Last call at the Grassroots Tavern

The Grassroots Tavern closed in the early morning hours on Jan. 1, ending a 42-year run at 20 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...


[Top 2 photos Sunday night by Peter Brownscombe]

EVG Facebook friend Jil Derryberry shared these photos from Sunday night...







Despite its appearance, the popcorn machine was not as old as the bar... I'd been there several times in past years when a new machine arrived on the scene...











And the mystery cabinet behind the bar... I always wanted to rifle through the shelves and discover some old menus and bills ... I only ever saw John Leeper go in there looking for aspirin...



As previously reported, the new owner of the bar is Richard Precious, who operates the mini chain of Irish-style pubs called The Ginger Man (including the one on 36th Street).

Someone in the women's room made some suggestions for Precious...



No word on when the new venture might open here. They'll likely be making modifications in this landmarked building, and to date, there aren't any work permits on file with the city.









Previously on EV Grieve:
An end of an era at the Grassroots Tavern

RIP John Leeper

RIP Bob Spedalere

20 St. Mark's Place, home of the Grassroots Tavern, has been sold

Your chance to live in this historic home above the Grassroots Tavern on St. Mark's Place

New owner lined up for the Grassroots Tavern on St. Mark's Place

After 42 years on St. Mark's Place, the Grassroots Tavern closes on New Year's Eve

The state of national retailers in NYC; Dunkin’ Donuts tops the list again

The Center for an Urban Future released its 10th annual State of the Chains report in late December... here are some cut-n-paste highlights ... (the full report is here)...

The tenth annual ranking of national retailers in New York City ... shows a 1.8 percent increase in the number of store locations over last year. Though this is the ninth consecutive year with a net increase in national chain stores across the five boroughs, the growth was limited to a relatively small number of retailers.

In a year in which the challenges facing brick-and-mortar retail have burst into view, this report finds that New York’s national chains are not immune to the pressure. Although food establishments continue to show strong growth, retailers that compete most directly with online outlets — such as shoe and electronics stores — have experienced significant contractions.

Overall, a fifth of all national retailers in the city closed stores in the past year, and only one-in-seven retailers on our list increased their footprint — the smallest share since we began keeping track a decade ago.

For the ninth consecutive year, Dunkin’ Donuts tops our list as the largest national retailer in New York City, with a total of 612 stores, a net increase of 16 stores since 2016 — and 271 since 2008. But this year there is a new retailer in the second position on our list: MetroPCS now has 445 stores in the five boroughs, adding 119 locations over the past year and surpassing Subway, which is now third, with 433 stores.

Fast-casual dining chain restaurants in the five boroughs increased 105 percent over the past decade, from 141 to 289, while the number of fast-food restaurant chains grew 14 percent, from 1,107 to 1,261.2 And there are now 952 chain coffee shops in New York, 65 percent more than a decade ago, led by Dunkin’ Donuts. Food-related chains are responsible for 41 percent of the growth in national retailer locations in New York over the past ten years, the most of any category.

And...

In reviewing the past decade for New York’s national retailers, one thing is clear: the growth of restaurants and food retailers is leading the charge.

The number of coffee chains expanded 65 percent since our first chains report was published in 2008, powered by the expansion of Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, as well as local chains like Joe Coffee. During this ten-year period, chain coffee shops added 621 locations, more than any other category. Dunkin’ Donuts alone grew 79 percent.

The number of fast-casual dining chain restaurants in the five boroughs has more than doubled in the past decade, from 141 to 289. The growth of fast-casual chains like Chipotle and Chop’t is in addition to the growth in fast-food restaurants.

The number of chain bakeries — such as Le Pain Quotidien and Panera Bread — has more than tripled over the past decade, from 55 to 161. This is in addition to the growth in fast-casual chains.

Chains that specialize in frozen yogurt, such as Red Mango and 16 Handles, have expanded 283 percent — the largest growth rate of any retailer category. In 2008, there were 12 chain yogurt stores, and today there are 46. However, the city seems to have reached peak yogurt in 2014, with 57 chain yogurt locations.

[A]fter years of growth, chain pharmacies have begun to contract. Chain pharmacies, which include Duane Reade/Walgreens, Rite Aid, and CVS, lost 53 locations since last year and now have a total of 588 locations. This number is just 1 percent above the number of chain pharmacy locations in 2008. This is largely because Duane Reade/Walgreens has been consolidating locations since its 2010 merger and is closing 600 locations nationwide in preparation for a major acquisition of stores from Rite Aid.

Starbucks has more stores in Manhattan than any other national retailer, with 223 locations.

You can find the 2016 report here ... and 2015 ... 2014 ... 2013...

Speaking of Dunkin' Donuts, the one at 250 E. Houston St. between Avenue A and Avenue B will no longer be open 24/7, per the door signage...

Frisson Espresso opens today on 3rd Avenue

[Photo from Sunday]

Today's the opening day for the coffee shop on the west side of Third Avenue between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

Here's an interior shot via Facebook...



This is the second NYC location for Frisson Espresso, whose first outpost debuted on West 47th Street in December 2014.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Frisson Espresso coming to 3rd Avenue

Former Pourt space for lease on Cooper Square

Pourt, the cafe-work space at 35 Cooper Square, closed at the end of November after 11 months in business.

The for lease sign is now up in the window here in the base of the Marymount Manhattan College dormitory at Sixth Street. ... though the listing isn't online just yet at the RKF website.

The eventual new tenant will have a dessert shop as a neighbor. Meet Fresh, a Taiwan-based chain, will be opening soon next door.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Pourt has closed on Cooper Square

Meet Fresh bringing teas and taro balls to Cooper Square

Holiday week recap

[Sledding in Tompkins Square Park Saturday via Derek Berg]

A few stories from last week...

• Out and About in the East Village 2017 recap and news about 2018 (Wednesday)

• Report: 9th Street resident battling with Kushner Cos. to clean up black mold infestation (Thursday)

• Pizza Rollio bringing its skinny slices to 9th Street (Tuesday)

• Residential conversion underway at 180 2nd Ave.; the Ninth Ward expected to return (Thursday)

• Neapolitan Express pulling into 29 2nd Ave. (Wednesday)

• The opossum of Tompkins Square Park — now on video (Thursday)

• The EVG 2017 recap (Friday ... Saturday)

• Remembering a few of our friends and neighbors who died in 2017 (Sunday)

• Classic Man Barber Lounge coming to 9th Street (Wednesday)

• Free scarves along the East River Promenade (Dec. 25)

• Crunch time at the Kellogg's NYC Café on Union Square (Wednesday)

• Malcriada morphing into Bar Taco on Avenue C (Tuesday)

• Report: The SBS15 has the worst on-time arrival in the MTA fleet (Tuesday)

• Thank you for 35 years of reheating leftovers and other microwaving activities (Friday)

• Former Wall 88 space for rent on 2nd Avenue (Tuesday)

• Window watch at 32 E. 1st St. (Tuesday)

Monday's parting shot

Thanks to EVG reader Dan Nallen for sharing this photo from Ninth Street at Second Avenue ...

And how was your New Year's Eve?

Derek Berg spotted the above remnants, including playing cards and a bra, on Seventh Street ... and below, on Second Avenue, a discarded New Year's hat surrounded by what appears to be dried blood...

2nd Avenue cab crash

Derek Berg came across this scene this morning just before 8 on Second Avenue at St. Mark's Place... unfortunately, we don't know what caused the cab driver to crash into the curb and send the trash can toward Gem Spa's entrance...



No one was injured... and thankfully this didn't happen at 8 a.m. on a non-holiday Monday...

Ending 2017 with a pronghorn discovery on 12th Street

An EVG reader spotted this between Avenue A and First Avenue... and it quickly found a new home with Matilda...

Happy 2018 from Ray

And happy birth month to Ray, as the proprietor of Ray's Candy Store at 113 Avenue A will be 85 on Jan. 25.

Thanks to Rainer Turim for the photo!

Farewell 2017...

[Click to go big]

Photo late this afternoon in Tompkins Square Park via Allen Semanco...

Our Happy New Year

Our Happy New Year

We awaken from one year into

another, will there ever be rest?

What are we going to do,

with this new blank slate.

Can we find it within, to do,

all we have promised ourselves,

Or will we leave our promises,

For another time, another year.

Make this the year of moving,

Forward with our dreams,

Why not, let’s make some,

Good news for a change,

If you have no dreams,

Help someone who does.

Let us bring joy back.

•

peter radley

Gone but Not Forgotten

Remembering a few of our friends and neighbors who died in 2017...

Bonnie DeWitt...



Rita Lasar...



Kenny Kendra...


[Photo via Facebook]

Toyo Tsuchiya...


[Image via Facebook]

Magdalena Wassiltschuk...



Elizabeth Lee...



Richard Hambleton ...



Erin O’Connor...


[Photo by Steven]

Diane Maguire...



Kelly Hurley...


[Photo via Facebook]

Bianca Bennett...


[Photo by Derek Berg]

Neftaly Ramirez...



David Peel...


[Photo in Tompkins Square Park in 2010 by Shirley Dluginski]

Eddie Hunt...



Guilherme Barreto...


[Image via Facebook]

Chester Kawalec...



Glenn O'Brien...


[Image via glenn.obrien.com]

Edouard Menuau...


[Photo by Steven]

Kate Millett...


[Image via PBS]

---

Longtime East Village resident Adam Alexander died before the December holidays ... I will do a post when more details are available...


[Photo by Steve Salmieri via Facebook]

Report: East Village resident looking for justice in the 2005 death of her husband in Iraq

The Post has a feature today on East Village resident Lisa Ramaci, who has spent the past 12 years trying to find out who was responsible for the August 2005 murder of her husband, journalist Steven Vincent, in the Iraqi port city of Basra.

She has spent long hours scouring the Internet schooling herself in the intricate politics of extremist forces in Iraq, and is currently suing the government of Iran and five major European banks that she says financed the thugs who killed Vincent and other Americans.

But now her biggest obstacle may be her own government.

Last week Ramaci sued the FBI in federal court in Manhattan to force them to release hundreds of pages documenting their nearly four-year investigation into Vincent’s death.

When asked if the FBI was stonewalling and perhaps covering up something in their files that they may not want her to see, Ramaci shrugged.

“Look, I was raised in an era of conspiracies but I’m not going to ascribe that to the FBI,” she said. “I’m going to be charitable, and say that they’re just overwhelmed with requests because there is no earthly reason that the FBI shouldn’t give me that file.”

You may read the whole article here.

Christmas trees lounge

You my now officially drag your [Christmas] trees (no home appliances please) to Tompkins Square Park, where workers have assembled the drop-off pen... which appears to have some sort of guard on duty...



Disguised as an ordinary outdoor snowman, this hidden camera with DVR provides motion activated recording of all activity (with 90-day standby battery).



The city is holding its annual MulchFest/TreeCycle on Jan. 6 and 7 (2018!) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tompkins Square Park is once again serving as a chipping location.

Photos yesterday by Steven.

Headline H/T!

Tompkins Square Park, 8:15 a.m., Dec. 31