Tomorrow never comes.

Or maybe someone at the Dept. of Transportation has a cousin who owns a sign company

Earlier this week, a worker was putting up new signs about the parking meters along Seventh Street... EVG Street Sign Correspondent Derek Berg captured the two versions of the signs...



The new posted sign features upper- and lower-case letters that are slightly larger. Easier to read? As I recall some years ago (WNYC story here), the feds were requiring the city to use a combination of upper- and lower-case letters as part of a safety move. Outrage!

Anyway, font commenters please chime in!

Aside from Record Store Day, it is also Earth Day

Perhaps after picking up that Superchunk "Cup of Sand" compilation on vinyl at Academy Records, you can head out for some Earth Day activities...as the above flyer shows, there's a parade starting at noon at the 6B Garden on Sixth Street and Avenue B... ultimately arriving for an Earth Day Celebration from 2-4 (p.m., though you never know) at El Jardin Del Paraiso on Fourth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D. Find more details here.

Hey, it's Record Store Day

Every day is Record Store Day... but tomorrow (Saturday!), is the official day this year. Here is the local action...

• Turntable Lab, 84 E. 10th St. between Fourth Avenue and Third Avenue

EVERY DAY IS RECORD STORE DAY: But really, there's only one that people line up for... Swipe right 👉🏽 to see how deeply we're going in this year. A slew of our favorites DJs will be playing vinyl all day, 10% off storewide (including RSD titles), free high quality tote bag with purchase, discounted coffee courtesy of our friends City of Saints, and many positive vibrations throughout the day! All happening this Saturday at our NEW location: 84 E 10th between 3rd & 4th Ave in the East Village.

A post shared by turntablelabnyc (@turntablelabnyc) on Apr 21, 2017 at 6:39am PDT

• Good Records NYC, 218 E. Fifth St. between the Bowery and Second Avenue

just some of the rare original titles going out tomorrow for #recordstoreday in addition to the exclusive RSD stuff. Pay a visit, if you dare #HellAwaits #SupaDupaFly #Trainspotting #NoHolds

A post shared by Good Records NYC (@goodrecordsnyc) on Apr 21, 2017 at 8:18am PDT

• Academy LPs, 415 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Avenue A

Mono Madness at 12th st for RSD tomorrow. SWIPE In addition to 100+ official RSD 2017 titles we are putting out a premium selection of used titles including OG mono presses of these titles. Our apologies if one of the two butcher covers is stereo! One of the Dylan Lps is still sealed... #beatles #thebeatles #butchercover #dylan #zappa #milesdavis #mono #deepgroove

A post shared by Academy Records NYC (@academyrecords) on Apr 21, 2017 at 3:04pm PDT

• A-1 Records, 439 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue

Shoulder to shoulder affair

A post shared by A-1 Record Shop (@a1recordshop) on Apr 4, 2017 at 3:23pm PDT

Find the official Record Store Day website here ... and the list of special Record Store Day releases here...

Get 'Inside'

"August By Cake" is Guided by Voice's 24th studio album (and GBV leader Bob Pollard has been on the cover of Magnet about 24 times).

The video here is for "5° Degrees On The Inside," one of the 32 tracks on the double album.

EV Grieve Etc.: Jane Jacobs hits the big screen; Iggy Pop turns 70

[Photo in Tompkins Square Park yesterday by Derek Berg]

Jane Jacobs documentary opens today at the IFC Center (Official site)

Landlords looking for up to 8 percent rent increase on rent-stabilized apartments (DNAinfo)

Thoughts on a car-free 14th Street during the L train shutdown (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

A red-tailed hawk died from rat poisoning in Sarah Roosevelt Park (The Daily News)

Details on the affordable housing at Extell's One Manhattan Square (Curbed) What about a new supermarket? (The Lo-Down)

Last weekend for “The Cinema of Gender Transgression: Trans Film” series (Anthology Film Archives)

Brooklyn Diamond coffee coming to Lafayette (BoweryBoogie)

A look at the city's wealth distribution (Gothamist)

Stuy Town resident robbed by a group of seven people he invited back to his apartment last Saturday at 4:20 a.m. (Town & Village)

Former EV resident Iggy Pop turns 70, releases a jazz record (Rolling Stone)

...and this painting of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées arrived on the curb on Seventh Street yesterday around the same time as the deadly, terrorist-related shooting in Paris last evening...


[Photo by Derek Berg]

A rally for rezoning protections along Broadway and University Place

[Rendering of Civic Hall on 14th Street]

Back in February, Mayor de Blasio unveiled the city's plans for the site that P.C. Richard (and Son!) has leased the past 20-plus years at 124 E. 14th St. at Irving Place... the rendering above shows the proposed 20-floor Civic Hall — "a tech-focused work and event space" — anchoring the space. The Hall will "provide space for tech worker training, education, start-ups and convening."

Aside from Civic Hall, there are several mega projects in the works south of here along Broadway (see what's coming to the former Blatt Billiards here) and University Place (see what's coming to the former Bowlmor Lanes site here).

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) has been campaigning to cap building heights in the corridor between University Place and Broadway. They have an ally now in City Councilmember Rosie Mendez. Here's what she had to say about the situation to DNAinfo:

"For years, I have advocated and requested a contextual rezoning of University Place. This proposed PC Richards Silicon Alley tech hub will impact residents in the area residing in the adjacent buildings, which are currently under great pressure by developers.

"I would consider supporting the Tech Hub if, and only if, we can amend the zoning resolution to provide protections and relief to the surrounding community."

Tomorrow afternoon at 3, the GVSHP is hosting a rally and press conference on 11th Street and Broadway to discuss the proposed tech hub and zoning south of Union Square...



The tech-hub project still needs to navigate the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure process, which will require City Council approval. As DNAinfo pointed out, the council generally defers to the local council member, meaning Mendez potentially has veto power over the Civic Hall project. (In the event this carries past her term, GVSHP Executive Director Andrew Berman said that he has already reached out to the candidates running for the Mendez Council seat.)

A spokesperson for the mayor's office expressed disappointment in the preservationists' mission to leverage a zoning change.

Per DNAinfo:

"Its purpose is to provide a gateway for real New Yorkers — kids from our high schools, public housing and immigrant communities — to get training and a good paying job in tech. It is disappointing certain groups would use that project as a pawn to change unrelated zoning blocks away.”

Previously on EV Grieve:
Behold Civic Hall, the high-tech future of Union Square — and NYC (30 comments)

A coffee at the Famous Cozy Soup 'n' Burger

There was a conversation the other day about coffee choices around Astor Place (specifically 51 Astor Place/the IBM Watson Building/Death Star) ... You have the Starbucks outside the downtown 6 entrance, the Starbucks on Broadway at Ninth Street, the Bluestone Lane Coffee in the Death Star, Dunkin' Donuts on Cooper Square, Pourt on Cooper Square and City of Saints Coffee Roasters on 10th Street near Fourth Avenue.

Just wanted to put in a plug for the Famous Cozy Soup 'n' Burger (24/7 since 1972) on Broadway at Astor Place...



I had randomly stopped by for a cup of coffee at the counter... see!



...and the empty seat next to me with bonus tile footage...



The place was pretty crowded (I'd guess that half the tables were tourists) this past Sunday... a lot of deliveries. I wanted to get a photo of their Wall of Fame photos, which includes a framed shot of Alf. (Next time.)

Good times for $2.45 ...



And bonus nighttime photo via the Cozy website...

Dog day afternoon: Opening party for LoveThyBeast on 5th Street

As previously noted, a pet-accessory boutique called LoveThyBeast is coming to 300 E. Fifth St. just east of Second Avenue... there's an opening party tomorrow (Saturday) from 3-7 p.m. ... (you've been warned in case there is free wine)...



The shop is the creation of Tiziana Agnello, a former prop stylist, who started selling her homemade creations online and in several pop-up locations back in 2012.