Going up and going down on 14th Street

Just noting a milestone of sorts at 432-438 E. 14th St., where an 8-story retail-residential building is on the ascent at the former site of the Peter Stuyvesant Post Office between Avenue A and First Avenue...



The original plans for 432-438 E. 14th St. call for 114 residential unit with 20 percent affordable housing. A Trader Joe's is signed on for the retail space.

Meanwhile!

Directly across the street, work is now underway for the Avenue A entrances to the L train...





YouTube user Brian Camacho took the video last Tuesday ... showing the prep work at the First Avenue station ... along with a look along 14th Street that shows the scope of the work to come...



As previously reported, the MTA is building the new entrances to help relieve congestion at the stop, which sees an average of 23,000-plus riders per weekday. The entrances at First Avenue and Avenue A will be made ADA compliant.

The work along 14th Street includes a new power substation at Avenue B to give the MTA the juice to operate more L trains.

The MTA did not provide a timeline on when all this will be complete. The shutdown of the L is expected to last 15 months with a start date of April 2019. Read more about that project here.

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

Looking at the Allegro Coffee Roasters, now open at Whole Foods Market® Bowery

The Allegro Coffee Roasters debuted on July 10 at Whole Foods Market® Bowery ... at the corner space on Chrystie and East Houston (where the Beer Store was).


[Top photos from July 10 by Steven]

The Colorado-based, Whole Foods-owned Allegro also has an outpost at the Whole Foods Market® Third & 3rd in Gowanus.

An EVG regular stopped by the other day... and noted the offerings...



Per the Allegro website:

The bright, welcoming interior is a mix of modern and nostalgic features that reflect the classic architecture of the Bowery and Lower East Side. We’ve outfitted the large, open bar with a sleek, custom Nuova Simonelli Black Eagle Espresso machine that is quite the conversation piece, and six nitro taps – three cold brews, two nitro teas and kombucha. Our baristas will be hand brewing and batch brewing small microlot coffees from all over the world.

The reader stood in line a few minutes and left before ordering after the person in front of her asked the barista to describe the hand brews.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Looking at the Allegro Coffee Roasters coming to Whole Foods Market® Bowery

Montauk Salt Cave coming to 10th Street

The signage is up for Montauk Salt Cave, opening soon on the upper level at 90 E. 10th St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue.

Here's more about what they offer via their Facebook page:

Salt therapy is a natural way of healing ailments related to respiratory disease, skin conditions and inflammatory symptoms. You will be surrounded with tons-literally tons of Himalayan salt that is both anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. The cave is a beautiful setting for you to come and simply feel better. If you suffer from allergies, asthma, cystic fibrosis, COPD or any respiratory illness...you have found the right place.

[Montauk Salt Cave image via Facebook]

The spa has locations in (duh) Montauk as well as Huntington. You can learn more about their business here. Ikinari Steak, where patrons mostly have to eat standing up, is right downstairs. The upstairs space was last leased to Miron Properties.

On tonight's CB3-SLA docket: Boris & Horton, New York's first dog friendly coffee shop

We've looked at a few of the applicants on this month's CB3-SLA docket, including Joe and Pat's ... and the Ainsworth East Village.

Here are two more items of possible interest on the schedule tonight.

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A "contemporary American" restaurant is being planned for 105 First Ave. between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.

The applicants, who have experience at the Blind Barber and Drexler's on Avenue A, are behind this venture. The paperwork (PDF here) on file ahead of tonight's meeting shows seating for 44 via 14 tables as well as one bar with 10 seats. The proposed hours are 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday-Thursday; Friday until 3 a.m.; Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

The questionnaire did not include a sample menu.

Empellón Cocina closed here in May after five years in service.

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Boris & Horton, billed as "New York's first dog friendly coffee shop and community space," is the concept for the former Ost Cafe and Raclette spaces on Avenue A at 12th Street.

The questionnaire at the CB3 website (PDF here) shows proposed hours of 7 a.m. to midnight seven days a week. The operators are seeking a beer-wine license to go alongside menu items such as sandwiches and paninis.

A help wanted ad on Craigslist offers more information about the business:

In cooperation with the Department of Health, Boris & Horton will serve coffee and snacks in a dog friendly environment. The coffee bar will be glassed in with double doors leading to the dog side, which will feature café style seating and upscale pet products. We have a lifelong passion for animal rescue so Boris & Horton will be a hub for adoption events and fundraisers.

The principals are listed as Coppy Holzman and his daughter, Logan Holzman.

Ost Cafe closed in February after nine years in business. Their owners said that it had "become too expensive to stay open any longer." The Grand Street location is still in service. Raclette moved from its 14-seat space on A around the corner to the former Northern Spy on 12th Street last fall.

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The July CB3-SLA committee meeting is tonight at 6:30 at Ian Schrager's Public Hotel, 215 Chrystie St. just below Houston.

Yuan Noodle in soft-open mode on 2nd Avenue

Yuan Noodle is getting ready for its grand opening at 157 Second Ave. between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

The restaurant is in soft-open mode for now...



Eater had more on the owners and concept back in May:

Former financier Jacob Ding is using family recipes to open a Guilin boiled rice noodle and dim sum parlor, after his wife told him she wished that type of restaurant existed.

Ding grew up in Guilin, China, where rice noodles reign. They’re thick and come with various topping such as roasted peanuts, scallions, chiles, and assorted pickles. Ding will serve his dry, as opposed to with soup, alongside a condensed gravy-like sauce and with options like roast pork and braised beef.

Yuan Noodle will also offer classic dim sum dishes, such as shumai, har gow, and vegetable dumplings.

Here's a look at the menu posted on the front window...





The address previously housed Biang!, the sit-down Chinese restaurant via Xi'an Famous Foods owner Jason Wang, and Alder, Wylie Dufresne's bistro.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Yuan Noodle in the works for the former Biang! space on 2nd Avenue

Traveling and panhandling

[Photo on 2nd Avenue last Tuesday by Derek Berg]

Back on Friday evening, CBS 2 filed a report on the summer travelers titled "'They’re Traveling And Doing This Purposely,' Some City Panhandlers May Be In It For Fun."

The not-so-newsy report attempted to cover a lot in 1:50: a) noting the annual warm-weather migration of the travelers (or crusties, as some prefer) b) theorizing that some of the travelers or panhandlers in general are actually not in need of money c) piggybacking onto Mayor de Blasio's recent comments about his frustration with panhandlers.

To CBS 2:

When spring and summer come to New York City, so do homeless travelers from far away suburbs and cities.

They gather in Tompkins Square Park.

Police said some of the disheveled newcomers hopped freight trains from as far away as Seattle.

The park is their central gathering place, and they fan out to the surrounding East Village streets to panhandle.

The report has an on-camera interview with Angelo, aka Gypsy, a regular along Avenue A.

“I’m homeless myself,” he said, “A lot of these guys believe it or not, their parents are rich. They’re traveling and doing this purposely.”

Without quoting anyone directly, the piece notes: "Residents and merchants said the trend is harming their quality of life, and they want the city to do something about it."

CBS 2 also quotes Mayor de Blasio from his quality-of-life press conference last Wednesday, in which he implied some panhandlers are doing it for fun.

“There are people who are in desperate need and maybe don’t know there’s other options. But there are also people who are doing it purely out of choice. This is a fact — who somehow think it’s fun, or think it’s a way to make easy money. And I resent that, I really do.”

Per the Daily News: "He’s especially annoyed about so-called 'crusties' who come into the city from out of town to beg, and women who panhandle with children."

“I’m very upset at the notion of anyone who in effect gives people the impression they’re homeless to make money. That’s what I think is going on. And I don’t like it one bit,” he said, acknowledging there’s little cops can do unless the panhandlers commit a crime. “As frustrating as it is, and this bothers me to say this, but panhandling per se is not illegal.”

Astor Plate now open on Astor Place

The food-and-drink kiosk made its debut on Saturday. As previously reported, the kiosk offers a variety of salads, sandwiches, wraps, smoothies ... as well as Mud Coffee (to make up for the loss of the Mud Truck). You can find the menu here.

Will update with hours when that info is available.

Updated

Mud is giving away free coffee on Wednesday morning ...

We have astornomical news!! @astor_plate is OPEN!! That also means @mudcoffeenyc is back at Astor Place!! Celebrate this Wednesday morning when Astor Plate will be giving away free Mud Coffee between 8am and 10am!! #AstorPlace #AstorPlate #MudNYC #MudPeople

A post shared by Astor Place NYC (@astorplacenyc) on Jul 17, 2017 at 12:21pm PDT

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Mudtruck hits the road ahead of renovations at Astor Place

Retail space at 347 Bowery sells for $20 million

A transaction from last week to note... in which developer Urban Muse sold the 8,400-square-foot commercial space at the base of 347 Bowery for $20.3 million, according to The Real Deal.

This is the two-level, bank-branch looking storefront at Third Street...



No word on a tenant (or tenants!) for the space. And no mention of the rent at RKF.

The listing notes:

"With a mix of luxury contemporary fashion labels, high-end dining options and influential neighbors, the area is a perfectly curated mix of downtown cool and cultured sophistication."

The listing does not divulge that this retail opportunity is directly next door to a 7-Eleven.



The Annabelle Selldorf-designed 13-story luxury building features five stacked town homes.

Video: Documenting a hoarder's filthy apartment after the eviction

[Screengrab via YouTube]

Updated 7/18: Read more background on this story here.

This video is making the rounds this weekend.

Martin Fernandez, a contractor working at a building only ID'd as being on the Lower East Side, documented the clean-up of a roach-filled apartment after the tenant was evicted.

The Daily Mail first had the story:

"Whatever you've seen, you've never seen nothing like this," Fernandez says ...

"When I first started doing work, we gave him a new stove and he was a very clean guy," he recalls about the tenant.

The apartment is filled with rotting garbage, empty bottles and assorted junk.

Cockroaches swarm across the the walls, floor and furniture.

"The refrigerator caught on fire," Fernandez notes as he peers into the scorched interior of the appliance.

It gets more grim as the crew discovers what happened to the tenant's cat.

And it's all captured on a video that Fernandez made to document the mess. (If you're at all squeamish, then you should not watch this. Or even if you aren't...)



The address of the building is not disclosed. A few EVG readers wondered if it might be in the East Village. There's a shot of Fernandez taking a breather in his truck. What looks like the First Avenue-Ninth Street location of the Bean can be seen in the background...



If you have any guesses to where this might be, have at it... (Also, one reader suggested that this video was staged for the purposes of generating interest in some kind of upcoming series.)

For further reading, the Times recently had a piece titled "Helping Those Who Hoard," which included photos from several East Village apartments.

Updated:

Fernandez posted a follow-up video titled "Rage over Fake News because of my Cockroach Infested apartment video."

Week in Grieview

[Lonesome balloon via Derek Berg]

Work on new Avenue A entrances to the L train looks to be getting underway (Monday)

NYPD looking for help in identifying man found in the East River on July 4 (Wednesday)

City ready to attack rats in Tompkins Square Park (and elsewhere) (Friday)

Updated: 99 Miles to Philly is now The Joint on 3rd Avenue (Thursday)

Out and About with Grace Kang, owner of Pink Olive on 9th Street (Wednesday)

That penthouse with a cottage atop 1st Street and 1st Avenue is for sale (Thursday)

Report: Man sentenced to 40 years in 2011 shooting death of teen outside Campos Plaza (Tuesday)

Old Monk opens on Avenue B (Monday, updated)

The Bean is opening in the former St. Mark's Bookshop space at Cooper Union (Thursday)

Your chance for enjoying Summer Streets and Smellmapping Astor Place coming next month (Wednesday)

At the 'Not Another Starbucks Rally' (Friday) ... Steve Cuozzo: 'A new Starbucks will make the thriving East Village an even better place to live' (Monday)

Cup & Saucer Luncheonette closing tomorrow (Wednesday)

A few more details on the end of Webster Hall in its current format (Tuesday)

At the Weeping Willow Wake (Sunday)

An outpost of the Ainsworth vying for former Pourhouse space; E.Vil is not coming (Tuesday)

Construction watch: Thirteen East + West (Wednesday)

217 E. 3rd St. is for sale (plus air rights) (Friday)

Raphael Toledano-owned East 6th Street building returns to the market for a few million more (Tuesday)

Former Chao Chao space for rent on Avenue A (Friday)

Here's what's coming to 222 1st Ave. (Tuesday)

Looking at the new-look 29 Second Ave. (Wednesday)

Quickly reaching the top of 287 E. Houston St. (Monday)

Your chance to own part of an East Village bar (Monday)

... a high-profile tag arrived late last week on Seventh Street at Avenue A ... that has since been cleaned off...


[Photo by Mike House]

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Follow EVG on Instragram and/or Twitter for more updates

Street fair! Street fair! Street fair!

[Photo by Vinny & O]

The Lower 2nd Avenue Spring Festival is underway, from 14th Street to 10th Street... bring your dollars...

Looking at the Big Belly 1.0 and 2.0 in and around Tompkins Square Park

[10th and B]

Last week, workers placed new solar-powered, Big Belly trash cans in and around Tompkins Square Park as part of the city's $32-million plan to combat vermin in rat-popular neighborhoods, like this one.

Per the city:

The City will purchase 336 solar compactors that restrict access to trash with a “mail-box” opening and that have resulted in 90% rat reductions when fully deployed in concentrated areas. The City will also replace all the remaining wire waste baskets in the zones with 1,676 steel cans — both in parks and on street corners — which should meaningfully reduce rats’ access to food sources compared to current wire baskets.

However effective, they're no match for someone who decides to dump contents from their apartment at their mail-box opening...



While there are more of the new Big Belly trash cans deployed inside the Park, it may be a good idea to put several of them at key entry points, such as Avenue A and St. Mark's Place, alongside the Big Belly 1.0, which can be overmatched ...



and Avenue A at Ninth Street...



Still, the squirrels seem to like them...

This weekend in attempts to buy that classic 1965 AMC Rambler Marlin on 9th Street

EVG correspondent Steven shared these photos from yesterday on Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... someone left a note on that Dodge Rambler Marlin that's usually parked on the block...



"I want to buy your car!! Please call ... My grandma had one and it brings back great memories. XO"

Saturday's parting shot

OK, this is actually last Saturday... showing Fledgling #1, Christo and Dora's lone red-tailed offspring this year, atop St. Brigid's on Avenue B and Eighth Street... photo by Goggla, who has an update on Fledgling #1 here.

Feeling blue about the Cherry Tavern

[EVG photo from 2010]

The always (mostly!) reliable spot on Sixth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue is now...



Blue — very blue!

Thanks to Goggla for the new paint-job pic!

That sinkhole feeling

Back on Wednesday, workers started making repairs on the sinkhole at the Eighth Street/Avenue B entrance to Tompkins Square Park... there hasn't been any work on the hole since then.

It appears there is still a broken section of pipe, per these photos from today ...



No one is around to ask... so no word on what the delay might be. Waiting for a part?

Also, as you can see in the top photo, there were a lot of pigeons to the left of the hole... it appears that someone fed them...

Open Day tomorrow (Sunday!) at the local Marble Cemeteries

[Photo of the New York City Marble Cemetery on 2nd Street]

From Noon until 6 p.m. tomorrow at the New York City Marble Cemetery (above) on Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue ...



Meanwhile, The New York Marble Cemetery at 41 1/2 Second Ave. between Second Street and Third Street is also open tomorrow from noon to 4 p.m.

H/T EVG reader Spike!

Noted

Possible bed bugs, tapering off later today. The high is expected to be 86 degrees with a low of 70 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

First Avenue between Second Street and Third Street.

The 'Wonder' boys

Here from the Bronx to sing for you this evening — Dion & The Belmonts with "I Wonder Why" circa 1958.

Tonight's free film in Tompkins Square Park has been postponed until Sunday

The Films on the Green screening tonight of "Port of Shadows (Quai des brumes)" in Tompkins Square Park has been postponed due to the rain. New date: Sunday, July 16, at 8:30 p.m. ...

Tonight screening of PORT OF SHADOWS postponed due to rain: new date Sunday July 16 - 8:30pm in Tompkins Sq. https://t.co/68KAPPqQfy pic.twitter.com/v1KrLNNmjR

— Films on the Green (@FilmsontheGreen) July 14, 2017