Halloween in the East Village (Sunday edition)

Here's our Sunday sequel to the previous Halloween post... some more scenes from around the neighborhood courtesy of Stacie Joy... 

32 Avenue C has been demolished

As you may have noticed over on the southwest corner of Third Street and Avenue C, the crumbling three-story building that stood here has been demolished ... right down to the pit...

And a look through the blogger portal...

In our last report from here at 32 Avenue C, we noted the recently issued work permits to "partially demolish the building," specifically the "second, third and roof floors." 

Apparently, workers decided to take down the first floor too. There aren't any other new permits on file with the city offering a clue as to what might be next for the corner.

And as previously noted, there were development plans for this parcel... with the filing of permits with the city in July 2005 for a new 6-floor residential building. The city disapproved the plans in May 2006, and nothing more happened with the project.

Years later, the landlord filed a permit in the fall of 2017 with the DOB to "rebuild exterior walls; replace windows and sistering of floor joists to address" the various violations on file.

Public records list the landlord as Abraham Benelyahou of Fairfax Management Corp. In 2014, the Daily News referred to him as "Manhattan's worst landlord."

Residents have long complained about the drug activity on this corner. This past Jan. 18, a 36-year-old man was shot and killed here. For several months after this, the NYPD parked a patrol car nearby. 

Meanwhile, the sidewalk bridge has stood in various states of disrepair for the past eight-plus years. 

Outside the Bored Ape Yacht Club pop up on 3rd Street

In case you were wondering about those long lines on Third Street and First Avenue yesterday (not for Starbucks! Or Brickman & Sons!). 

The creatives behind Yuga Labs and Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) — called a "collaborative art experiment for the cryptosphere" — are hosting a two-day merch pop-up at 91 E. Third St. (RIP the Edge) yesterday and today ... part of their Ape Fest 2021. 

EVG digital collectibles reporter Stacie Joy shared these photos of the lines (which also went back toward Second Avenue) ...

The Board Yacht folks acknowledged the line and apologized...

Apes, we’re sorry for the long lines. We’re new at this and have been doing our best, pivoting wherever we can to speed things up. It’s a monumental effort getting these events together in the era of COVID and we’re busting our asses. Thank you for the superhuman patience.

— Bored Ape Yacht Club (@BoredApeYC) November 1, 2021

The people Stacie spoke with didn't seem to mind the wait...

This Rolling Stone piece from yesterday has more background on how BAYC came to be.

Last week, Bored Ape Yacht Club #8817, one of 10,000 unique cartoon apes on the Ethereum blockchain, reportedly sold for $3.4 million. The BAYC NFT collection has seen more than half a billion dollars in sales to date.

Ho, ho, no! SantaCon slated for Dec. 11

Over the Halloween weekend, we spotted this discarded (or lost!) Santa hat on Avenue A. 

We noted this in our Instagram Stories ... wrong holiday, etc. Haha. A few people nervously brought up SantaCon. Haha. As in, That's not happening this year — is it?

As of now, yes. 

According to its website, SantaCon, which Gothamist describes as "the annual debauched meathead magnet bar crawl that floods certain unfortunate neighborhoods with blathering bro-chads in Santa costumes every December," the event is Dec. 11... 

The pandemic sidelined last year's SantaCon. Participating venues are announced shortly before the 'Con... and the East Village always seems to make this Santa's list.

Monday's parting shots

As seen in recent days on First Avenue at Ninth Street ... not sure who this is... (thanks to Steven for the photos...)

Halloween in the East Village (Saturday edition)

EVG contributor Stacie Joy was out and about on Saturday... and shared a selection of Halloween costumes spotted on the streets ...

... and here are a few scenes from Defcon, the monthly industrial dance party now happening at the Parkside Lounge...

[Updated] The first sections of East River Park set to close today as resiliency work begins; activists arrested

Photo from yesterday's march to East River Park by Jeremiah Moss

As we reported last Monday, "phased work operations" begin today in Project Area 1 between Montgomery Street and 15th St., including East River Park as part of the $1.45-billion East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) project.

So starting today, the Brian Watkins Tennis Center will start to shut down. According to the construction notice, four tennis courts on the north side and the tennis center will remain open through the end of the 2021 permit season on Nov. 21. All tennis courts and the tennis center including restrooms will be closed until 2024 — subject to change, per the city.  

According to the latest timeline from the city, leagues will be able to use the ballfields through Nov. 30. Permits for the BBQ areas and amphitheater will no longer be available after Nov. 30.

Starting last week, the former compost area was to be converted into "a passive lawn space." Per the city: "The new passive lawn area will provide public recreation space during ESCR construction. Construction will take place from mid-October through mid-November."

Our previous post has more details on what has been happening to date here ... as well as the opposition to this current plan.

Work continues in Project Area 2 between East 15 Street and 25th Street, including Asser Levy Playground, Stuyvesant Cove Park and Murphy Brothers Playground.

Construction on the East Side is expected to wrap up by the end of 2026.

Updated 10 a.m.

East River Park Action reports that a group of residents are currently at the tennis courts protesting the start of the construction here...

Updated 11:56 a.m.

We're told that the group is blocking construction workers from accessing the site ... and that the NYPD is on hand "threatening arrest."

Updated 2 p.m.

Allie Ryan, an East Village resident who's running for District 2 City Council against Carline Rivera, was among those arrested today...  (photo by @EmilyJCatalyst) 

According to one estimate, 50 officers from the NYPD and Parks Enforcement Patrol are on the scene... (photo by @EmilyJCatalyst) ... two activists were said to be arrested in the end... 

This is what's next for the former Benny's Burritos space on Avenue A

After nearly seven years, there's a new retail tenant on the way for the southwest corner of Avenue A and Sixth Street — the former Benny Burrito's. (Top photo by Salim!)

As mentioned last week, work has commenced inside the space... EVG correspondent Stacie Joy got a look inside the under-gut-renovation storefront the other day... 

According to workers, a deli will be taking over the space. (Not sure what kind of deli — we're guessing the usual corner variety with snacks, sodas, beers and Boar's Head.)

And some Benny's memorabilia remained...

Benny's closed here on Nov. 29, 2014, after 27 years in business.

The prime corner space has sat empty since then. At least one prospective tenant kicked the tires on the space in 2017. (The Benny's to-go spot next door, which closed in February 2015, is now the 99¢ pizza place called 99¢ Pizza.)

BTW, there is a Benny's still in existence in the West Village. 

Essex Squeeze bringing coffee, juices and smoothies to 5th Street

Updated March 9, 2022: The shop is now open!

Essex Squeeze, which started at the Essex Market last year, is opening a shop on Fifth Street just steps east off Second Avenue...

The cafe, run by LES natives and childhood friends Cedric Hernandez and Charles DeLaCruz (previously an operations manager at Katz's), specializes in a variety of fresh-made juices, smoothies and bowls ... not to mention coffee. You can check out their menu here. 

This space was previously Idlewild Coffee Co., which closed after just two months in business during the summer of 2020. The owner blamed the presence of the 9th Precinct's police barricades at the time for greatly reducing his foot traffic.

Blank Street is now open at 36 3rd Ave.

Blank Street made a quick debut at 36 Third Ave. ... the coffee shop opened on Saturday between Ninth Street and 10th Street. 

The fast-growing company only made it official here a few weeks ago. Blank Street also just unveiled an outpost in the Bowery Market several blocks to the south. 

Like other locations, the Third Avenue shop offers products from local brands, including King Street Baking Co. and King David Tacos. 

Our previous post (here) has more background about Blank Street.