Let's take another look at the eerie remains of the long-abandoned 6 Avenue B

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Back on Dec. 23, we shared photos from inside the long-abandoned 6 Avenue B, the 6-story building on the NW corner at Houston. 

Recapping some of what we know (and have reported) about 6 Avenue B. The liquor store in the retail space closed when the owner passed away in 2009 at age 89. (Chico created the tribute to her in February 2010.) 

And as previously noted, this is one of the abandoned buildings owned by the estate of the mysterious team of Arthur and Abraham Blasof, now both deceased. 

Otherwise, there's some sporadic activity inside related to the cell towers on the roof. Otherwise, there don't appear to be any plans for this space. 

In the previous trip inside the building, EVG contributor Stacie Joy saw only a few units on the lower floors. She returned the other day and got a more complete look ...

Here's a look at some of the individual apartments... (there are two units on each floor). Each apartment is painted a different color: Green! Blue! Yellow! There was some wallpaper too. See for yourself...

... and paying the rent here — the T-Mobile cell towers...

... and the views from the top...

Previously on EV Grieve: 

Because you've always wanted to know what the inside of the long-empty 6 Avenue B looks like

A sneak peek at El Colmado, opening soon on East Houston Street

Photos by Stacie Joy

Late last year, we mentioned that El Colmado, a market specializing in Dominican food, was in the works for 309 E. Houston St. between Clinton and Attorney. 

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the other day ... and met the father-son team behind the market... 

They are looking forward to opening this month ... and showed Stacie their new equipment, including a sandwich press and rotisserie chicken oven... 

Aside from offering a variety of sandwiches and to-go meals, El Colmado will also have some more standard market items for sale... 

The shop has an Instagram account as well.

Higher Empire announces itself on 1st Avenue

Photo by Steven 

Higher Empire signage arrived over at 71 First Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street in recent days.

According to the Higher Empire website, the business is described as a "cannabis club and delivery service." 

You can hit the website here for more on the products/services, etc. They have an Instagram account too. 

This storefront was previously Alex Shoe & Watch Repair. Alex never reopened after the PAUSE of March 2020.

Today is the day for the new, smaller TD Bank to debut on 3rd Avenue

Meanwhile, in bank branch news, the new, more compact TD Bank branch debuts today at 47-53 Third Ave. between 10th Street and 11th Street. 

As previously mentioned, workers have been dividing up the retail space here, with TD Bank downsizing and vacating the corner spot...

No word if this branch will bring back a coin-counting machine to this location. (TD did away with them in 2016!)

A study cited by Banking Dive on Friday reported that "[b]ranch transaction volume has declined an average of 7% over the past seven years, while mobile payments are forecasted to grow 25% per year through 2026." So banks are shedding some real estate. 

According to the retail listing, the corner storefront will be available starting in September after its de-TD'd .... and with an ask of $150 per square foot. What type of vape shop would you like to see open here? 

Updated:

And then there was one...

H/T Steven!

The 'Law & Order' with recently filmed scenes on 7th Street airs tomorrow night

Photo on 7th Street on Feb. 8 by Derek Berg

As you may recall, on Feb. 8, crews for the all-new "Law & Order" filmed scenes on Seventh Street along Tompkins Square Park. (The neighborhood is no stranger to the show and its spinoffs through the years.)

Photos from the shoot (right here) saw Anthony Anderson's Det. Bernard and newcomer Jeffrey Donovan's Det. Frank Cosgrove investigate a murder, complete with a blood-splattered van on Seventh Street and, later, a candlelit memorial in the Park featuring an 8x10 of a young woman.

The episode filmed here airs tomorrow (March 10) on NBC at 8. (H/T Steven!)

Per the description of the episode titled "Filtered Life" ... 

Detectives Kevin Bernard and Frank Cosgrove investigate the disappearance of a social media star whose case takes the internet by storm; whilst A.D.A.'s Nolan Price and Samantha Maroun must weigh their decisions regarding the case against the wishes of the missing woman's family.

And the trailer, featuring a few glimpses of Tompkins... 

 

Previously on EV Grieve:

'Law & Order' creates a new tent city for Tompkins Square Park

Tompkins Square Library to screen doc on East Village artist Jeffrey Cyphers Wright on Saturday

On Saturday afternoon, the Tompkins Square Library branch is hosting an in-person screening of "Cuckoo O'Clock," a 30-minute documentary about EV artist Jeffrey Cyphers Wright "and the creative community he is part of." 

Per the NYPL description:

From Allen Ginsberg to John Sex. From Cover Mag to Live Mag! From the gardens to the poetry bars. From La Mama to Howl! Romance, lyricism, grafitti, tall tales… please join us for this intimate, informative, and amusing portrait of a quintessential East Village resident. 

Filmmaker Luigi Cazzaniga rejoins Wright (Cazzaniga was Cover Mag's art director and fashion editor and photographer) to create a humorous and historic portrayal. Fast paced and cram-packed with EV lore, this is haute entertainment dressed up in rowdy downtown style.

A panel discussion will follow the film, which starts at 3 p.m. at the branch, 331 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

The screening is free, though the NYPL suggests that you register online ahead of time here.

In an email about the documentary, the library says this is "the first in a series of films highlighting East Village artists and writers." 

 

Image via the NYPL

'It's time' — A question about the Christmas wreath in Tompkins Square Park

Despite today's snowfall 😒 ... not everyone is understandably feeling the Christmas spirit this March.

Here then, a question via the EVG inbox: 

Any idea how we can get the dried-out holiday wreath in Tompkins Square Park taken down? It's time.

Why the Fillmore East commemorative plaque is missing on 2nd Avenue

Photo by Derek Berg

Several observant EVG readers noted that the commemorative plaque outside the onetime home of the Fillmore East at 105 Second Ave. near Sixth Street is MIA.

A tipster thought it looked as if the plaque had been ripped off the wall here of current tenant Apple Bank.

However, Andrew Berman, executive director of Village Preservation, confirmed that the plaque had been damaged and is out for repairs.

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (now Village Preservation) along with Two Boots placed the memorial here in the fall of 2014 to honor the venue that helped launch some of the biggest names in music from 1968 to 1971.

So while the plaque is at the shop, it's a good time to revisit some Fillmore East history ... in case you don't recall seeing the Grateful Dead, Love and the Allman Brothers on a bill here for $3. (When did shows get so expensive? I remember when they were $1!)

The sibling to Bill Graham's Fillmore West in San Francisco brought performers such as Led Zeppelin, the Doors, B.B. King, Roberta Flack, the Byrds, the Grateful Dead, Taj Mahal, Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez and the Who to the East Village starting in March 1968.

No. 105 opened in 1926 as a Yiddish theater, soon becoming the Loew's Commodore movie house, followed by the Village Theater. In the 1980s, it was the nightclub The Saint, becoming Emigrant Bank in 1995 and then Apple Bank in 2013.

You can read about the history of the building and the 2,700-seat venue right here. And find a listing of every band who played the Fillmore East here.

Archival photos courtesy of Amalie R. Rothschild.

#Baonanas bringing their version of banana pudding to 7th Street

Photo by Steven

An outpost of #Baonanas — a company selling its take on banana pudding and other desserts — is opening at 93 E. Seventh St. just east of First Avenue. 

The shop had a sneak preview this past weekend... and is expected to be open at the end of the week. 

Real-life couple Trisha Villanueva and Lloyd Ortuoste started the business in Jersey City in 2014. Some background per the #Baonanas website:

[I]n April 2014, a close friend recommended that we sell our banana pudding to help fund a repair for Lloyd's car, Ella, a sonic yellow 2004 Subaru WRX Impreza STI, who was in a fender bender. So we started the hashtag #Baonanas on Instagram. We were amazed by the community's reaction to our silly little hashtag.

Here's more on their desserts via a 2020 feature on ABC 7: "Using Leche flan, the Filipino version of creme caramel, instead of regular boxed jello, Lloyd and ... Trisha ... have been able to develop innovative flavors and a fluffy mousse texture."

Find their menu of 30-plus flavors here. 

Aside from the Jersey City outpost, you can find #Baonanas at Smorgasburg in Prospect Park and Williamsburg in the fall. 

This spot has been vacant since the original location of Luke's Lobster closed here in 2019 ... after they had outgrown the space. As founders Luke Holden and Ben Conniff wrote back then: "It's time for 93 E. 7th Street to help launch someone else's dream, and we can't wait to visit and support it."

World party on 14th Street: Hello, Bong World!

There's a new business signage reveal at 226 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... please welcome — Bong World! (Thanks for the photo, Pinch!)

As we understand it, the new business will be specializing in low-pitched, resonant sounds of the kind made by a large bell. Bong! Or maybe water pipes to enjoy dry cannabis flowers.

The landlord here split the retail space in half. The other side remains on the rental market. (What will pair well with a bong shop?)

The previous tenant, Williamsburg Pizza, decided not to reopen this spot during the pandemic. The pizzeria's other locations remain in service. 

When Panda Express is too casual for date night

A P.F. Chang's is in the works for the SE corner of 13th Street at University Place (officially 113 University Place). 

This will reportedly be the chain's first sitdown restaurant in NYC. And it will be a big one: 4,777 square feet of space across three floors. 

The company opened several P.F. Chang's To Go outposts during the pandemic. 

Italian restaurant brand Vapiano was previously in this University Place space. 

Oh, and the Panda Express reference is in regards to the one coming to 14th Street and First Avenue.

Thanks to Bayou for the photo AND the headline... and H/T to Gregg for a previous email about this pending arrival.

Tuesday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

The recently formed action network Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights marked International Women's Day today with rallies and marches in New York City and around the country "to oppose the growing assault on abortion rights." 

The Manhattan march-rally started in Union Square and headed down Second Avenue. Speakers included Rev. Jacqui Lewis, senior minister of Middle Collegiate Church, and actress-activist Kathy Najimy.

On 9th Street, wind sends sidewalk-bridge plywood onto 2 cars below

Two cars parked on Ninth Street at First Avenue were damaged when a piece of plywood from the adjacent sidewalk bridge came crashing down during last night's thunderstorm.

EVG reader Danny shared these photos. As the top pic shows, some more debris landed just across the street. Luckily there weren't any reports of injuries, but the cars took a hit... one worse than the other...

As Danny noted, the sidewalk bridge here outside PS 122 has seemingly been up forever...

A visit to Arka, the 71-year-old Ukrainian gift shop on 2nd Street

Photos by Stacie Joy 

As The New York Times recently noted, business has been brisk in recent days at Arka, the shop that sells traditional Ukrainian clothing and other goods at 89 Second St. just east of First Ave.

Mykola Drobenko, who runs the shop with the help of family, told the Times that business had been off in recent years. However, since Russia's unprovoked attack on the country on Feb. 24, Akra has run out of Ukrainian flags and pins. More are on the way.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by Akra on Saturday, and the Drobenko family gave her permission to take photos. (See below for the relatively limited store hours and Akra's long history in the neighborhood.)

According to a 2019 feature at The Click, an NYU publication, Arka dates back 72 years... 

Arka opened its doors in 1951 on 7th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue. The owners were Roman Porytko and Jaroslav Pastushenko, two immigrants from Ukraine who were able to start a new life in the United States under the Displaced Persons Act of 1948, which allowed Europeans who had lost their homes in World War II permanent residence in the U.S. 

And... 

In the 1980s, the East Village continued to flourish and grow, which resulted in steep rent increases. In 1985 Arka was hit with a 1000 percent rent increase from $300 per month to $3,000 per month and announced that after 35 years, they were going to close their doors. Signs announcing their closure were placed on each of the three large windows of the ground-level store. 

"I happened to be walking by the Seventh Street shop one day ... when a sign in Arka's window caught my eye," explained business entrepreneur Mykola Drobenko to the Ukrainian Weekly in 1986. A few days later, Drobenko returned with an offer to buy the business. 

After buying Arka, Drobenko moved the store to the first floor of a building that he owned on Second Street. 

The shop is open Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 6 p.m. ... and Saturday by appointment. Find more info, including mail order, at the Arka website.

A sign of spring amid the bulldozed remains of East River Park

Here's a look at East River Park from the Corlears Hook ferry access ... these photos are from Saturday and show where the amphitheater used to be...

Despite the barren terrain, we spotted some bulbs coming to the surface...

Meanwhile, there's a press conference tomorrow (March 9) at 9 a.m. at Corlears Hook Park to "call on NYC Parks to halt tree work permits." 

Starting next week, activists say the city is slated to cut down another 50 healthy mature trees from the immediate area. Speakers are expected to include District 1 City Councilmember Christopher Marte, per media invites. 

And as previously reported ... Since early December, work has focused on cutting down hundreds of mature trees and taking out amenities such as the tennis courts in Project Area 1 below Stanton Street. 

The current plans call for gutting East River Park — burying the existing 57.5-acre land under fill and elevating it by 8-to-10 feet above sea level. The new park is expected to protect the Lower East Side from storm surges until at least 2050. 

Park entry remains at Houston, Sixth Street and 10th Street. The city has said they will maintain public access to a minimum of 42 percent of the park throughout construction, expected to be complete by the end of 2026.

Chef Tan signage arrives on St. Mark's Place

Photo by Steven 

Workers put up the signage yesterday for Chef Tan, the new restaurant opening soon at 37 St. Mark's Place. 

This will be the first NYC outpost for the restaurant in Jersey City that serves Szechuan and Hunan cuisine. (Jersey menu here.) 

We're told that management is waiting on the usual city inspections before they are able to open. 

Chef Tan takes over the space at Second Avenue from 99 Favor Taste, which closed during the pandemic after three-plus years in service.

Report: 'Rowdy teens' blamed for series of attacks at Sheen Brothers on 10th and B

Rowdy teens have harassed and attacked workers in an East Village deli for months. The police have done nothing about it, the store owner says.

“Sometimes, they have a metal rod, and sometimes, a baseball bat. ... The police say they can’t do anything.”https://t.co/vE25lKuLpt

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) March 7, 2022

Updated 3/10: One teen has been arrested, per the News.

The Daily News reports that "a group of rowdy teens have harassed and attacked workers" at Sheen Brothers, the market on the SE corner of 10th Street and Avenue B.

Owner Jay Patel told the News that "he has called the police time and again about the teen terrors, but cops have told him their hands are tied." 

Video surveillance dating back to October shows a series of assaults at the market, including one in which teens repeatedly punch a clerk in the face. 

Patel said they spent $7,000 on an automatic gate and a buzzer system to beef up the shop's security. Customers have to be buzzed in and out of the corner market now. 

As part of his East Village walking tour yesterday, Mayor Adams visited Sheen Brothers and vowed "we are not going to tolerate" the attacks. 

The News pointed out that overall crime is up in the 9th Precinct 67.5% this year — 325 incidents vs. 194 in 2021. This link takes you to the PDF of the NYPD CompStats. 

For more context, here's a screengrab with breakdowns of reported crimes vs. previous years... (click on image for a better view)...

Monday's parting shot

You may have seen these small paintings of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy around the neighborhood ... including part of his response to offers of an evacuation early on during the Russian invasion: "The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride." 

The art is by @EarlyRiser ... the photo from First Avenue and Ninth Street is by William Klayer.

Today in mayoral visits to the East Village

Photo at East Village Organic on 1st Avenue by Steven 

Thanks to everyone for the emails, texts, cards and letters about Mayor Adams taking a walking tour of the East Village today... to announce that #NYCisBack ...

Hitting the streets in the East Village to spread the word: #NYCisBack! pic.twitter.com/q4gcq1MT8l

— City of New York (@nycgov) March 7, 2022

As previously reported, NYC's indoor vaccine mandate is gone starting today. Restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and gyms are no longer be required to check for proof of COVID-19 vaccination from customers. In addition, the mask ban for students has been lifted. 

His tour included visiting with owners of several restaurants (Dallas BBQ, La Palapa, MáLà Project), eating lunch at Veselka and walking through Tompkins Square Park.

Updated 7 p.m.

There wasn't any shortage of the mayor's EV visit today... select news outlets include...

• CBS New York

• Curbed 

• amNY 

• NY1

Meanwhile, the mayor, who announced "new actions and investments in pedestrian safety at intersections" in January, was called out on Twitter for having one of his vehicles parked in the intersection on Second Avenue and Ninth Street this morning ...

@NYCMayor vehicle blocking a crosswalk #walknyc pic.twitter.com/I4L6htRG4R

— Choresh Wald (@Choresh2) March 7, 2022

Sunny's Florist is BACK

Photos by Steven

Good news. After a winter hiatus, Sunny's Florist reopened Saturday on the SE corner of Second Avenue and Sixth Street...

Sunny's has been in this sliver of a spot for 32 years... and with arguably the best flowers in NYC.

The shop doesn't have a website or any active social media platforms ... Google lists the hours from 2:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Phone: (212) 473-0185