Reminders: This week's meeting lineup on stormproofing plans for East River Park

As a reminder, here are your opportunities this week to learn more about the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project as the public review process continues:

• ULURP Public Hearing – Parks, Recreation, Waterfront & Resiliency Committee
Tuesday, June 11, 6:30 p.m.
PS/MS 188 – The Island School, 442 E. Houston St. (entrance at Houston/Baruch Drive)

• CB6 Full Board Meeting
Wednesday, June 12, 7 p.m., 433 First Ave. between 25th Street and 26th Street (NYU School of Dentistry), Room 210

• CB3 Parks, Recreation, Waterfront & Resiliency Committee Meeting
Thursday, June 13, 6:30 p.m., Henry Street Settlement Youth Services Gymnasium, 301 Henry St. (CB3 posted several relevant documents on the project here ahead of the meeting.)

Last fall, the city unveiled an updated plan, which took residents, community leaders and local-elected officials by surprise after years of outreach and groundwork. The revamped plan — released without any community input — is radically different than what had been discussed. City officials have said in various presentations that this approach will provide a reduced construction time, resulting in an operable flood protection system for the 2023 hurricane season and future sea rise.

Creating the intricate flood protection system would see the city close East River Park for up to three and a half years starting in March 2020.

Also, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement is available for public comment until Aug. 15. Find those details on how to comment here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Here are the next meetings for you to learn more about stormproofing plans for East River Park

A look at 131 1st Ave., currently being divided into 3 retail spaces

The gutting of 131 First Ave. at St. Mark's Place continues.

There's not much left of the single-level structure, which was home for years to Foot Gear Plus.




[Photo by Steven]


[Photo by Steven]

The property had been on the sales market, with a pitch mentioning 4,150 square feet of air rights.

According to a filing that hit public records in November, the property changed hands for $3.85 million. The new owner is an LLC that shares an address with HUBB NYC Properties LLC, a real-estate operating company.

However, workers are now dividing the storefront into three spaces — without any vertical extension. Per the listing at Meridian Retail Leasing:

• Single story commercial building delivered vacant in the East Village.
• Corner property with excellent visibility in highly trafficked location.
• Prime value-add opportunity to establish a retail or food and beverage presence.

The storefront rendering via Meridian Retail Leasing shows the graffiti intact on No. 131's surrounding walls ...



The largest of the three spaces (510 square feet) has a monthly rental ask of $11,000. The smallest (410 square feet) space seeks $9,000.


[Click on image to go big]

As for Foot Gear Plus, Tony Scifo, who opened the shop here in 1980, told this to EVG contributor Stacie Joy last July: "After several years of peaks and valleys in business there were just too many valleys. Companies now sell direct to consumers and once they started offering free shipping it was all over. This is happening everywhere, not just locally. The landlord wanted us to stay. She offered us a fair price and she's been great. We just couldn't make it."

Supper's 1970s-style subway-car look on 2nd Street

A legendary NYC graffiti artist has created murals for the awnings at Supper on Second Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.



East Village restaurateur Frank Prisinzano (Frank, Lil' Frankie's) commissioned GHOST, described as "one of the last kings of the New York City train writing era," to do the work on the restaurant as well as the building next door, home to Flux Studios.

GHOST and GIZ completed the 1970s-style work last week.

"Back in the 70s and 80s graffiti was what made me feel at home in NYC," Prisinzano told me via email. "It gave off a constant urban pulse that I think was very calming for everyone. The idea that street art can’t be suppressed and that it’s really the neighborhood bulletin board is what I want you to feel when you look at the work we just did at Supper."

Here's a better look via this photo by EVG regular Salim...


[Click to go big]

Monday's parting shot

Photo in Tompkins Square Park today by Derek Berg...

Going 'Ape' over this gate at the East Village Vintage Collective

We have two reader-submitted photos from the weekend... showing the new Frank Ape mural on the gate at East Village Vintage Collective on 12th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B...



The new mural went up back on Friday as part of the 100 Gates Project, which provides site-specific artistic collaborations with East Village merchants.

The mural project started on various EV storefronts in late April.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Planet of the Frank Ape: Q-and-A with artist Brandon Sines

Report: Former Hells Angels HQ will become 22-unit residential building with retail

As I first reported back on Thursday, the former Hells Angels clubhouse sold for $7.75 million.

The Post followed-up yesterday with more details about new owner Nathan Blatter's plans for 77 E. Third St., a six-story building between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

The $2 million renovation will create two retail spaces on the ground floor where the clubhouse bar used to be — and one storefront could become a shrine to the burly bikers.

Blatter said he has been contacted by someone curating a Hells Angels museum, and another about a barber shop.

And...

“The location is phenomenal,” Better Living’s Jonathan Sondry gushed. “It is a rare occasion to find a fully vacant building in Manhattan.”

The basement repair shop — equipped with a scissor lift that lowered motorcycles from the sidewalk — will be cleared out. The 16 “crash pads” once used by gang members — one was adorned with a swastika — will become 22 one- and two-bedroom units priced around $3,500 per month.

Sondry said he doesn’t plan to use the building’s history as a selling point, because he doubts oblivious 20-somethings will care.

To date, there haven't been any work permits filed with the DOB for the address.

The Hells Angels had a presence in 77 E. Third St. since 1969.

Previously on EV Grieve:
After 50 years on the block, the Hells Angels appear to be selling their 3rd Street clubhouse

The Hells Angels have left the East Village

This is what the Hells Angels building sold for

Bike lane paint returning to 1st Avenue

Back on Friday, DOT crews finally started painting the First Avenue bike lane — some six weeks after the city finished paving the roadway.

To date, though, the painting has only taken place on five blocks between Third Street and just shy of St. Mark's Place...



And no paint yet for Second Avenue...



Still to come (and as previously reported): the new offset crossings on select intersections on First Avenue and Second Avenue to make them safer for cyclists and pedestrians. The previous mixing zones forced cyclists and drivers to negotiate the same space at the same time, as Streetsblog noted.

And here's an example of offset crossing, as seen on Fourth Avenue and 13th Street...



Meanwhile, the bike lane is still MIA on the freshly paved 12th Street between First Avenue and Avenue B...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Resurfaced roadways on 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue to have offset crossings

Joe’s Steam Rice Roll debuts on St. Mark's Place

[Photo by Steven]

Joe’s Steam Rice Roll opened Saturday at 36 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

This is the third NYC outpost of the popular quick-serve establishment, which got its start in Flushing where owner Joe Rong has apparently perfected the art of the rice roll — known as cheung fun in Cantonese.

Per the cooking site Taste:

With a steaming machine imported from Guangzhou specifically used to make cheung fun, Rong makes each dish to order, so texture is never compromised. And similar to street vendors throughout Guangdong province, you get to choose what goes inside, like ground pork, barbecue beef, or dried shrimp, and extras that get mixed into the slurry of rice flour batter, including a cracked egg, corn, cilantro, and scallion.

No. 36 has seen a variety of food concepts come and go of late, most recently Cheers Cut, the Taiwanese mini-chain of fried foods.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Joe’s Steam Rice Roll puts up the signage on St. Mark's Place

Signage is up for Auriga Cafe on Avenue A

Auriga Cafe took another step toward an opening date with the arrival this past week of their storefront signage here at 198 Avenue A between 12th Street and 13th Street.

As previously noted, David Duran, who runs El Camion a storefront away on the corner at 12th Street, is behind this new venture.

No word just yet on particulars, such as menu items. (The website doesn't appear to be up and running yet.)

Previously on EV Grieve:
Auriga Cafe announces itself on Avenue A

Blue Bottle Coffee now open on Astor Place

The Blue Bottle outpost at 2 Astor Place debuted over the weekend. You can find them open daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

This marks the 16th NYC location for the global brand.

Thanks to Vinny & O for the photo and tip!

Whiteout at the former Sidewalk

A lot of people wrote in over the weekend to note that workers painted the exterior of the former Sidewalk Bar and Restaurant on Avenue A and Sixth Street.

And photos to show that fresh coat of white paint...





As we've been reporting, a new bar-restaurant is in the works for the ground floor. The Sidewalk, with a long-standing open-mic night, closed in February after 32-plus years in business.

Laura Saniuk-Heinig, one of the restaurant space's new co-owners, did not respond to an email from Friday seeking more information about the new venture.

Previously on EV Grieve:
1-floor expansion planned for Avenue A building that housed the Sidewalk

Gabriel Stulman seeking sidewalk cafe license for Great Jones Cafe replacement The Jones

As you may know, restaurateur Gabriel Stulman is opening a new venture called The Jones in the former Great Jones Cafe space.

And tonight, Team Stulman will appear before Community Board 2 in a bid for a three-table/six-seat sidewalk cafe for The Jones on Great Jones Street west of the Bowery...



This item is just one that CB2 will hear at NYU's Silver Hall, 32 Waverly Place, room 405, per the public notices on the Bowery and Great Jones.

Meanwhile, the planning continues for The Jones...

View this post on Instagram

mood board in the works for @the_jonesnyc // #behindthescenes #getinvolved #happycooking #comingsoon S/F 2019

A post shared by Gabriel Stulman (@gabestulman) on May 27, 2019 at 11:34am PDT

The Jones also has a teaser site that mentions a fall 2019 opening date.

Stulman, under his Happy Cooking Hospitality, operates a handful of West Village establishments, including Joseph Leonard, Jeffrey's Grocery, Fedora, Fairfax and Bar Sardine.

Great Jones Cafe never reopened after Jim Moffett, the longtime owner, died last July at age 59. The Cafe, a popular yet low-key spot, first arrived in 1983.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Keeping up with the Joneses: Gabriel Stulman confirms plans for former Great Jones Cafe

Elvis has left Great Jones; 'seafood focused neighborhood restaurant' coming soon

[Updated] The future of the former Great Jones Cafe

CB2 SLA committee OKs license for new ownership of Great Jones Cafe

That Dunkin' Donuts outpost on 14th Street is currently closed

That Dunkin' Donuts location on 14th Street (at Irving Place) has been stripped of its coffee-and-doughnut identity here in the base of NYU's University Hall.

EVG reader Gojira shared this photo, showing paper covering the windows of the dorm's retail space.

This location is no longer on the DD website... (and not the first time a DD has shuttered around here) ...



However, an NYU dining website lists that the DD is closed for the summer. In addition, University Hall is is in Phase 2 of interior renovations and electrical upgrades.

As for the DD, perhaps it could use a revamp too based on the array of 1-star reviews on Yelp.

Weekend recap: H Mart opened! H Mart opened!

ICYMI: The H Mart opened Saturday morning over on Third Avenue between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

And here are the hours for the Korean supermarket chain, which features an array of hard-to-find specialty items...



Saturday's post has some interior shots and reader comments.

Previously on EV Grieve:
H Mart is open! H Mart is open!

Sunday's parting shot

A scene in Tompkins Square Park today via Derek Berg...

Week in Grieview

[Depp thoughts on 2nd Avenue by Derek Berg]

Posts from this past week included...

This is what the Hells Angels building sold for (Thursday)

Miscelanea NY announces June 16 closing date (Wednesday)

Report: Man attacks M15 with a knife on 2nd Avenue (Friday)

The Eddy is closing June 17 on 6th Street (Monday)

Gelarto packs it up on Avenue A (Wednesday)

New equipment for the former Moishe's Bake Shop (Thursday)

About the 'Pay It No Mind' mural honoring LGBTQ+ advocate Marsha P. Johnson outside the F train stop on 2nd Avenue (Friday)

Last weekend for Streecha Ukrainian Kitchen before the summer break (Friday)


[Photo in Tompkins Square Park by Derek Berg]

Optyx has closed at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (Monday)

Dig Inn confirmed for 13th Street and 4th Avenue (Monday)

Kick out the jams: The 'Community of Dreams' piano arrives on Astor Place (Wednesday)

Moneyball: Is A-Rod your new landlord? (Monday)

Tai Thai is temporarily closed (Thursday)

A new age on 10th Street: Rocky’s Crystals & Minerals opens (Friday)

A new tenant — and landlord — for the landmarked 137 2nd Ave. (Tuesday)

On 2nd Avenue, renovations turn into a seizure by the Marshal at Hot Box (Tuesday)

CoCo Fresh Tea and Juice shutters on St. Mark's (Monday)

Just For Fen folds on 1st Avenue (Thursday)

Another look at that two-wing building growing in Brooklyn (Thursday)

A 30th anniversary tribute to the Tiananmen Square protests on the LES (Tuesday)

On Avenue A Bin 141 is open, though Angelina Cafe is not (Friday)

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Roll up for the Magical Mystery Tour at Tompkins Square Park

The Abracadabra Field Trip mobile music jam bus was back on Avenue A and St. Mark's Place last evening.

Daniel Efram shared these photos and this text...

The Abracadabra Magical Mystery Tour (which is affiliated with Airbnb) touched down at Tompkins Square Park yesterday to the bemusement and enjoyment of dozens.

The onlookers enjoyed the festivities featuring topless dancers and some songs they were all familiar with, including from The Beatles and their own original music.

It seemed as though a good — albeit a little confusing — time was had by all. Some didn't know what to make of it. One audience member joined the festivities by removing her top in a show of solidarity.

We should be thankful that this type of fun event can still happen in New York City without the NYPD arriving to shut it down. Thank you Abracadabra Magical Mystery Tour. We appreciate you.

Jazz in the Garden today on 8th Street

If Puke Island isn't the tonic to sooth your jangled nerves... there's another Jazz in the Garden session today (Sunday, June 9) in the Green Oasis Community Garden with the Eric Paulin ensemble ... happens from 2:30-5:30 p.m. The Green Oasis is on Eighth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D.

Puke Island returns to Tompkins Square Park

The ninth annual Puke Island takes place this afternoon (Sunday, June 9) in Tompkins Square Park.

Per the invite:

As many of you know, the first Punk Island was complete and utter chaos, and 100% free expression. A badly organized bolt from the blue. Without going into detail, it's gotten way TOO organized for a lot of people.

PUKE ISLAND carries in its original spirit, allowing us to bask in what it used to be. PUKE ISLAND is not affiliated with Make Music New York, ABC No Rio, or Anyone else.
In cahoots with the SHADOW underground newspaper.

The bands will be:

2 — Room Full of Killers
2:40 — Necrotic Society
3:30 — Patterns of Decay
4:20 — False Gods
5 — Eye of the Destroyer

Astor Piano

Thanks to Jefferson Siegel for this action shot of the Sing for Hope piano in use today on Astor Place... the piano, titled "Community of Dreams" and created by Joan Dilieto, will be here through June 23.