A look inside the soon-to-be demolished Church of the Nativity on 2nd Avenue

Interview by Stacie Joy 

Photos by Idan Cohen 

You may remember beekeeper Idan Cohen from our A Visit To Made Up There Farms. He recently was able to walk through the remains of the deconsecrated and now-closed (as of July 2015) Church of the Nativity at 44 Second Ave. between Second Street and Third Street and is sharing his photos and observations. 

As previously reported, Gemini Rosemont Development has plans for an 11-story mixed-use building for a newly created parcel consisting of three buildings on this block.

I spoke to Idan about what he saw, how he feels about the pending demolition and the new development.

How did you come to photograph the site of the former church? 

I’ve been curious to see the inside in its current state. The other week, when I was walking by, they assembled scaffolding and left the gate open, allowing me to step in and roam around. 

What was your impression of being inside? 

Kind of sad. To think that just a few years ago, this was a gathering space for our community and now it’s standing empty and in ruins. 

Your images show a lot of water on the ground and at least some demolition work. What was the state of the property when you were there?

It’s very dilapidated, and there are holes in the ceiling, which allow water to pour in; it smells like mold and standing water. Some furniture is left, but it is wholly piled up and broken up. 

Did you see anything that surprised you? 

Well, the beauty of those stained glass windows was breathtaking. The way the light pours in, from both the painted glass and the ceiling holes, and the contrast between the destruction on the ground and the rays from the sky. It was all still reminiscent of what a scared space should feel like. 

Had you been familiar with the church when it was still in use before it was deconsecrated? Had you ever visited before this trip? 

I live a block away from the church and have always admired its brutalist and modern architecture. Through the last 10 years, I’ve seen it morph from an active church to a closed church, to a sidewalk shelter for the homeless and now a demolition and construction site. 

Do you have any thoughts about the proposed 11-story mixed-use building slated for this space? 

I support new construction — as long as it is not ugly. I hope larger apartments are built to attract families and children to our neighborhood. I was hoping that structure could be reused as a beautiful art gallery. It would have been an excellent addition to the East Village, similar to The Brant Foundation on Sixth Street.

You can find some prior coverage and history of the church here. And can follow Idan on Instagram.

New Swan Valet Cleaners is closing on 3rd Street

New Swan Cleaners is closing at 199 E. Third St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

March 29 is the last day.

The owner told EVG contributor Stacie Joy that his lease is up and, at age 66, he decided to retire. He said he will miss all his customers. 

The dry-cleaning business was hard hit during the pandemic. However, we have seen several new shops open in recent months in the neighborhood.

Kebabwala eyes spring opening at 82 2nd Ave.

Chintan Pandya and Roni Mazumdar are prepping for another quick-serve Indian restaurant in the East Village.

The pair, who recently debuted Rowdy Rooster on First Avenue near Ninth Street, plans to open Kebabwala, which Eater describes as a "casual Indian kebab shop," at 82 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street later this spring. 

No. 82 has seen several restaurants come and go, including 7 Spices and Reyna Exotic Turkish Cuisine. 

Pandya and Mazumdar also operate the well-regarded Dhamaka at Essex Market. 

Photo Monday by Steven

FDR closure alert: City removing last section of the Delancey Street footbridge Sunday morning

The remaining section of the Delancey Street footbridge over the FDR is coming down starting at midnight on Sunday. The FDR will be shut down in both directions until at least 10 a.m. 

Here's info from the latest Project Area 1 Construction notice:

On Sunday, March 27, 2022, 12:01 a.m. – 10 a.m. Delancey Street Pedestrian Bridge removal activities will necessitate overnight work and full closure of the FDR Drive northbound and southbound between Exit 2 (Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan Civic Center) and Exit 5 (E. Houston Street, Williamsburg Bridge). Vehicles should follow all posted signs and instruction from Traffic Enforcement Agents while detour is in effect.

Workers began dismantling the bridge in late January ... as part of the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency Project. The city will build a new Delancey Street Bridge in the years ahead. 

And starting on April 4, workers are expected to close part of Corlears Hook Park, where up to 50 trees are said to be coming down. 

Activists are planning a "General Assembly" at Corlears Hook Park Saturday afternoon at 2. Find more info here.

Oh good — the turkey vultures are here

Photos by Steven 

Seen yesterday in the sky over Avenue B... a pair of turkey vultures ...

Per this random website: "Despite their intimidating presence, vultures are pretty harmless. They have no incentive to attack humans and they lack the physical attributes that could pose a threat. Although they are carnivorous, most vultures feed only on animals that are already dead." (Audobon has a nice TV recap here.) 

Anyway, there are turkey vulture sightings around here from time to time. Nothing to worry about!

What might be next for the former St. Emeric church and school property?

In recent weeks, there has been a lot of activity on the property that houses the former St. Emeric church and school on 13th Street and Avenue D. 

Workers have put up plywood on the 13th Street side of the parking lot on the site...

As we understand it, the church and school are slated for demolition. At this point, there are more questions than answers. (More on that below.)

Earlier this month, EVG contributor Stacie Joy explored the site...

At the deconsecrated church, which merged with St. Brigid on Avenue B in early 2013, few signs remain of its former usage. The church's signage (it used to say "For God And Country, 1953") has been chiseled away.   

And in the parking lot, workers were seen carting off barrels full of an unknown substance... with leftover red tape noting "Danger Hazardous Material" ... 

And at the school, which has an entrance on Avenue D and around the corner on 12th Street... 

The property includes ample parking... not to mention a greenhouse and a small garden.

A local church official, who was not authorized to go on the record, confirmed to Stacie that the former church and school would be torn down. In addition, the source said that the Archdiocese wanted to "move on" and "do something positive for the community, perhaps something like affordable housing."

The source was unaware if the property had already been sold. Given the proximity to the Con Ed plant and various public housing, the site likely wouldn't attract a developer for any luxury projects.

Here's an aerial view via Google...

And here's some history of the parish via Wikipedia:

The parish was established in 1949. The Rev. V. J. Brosman had a brick church built in 1949 to designs by Voorhees, Walker, Foley & Smith of 101 Park Ave. for $300,000. The cornerstone was laid in 1950. The church is now covered in ivy. A two-story school building was erected in 1952 to designs by the same architects for $240,000.

H/T to EVG reader QueenzEnglish for first alerting us to the construction!

 

What's the deal? Lot Stop slated for former Duane Reade space on 1st Avenue

There has been ramped-up speculation about the future of the NW corner of 14th Street and First Avenue ever since Papaya Dog closed last fall. 

The corner looks ripe for development with the block-long stretch of (mostly) one-level structures. 

Perhaps someday we'll see some kind of condoplex or mixed-use new building. But in the near future, the former Duane Reade space just north of 14th Street will be home to a discount store called Lot Stop with the slogan "A Real Deal!" (Thanks to Sonya for the pic!) 

There are nearly a dozen Lot Stops in the tri-state area. Here's more about their biz, via the chainlet's website:

Lot Stop is a family-operated business founded in 2011. We pride ourselves on offering name brands at the lowest price possible. Our close-out buying team sources deals nationally every week enabling us to provide incredible bargains. 

As the world was transitioning to online shopping, we did not want our neighborhoods to lose the convenience and feeling of connection that comes with a "brick-and-mortar" shopping experience. We study trends, popular name brand items, and necessities to provide the same merchandise as superstores and online giants, at better prices. We take pride in carefully choosing our locations to create an asset to the community through stellar employees and developing lasting relationships with the many who shop here. 

The Duane Reade closed here in November 2019. 

Lot Stop is the second discount shop to open in the EV this spring... joining USA Super Stores in the former Duane Reade on Third Avenue and 10th Street.

Paint Puff 'N' Peace coming soon to 2nd Avenue

For anyone who says the neighborhood is going to pot! 

Singage for Paint Puff "N" Peace arrived this week at 128 Second Ave. just south of St. Mark's Place...

This is the latest outpost for the cannabis shop, which first opened in East Harlem last fall —and with endorsements via Nick Cannon and Fat Joe, per The City. (Paint Puff 'N' Peace takes the EV space from the Village Dream Tattoo and Piercing shop.)

New York legalized marijuana use last spring. However, as The City points out: "Bureaucratic delays — made worse when Andrew Cuomo resigned as governor in August — have pushed back the timeline by months and the city may not see many (or any) pot establishments open their doors for sales in 2022." 

As a workaround in the short-term, businesses offer services such as a curated cannabis concierge service with membership fees, such as at the Empire Cannabis Clubs that opened on Allen Street in January. Higher Empire, which is opening at 71 First Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street, the business is described as a "cannabis club and delivery service." 

This Bloomberg CityLab article from last week addresses many of the challenges budding cannabis entrepreneurs are facing...

Like most states, New York's law requires that dispensaries be a certain distance from schools and houses of worship. These and other expected regulatory requirements for where dispensaries can be located pose a particular challenge in dense New York City, where entrepreneurs say some of the neighborhoods with high expected demand — like Harlem and the Lower East Side — offer very limited available space.

And!

The geography puzzle is just one of a number of real estate hurdles for prospective marijuana entrepreneurs, who face a morass of potential regulatory obstacles — and fierce competition. Although New York's Office of Cannabis Management has released some baseline guidance, like the storefront distancing requirements, there are still a lot of unknowns.

 Top photo by Steven; second photo by Derek Berg

Massive film collection from the former Mondo Kim's is heading to Alamo Drafthouse downtown

After the multi-level Mondo Kim's closed at 6 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue in December 2008, the shop's massive collection of 50,000-plus tapes and DVDs were shipped off to a town in Sicily, as Jeremiah Moss first noted. 

The plans called for "a Never-ending Festival — a 24-hour projection of up to 10 films at once for the foreseeable future ... and, eventually, the conversion of all Kim's VHS films to DVDs to ensure their preservation." 

And eventually, the plan was for Kim's members to have access to digitized versions of all these films, an assortment of cult classics and hard-to-find treasures. (Didn't go so well in Italy.) 

Anyway! This collection is returning to NYC. 

According to published reports and press releases, Alamo Drafthouse has said its working with founder Yongman Kim to bring his collection to the recently opened Lower Manhattan location (28 Liberty St.). 

Here's part of the press release:

After a twelve year and 9,000 mile odyssey that included a trip to Italy and back, the Kim’s Video collection is now back where it belongs — in New York City. It will be permanently housed and available for rental at Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan.

Alamo is expected to reveal more about the rental system later next week. 

The last Kim's, at 124 First Ave., closed in the summer of 2014.

Pic via Dangerous Minds!

Tuesday's parting shot

An EVG reader shared this spring-time shot today from Tompkins Square Park...

Citizen app alert of the day

Been some doozies of late on the Citizen app... Jose Garcia shared this, asking: "What's going on with the animals?"

DeColores Community Yard collecting books for displaced Ukrainian families

The volunteers who run DeColores Community Yard on Eighth Street are collecting Ukrainian-language books for displaced families who fled to Europe to escape the Russian invasion...

You can drop off books anytime at the garden, 311 E. Eighth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

Looking for Ukrainian-language books? You could try Arka on Second Street or the Ukrainian Museum on Sixth Street.

Images via Instagram

13-story mixed-use building slated for 5th and D

A 13-story mixed-use building is in the works for the SW corner of Avenue D and Fifth Street. 

As NY Yimby first reported: 

The proposed 125-foot-tall development will yield 62,200 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 85 residences, with an average unit scope of 731 square feet. The concrete-based structure will also have 15 inclusionary housing units and a cellar but no accessory parking. 

Public records show that Manny Ashourzadeh, via Golbar LLC, is behind this new project. 

The work permit filed on Thursday lists 746 E. Fifth St., an empty lot, as the building's address. Given the size of the development, the project will likely include the former Uncle Johnny, the longtime grocery store that closed last month...

As with any one-level parcel of properties, there was speculation that this corner was ripe for new construction. 

In recent years, several new developments, including the Adele ... Arabella 101 and NIKO East Village, have risen along this Avenue D corridor.

A fundraiser for Noor, a cat struck by a car on 10th Street

On Sunday night, East Village residents Rachael Brungard and Matt Lipson were among the horrified onlookers to see a cat dart onto 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue and get struck by a car.

The two were able to carefully transport the cat, named Noor, to the Village Veterinarian on 11th Street. 

Unfortunately, the collision left Noor with many injuries, including pneumothorax, pulmonary contusions, traumatic brain injury, a left humeral fracture, abrasions and bruising. 

Rachael and Matt are taking responsibility for Noor's care and will foster him through the recovery.

Rachael also said they'll likely adopt him. "I'm already attached after one day, and we are in love with this little guy," she said in an email. (Noor usually stays in the Half Moon Smoke Shop on 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, which won't be an option post-surgery.)

There's a crowdfunding campaign underway to help pay for Noor's surgery. You can find more information at the GoFundMe here.

Rest easy, citizens of 12th Street — the large animal invader has been slain

The following report showed up on the Citizen app late Sunday night — "large animal invaded home."

The address was listed as a building on 12th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B. 

The report prompted A LOT of speculation — at least in the EVG Instagram Stories.

What could this large animal invader be? A crocodile? A deer? A bobcat? C.H.U.D.? Chupacabra? So many possibilities! (Also, keep in mind that Citizen has posted inaccurate information in the past.) 

Ever-curious EVG contributor Stacie Joy ventured over to the building to learn more about this urban creature/home invader...

Stacie spoke with the super, Oly, who held up the slain beast...

So how did what appears to be a baby mouse on a glue trap end up as a "large animal" home invader? 

Here's what we pieced together based on some Instagram messages and the visit to the building.

The residents of the unit heard a "loud" screeching coming from the kitchen. Living adjacent to a community garden, maybe an opossum found its way into the building and was trapped in an airshaft or in the walls. Thinking it was some kind of animal control situation, they called 311. The 311 operator then told the residents to contact their local police precinct.

It's not clear at the moment how this became a "large animal invader." Perhaps the NYPD was curious, too, as we're told eight officers eventually responded to the scene.

Monday's parting shots

The second "HONK! for Ukraine," led by Stephan Said, took place this evening... the musicians met on Astor Place at 5:30 before moving on to Veselka on Second and Ninth Street for a sing-a-long. The procession ended in Tompkins Square Park... 

Find out more about the song "Glory To Ukraine/Слава Україні" — "a Global Call to Action to uplift and support the people of Ukraine." Per the HONK! website: 

The melody of the song is adapted from the Ukrainian folk song "Oy Marichko," and features renowned Ukrainian trumpeter Semjon Barlas (now in Berlin). All proceeds go to Ukrainian-American organization Razom For Ukraine, playing a vital role in relief efforts.

Thanks to Steven for the top photo and Eden for the shot in the Park...