Holidays at Kmart; pint of beer Halloween costumes, plastic Bennington pines

We have a dispatch from Goggla from the Kmart on Astor Place. She points out the (going fast?) beer pint Halloween costumes.

Fine, but Halloween seems so July.

"If you're over Halloween already, they are stocked with Christmas trees."

These are 6-foot Bennington pines in the boxes...



Merry Christmas!

EVG Etc.: 14th Street busway declared a success; old-world charm found at Dua Kafe

[A scene in Tompkins Square Park via Derek Berg]

• The NYPD is struggling to identify one of the four homeless men who was brutally killed in Chinatown on Saturday (The New York Times)

• Why is the Council bill on commercial Leases in limbo as the commercial vacancy problem worsens? (City Limits)

• Mayor de Blasio, with support from local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera, is said to be "pushing for a plan that would restrict hotel development in the Union Square area to only projects that hire unionized staffs — a move that critics say will benefit a politically powerful labor group at the expense of the local economy." (The Post)

• Check out this new exhibit — "Activist Estates: A Radical History of Property in Loisaida" — at the Loisaida Center on Ninth Street (Off the Grid)

• Those Yoshitomo Nara drawings on the wall at Niagara on Avenue A and Seventh Street may be worth a lot of money: Nara’s "Knife Behind Back" (2000), a large painting of the same frowning little girl present at Niagara, sold for nearly $25 million at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong (artnet news)

• NYC Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg touts the initial success of the 14th Street busway (Streetsblog ... previously on EVG)

• Details on the queer-run, pop-up bar called Butch Judy’s out back at Performance Space New York on First Avenue and Ninth Street (TONY)

• Dua Kafe on East 14th Street between A and B has become a destination for traditional Albanian cooking (Grub Street ... previously on EVG)

• Supreme signs lease for 190 Bowery (Commercial Observer) ... and the Supreme shop on Lafayette is no more (BoweryBoogie)

• Details about a free bird walk to track fall migration tomorrow — Oct. 12 (The Lo-Down) And how about some red-tailed hawk activity (Laura Goggin Photography)

• That NYC '81 film series continues (Metrograph)

And to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Meg on Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue is donating part of the sales from their "Tough Titties" sweatshirts to Planned Parenthood of NYC Action ...


[Meg photos by Steven]

Dutch consultant files report on the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project

[The Mayor’s Office of Recovery & Resiliency]

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera announced the publication yesterday of the final report by independent consultant Hans Gehrels of the Dutch environmental group Deltares. The two hired Gehrels for a review of the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (ESCR) last month.

Among the findings in the report:

• The need for improving transparency and stakeholder engagement
• Ongoing monitoring for air quality impacts to be made available publicly
• Release of City documents that provide evidence for the analysis underlying the Final Environmental Impact Statement
• Further investigation of Interim Flood Protection Measures during the construction period
• Phased construction for continued use of of portions of the park with additional open space mitigation
• Additional clean fill for future flood protection against sea level rise

For your weekend reading, you can find the full 68-page report at this link.

Stay tuned for more thoughts and analysis as people dig into the report.

Meanwhile...

"We heard the requests of the community for an independent review loud and clear, and we listened," Brewer said in a statement. "Deltares brought their vast experience and expertise to the analysis of this project, and I implore the de Blasio administration to take these suggestions into account before any construction begins."

And per Rivera: "I look forward to carefully reviewing this report and the recommendations from Deltares and hope the de Blasio administration will do the same as they work to address our other outstanding demands."

On Oct. 2, the de Blasio administration announced more changes to the city's stormproofing plans for East River Park. Instead of the entire Park shutting down for three-plus years starting in March, the flood protection construction will be done in phases, with all of East River Park remaining open until next fall.

The plan still faces a City Council vote as the land use review process winds down.

Grant Shaffer's NY See

Here's the latest NY See, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's comic series — an observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood as well as NYC and surrounding area.

A memorial for Lucien Bahaj

Lucien is hosting a memorial for its beloved founder, Lucien Bahaj, next Thursday (Oct. 17) at the bistro at 14 First Ave.

Patrons are asked to stop by between noon and 7 p.m. here between First Street and Second Street...



Bahaj, who opened Lucien in 1998, died in Florida on July 29. He was 74. A cause of death was not revealed.

His son Zac has been running Lucien in recent years. In writing about Bahaj's passing, Clayton Patterson remarked that Zac has "the learned etiquette and special magic required to make Lucien hum along without his father."

Previously on EV Grieve:
RIP Lucien Bahaj

Punto Rojo is for sale on 1st Avenue

A homemade restaurant for sale sign now hangs in the front window at Punto Rojo, the reasonably priced bakery-restaurant that serves traditional Colombian food at 221 First Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street...



Punto Rojo took over the space from Señor Pollo, which specialized in Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, in the spring of 2018.

Punto Rojo was said to also have outposts in Jamaica, Queens, and Hicksville, N.Y.

Thanks to dwg for the photos!

Brooklyn's Nostro Ristorante setting up an outpost on 2nd Avenue

A new awning is up for Nostro, an Italian restaurant opening soon at 75 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street.

This is an outpost of the Brooklyn Nostro, out on Fifth Avenue in the Greenwood Heights/South Slope area. You can find their menu of Italian fare at this link.

No. 75 has been vacant since ZaabVer Thai went down in the spring of 2018.

Cloud99 Vapes space for rent, business set to close

A for rent sign hangs in the front window of Cloud99 Vapes at 50 Second Ave. between Second Street and Third Street. The shop will be closing in the months ahead, a victim of the public health crisis involving vaping products.

According to published reports, vaping-related injuries and deaths are continuing to mount, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting 1,080 lung injuries in 48 states and the Virgin Islands and more than 20 confirmed deaths from 15 states. (A Bronx teenager was the first person to die of a vaping-related illness in New York, officials said Tuesday.)

On Sept. 17, New York passed an emergency ban on flavored vaping products. However, the ban was halted on Oct. 3, when an appeals court issued a temporary restraining order. The next hearing is set for Oct. 18.

Still, the damage has been done. As MSN recently reported, business at Cloud99 is down 70 percent.

Pete Foran, a co-owner, is a retired NYPC officer. Per MSN:

Electronic cigarettes had become a galloping trend, and a vape store seemed like a lucrative second act.

Sure enough: Offering dozens of flavored vaping products, the Second Avenue shop was a hit. Foran and his partners opened two more locations in Nanuet and Suffern. Revenue hit $2 million.

And now...

Foran and his partners are stuck with $300,000 of inventory, 95 percent of which is flavored. The manufacturers won't take the product back, and Foran isn't even sure how to dispose of highly concentrated nicotine, each bottle of "vape juice" the equivalent of packs if not cartons of cigarettes. "You can't just throw it in a landfill," he said. "It's poison."

In Foran's view, officials didn't approach the outbreak rationally. "They should have handled it like a homicide investigation," tracing the potentially illness-causing cartridges to their sources, he said. "What's coming out is that it's black-market products that are causing these things."

NBC News did conduct an investigation late last month:

NBC News commissioned one of the nation's leading cannabis testing facilities to test a sampling of THC cartridges — 18 in all — obtained from legal dispensaries and unlicensed dealers.

The findings were deeply troubling.

Of the three purchased from legal dispensaries in California, the CannaSafe testing company found no heavy metals, pesticides or residual solvents like Vitamin E.

But 13 out of the other 15 samples from black market THC cartridges were found to contain Vitamin E.

CannaSafe also tested 10 of the unregulated cartridges for pesticides. All 10 tested positive.

Still, a new poll conducted by Siena College finds 61 percent of New Yorkers support the ban, and 78 percent believe that vaping is a serious public health problem.

Cloud99 Vapes opened in 2015 (at the site of the former Yoo's Convenience Store). And it won't be the only local vape-related shop impacted by the current crisis.

Hitchcocktober movie of the week — 'North by Northwest'

[Photo by Vinny & O]

The Hitchcocktober movie of the week is... "North by Northwest" tonight (Thursday!) at 7:30 and 10:30 at City Cinemas Village East on Second Avenue at 12th Street.

You probably know the plot:

This classic suspense film finds New York City ad executive Roger O. Thornhill (Cary Grant) pursued by ruthless spy Phillip Vandamm (James Mason) after Thornhill is mistaken for a government agent. Hunted relentlessly by Vandamm's associates, the harried Thornhill ends up on a cross-country journey, meeting the beautiful and mysterious Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) along the way. Soon Vandamm's henchmen close in on Thornhill, resulting in a number of iconic action sequences.

And upcoming:

• "The Birds" — Oct. 17

• "The Lady Vanishes" — Oct. 24

• "Psycho" — Oct. 31

Find advance ticket info at this link.

Wednesday's parting shot

An early morning sky view from Fourth Street and Second Avenue...

CB Developers pay $59.5 million for an interest in 358 Bowery — current home of the B Bar & Grill and likely a new development

[Via Google Street View]

It looks like the corner site that houses B Bar & Grill, which helped usher in a new upscale era on the Bowery when it opened in 1994, will yield to a new development with the help of air rights from nearby parcels.

Public records show that Charles Blaichman's CB Developers, whose portfolio includes multiple projects along the High Line, purchased an interest in 358 Bowery, which is owned by downtown hotel impresario Eric Goode, for $59.5 million.



Goode bought the property on the Bowery at Fourth Street in 2004 from the Cooper Union for $5.5 million. According to PincusCo, Goode, whose multiple interests include the Jane Hotel, the Bowery Hotel and the Waverly Inn, has been assembling air rights to build a larger project on this corner space.

In January and February 2017, Goode filed records with four additional parcels into a single zoning lot which would allow for a larger building on the site. In addition, Goode paid Granite Management, which owns two of those buildings, $1.6 million for 4,670 square feet of development rights and Goode paid $1.8 million to a small cooperative building at 32 East 4th Street for 4,012 square feet of development rights.

In reporting on the deal, @TradedNY speculated: "Office dev coming soon?"

The transaction will likely also mean the end of B Bar & Grill, whose arrival at the site of a former gas station was marked by controversy in 1994.

Per Forgotten New York: "The NoHo Neighborhood Association, Community Board 2 and the SoHo Alliance were concerned that this conversion would change the character of the neighborhood and mounted a lawsuit, arguing on the basis that the neighborhood was dominated by light industry and artists. The area had 47 one-story buildings, and there was a fear that precedent would be set for conversion of many these buildings into clubs." (The Times had a report here in 1994.) The plaintiffs withdrew the lawsuit in 1995.

To date nothing has been made public about the B Bar & Grill's future.

August Laura and all the new bars and restaurants coming to this stretch of 6th Street

[Photo yesterday by Vinny & O]

As mentioned last week, the bar-cafe August Laura is expected to open today (Oct. 9) soon on Avenue A at Sixth Street in the former Sidewalk space. [Update: they opened on Oct. 10]

Meanwhile, three other bar-restaurants are in various states of opening preparations on this north side of the block between Avenue A and Avenue B...



• 503 E. Sixth St.



A venture called Down and Out is in the works for this space. The applicants, Knitting Factory alum who are behind The Well out in Bushwick, will appear before CB3's SLA committee tomorrow (Thursday) night.

The questionnaire on file at the CB3 website shows a configuration with 10 tables for 39 diners (the menu is said to serve the "freshest seafood") and a 12-stool bar. The proposed hours are 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday, with a 4 a.m. close Thursday through Sunday.

No. 503 was previously Cholo Noir, the Chicano-inspired bar-restaurant that closed in August 2018 after 13 months.

• 507 E. Sixth St.



Coming soon: Nowon, the first restaurant from chef Jae Lee, who has been running the well-regarded kitchen at Black Emperor on Second Avenue. He was previously the executive chef of Rice & Gold at Hotel 50 Bowery.

Lee recently shared the Nowon logo on Instagram...

View this post on Instagram

Here’s the moment you have all been waiting for. Here’s the name of my first restaurant. Nowon is the name of my hometown in Korea, where I was born and raised. But I also named it nowon because I am no one without my Korean American culture and your support. It’s an all inclusive restaurant where my individuality is not the priority. It’s about us! Let’s get it you savages! Logo design by @overice.nyc

A post shared by JAE LEE ✪ (@jae.s.lee) on Sep 26, 2019 at 4:51pm PDT

No. 507 was last Carma East, the dim sum bar that closed in early 2019.

• 509 E. Sixth St.



As previously noted, the Pineapple Club will be bringing American Polynesian cuisine to the former Out East space here between Avenue A and Avenue B.

There's a teaser site up now for the two-level bar-restaurant.

Out East went dark in December 2017 after eight months serving a seafood-centric menu from the proprietors behind places like Beauty & Essex and Stanton Social.

Meanwhile, back along the Sixth Street of August Laura, there are two new murals... one titled "Dreamy" via @EarlyRiser...



... and another by @art_by_eyebrows...



This space is now going as A6 Art Wall — "dedicated to showcasing established and emerging public artists." Work here will change on a quarterly basis. You can find the A6 Instagram account here.

A tribute to the construction worker who died at 356 E. 8th St.

Late in the summer, workers finally removed the scaffolding from the under-renovation 356 E. Eighth St., a vacant, four-story townhouse between Avenue C and Avenue D.

This was the first known activity here since Dec. 24, 2015, when a worker fell three floors to his death inside the building.

Now, an EVG reader tells us that there is a tribute to the man, 33-year-old Luis Alberto Pomboza...



According to published reports, he was an undocumented Ecuadorian immigrant and father of five who lived in Brooklyn.

His death prompted Mayor de Blasio and Department of Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler to announce in February 2016 that they were going to quadruple the penalties for serious construction-safety lapses, conduct a wave of more than 1,500 enforcement sweeps, and require new supervision at construction sites citywide to protect workers and the public amid the building boom.

A construction superintendent was to be present at 356 E. Eighth St. at the time of Pomboza's fall, but there wasn't one on site.

No. 356 had been on and off the market in recent years (here and here). The listings pitched the space for "high-end apartments or a luxury home."

In the fall of 2015, there were approved work permits showing that the building would receive two new floors and a mezzanine.

After Pomboza's death, the DOB issued a stop work order and a full vacate order on the site. Ten different violations were reportedly uncovered at the worksite, including "failure to safeguard all persons and property affected by construction operations."

In June, the full stop order was lifted just for "installation of temporary bracing."

The owner is listed as Ingrid House LLC, per public records.



No word on what the plans are for the building now moving forward.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Reader report: Partial building collapse on East 8th Street; unconfirmed report of a fatality

Bank of America checking into corner space on Houston and Eldridge

From the tipline (thanks Upper West Sider!) comes word of the new tenant for the retail space on the southwest corner of Eldridge and Houston.

Say hello to the next Bank of America branch... details are on the approved work permit...



The BoA arrives at a time when other branches have been closing in the area, including the two Capital Ones in the East Village. In recent years, Citi, Chase and Santander all shuttered their outposts on Avenue A.

147 E. Houston St. was previously a Pay-O-Matic check-cashing outpost. The new BoA will be joining next-door neighbor Il Mattone, which opened in May.

Tuesday's parting shot

A moment on St. Mark's Place via Derek Berg...

Who painted Laura Palmer? 'Twin Peaks' art coming to the Living Gallery Outpost

[Josh Stebbins “Meanwhile 25” 2019]

Attention fans of "Twin Peaks" ...

Stephen Romano Gallery is thrilled to announce “No Stars” an exhibition of Twin Peaks themed works for the benefit of The Phillip C. DeMars Foundation, Oct. 9-16, at The Living Gallery Outpost.

The exhibition is a collaboration with vocalist Rebekah Del Rio, who was seen in "Mulholland Drive" and "Twin Peaks: the Return."

The exhibition will feature a new suite of drawings by Josh Stebbins, as well as new works by Natan Alexander, Alexis Palmer Karl, Jen Bandini, Luciana Lupe Vasconcelos, Daniel Gonçalves, Matthew Dutton, Barry William Hale, Blake Morrow, Jill Watson and Caitlin McDonagh.

A special reception will take place Oct. 10 from 5-10 p.m. Del Rio will perform.

“No Stars” is on view starting tomorrow (Wednesday!) at The Living Gallery Outpost, 246 E. Fourth St. just east of Avenue B.

Preliminary thoughts and concerns about the new Tompkins Square Park playground

Back on Friday, workers removed the construction fences around the newly renovated Avenue B playgrounds in the southeast section of Tompkins Square Park, marking the end of the 12-month project.

In comments gleaned from EVG, social media and various conversations, residents were obviously happy to have the entrances back open on Seventh Street and Avenue B and Eighth Street and Avenue B.

There were also positive comments about the new (already tagged) state-of-the-art playground equipment, which is also accessible for kids with special needs. (We'll have more on that particular aspect in an upcoming post.)



There were also some questions and concerns. One resident wondered why the Parks Department didn't take the time to repave the walkways during the renovations ... with the resident calling attention to the rough patches that make it especially difficult for people with mobility issues to navigate...



The same resident wondered why the Parks Department only replaced some of the benches in the renovation zone...





Another resident shared these photos with a short comment: "Finally we have two new great playgrounds. As a new mom, I went to check them out [yesterday] morning only to find a stash of dirty needles and a bloody rag directly next to the playground. Sad. Let’s hope the Parks Dept. is more cautious with cleanup in this new area."





While not directly related to the new playgrounds, another resident pointed out that the encampments that have popped up in the Park's main lawn have now spread to the area along Avenue B between Eighth Street and Ninth Street...

Year-long renovations expected soon at Joseph C. Sauer Park on 12th Street; locals want fence to remain at 8 feet

Now that the Tompkins Square Park playgrounds are back open... Joseph C. Sauer Park is expected to close soon for renovations here between Avenue A and Avenue B...



ICYMI from Friday ... while the redesign of the Park is welcome, there is one sticking point: the new, shorter fence the Parks Department plans to install.

So Park and block organizers have launched a petition...



... which reads in part:

Part of the plan however is to remove the current 8 foot high fence and replace it with a 4 foot fence, which will make the park less secure and an unsafe place for children to use.

We are asking for your help to stop the Parks Department from removing the only proven means of securing our park at night. We have the backing of Assemblyman Harvey Epstein, Councilwoman Carlina Rivera and our Community Board.

Find the petition at this link.



According to the Parks Department website, renovations will start in October 2019 and last until October 2020.

Here's a look the renovations to come...



Previously on EV Grieve:
A petition to keep the 8-foot fence at Joseph C. Sauer Park on 12th Street

Here's the all-new storefront at 131 1st Ave.

Workers yesterday removed the plywood from the all-new 131 First Ave., the gut-renovated storefront at St Mark's Place... (thanks to MP for the photos!)



Workers have been dividing the storefront — now using the 82 St. Mark's Place address — into three retail spaces. As noted back in the summer, Eiyo Bowl, a vegan quick-serve restaurant specializing in acai and rice bowls, will be the first tenant. No word yet on who the other two tenants might be for this prime corner space.

Foot Gear Plus closed in July 2018 after nearly 40 years in business.


[EVG file photo]

Previously on EV Grieve:
After nearly 40 years, Foot Gear Plus is closing on 1st Avenue and St. Mark's Place

What's next for 131 1st Ave., the former Foot Gear Plus space?

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

Eiyo Bowl confirmed for part of the former Foot Gear Plus space on 1st Avenue at St. Mark's Place

Aoi Kitchen coming soon to 6th Street

Signage is now up at 320 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second for Aoi Kitchen (thanks to the EVG reader for these photos and tip!) ...



The incoming restaurant's Instagram account promises "Japanese yoshoku and izakaya."

Aoi marks the fifth restaurant to try this spot in recent years. There was Zerza, which closed in September 2016. Then came the World Famous 'Merica, an alleged attempt at satirizing the "real America," which bombed after three weeks in business. Zerza then returned to service for four months, then there were blink-and-you-missed it stints by Amoun and Mazmaza.