Friday, November 17, 2017
The spirit of the 'Law'
Grab your trumpet and go dance in the woods like they did in 1984 ... The Suburbs with "Love is the Law" ...
BarBacon looking at expanding to Avenue A
The proprietors of BarBacon are getting a head start on CB3's SLA committee meeting for December... paperwork is up in the front window at 171 Avenue A between 10th Street and 11th Street...
In case you don't dine on swine, here's more about BarBacon, which has an outpost on Ninth Avenue in Hell's Kitchen: "Bacon flights & other swine-spiked grub served in a gastropub setting with a large bar." (Read more about the place here.)
The meeting notices and applications aren't live just yet at the CB3 website. However, the paperwork on the door shows that the owners plan to use the hotly contested backyard patio.
The previous tenants here, both Chao Chao and Soothsayer, as well as B.A.D. Burger, were unable to secure a full-liquor license or back-patio usage.
CB3 had this to say in denying Soothsayer's full-liquor request:
"[T]he applicant proposed using the backyard area for dining, although no certificate of occupancy was provided to demonstrate the legality of the commercial use of the backyard and there had been numerous complaints from residents regarding commercial use of backyards in this neighborhood."
Updated 9 a.m.
See the comments for an update from CB3 District Manager Susan Stetzer. The meeting location has NOT been confirmed for December.
Construction watch: 809 Broadway
The extension at 809 Broadway is shaping up here between 11th Street and 12th Street.
As previously reported, the developers — a partnership of three private investors led by its principal Ariel Rom — are jacking up the height of the 55-foot building to 199 feet, adding 10 stories to the existing five-story structure. In total, the building will house 10 luxury condos, including one duplex and one triplex penthouse on the top floors.
No. 809 was the longtime home until 2013 to Blatt Billiards, a pool table manufacturer that had owned and occupied the building since 1972. Blatt principals Ronald Blatt and Bruce Roeder reportedly sold the building to a buyer who was identified only as 809 Broadway Holding LLC.
Here are renderings via ODA-Architecture ...
Per ODA: "Situated on a diagonal segment off Broadway, Lot 809 stands like a totem indicating the visual entrance to Union Square. The neighborhood’s characteristic street scape is extended to the building’s façade by stacking and shifting the floor plates, thereby creating enlarged spaces, and protected outdoor terraces."
This is one of the many luxury developments sprouting up south of Union Square that some local elected officials and preservation groups spoke out against on Wednesday night at a rally on Third Avenue at St. Mark's Place.
At the rally, the group — led by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation — is seeking a rezoning of the area in to enforce some height restrictions and affordable housing requirements.
Odessa breaks out the Thanksgiving Special signage
The familiar Thanksgiving signage arrived yesterday at the Odessa, 119 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.
Pricing for the Complete Dinner remains unchanged since 2014.
Gut renovating the former Mary Ann's space on 2nd Avenue
Workers have been doing some major excavating of late in the empty corner storefront on Second Avenue and Fifth Street... One of the workers told EVG Interior Demolition Contributor Derek Berg, who took the shots below, that there were multiple layers of floor and ceiling here... (some cheap-o and quick-o renovations from the past...)
The work permits don't shed much, if any, light on the next tenant. The permits say, in the ALL-CAP DOBese:
INTERIOR ALTERATIONS INCLUDING REMOVAL OF NON-LOAD BEARING PARTITIONS AND FINISHES, REPLACE CELLAR SLAB ON GRADE, REPLACE 1ST FLOOR WOOD JOISTS WITH METAL JOISTS, METAL DECK AND CONCRETE SLAB; PLUMBING ALTERATIONS INCLUDING REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF FIXTURES.
The space was last 100% Healthy Blend (or maybe just Healthy Blend), which closed last November after three months ... and previously it was the underage-drinking hotspot Dahlia's and Mary Ann's.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Catching up with the hardcore matinee crowd
The Bowery's all-ages, hardcore matinee shows were a ritual for young outcasts, free thinkers and activists. All these years later, what's become of those kids? https://t.co/ylKyozIaNg pic.twitter.com/as6xb8IeIf
— nprmusic (@nprmusic) November 16, 2017
NPR has a feature today on "Matinee: All Ages On The Bowery," Drew Carolan's photo book on the afternoon hardcore scene at CBGB from 1983-1985 ... Carolan, who grew up on the LES, photographed people coming and going to the matinees.
At NPR, there's a now-and-then feature that shows what some of the people featured in the book are doing today... such as Joshua:
In hindsight, I think that my early adolescent treks from Staten Island to the Bowery to catch the weekly matinee at CBGB's may have been training me to spend my life on the road. After getting out of university I started traveling more seriously, eventually expatriating when I was 24. Since then, I've probably spent half my life living overseas, working mostly as a journalist and travel writer in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. I have a new book coming out in 2018 — my 14th — titled Formosa Moon and have recently switched from original Star Trek "continuing journey" mode to a more Deep Space Nine mode by hooking up with a Taiwanese travel company that does custom tours around the country. It kind of fits, in a weird way. There's a decent punk scene here, and Beijing calls us a renegade province, so yeah, there's that. Currently listening to: Kou Chou Ching, The White Eyes, Frank Zappa, Gentle Giant, Yes, Bad Brains, The Germs, Black Flag, Minor Threat
There's a book celebration Saturday over at Generation Records on Thompson Street ... and another one Dec. 8 at Rough Trade in Williamsburg.
Speaking out against a 'Silicon Alley' in this neighborhood
A coalition of community groups and preservationists hosted a rally last evening titled "Don't Turn Our Neighborhood Into Silicon Alley" on on Third Avenue outside 51 Astor Place/the IBM Watson Building/Death Star ... and across the street from where a 7-story office building is in the works for the northeast corner of the Avenue at St. Mark's Place...
An estimated 50-75 residents turned out... as well as several elected local officials, such as State Sen. Brad Hoylman.
EVG contributor Peter Brownscombe shared these photos... Curbed has a recap of the rally here, which the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) organized ...
It’s the latest new development that’s destroying the fabric of these neighborhoods, local residents argued at the rally on Wednesday. While Greenwich and East Villagers, along with their outgoing City Council member, Rosie Mendez, have been demanding protections for this area for years, this latest push for rezoning was prompted by Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement of a new tech hub at the old P.C. Richard & Son on East 14th Street.
And...
GVSHP is encouraging the mayor to create height restrictions in the area, that would limit building heights to between 80 to 145 feet, and would have incentives for creating affordable housing. [GVSHP Executive Director Andrew] Berman said he wasn’t opposed to the tech hub per se, but was unable to get behind it without all the other neighborhood protections in place. The tech hub can only be approved through a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), and will ultimately come before the City Council for final approval. The incoming City Council member from the area, Carlina Rivera, also backs the zoning protections, so it remains to be seen how the Mayor’s project will fare.
Bedford + Bowery has coverage here.
State Assembly member Deborah Glick said preserving the residential, mixed-use character of the neighborhood was important to maintaining the vibrancy of the East Village and that she was disappointed in the proposed developments. “Seeing New York homogenized during the Bloomberg administration – we thought it would come to an end but it’s only getting worse,” she said. “I want to say to Bill de Blasio: Don’t turn yourself into Bloomberg 2.0. We deserve to keep our open skies, air and light – don’t suffocate us just for a quick buck from developer.”
Sales underway for Ben Shaoul's Liberty Toye — at the 'crossroads that cradled the Culture of Cool'
[Liberty Toye's sale office at 44 Avenue B]
As previously mentioned (here and here and here), Liberty Toye is the name of Ben Shaoul's condoplex taking over his nursing-home replacing rentals at 62 Avenue B.
And now sales are underway at the 81-unit building at Fifth Street. Here's the eye-rolling description::
Liberty Toye is located in the legendary East Village. Born in the creative clash of the 70’s and rocketing to iconic status in the 80’s, the neighborhood emerged as the epicenter of cool, producing a galaxy of stars and shaping an indelible worldview of New York City.
Today, at 62 Avenue B, stands Liberty Toye at the very crossroads that cradled the Culture of Cool. Modern luxuries abound in this urban sanctuary, where studio, one and two bedroom condominiums and private outdoor spaces provide the setting for the next chapter in the epic tale of downtown grit and glamour.
A lush entry garden leads to the marble and brass lobby where a doorman waits to greet you 24 hours a day. Experience a full suite of amenities, a recreation room, fitness center with a yoga room, and a landscaped roof deck outfitted with grills, dining areas, a lounge, an outdoor shower, and a 360-degree view of the vibrant city.
A residence at Liberty Toye evokes the allure of downtown New York City with a style all its own. Available as studio, one and two bedroom condominiums with dark-stained or light grey stained hardwood floors throughout. The kitchen features custom cabinets, white marble counters, and brushed brass fixtures, and is completed by stainless steel Bosch appliances. Bathrooms complement the space with white marble, chrome fixtures, and grey vanity with touches of brushed brass.
And here are photos of the model homes ... featuring framed photos of Joey Ramone, Grace Jones and Debbie Harry, among others...
Prices range from $660K to $1.8 million for buyers who may use Bitcoin for the purchase. (Shaoul's sales team is renting an office from the imprisoned Steve Croman at 44 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street.)
Shaoul previously leveraged the neighborhood's history to potential renters at Bloom 62 in May 2013 with this unforgettable copy:
It sounds impossible: a fully-appointed luxury building has sprouted in the beating heart of the East Village. A 24-hour doorman greets you before work in the morning, after returning from a cafe in the evening and when heading out to Tompkins Square Park on the weekends. You'll have every modern convenience, from a gym to a roof deck to in-unit laundry, on the same streets where names like The Ramones, Warhol and Hendrix and [sic] paved the history of this neighborhood for years to come.
Previously on EV Grieve:
More details on Cabrini's closing announcement
A look at the 'Hip young crowd planting roots at Bloom 62'
1st signs of Ben Shaoul's Bloom 62 going condo on Avenue B?
More details on Ben Shaoul's condo conversion Liberty Toye, where you can buy with bitcoins
Former Angelica Kitchen space will yield to a Chinese noodle shop on 12th Street
[Photo from April by Steven]
A new tenant has leased the space last occupied by Angelica Kitchen at 300 E. 12th St. at Second Avenue.
According to an Instagram post yesterday by the broker, the address will soon be home to "the famous Chinese Lan Zhou noodle restaurant!"
It's not immediately clear which restaurant she means... perhaps another branch of Lan Zhou Handmade Noodles in the New World Mall Food Court in Flushing ... or Lanzhou Hand Pulled Noodles on Roosevelt Avenue in Flushing.
Anyway, as for Angelica, Leslie McEachern's vegan restaurant, which first opened on St. Mark's Place in 1976, shut down after service back on April 7. McEachern said that "making the numbers work week in and week out is just not viable for us anymore."
The restaurant moved to 12th Street in 1987.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Angelica Kitchen closing on April 7; friends raising money to pay off expenses (61 comments)
Annual New York Cares coat drive underway
The 29th annual New York Cares Coat Drive kicked off on Tuesday at the Bowery Mission.
Organizers hope to collect 125,000 coats this year through Dec. 31.
In the East Village, you can drop off coats at the 9th Precinct on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue and Police Service Area 4 at 130 Avenue C and Eighth Street. There's also a drop-off spot at the Manhattan Mini Storage on Second Avenue between Second Street and First Street. Find a full list of distribution centers here.
7th Street storefront to be modified for piercing studio
The signage is up at 63 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue for a new tenant ... the space will soon be home to Bejeweled NYC, a piercing studio via Robbie Milian, who has been working out of West 4 Tattoo. (You can check out his work on Instagram here. Looks as if blink-182's Travis Barker is a customer.)
The gift shop Below 7th was the last tenant here.
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
[Updated] NYPD searching for driver involved in deadly Union Square hit and run
Surveillance video shows the SUV heading east on 14th Street "before swinging an illegal left turn onto Union Square East" around 1 a.m., the Post reports. The video shows the vehicle continuing on after momentarily slowing down.
The 34-year-old victim suffered trauma to his body, and is in critical condition at Bellevue, according to NY1.
Here's the video via Town & Village...
Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online.
Updated 5:30 p.m.
The pedestrian, Brooklyn resident Adrian Blanc, died from his injuries. He was walking within the crosswalk, police said.
Updated 11/16
Blanc was the executive chef at Hill & Bay, the restaurant on Second Avenue across from the Kips Bay theater.
Eater has statement from Hill & Bay's parent company: "Adrian was immensely talented. He was a dedicated worker and devoted family member. He was incredibly kind and loving. He had a heart of gold and he genuinely cared about all of his co-workers."
Blanc was set to be married in December.
Police found the Jeep Renegade — which was a Zipcar rental — but the driver is still at large.
Fashion session alert on Avenue A, in Tompkins Square Park
The crew was out apparently doing a shoot for Vogue ... photo on Avenue A by Grant Shaffer... then in Tompkins Square Park via Derek Berg...
Previously on EV Grieve:
Breaking: Models invade Key Food, hold melons
Out and About in the East Village
In this ongoing feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village or Lower East Side.
By James Maher
James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.
By James Maher
Name: Ronald Rayford
Occupation: Actor, Writer
Location: 4th Street and Avenue A
Time: Monday, Nov. 13
I’m from Buffalo. I was living in Chicago when I was 23. I didn’t like it right then, so I said, hey, I’m looking for a job, I can find a job in New York. I started out in Brooklyn, around Nostrand Avenue, but I knew somebody in the neighborhood, and eventually I got an apartment on Avenue C and 10th Street. That was about 1967.
I got a job at a haberdashery, a tailor shop on 125th Street. I worked for him for awhile and I was going back and forth from there to the Lower East Side, down to Orchard Street to pick up the fabric. It was bigger then, much more stuff was going on back then.
There were some good spots and some bad spots, but as I look back on it there were a lot of bad spots. The area on Seventh Street was kind of rundown but so was 10th Street. My friend who encouraged me to come to New York died on 10th Street. Aww man, it was a bad scene.
Truth be told, I got into some drug situations for a time back then — I’ve got to tell the truth. Eventually I got busted with some drugs on me. I was in the Tombs — they were overcrowded. They were putting so many people in there. There was a riot while I was in there in 1969. They were rioting against the way they were treated. I was in there for about 90 days but then I got sentenced and they sent me up to Dannemora from there.
After that I got out. My mind was clear of the drugs. I started acting with Woodie King down here at the Henry Street Settlement, and they gave me a little money too. That was part of some program in the neighborhood.
Then I had a woman that I knew, she came down here to be with me and we had a child. From there, I started acting seriously in plays and stuff like that. I got into a play that Woodie and Joe Papp produced at Lincoln Center, so I got a break there. It was called "What the Wine-Sellers Buy." Then another break came in "Saturday Night Live," and I was on there for a little while. I was studying with the Strasberg institute, studying acting
Then I broke up with the wife and I went back to the drug thing like a fool. I stayed in that drug thing for a couple of decades. Then from there I had another son and that cleared my mind up even more. Since then, I’ve been pretty much on the straight and narrow.
People get a bad deal with the issue on drugs. In Norway, Denmark, and other countries, they stopped their war on drugs because war on drugs translates to a war on Black folks. Because of this war on drugs, people are incarcerated at a massive rate — it’s incredible. They are not helping the people at all, but now seeing that it’s moved into other communities other than this particular community, now it ain’t just junkies, dope dealers – they are opiate addicted. They put a whole new name on it, you dig? They knew that in the 1970s, Oliver North and others were bringing that stuff into communities all over this country, and they incarcerated all these people. How they could not see this stuff is insane? This is not a policy to help the people. It’s a genocidal policy on the people.
And now with the aid of Mr. Sessions and Mr. Trump, they want to reinstitute this policy that the previous president had tried to break down a little bit. It’s just another name for slavery, because it’s free labor, and it goes deeper than that, because with unpaid internships, that’s another form of slavery. Anytime you’re talking about free labor, you’re talking about slavery. It’s basically because the working class has collapsed, so something’s got to change.
These days I’m doing very little acting. I would like to do it when I can. I did a few things, something I started over at the Theatre for New City. And I’m doing a little writing now too. But now I would say my focus is on activism. I met some very interesting people, Danny Glover, Harry Belafonte, Amy Goodman, Van Jones, and Jacqui Lewis, who is head pastor of the Middle Collegiate Church on Seventh Street and Second Avenue.
Right now, what I’m doing is I am part of this group in the church called the Butterflies. They carry the food, and sometimes I help them make the food, put them in sandwich bags and lunch bags, and take them out to Tompkins Square Park and to Sara Roosevelt Park. That’s activism.
James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.
RIP Kenny Kendra
[Photo via Facebook]
Kenny Kendra (aka Kendra Zimmerman), a familiar figure in this neighborhood before moving to California several years ago, died on Saturday. Friends said that she suffered a stroke. She was 47.
Through the years in the East Village she had worked at Trash and Vaudeville, Enz's and Religious Sex, among other places. She moved to Long Beach, Calif., and was the owner of a food truck called The Head Hunter.
"She was punk rock with a heart of gold," her friend Cheyenne said in an email. "The stray cats always found her and she would always take them in and take good care of them. They knew a good soul when they found her."
Her NYC friends are gathering tomorrow evening at 6 at Otto's Shrunken Head on East 14th Street to celebrate "the Life and Times of Kenny Kendra."
Le Village is closed for now on 7th Street
An EVG reader brought it to my attention. The restaurant's website is down and its telephone is disconnected ... Yelp also states that Le Village is permanently closed.
Perhaps owner Didier Pawlicki has another change in concepts coming. In late 2013, he converted the vegetarian-friendly Table Verte into Le Village.
H/T Diana!
More about 29B, a new teahouse at 29 Avenue B
29B opened in late October at 29 Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street.
Grub Street had a feature on the cafe-restaurant-retail space yesterday.
Some excerpts:
29B has an impressively diverse menu spanning categories of tea rarely seen in New York. There are Korean green teas, less bitter than Japanese styles with deceptively nuanced sweetness; a range of single-estate Darjeelings that offer opportunity for comparative tastings; and almost a dozen caffeine-free tisanes that involve infusions of mistletoe, mulberry leaf, and orchidlike white lotus.
Co-owner Stefen Ramirez has been running Tea Dealers, a tea importing business, as an online venture as well as a pop-up shop in Williamsburg. Tea Dealers is also located in this space.
Says Ramirez:
“You need something social besides a bar or club with loud music. Here you can drink whatever you want, with or without caffeine or alcohol, and an air of sobriety. But it’s not a library. We want an energy that’s refreshing and fun.”
29B is open Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. Find their website here.
The storefront was previously home for seven years to Sigmund Pretzel Shop, which closed last fall.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
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