Saturday's parting shots

Photos by Stacie Joy 

The social event of the season is underway on Avenue A at the ConEd substation... where workers are putting in a new transformer here between Fifth Street and Sixth Street ...

...the Avenue is closed between Fourth and Seventh, in case you wondered why B and C were so congested... Anyway! Work continues tomorrow

ConEd sources say the new transformer will arrive on March 5.

Meanwhile, officials are warning against fake photos of the new transformers here... as seen below...

Soul mates: Meet the members of East Village-based band Sauce City

Interview and photos by Stacie Joy 

Updated 3/9: The band's single, "House of Dogs," is now on Spotify here.

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Sauce City is a new East Village-based indie-soul band with a history that spans back to middle school.

I met the core members as they prepped for rehearsal at guitar, trombonist and vocalist Eric Ratner’s apartment with Kirin Dombek (lead vocals) and Paul Gregg (keyboard, guitar and vocals).

Ahead of a show Tuesday night (Jan. 24) at the Mercury Lounge, the band collectively discussed their origin story as well as how the neighborhood inspires them.

[Eric Ratner]

[Kirin Dombek]

[Paul Gregg]

On the band’s origins:

Paul and Eric were just middle schoolers when they met at a band camp on Long Island. They remained friends throughout Paul’s move to Singapore and later to Washington, D.C., where he started a band that toured around the country, and as Eric moved to South Korea, where he played guitar and started an open-mic charity event (proceeds supporting the MDream Orphanage and Children’s Home).

Meanwhile, while Kirin was studying classical singing and opera in Washington, D.C., she met Paul in their collegiate a cappella group. They started singing together, and soon after, started dating! Kirin, Paul and Eric all moved to NYC and knew they needed to start a band together. 

After networking with a drummer and bassist, they all started jamming together in April of 2022 and Sauce City was born. Fun fact — Kirin and Paul are getting married this year! 

About the name: 

We chose the name Sauce City because we love sauces more than food and we love playing music in the various cities we’ve each lived in. 

On the Sauce City sound:

Our sound is heavily inspired by some of the greats of soul, funk and R&B: Bill Withers, Rufus and Erykah Badu to name a few, and we love to incorporate other influences from modern indie artists to give us an extra edge. 

We like to refer to our genre as indie soul. We’ve been fortunate enough to play at some great venues [Heaven Can Wait, Nublu, The Bowery Electric, Triad Theater] in our first year as a band. The reception has been really positive so far, and we’re excited to take everything to the next level in 2023. 

On playing in the East Village:

The three of us are locals in the neighborhood, so we’re lucky to have some of the most exciting venues for indie artists right at our doorstep. It goes without saying, but the East Village is steeped in American music history, so being able to perform in the shadow of that history is humbling and very unique.

On Tuesday’s show and what's next:

We will be playing alongside our friends, Brass Queens, a New Orleans-inspired band with an all-female horn section. We are also excited to get into the studio this month to record our first single, “House of Dogs.” Look out for Sauce City on Spotify and Apple Music in February! And of course, we are looking forward to more exciting shows collaborating with other bands we love at venues in the city and beyond.

Jorit Agoch brings photorealistic murals of Malcolm X and KRS-One to the East Village

Jorit Agoch, the Italian street artist, has created two of his hyper-realistic murals in the neighborhood. 

Above, Malcolm X in First Street Green Art Park. 

And below, a work in progress of KRS-One on Second Street at First Avenue (via East Village Walls) ...

And a photo of the artist by Stacie Joy...

Per Wide Open Walls: 

Jorit has started to mark his portraits with two red lines or scars on the cheek that refer to ancient African rituals, like scarification. This ritual indicates the passing from childhood to adult age. Jorit is firmly convinced that the differences of race, gender, religion and social class do not mean anything with respect to the characteristics that are similar in all human beings, and give us our shared humanity. 

H/T Steven for the initial KRS-One mural pic

Saturday's opening shots

Big rig city today on Avenue A between Fifth Street and Sixth Street ... as an assortment of cranes and things are employed at the ConEd substation here... where workers have been replacing a transformer in recent weeks...

So this had nothing to do with bus stop construction 😬 ... and Avenue A is closed to through traffic (both lanes) from Fourth Street to Seventh Street through tomorrow night, per signage.

Don't worry be 'Toppy'

 

Canadian trio Men I Trust released several singles last year, including "Billie Toppy" (⬆️).  Their fans are hoping for a full-length release in 2023...

This Avenue A bus stop will be closed for construction this weekend

Updated: Oh! This work is about replacing the transformer at the ConEd substation here. Oh! The 14A SBS stop on the east side of Avenue A between Fifth Street and Sixth Street will be "closed for construction" from, presumably, 12:01 a.m. Saturday to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday. 

The abbreviations-heavy sign explains what bus-goers can do for service during this time. "Please use: 1st Ave. for W.B. service & Ave. C for E.B. PAT at RHE Temp. Locations." (Updated: I didn't even notice the 2003 the first time! 🙄)

And during this time, Avenue A will be closed to through traffic between Fourth Street and Seventh Street...

The updated Avenue A bus stop will include new amenities, including a wine cellar and a cigar humidor, pickleball court, a Tai Chi deck, and a spa with outdoor bath gardens, steam showers and treatment rooms.

Noted

A resident of a building on Fifth Street shares this email from the landlord of roughly three years, The Sabet Group, which offers their rationale for persistent broken front-door locks and, subsequently, stolen packages ...

Dear Residents,

You are correct, the city is no longer safe due to the bail reform and protest to defund the police. There are no consequences for stealing packages/breaking the law. The doors will be fixed again due to criminals attempting to pick and break locks. Please submit your request to the police and the city regarding safety of the city and our state. 

Thank you, 

The Management 

The resident was irked that the landlord blamed issues such as bail reform instead of shoddy maintenance practices. Per a resident: "Sabet might consider using some of the exorbitantly higher rents they collect to maintain security and protect their tenants." 

Openings: Caleta and Bad Habit on Avenue A

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Bad Habit ice cream and Caleta opened at 131 Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street on Jan. 7. (Mentioned here and here.) 

As previously reported, real-life couple Javier Zuñiga and Jesse Merchant Zuñiga are behind the business launched during the pandemic when the restaurant vets starting making ice cream from their Brooklyn apartment — "initially they were just thinking of it as a hobby," per Eater...

But the fledgling ice cream brand took off — enough that Bad Habit is now headquartered in the front of the space, where, starting at 2 p.m., the containers (in three sizes and with flavors like olive oil, chocolate honeycomb and dill & yuzu) are available to stay or go...

Starting at 5 p.m., the back room — Caleta, a 21-seat cafe that serves beer, wine and small plates — opens for business. (No reservations; walk-ins only.) The front and back are open until midnight Thursday through Monday.

You can find the Caleta website (with menu) right here ... Instagram at this link.

Report: Junoon owner bringing a new Indian restaurant to the former Momofuku Ssäm Bar

Junoon owner Rajesh Bhardwaj has reportedly signed a lease for a new Indian restaurant at 207 Second Ave. at 13th Street — the former Momofuku Ssäm Bar. 

According to the Commerical Observer, Bhardwaj signed a 10-year deal for 5,500 square feet for his new concept, Jazba.

Per the CO: 

Jazba will have a bar at the front of the restaurant, equipped with a craft cocktail menu, and two dining rooms serving recipes Bhardwaj picked up while visiting popular roadside eateries in India. 

In May 2020, David Chang announced that he was moving the nearly 15-year-old Ssäm Bar from Second Avenue to the South Street Seaport. Milk Bar had retail space on the 13th Street side before moving across the street in May 2011. The cocktail bar Booker & Dax was then here until October 2016 before Ssäm Bar expanded.

This prime space had been waiting for a new tenant ever since Momofuku moved on.

Photo from 2021 by Steven

Thursday's parting tweet

JANUARY THUNDER!!!!

— evgrieve (@evgrieve) January 20, 2023

Hope you enjoyed the January thunder and lightning...

Report: The Regal Union Square multiplex to close after bankruptcy filing

Cineworld, the parent company of Regal Cinemas, the second-largest chain of movie theaters in the United States, is closing 39 locations, including the Regal Union Square Stadium 17 on 13th Street and Broadway, according to published reports. (H/T Doug.)

Regal Closing Once-Busy Union Square Movie Theater In NYC as Bankruptcy Proceeds https://t.co/pxj1s2Fw4x

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 19, 2023

Per Business Insider, who first reported on the closures: 

Cineworld filed for bankruptcy at a time when the larger theatrical industry is struggling to fully rebound from the pandemic. The North American box office hit $7.4 billion in 2022, according to Comscore, down from over $11 billion in 2019 and 2018. 

And... 

Cineworld detailed the plan to reject the leases starting February 15 in a new bankruptcy filing on Tuesday. Regal is the second-largest cinema chain in the US, behind AMC, with over 500 theaters. The company's plan to close locations during its bankruptcy is fairly routine. The Chapter 11 process makes it easier for companies to walk away from leases without incurring major penalties and to press landlords for better terms. 

Regal's multiplex at Essex Crossing on Delancey and Essex was not listed among the 39 set for closure.

Regal Union Square, with 17 screens, underwent a multi-million-dollar refurbishment in early 2020. 

The theater debuted in November 1998... (image via Cinema Treasures) ...

Current Coffee debuts in The Bowery Market

Current Coffee opened this week at The Bowery Market... the open-air market on the Bowery at Great Jones. 

We understand that this is the first shop for a longtime barista. CC is serving coffee via Share Coffee Roasters and a variety of pastries, including vegan options. 

Blank Street Coffee, now with multiple locations in the East Village, had the space previously. 

Scott Marano, founder of The Bowery Market, told us that Blank Street had a short-term agreement here.

"They were a very good vendor," he said via an email. "They have grown tremendously and it seems their strategy has shifted to a more conventional brick-and-mortar arrangement while we like to be a home for unique concepts looking to grow."

Photo via @currentcoffeeshop

Superiority Burger, now with coming-soon signage on Avenue A

Superiority Burger appears to be closer to an opening in its new home at 119 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place... "coming soon" letters are now on the marquee here outside the former Odessa Restaurant. (The under-wraps signage arrived on Dec. 2.)

As previously reported by Grub Street, owner Brooks Headley, who called the Odessa his "dream space," will start with a dinner service and then open for lunch and breakfast inside the dining room that has retained much of its diner-ish vibes.

The SB Instagram account has highlighted some new dishes and desserts in recent weeks... such as!

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @superiorityburger

No word on an official opening date (please don't ask!). Per a December-time IG post: "Not open yet. But one day it will just *poof* erupt when you least expect it." 

The popular all-vegetarian quick-serve spot opened in the East Village on Ninth Street in June 2015. 

Odessa Restaurant opened in this space in April 1995 before a July 2020 closure. The original Odessa, the longtime favorite that dated to the mid-1960s, closed next door in August 2013.

Wednesday's parting shot

A recent shot outside Little Poland, 200 Second Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street... since 1985.

There won't be a last-minute reprieve for Commodities

Late last week, the landlord took legal possession of 165 First Ave. just north of 10th Street — which has been home to Commodities for 30 years. 

There was a legal notice from a city Marshal on the front door. Here's how that works:

A City Marshal may conduct an eviction or legal possession only after a court has ruled on the landlord's petition for removal and issued a Warrant of Eviction to the marshal.

We've seen tenants and landlords broker a new deal a few times in the past, and several fans of the market were hoping for a last-minute reprieve here as well.

Unfortunately, that doesn't appear to be happening.

EVG reader Allan Yashin shared the photo from yesterday afternoon when he saw the lights on and the gate open. He saw this as a good sign, and hoped that there was a resolution ... "only to walk in and find a team of men dismantling the fixtures... After all these years, the store beloved by many, including me for over 25 years, has come to an end."

New owners took over the business in January 2019 and changed the name to Commodities Health Foods from Commodities Natural Market.

Michael Hughes opened Commodities here in 1993. Hughes and his wife Audra opened an outpost in Vermont in 2015.

Previously on EVG:

• A visit to High Vibe on 3rd Street

Sealing up the former Charas/P.S. 64 on 9th Street

On Dec. 20, a crew arrived with pallets full of construction materials for emergency work at the long-vacant former P.S. 64/Charas/El Bohio Community Center., 605 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

Since then, readers and residents have noted a lot of activity on the property. 

EVG contributor Stacie Joy took these top three photos on Jan. 5, when workers said they were "sealing this place up."

As of Monday, the windows and entrances on the Ninth Street side have been covered...

... and similar work looks nearly complete on the 10th Street side...

Afterward, the property will likely sit in limbo for a little longer.

At the end of 2022, news broke that Gregg Singer's nearly 23-year tenure as building owner had come to an end. 

On Dec. 23, New York State Justice Melissa Crane ordered the foreclosure and sale of the building with a default, including penalties and interest totaling approximately $90 million. (You can read Crane's 20-page decision and order here.)

The order could send the property back to auction within 90 days, according to members of Save Our Community Center CHARAS/former P.S. 64 (SOCCC-64).

The property that Singer purchased from the city in 1998 for $3.15 million fell into foreclosure last year and is reportedly back in the hands of lender Madison Realty Capital. As The Village Voice reported: "Madison Realty Capital declined to comment on the foreclosure or what plans it has for the building."

The five-floor structure is currently being offered for use as medical space or educational-related purposes. You can find the listing at Corcoran here. (Aside from the efforts to seal up the building to ward off intruders, thrillseekers, and the elements, the long-standing Stop Work Order and Full Vacate are still on file with the department of buildings.)

It's important to note that the 135,000-square-foot building is zoned for "community facility use." Any conversion to a condoplex or residential housing would require a time-consuming zoning variance.

Meanwhile, some residents want to see the space used again as a community center, as it was during its time as Charas/El Bohio Community Center. Singer evicted the group on Dec. 27, 2001. 

Through the years, Singer wanted to turn the building into a dorm (more here), though those plans never materialized. (At one point, the Joffrey Ballet and Cooper Union were attached to the project.)

In October 2017, then-Mayor de Blasio's statement at a Town Hall put forth the idea that the city would take steps to reacquire the building. According to published reports, the Mayor said he'd work to "right the wrongs of the past." 

SOCCC-64 members hope that Mayor Adams considers this request. Per the group's press release after the judge's decision: "We are excited to finally have the opportunity to return the building to full community use, and are ready to work with Mayor Adams to restore this once vibrant community hub," said Chino Garcia, co-founder of Charas.

As The Village Voice pointed out, "exactly how a CHARAS-like community center might be restored to P.S. 64 is hard to say, given the tremendous debt that Singer leveraged on the building, and the cost to renovate a building left to rot for two decades."  

That's all for Tony's Famous Pizza on 1st Avenue

After nearly 18 months of slinging slices, the Tony's Famous Pizza has closed at 231 First Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street. A for-rent sign now hangs from the storefront. (Thanks to Pinch for the photo!)

The pizzeria, a sibling to the Tony's at 128 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place, arrived in the summer of 2021. 

Tony's took over the storefront from Vinny Vincenz, which quietly closed in April 2021 after 18 years of service.

Greenwich Marketplace closes on 4th Avenue

A for-rent sign now hangs in the front window at at 120 Fourth Ave. at 12th Street ... bringing an end to Greenwich Marketplace's time here on the NW corner. (Thanks to EVG reader Doug for the photo.)

The market, with a larger-than-average deli counter serving geographically friendly items such as the NYU Wrap, opened in March 2021. 

The previous tenant, the PokéSpot, closed in the summer of 2020 after four years. Before that, we had a Subway (sandwich shop) here along a well-traveled corridor. 

Bait & Hook has not been open lately

Pinch brings us word that Bait & Hook has been closed of late on the NW corner of 14th Street and Second Avenue... paper covers the front windows...

No posted signs about any kind of closure — temporary or permanent. And no messages about it on the bar-restaurant's website or Instagram account. It seems like an odd time for a football bar to close with the start of the NFL playoffs starting this past weekend. 

This isn't the first time the place has shuttered. In January 2020, a "closed for renovation" sign arrived a week before a for lease sign. Then the place reopened. 

Bait & Hook debuted in 2012.

A message for the 'graffiti guys'

Photos by Stacie Joy 

A message to the "graffiti guys" on Avenue B near Second Street... large photos and a warning that the police have been notified...