Making a connection with the history of this 13th Street apartment

Earlier this year, Andrea Wang moved into an apartment on 13th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Curious about the space, she requested an official rent history of the apartment. 

As she discovered, a former tenant is writer-editor Sari Botton, who lived in this unit from 1994-2004. Botton is the editor of "Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving New York," and the follow-up — "Never Can Say Goodbye: Writers on Their Unshakeable Love for New York." 

Botton had written about this apartment in the first collection ("I had a lease on a marginally decrepit but livable rent-stabilized one-bedroom in a tenement on East 13th Street, for which I paid about $600 a month") as well as in The Village Voice. 

Wang contacted Botton, who now lives upstate. They exchanged photos of the apartment in its past and present condition ...

"Sari had a lot of written pieces online about her time living in New York, her apartment in New York, how she loved the city and discovered herself there," Wang told me. "I'm a newcomer to the city, and I wanted to build a connection to the history of the space I inhabited. She was in a way the perfect person to have previously lived there because her writing about her relationship to the city perfectly contextualized the connection we had, and she shared my openness and curiosity." 

Earlier in the fall, Botton stopped by the apartment when she was in the city to meet Wang and her roommate Benjy...

"When she visited, it was trippy to have us all be in the space together — felt like a collision of past, present and future," Wang said. "It felt meaningful that we had made memories in the same physical space but years apart. I moved around a lot as a kid and always wondered about the families that built their lives in those spaces before me." 

She continued. 

"It was cool when she pointed out little details about the space — shelves she had mounted that we still used, how the wall in one room had been shifted over. Apparently, she had her rent reduced one year because the bathroom ceiling caved in. She pointed out a closet in the building's hallway and said it used to be a bathroom because some of the apartments didn't have them at the time," Wang said. "Especially in a fast-paced city, our everyday interactions tend to prioritize efficiency. It was so meaningful to unearth this connection to someone who I wouldn't have met otherwise and got me wondering about the other potential shared experiences embedded in my everyday life." 

Interested in your rent history? You can visit this link to learn more.

Construction watch: 699 E. 6th St.

Workers are in the foundation stage for the new building set to rise in the long-vacant lot on the northeast corner of Sixth Street and Avenue C. 

EVG contributor Stacie Joy got a look at work behind the plywood here the other day...

As previously reported, there are approved permits for a 6-floor building with 11 residential units, a storefront and space for an unspecified community facility. 

The rendering on the plywood shows a fall 2022 completion date (along with an added message) ...

There has been development talk for this lot dating to 2003. A former gas station, this corner has been vacant since the early 1980s.

The SE corner of Avenue C and 3rd Street is now sidewalk-bridge free after 8-plus years

When we last checked in on 32 Avenue C, workers had demolished the three-floor building here on the southeast corner of Avenue C. 

In early November, only the sidewalk bridge and assorted scaffolding remained. Now, as you can see, the sidewalk is back in view... and plywood surrounds the empty lot...

As previously reported, there were work permits to "partially demolish the building," specifically the "second, third and roof floors." Apparently, workers decided to take down the first floor too. 

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, there aren't any other new permits on file with the city offering a clue as to what might be next for the corner. At least the sidewalk bridge that has stood in various states of disrepair for the past eight-plus years is gone.

This is the closing date for Dress Shoppe II

As previously reported, Dress Shoppe II, the Indian boutique at 83 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, is closing at the start of 2022, ending a 20-plus year run in the East Village. 

Saroj Goyal has been doing her best to keep the shop going since her husband of 50 years, Purushottam Goyal, died in September 2019. 

She recently announced a closing date: Jan. 31. There are advertised specials on items up to 50-percent off. 

Meanwhile, Vidhu Kota, a film student at Pratt, posted this video short with Goyal this past week...

 

In the previous post, you can read more about the closing and the financial arrangements with the landlord, the Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association II.

You can find the Dress Shoppe II Etsy account here. The shop is open from noon to 8 p.m. daily, with 1-6 p.m. hours on Sunday.

Wednesday's parting shots

This evening, EVG contributor Derek Berg came across a woman with a trowel digging at the base of a tree along Seventh Street. 

At first glance, Derek thought that she was planting something. Turns out she was laying a mouse to rest.

The mouse was not a pet but lived in her apartment. She and her friends didn't want to kill it. So they co-existed. Eventually, the mouse died, and she gave it a Seventh Street sendoff. 

Free the Cube!

We've fielded some queries about the Cube — aka Alamo — on Astor Place ... mainly: Why is it surrounded by barricades?

We reached out to some Astor Place folks to see what might be happening here. To be continued (maybe!). 

Photo by Steven; H/T to Ada!

Putting the heat on plans for 2 power plants in Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village

The Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association is hosting a rally tomorrow (Thursday, Dec. 16) at 11 a.m. to speak out against their property's natural gas power plants. 

According to a TA rep, the majority owner, the giant real-estate investor Blackstone Group, has built one (not yet operational) and is planning another on the 80-acre parcel.

"We've been fighting this for more than a year," the rep said via email. 

And it sounds as if they have some help. Local elected officials, including City Councilmember Keith Powers, Assemblymember Harvey Epstein, State Sen. Brad Hoylman and Rep. Carolyn Maloney are expected to attend. 

Details and background here via the Tenants Association: 

Blackstone decided to build the plants on the property to lower their electric bill with Con Ed because gas and electricity are included in our rents. The electricity would be exported to the Con Ed grid, and our buildings would get the steam as a byproduct for heat. 

A major issue is that we think this violates the zoning applying to the property. But the pollution is of concern beyond our community. The plants are CHP (combined heat and power), also known as cogen, short for cogeneration, burn natural gas (a fossil fuel), and are regarded as less polluting than other types of plants. But Con Ed will not be reducing its output, so any emissions from the plants in ST will be additive. The plant that has been built but isn't yet operational is on Avenue C between 15th and 16th Streets. 

Our neighbors to the south are already living in the shadow of the massive Con Ed plant on 14th Street. Our air is already some of the most polluted in the city with the resulting bad health outcomes.

StuyTown-Peter Cooper management previously said that "the project will significantly reduce source greenhouse gas emissions" and that the property "remains a model for best-in-class sustainability practices." 

The rally takes place on Avenue C at 16th Street. You can find more background via the TA's website here.

The TA's last rally was in June. You can read coverage of that at amNY ... and The Village Sun.

August Laura has apparently closed on Avenue A and 6th Street

Multiple EVG readers reported that workers were clearing out August Laura on Monday evening and all day yesterday here on the NE corner of Avenue A and Sixth Street... some items were said to be bagged and tossed on the curb while others were loaded into trucks...

Several workers told readers that August Laura has closed for good. There isn't any mention of a closure on the bar-restaurant's website or Instagram account, though Google lists them as permanently closed.

The space was mostly cleared out last night...

August Laura opened here in October 2019. They seemed to have more irregular hours over the last few months, rarely open at the advertised 4 p.m. hour. Their ample outdoor space, including sidewalk seating and streetside dining structures on Avenue A and Sixth Street, sat unused on pleasant summer and fall afternoons and early evenings. 

August Laura took over the space from what some people considered an East Village institution — Sidewalk, the restaurant bar and live music venue (home of the Antifolk Festival) that closed in February 2019 after 34 years.

Pini Milstein, who retired, was the principal owner of the building and the operator of the Sidewalk. According to public records, Penn South Capital paid $9.6 million for the property in March 2019. The building's new owners added a one-floor extension here in 2020.

Gia Trattoria has closed on the Bowery

After four months, Gia Trattoria has closed at 334 Bowery between Bond and Great Jones.

The Italian restaurant had been dark in recent weeks, its website offline. Ownership confirmed the closure via an Instagram message but did not cite a reason.

Gia opened in late July with promises of "craveable Italian food, handcrafted drinks and much more.

Unfortunately, this space has been challenging to make work through the years. For starters, there was already a restaurant called Gia Trattoria at this address. Actually, there were a lot of places here for a brief time between November 2014 and June 2015 ... this is when the storefront was divided into two spaces, and Forcella, Espoleta, Gia Trattoria, Slice of Naples, SRO and Bowery Pizza came and went over six months. 

This space was Gino Sorbillo, the first U.S. pizzeria from "the Neapolitan celebrity super-chef" of the same name. The "temporarily closed for renovation" sign arrived here in early January ... after a November 2017 opening.

The storefront next door remains vacant too. Burkleman, a home and lifestyle brand based in Cold Spring, opened here in 2018. 

Late last year, a "closed for the winter" sign arrived on the door, which remains outside the now-vacant shop...  they relocated to Elizabeth Street between Houston and Prince. 

Dumpling N' Dips coming soon to St. Mark's Place

Signage is up on the storefront down the steps at 5 St. Mark's Place for a quick-serve concept called Dumpling N' Dips... 

Per the signage: "I have fillings for you." ("Fillings, nothing more than fillings...")

You can keep tabs on DnD via their Instagram account here. 

This space was previously Spot Dessert, which moved a few storefronts to the west here between Third Avenue and Second Avenue.

The other retail space at No. 5, the former Yakitori Taisho, is for rent.

Tuesday's parting shot

Santa practicing for Christmas Eve today on Union Square... photo by Derek Berg...

A coat drive at St. Dymphna's tonight

St. Dymphna's is hosting a coat drive tonight at the saloon at 117 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. 

Starting at 8 tonight, you can bring a new or used coat by the bar in exchange for a drink. (Not sure what happens if you bring in, say, 15 coats.) 

St. Dymphna's is taking all the coats to the Bowery Mission.

[UPDATED] Activists: Even with new court order city continues demolition of East River Park

Yesterday, Court of Appeals Judge Rowan D. Wilson issued a new order that stays the previous Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), halting the construction at East River Park until a hearing on Thursday afternoon. 

Judge Wilson also signed an order bringing on a motion to hold the respondent in contempt.

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 1000 people 1000 trees (@1000people1000trees)

Despite this, activists at the construction site south of Houston Street this morning report that city-contracted workers continue to demolish portions of the park — as they did around the clock this past weekend, even with the TRO in place on the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency project. 

Photos from the scene show an excavator in action at the amphitheater. 

In recent days, workers have focused on the now-closed section of East River Park from Stanton Street to Montgomery Street. Trees and amenities in this section have mostly been removed, witnesses say.

Photos of East River Park show a barren landscape with piles of tree stumps for those on the FDR to view (thanks to EVG reader John for this photo)...

The city's response to date has been: "The city has reviewed the Court's written order, and we do not believe it prevents us from continuing work on this vital resiliency project. 

Updated 3:30 p.m.

A group of activists has marched to local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera's office. Per a tweet, they are calling for her removal... 

Come to ⁦@CarlinaRivera⁩’s office now. We are blocking the street and calling for her removal from office. 4th and B ⁦@ERPAction⁩ #SaveEastRiverPark pic.twitter.com/GxQGkeaqaQ

— a thousand people a thousand trees (@1000treesNYC) December 14, 2021

Updated 7 p.m.

Here are more photos from outside Rivera's office via EVG contributor Stacie Joy. 

The activists tried to present Rivera with a copy of the latest order from Judge Wilson...

Although people were inside the office, no one would come to the door... and a copy was shoved under the door...

The group blocked traffic ...

...under the watchful eye of the NYPD. We're not aware of any arrests here.

Top photo by @benjaminshepard via @eastriverparkaction.

RIP Molly Fitch

Photo of Molly (above left, with Tyler and Billy the Artist) from early 2020 by Stacie Joy. Updated to include a comment from the Post.

Molly Fitch, a longtime East Village resident and the owner of the International Bar at 102 First Ave., died last night, Dec. 12. She was 51.

The bar's Instagram account confirmed the sad news. Details about the cause of death have not been made public.

We lost the most valuable, most authentic, most mythical creature in our lives last night. We are terrified of saying goodbye and putting our love and heartbreak into words. We celebrate the life of our owner, our friend, and creator of our little East Village family at the International Bar — an institution open to those who need a place to call home.

We remain open 7 days a week at regular hours. Please give our team the love we need to continue to serve the East Village community with Molly's legacy.

The International Bar has had several iterations in the East Village, first at 119 St. Mark's Place in the 1970s then later at 120 1/2 First Ave. In 2008, Molly and Shawn Dahl reopened the International and kept the downtown spirit going until the landlord didn't renew the lease. In November 2017, the International merged with its sister bar, the Coal Yard, at its current location, 102 First Ave. at Sixth Street. 

"She was an embodiment of the old East Village, a pre-commercialized downtown New York where small businesses and punk rockers and individuals could make it," former bouncer and bar manager David O'Donnell told the Post.

I spent time at both the International and the Coal Yard and had the opportunity to get to know Molly. I always thought she was one of the kindest and coolest people I've ever met.

We were also neighbors for a while on Eighth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. I've long been a very early morning person, and I'd run into her outside: me on the way to work and her coming home from closing up the bar.

Once, on a frigid January Monday morning, she insisted on driving me to Astor Place so I could catch the 6 train for work. We got in her rustic pickup truck, and I remember it was warmer outside than inside. We laughed the whole way to Astor Place.

At the annual Tompkins Square Park tree lighting

The annual (no. 30!) holiday tree lighting took place late yesterday afternoon in Tompkins Square Park. 

Albert Fabozzi, the founder of the lighting ceremony, was on hand for the ceremonies...

Entertainment included the Carolers of Olde New York from Theater for the New City and music from the Mandel & Lydon Trio ... (with refreshments via Veselka and C&B)...

There was a nice turnout. EVG contributor Stacie Joy shared these photos of some of the attendees...

And as noted last night, the Parks Department apparently forgot to wire the tree... and so organizers had to scramble to hire an electrician at the last minute. In the rush, the bottom portion of the tree was not lit, so to speak... but a good time was had by all [of the people we talked with]...