A scene today outside St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery on Second Avenue at 10th Street where the Tree Riders NYC sell some of the largest Christmas trees around... thanks to @GMKevv for the photo ...
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
You're gonna need a bigger bike
A scene today outside St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery on Second Avenue at 10th Street where the Tree Riders NYC sell some of the largest Christmas trees around... thanks to @GMKevv for the photo ...
Dante and Diego's adoption is the feel-good story that we need right now
On Sunday, I posted that Dante and Diego, the two bonded senior labs that belonged to Chile, the longtime 12th Street resident who recently passed away, had been adopted together by a couple in Brooklyn.
Reps from Animal Haven, the nonprofit animal shelter, took the dogs in on Nov. 27. Chile's neighbors rallied to keep Dante and Diego together following his death.
Animal Haven shared the adoption story on Instagram:
The couple recently had to say goodbye to their senior lab. As lifelong dog lovers, their home was empty and quiet, and they decided it was time for a new addition.
So they came to Animal Haven looking for a new puppy. But after seeing Dante and Diego and hearing their story, they knew in their hearts that those old souls were the dogs for them. It was fate.
Dante and Diego are now happily home, less than one week after losing the only home they'd ever known. We are beyond thrilled!
"This is what we dream of for all of our animals," said Jenny Coffey, Animal Haven's director of community engagement, who facilitated the rescue. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone in this amazing, animal-loving NYC community who shared and participated in Dante and Diego's journey!
Educator: Turning the former Church of the Nativity into luxury housing would be a 'sordid use' of the property
[EVG file photo]
I haven't heard anything the former Church of the Nativity on Second Avenue in almost a year to the date.
On Dec. 2, 2017, Friends of Nativity Church and the Cooper Square Community Land Trust held a prayer service and advocated that the property be used for low-incoming housing.
First, some background before getting to the point of bringing this up now.
The church closed in July 2015 as part of a massive consolidation reportedly due to changing demographics and a shortage of priests available to say mass. The Church of the Nativity merged with the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer on Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.
The Friends of Nativity had previously proposed a Dorothy Day Shrine and retreat center with services for the homeless at 44 Second Ave. between Second Street and Third Street. (Read more about that proposal here.)
This past summer, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York desacralized the former church, clearing the way for a potential sale of the desirable property.
Last Thursday, Rebecca Amato, a professor at NYU and associate director of the school's Urban Democracy Lab, presented on the Church of the Nativity at the Pontifical Council for Culture’s international conference on cultural heritage in Rome. The topic of the conference, "Doesn’t God Dwell Here Anymore?," facilitated discussion about reusing church landholdings after they are decommissioned.
According to her presentation, the Archdiocese of New York has sold at least 19 sacred properties for luxury development since 1996. (Hello Steiner East Village!)
In an interview with the National Catholic Reporter published Monday, Amato makes her case for using the site for the needy. (H/T to The Lo-Down who linked to this article yesterday.)
An excerpt from the article:
Amato ... said former parishioners proposed to purchase the decommissioned church for $18 million to develop low-income, senior and homeless family housing.
The alternative plan is to sell the property for a reported $50 million and build a luxury residential development, which Amato said would be a "sordid use" of a once-sacred edifice.
Although not all of the residents in the area were parishioners, decommissioned churches like the Church of the Nativity continue to be an integral part of "the fabric of a neighborhood," Amato said.
"Those are the kind of things that are destroyed by global investment firms, but they shouldn't be destroyed by the archdiocese; they shouldn't be behaving the same way," Amato said.
The proposal to convert the parish into low-income housing would greatly benefit the residents near the church, Amato said. Predominantly made up of Catholics of Puerto Rican descent, residents find themselves not only "displaced by housing issues, evictions, rising land costs but now they're being displaced by their own Catholic Church, by the archdiocese."
"So, the idea of selling this property — that is so associated with the Catholic Worker [Movement] and advocacy for the poor — for $50 million is astounding on so many levels."
And the Archdiocese's take:
Joseph Zwilling, communications director for the New York Archdiocese, acknowledged that several proposals for the site were reviewed, including the proposal submitted by the church's former parishioners.
Nevertheless, he said, "the parish needs to receive fair market value for the property so that the parish and the archdiocese can continue to meet the pastoral, charitable, educational — and housing — needs of the people we serve."
Zwilling also explained that the proposed sale of the property "is by and for the parish, not the archdiocese."
He also said that proceeds from the sale of the Church of the Nativity, which was merged in 2015 with a neighboring parish — Most Holy Redeemer — would not go to the archdiocese, but the parish.
You can read another interview with Amato along with more background in this article at America Magazine.
Not mentioned in this articles: This past July, Provincial Superior Father Paul Borowski announced during a mass at the Most Holy Redeemer that the Redemptorists would be turning the parish back to the archdiocese in the summer of 2019. (Among other reasons, he cited older and fewer priests.) As I understand it, the church, which was completed in 1852, will be administered by a Diocesan priest starting next summer.
Previously on EV Grieve:
As the Church of the Nativity closes for good tonight, take a look at the original structure
Parishioners fight to save the Church of the Nativity on 2nd Avenue
Parishioners hope their prayers are answered with former Nativity space on 2nd Avenue
[Updated] Eliza's Local now open at 2 St. Mark's Place
[Photo Monday by Steven]
We haven't seen much, if any, activity at 2 St. Mark's Place, the former St. Mark's Ale House near Third Avenue/Cooper Square... until Monday, when a worker was out painting the exterior.
CB3 OK'd a liquor license for the new owners of the space back in May. The owners for the new venture at No. 2 also run Draught 55, a brew pub (40 taps!) at 245 E. 55th St. that opened in 2012.
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Updated 12/6
The new saloon is called Eliza's Local... and they are now open. The bar is named for Elizabeth Hamilton (aka "Eliza") co-founder and deputy director of the first private orphanage in New York City. She was the wife of Alexander Hamilton. She lived next door at 4 St. Mark's Place in what was later known as the Hamilton-Holly House.
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According to the questionnaire at the CB3 website, the still-unnamed restaurant serving "American pub food" has a certificate of occupancy for 74 people, spread out over 19 tables and a 10-seat bar. The new place plans to operate from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sundays through Wednesdays, with a 4 a.m. close Thursdays through Saturdays.
The restaurant adjacent to the entry of the St Marks Hotel has been empty since Ayios Greek Rotisserie quietly closed at the end of 2017 after 16 months in business. St. Mark's Ale House had a 21-year run until July 2016. (And once upon a time it was the second location of the Five Spot Cafe.)
Previously on EV Grieve:
Cafe in the works for 2 St. Mark's Place, previously Ayios and St. Mark's Ale House
Concern for China Wok, which has not been open lately on Avenue B
China Wok, the reliable quick-serve Chinese restaurant on the corner of Third Street and Avenue B, has not been open in recent days, fueling concerns among patrons that they have closed for good.
The storefront has been on the rental market. The current listing notes an asking rent of $6,495 a month. The space can also be combined with the empty storefront next door for a few thousand more.
There is an unconfirmed neighbor report that the Marshal took legal possession of the space on behalf of landlord Steve Croman. (There is another unconfirmed claim that the rent was raised to the asking amount from $2,500.)
H/T Stacie Joy!
And an EVG Instagram post from late in the summer...
My favorite comment from this Instagram post: "The fan on the side that drips grease into the cardboard on the sidewalk 😍😍"
TabeTomo debuts on Avenue A
That new ramen shop that we told you about last August is now in soft-open mode at 131 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street.
Eater had a preview yesterday of TabeTomo:
Starting today, NYC will finally have a ramen shop where tsukemen is the star. Chef Tomotsugu Kubo’s new restaurant TabeTomo, opening today, will go all in on the dipping ramen in a petite space...
Kubo has credentials that make this opening promising. The chef previously worked at the Tokyo location of Tsujita and helped open the LA location of the ramen sensation, where the restaurant that has one of the longest waits in the city. Like TabeTomo, Tsujita specializes in tsukemen, a style where room temperature noodles are dipped into an ultra-hot, ultra-rich broth.
But Kubo’s NYC restaurant will be more upscale than Tsujita, he says. It has 24 seats and a 16-seat wood bar. Warm, low light provided by hanging lanterns, a brick accent wall, and wood throughout give the restaurant a romantic vibe.
And more opening buzzzzzz via The New York Times:
In New York, Mr. Kubo says he will take up to 60 hours to simmer his broth to deep perfection. The noodles are thicker than garden-variety ramen, the better to sop up the soup, and additions like eggs, pork belly, spinach and dried seaweed can dress up the meal. Regular ramen bowls are also served. Donburi rice bowls topped with sashimi or fried chicken, among other options, are also on the lineup, along with appetizers like crisp chicken skin, braised pork belly, edamame and pickles. The focus of the room is a large counter with seating on three sides.
TabeTomo is offering a limited menu until its GRAND opening next Monday.
This is the second L.A. ramen transplant to venture into the East Village this year. Tatsu Ramen, with two locations in Los Angeles, opened its first NYC outpost in July at 167 First Ave.
Baci e Vendetta closed at 131 Avenue A in March after nearly 16 months in service. Nic Ratner, a partner in Baci e Vendetta, said that business for the Italian cafe wasn't sustainable with only a beer-and-wine license.
This space was the 10 Degrees Bistro until the fall of 2015 ... and the Flea Market Cafe before that.
H/T Steven!
Previously on EV Grieve:
Veteran of hit L.A. ramen shop behind new noodle venture at 131 Avenue A
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Tuesday's parting shot
A look inside the incoming Madam Vo's Barbecue on Second Avenue at Sixth Street late this afternoon via Derek Berg...
Superhero's welcome
A look at the recently completed (as of yesterday) Spider-Man mural on Second Street at First Avenue... created by Chilean-based artist Otto Schade (courtesy of East Village Walls). The mural is a tribute to the late Stan Lee.
Well it's 1969 OK
Thanks to the EVG readers who pointed out this post via @NYTarchives... showing Gem Spa (Gems Spa then) on the corner of St. Mark's Place and Second Avenue circa 1969...
Headline H/T
Headline H/T
Where the gas stations were
In the past four years, the last three area gas stations have closed, replaced by high-end new developments. Here's an update...
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Lafayette at East Houston Street
The BP station closed in April 2016... (the Irish pub Puck Fair was also on this parcel)...
[EVG file photo]
... and here's a look at the new 7-story retail-office complex as of Friday at 300 Lafayette St. ... the building will include 30,000 square feet of retail and 53,000 square feet of office space...
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Second Avenue at First Street
The gas station — first a Gulf, then BP — closed in July 2014...
[EVG file photo]
... and here's the 10-story condoplex shaping up as of Saturday...
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Avenue C at East Houston Street
The Mobil station closed in September 2014. It was the last one in business in the East Village...
[EVG file photo]
... and as of Saturday, workers are still down in the foundation of what will be a 10-floor building with 45 luxury rentals via BLDG Management ...
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With these closures, there is one gas station in the city below 14th Street — a Mobil on Eighth Avenue near East 13th Street. There is also a BP on East 23rd Street at the FDR.
Previously on EV Grieve:
How much longer will the East Village have gas stations?
The East Village will soon be down to 1 gas station
RUMOR: Gas station going, boutique hotel coming on Second Avenue? (31 comments)
BP station on 2nd Avenue closes this month
Have you seen the glass tower in the works for Lafayette and East Houston?
Filling up: the status of 2 former East Village gas stations
Report: Boutique office building on East Houston and Lafayette at BP site a go
BP station on East Houston and Lafayette closes April 14
Report: Lack of gas stations downtown a concern
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Lafayette at East Houston Street
The BP station closed in April 2016... (the Irish pub Puck Fair was also on this parcel)...
[EVG file photo]
... and here's a look at the new 7-story retail-office complex as of Friday at 300 Lafayette St. ... the building will include 30,000 square feet of retail and 53,000 square feet of office space...
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Second Avenue at First Street
The gas station — first a Gulf, then BP — closed in July 2014...
[EVG file photo]
... and here's the 10-story condoplex shaping up as of Saturday...
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Avenue C at East Houston Street
The Mobil station closed in September 2014. It was the last one in business in the East Village...
[EVG file photo]
... and as of Saturday, workers are still down in the foundation of what will be a 10-floor building with 45 luxury rentals via BLDG Management ...
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With these closures, there is one gas station in the city below 14th Street — a Mobil on Eighth Avenue near East 13th Street. There is also a BP on East 23rd Street at the FDR.
Previously on EV Grieve:
How much longer will the East Village have gas stations?
The East Village will soon be down to 1 gas station
RUMOR: Gas station going, boutique hotel coming on Second Avenue? (31 comments)
BP station on 2nd Avenue closes this month
Have you seen the glass tower in the works for Lafayette and East Houston?
Filling up: the status of 2 former East Village gas stations
Report: Boutique office building on East Houston and Lafayette at BP site a go
BP station on East Houston and Lafayette closes April 14
Report: Lack of gas stations downtown a concern
Wara bringing Japanese cuisine and Batsu theater to 1st Avenue
[Photo from November]
Wara, a Japanese izakaya restaurant and dinner theater, is slated to open at 67 First Ave. at Fourth Street in the spring.
Wayne Yip, who owns Jebon Sushi at 15 St. Mark's Place and Clay Pot at 58 St. Mark's Place, is also behind this new venture.
CB3 OK'd a beer-wine license for Wara this month. According to the questionnaire (PDF here) at the CB3 website, Wara will be open from noon to midnight daily. The space has 18 tables seating 64 guests.
Real Estate Weekly had a few more details yesterday:
The experiential dining experience features sushi, Japanese pub-style eats and a Batsu theater, a show where actors are comically punished after losing a competition or bet.
Wara, whose name translates roughly to “laughing out loud,” took a 15-year lease at the corner spot ...
The asking rent was $15,500 a month, according to Sinvin Real Estate’s Steve Rappaport, who represented Wara. The landlord, Landlord Icon Realty, was represented in-house by Zach Levine.
Jebron also hosts Batsu theater in its basement lounge.
The Korean cafe Space Mabi closed here without any notice to patrons last month after a year in business.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Guayoyo has been closed now for 1 year
Gastropub — 'Your new playground' — slated for former Guayoyo space on 1st Avenue
Space Mabi closes 1 year in on 1st Avenue
Dim Sum Palace debuts on 2nd Avenue
Dim Sum Palace is now up and running under the sidewalk bridge in one of the storefront spaces at 59 Second Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street.
We first spotted the signage for the restaurant back in March. As noted then, the owners also run two locations of Dim Sum Palace in Midtown.
You can find their fairly extensive menu here. Their hours are 11 a.m. to midnight daily.
CB3 OK'd a beer-wine license for them this month.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Dim Sum Palace planned for 59 2nd Ave.
The incoming Dim Sum Palace has a large menu on 2nd Avenue
On 2nd Avenue, 16 Handles is temporarily closed for the season
[Photos by Steven]
The 16 Handles outpost on Second Avenue between Ninth Street and 10th Street is currently and temporarily closed, per the sign on the front door...
The email to people on the 16 Handles mailing list notes that this location is "temporarily closed for the season" (thanks to the EVG reader who shared this) ...
The Chelsea and Murray Hill Handles remain open. This location, which opened 10 years ago, has been closed several times before (here and here and here) for renovations ... but never for the season.
Monday, December 3, 2018
A new 2nd Avenue home for the NYPD's light tower
As noted on Saturday, the NYPD removed its portable lights from the northwest corner of Seventh Street at Second Avenue... and as several EVG readers have pointed out, the lights have moved down the Avenue... to the northeast corner of Third Street ...
A reader passed along these photos from yesterday... showing that the lights are now fixed on the southwest corner of Third Street, a spot where people have been known to congregate...
H/T Choresh Wald!
Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: It's 'Crusty vs. Postie' on 2nd Avenue
NYPD installs light tower on 2nd Avenue and 7th Street
A reader passed along these photos from yesterday... showing that the lights are now fixed on the southwest corner of Third Street, a spot where people have been known to congregate...
H/T Choresh Wald!
Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: It's 'Crusty vs. Postie' on 2nd Avenue
NYPD installs light tower on 2nd Avenue and 7th Street
Cookie Walk this way this weekend
The 10th Annual Cookie Walk is set for this coming Saturday (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and Sunday (noon to 3 p.m.) at St. Nicholas of Myra Orthodox Church on Avenue A and 10th Street.
And here's how it works via the Church's website:
Our Cookie Team bakes over 70,000 holiday confections — about 75 varieties. What makes the Cookie Walk unique is that you are in charge. You “take a walk” around tables ladened with cookies and hand-pick your favorites to fill an empty box. There are two sizes of boxes to fill: $15 & $35.
Find more details at this link.
MaKiinNy is now open in the East Village Thai space on 7th Street
On Friday, MaKiinNy debuted at 32 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square.
This is the former home of East Village Thai, which closed in July after 20-plus years in business. As EVG contributor Stacie Joy first noted, the owner's daughter was taking over the space for her own take on Thai cuisine here.
An EVG reader shared these photos from Saturday.
There are several rice and noodle options, such as the popular Thai dish khao mun gai ($10)...
The beverages include a Thai iced tea and Thai iced coffee.
MaKiinNy is open Monday-Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and then 5 to 9:30 p.m. They are closed Sundays. The interior includes a counter and several stools for eat-in dining.
Their delivery isn't set up just yet.
Updated
MaKiinNy will reopen on Dec. 17.
H/T to Steven for checking on the opening last week!
Matthew Kenney expands his 2nd Avenue plant-based empire; eyes former Cucina Di Pesce space
Plant-based celebrity chef Matthew Kenney continues to add to his Second Avenue empire.
To recap, he has Plant Food + Wine (the former Arata) on the southwest corner of Fourth Street.
Kenney is also involved with 00 + Co. and Bar Verde right next door on Second Avenue.
And most recently, the now-former Kona Coffee and Company, which just opened in November 2017 a few storefronts away at No. 57, is now under the Kenney umbrella...
Back in March, Kenney teamed up with Pure Green to launch PlantMade, a cafe on Second Avenue between Ninth Street and 10th Street. He is apparently no longer part of that Green team...
Meanwhile, Kenney plans to take over the former Cucina Di Pesce space at 87 E. Fourth St. near Second Avenue for a venue (rumored to be called Medium) in early 2019. He's on this month's CB3-SLA agenda for a new liquor license for the address. (The questionnaire has not been posted online yet.)
That seafood-focused Italian restaurant closed in September after 32 years in service.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Matthew Kenney bringing yet another plant-based restaurant to 2nd Avenue
More details about the Tao Group's eating-drinking options at the Moxy East Village
Back on Friday, I noted that reps for the incoming Moxy East Village will appear before CB3's SLA committee tonight to seek liquor licenses for the hotel's four eating-drinking establishments.
Tao Group is the food and beverage operator and the Lightstone Group's partner at the Moxy East Village, 112 E. 11th St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue. In addition to operating the eating-drinking choices at the Moxy Times Square and Moxy Chelsea, Tao runs more than 20 venues throughout New York City (Beauty & Essex, Tao Downtown, Stanton Social, etc.).
The questionnaire on file at the CB3 website for the Moxy, a Marriott brand, is 121 pages.
First, from the questionnaire, an at-a-glance listing of all the eating-drinking options inside the hotel...
The 13-stoy hotel's rooftop bar seems to be of particular interest to nearby residents, so I'll focus on that, starting with the diagram...
The questionnaire states that the rooftop bar is 2,600 square feet, with a capacity of 179. The proposed hours are 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. The kitchen closes at midnight. As for that kitchen, here's the menu...
Meanwhile, the main restaurant-lounge in the sub-cellar looks to be called MEV, short for Moxy East Village...
... which is awfully close to MEH.
The committee meeting starts tonight at 6:30. Location: The Perseverance House Community Room, 535 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.
Previously on EV Grieve:
6-building complex on East 10th Street and East 11th Street sells for $127 million
Preservationists say city ignored pitch to designate part of 11th Street as a historic district
Permits filed to demolish 5 buildings on 11th Street to make way for new hotel
Moxy East Village reps to appear before CB3 in bid for liquor licenses for new 11th Street hotel
First sign of Madame Vo Barbecue on 2nd Avenue
The sidewalk bridge signage has arrived for the incoming Madame Vo Barbecue, coming to this northeast corner of Second Avenue and Sixth Street — officially 104 Second Ave.
As Eater reported back in July, the owners of Madame Vo at 212 E. 10th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue are opening the sister restaurant specializing in Vietnamese barbecue.
The Madame Vo team was OK'd for a new beer-wine license back in September.
In a preview post, Eater had this to say about the new venture:
This barbecue offshoot will have tabletop grills for meat and seafood in various marinades including curry, lemongrass garlic, and honey fish sauce. It’s typically a celebratory food in Vietnam, and here, the barbecued proteins then go into customizable summer rolls.
The Vo-sters have also been posting a few dishes on their Instagram account...
No. 104 previously housed several forgettable concepts, such as Wall 88. Previously, the address was the Lions BeerStore — part retail shop, part restaurant, all BeerStore! — for 16 months.
Sunday, December 2, 2018
Remembering Jimi Zhivago
Longtime East Village resident Jimi Zhivago, a musician, producer and composer, died on Nov. 8. He was 67. (This link has more on Zhivago, born James Daley in Brooklyn.)
There is a musical remembrance and celebration of his life tomorrow night at Drom, 85 Avenue A near Sixth Street, from 6 p.m. to midnight.
Ahead of that, his friend and collaborator Chris Riffle, a local singer-songwriter who recorded and toured with Zhivago over the past nine years, shared this remembrance...
"I wanna stay in those moments"
How could I have known when I first met you nine years ago with a guitar on your back and a coffee in your hand that we were about to embark on a musical journey together that would stretch to Hawaii, Alaska, Germany, Belgium and both U.S. coasts... that would include three full-length albums and two EPs... and that I would write you a song today and not be able to play it for you... which is too bad because I think you’d love the chords and I’m not sure if it’s done and I never really was until you gave me a sign...
I remember being asked in an interview quite a while back what exactly a producer was and I remember thinking I wasn't really sure... Someone who was there to support the creation of an album? To make sure the songs felt complete and to help along the journey of putting it out? I remember being so sure of myself and headstrong and thinking who else could possibly know what these songs needed. Well, I just walked out of the studio yesterday and I kept looking for you to give me that sign... bring the cymbals in later... change the intro... it's too cluttered... guitars too muffled... or leave it, it's perfect.
I really just listened to the track and I felt so deeply unsure of myself. I realized that the differences we had are what I think I miss the most now. I could so easily be the optimist with you looking out for me. I listened to so much lo-fi music growing up and loved the homemade sound of a 4-track demo. The click of the microphone. But you tirelessly pushed me to make albums that sounded like they were made with all the best gear and musicians money could buy. We passionately disagreed on many things along the way because we both were so deeply part of the work we did together. It was the compromise, the space in the middle, where we found this magic.
At your hospital bedside you asked me to finish the album. Implied in that timeless moment was that you wouldn't be there to do it with me. You told me how you so believed in me and that you knew so many good things were ahead and then you had this deep look of sadness... knowing you wouldn't be there for this next journey with me.
After the album was always the best part really. The reactions... the way something sounds when you step back from it and it feels like something complete, able to exist in the world on its own. And the touring... the way a song sounded after 20 shows, after you both inhabited it completely. I wanna stay in those moments... in all those songs we made together. In that intimate space of creation, I think you find a connection to life itself. It's such a deep way to inspire someone. You gave that so freely to so many. You always loved to give.
You were so much larger than life. To me, you always were, and you always will be. I told you that that last day. I told you you were my best friend. I told you I didn't know what I could have possibly done to deserve your deep unending belief in me and my music and that it meant the whole world to me. I told you that you'd always be there pushing me to be better than I was. And that I wouldn't always agree with you but sometimes I would listen.
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