Out and about with Rhett the Rhino

While we don't always know why papier-mâché sculptures are randomly placed around the neighborhood... we have answers about those one — aka Rhett the Rhino. 

Rhett was making the rounds in support of East Village resident Jenny Toth's show — "Birds of a Feather" — which runs through tomorrow at Blue Mountain Gallery, 547 W. 27th St. (suite 200). Read more about the exhibit here.

And say hey to Rhett...
 

A winning bid for Theatre 80; a vow to keep fighting for the building

The owners of Foxface, current residents and former commercial tenants of the building housing Theatre 80, were reportedly the high bidders for 78-80 St. Mark's Place during its bankruptcy auction on May 9.

As The Village Sun first reported, business and life partners Ori Kushnir and Sivan Lahat put in the winning bid at $8.8 million under a single-purpose entity. 

Kushnir and Lahat have lived in an apartment in the building just west of First Avenue since 2005. They later operated the popular Foxface specialty sandwich shop from the front window in late 2018, drawing crowds and a positive review from Pete Wells at The New York Times. 

The quick-serve shop closed last September and planned to relocate ahead of the bankruptcy proceedings here to a larger space at 189 Avenue A between 11th Street and 12th Street. They are now running Foxface Natural, which debuts this coming Wednesday.

There is some recent legal history between the two parties. LIK Hospitality (dba Foxface) filed a lawsuit against owner Lorcan Otway and the William Barnacle Tavern at the address in March 2021. 

Meanwhile, Village Preservation is continuing its efforts to have the building landmarked. Per a recent newsletter: 

We are deeply saddened to report that [on May 9], lacking intervention from the city, 78-80 St. Mark's Place, the longtime home of Theatre 80, was sold at auction ... This is a tragic loss for our city and neighborhood, and particularly tragic for the Otways, the long-time proprietors of the building and theater.

However, this need not be the end of this story. The Otways are still urging the city to intervene to take possession of the building and allow it to be operated by a nonprofit which would continue the work of Theatre 80, and we are still fighting to have the historic building landmarked, so no matter who the owner is, we can ensure this piece of our city’s history is not destroyed. We will continue to work to try to ensure that the cultural vitality embodied by Theatre 80 and the history embodied by this building survive. 

There's also a petition in circulation, now currently titled, "Mayor Adams, SAVE THEATRE 80 with Eminent Domain!" As of last evening, more than 8,000 people have signed it. 

New York City's Department of Cultural Affairs has also supported the theater's survival efforts. In April, the office expedited granting a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status to Historic 80 Saint Marks Inc., which opened the venue up to receiving various grants. 

Kushnir told the Sun that the building needs a lot of work. As for future commercial tenants: "Our first preference is to work with the preservation/theater groups to see if we can find a viable solution for keeping a community space alive in the building."

Meanwhile, the longtime owners, Lorcan Otway and his wife Genie Gilmore Otway, were ordered off the property by a court-appointed bankruptcy trustee on April 5. They have been staying in a room on Ninth Street provided by Father Pat, a longtime friend.

As previously reported, the Otways had been battling in recent years to save the space, which housed Theatre 80, the William Barnacle Tavern and the Museum of the American Gangster. (Lorcan had lived here since age 9 when his father bought the buildings to create an Off-Broadway theater in 1964.)

The two-building property was sold off to satisfy a $12 million loan in default via Maverick Real Estate Partners. (Our previous posts here and here have more background.)

EVG contributor Stacie Joy ran into the Otways in Tompkins Square Park last week. Lorcan said, "The fight is not over."

Previously on EV Grieve

• A look at Theatre 80 last night before marshals seize the historic East Village venue

• Local elected officials speak out to landmark Theatre 80 ahead of auction

Friday's opening shots

Ahead of the Dance Parade and DanceFest taking place tomorrow (rain or shine!), someone decided to show his/her enthusiasm by knocking over all the barricades that the NYPD put up along the route on Avenue A ... thanks to EVG reader Joe for these photos. 

And read more about the parade here ... and here.

Thursday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

For some reason, someone removed these wheatpaste signs within a few hours today on Seventh Street ...

This East Village resident is bringing a classic 82-year-old radio back to broadcasting life

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

I first stumbled across the radio — Zenith Radio Corp. 1941 Model 10-H-573 — in the old Babel Hookah and Lounge spot on Avenue C near Eighth Street, where superintendent Joey Oskowitz had stored it after rescuing it from the street several years prior. 

Joey was looking for someone who loved old radios (and this early 1940s era model indeed counted!) to take it off his hands. After EVG published this story last month about the radio needing a new home, several suitors, including Pete Margolis of the nearby Pete's Amp Shop, stepped forward. 

Pete and Joey met, and they agreed on a price... Pete then took the radio to his shop for restoration.

To repair the Zenith, he needed to source a new dial belt, a replacement cord, 50 new capacitors, and a new power supply. Pete fixed the circuits, cleaned the unit, and rearranged the tubes (a few were in the wrong spot).

Pete, originally from Connecticut, moved to the East Village 42 years ago. Pete, a musician himself, has been on Eighth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D for more than 20 years. He's got an amp repair workshop inside the unit that he shares with his girlfriend, Francine. 

During the repair process, he heard from LUNGS founder and president Charles Krezell, who told him that he was the previous owner of the piece, and later confirmed to me that he'd had the working radio in his apartment on Eighth Street from 1991 to 2015. 

When he moved, there wasn't any room for the radio cabinet, so he put it on the street, where, presumably, Joey found it.

So far, Pete has gotten the AM stations to work ...  and since there's no real FM in the dial, it's pretty much in working order. You can even pick up some local (New Jersey!) police scanner stations. 

Next, he's considering doing some restoration work on the cabinet, and it may be available for sale once it's completed to his satisfaction. 

Here, Pete provides a radio tour... don't touch that dial!

 

The Cube will return to Astor Place this summer — but not before a spin to the Hamptons

Just after midnight on May 8, workers whisked away the Cube (aka Alamo) from Astor Place for repairs, with an expected return mid-summer.

As previously reported (first by THE CITY), the 1,800-pound Cube was going to Bethany, Conn., for restoration by Versteeg Art Fabricators.

The Cube had been out of commission with structural damage since December 2021. At the time, we were told that the spinning mechanism for the Cube, which manually rotates around a pole hidden in its center, was not working. 

However, before returning to its Astor Place home of 56 years, the sculpture will be making a guest appearance in the Hamptons, where its creator, Tony Rosenthal (1914–2009), lived and worked. (Rosenthal's estate is picking up the estimated repair bill of $100,000.)

According to Dan's Papers, the Cube is headed to Southampton for the Hamptons Fine Art Fair, which takes place in July. 

Per the publication:

The restored Alamo will be on display from July 10-16. Rosenthal is being inducted posthumously into the fair's Hall of Fame, so the city's commissioners voted unanimously to loan the historical piece to commemorate the occasion. 

Hamptonites may also be familiar with the similar spinning steel Rosenthal sculpture, "Cube 72," which was made in 1972 and found a prominent spot outside Guild Hall in East Hampton.

Hamptons Fine Art Fair founder and Executive Director Rick Friedman says securing the massive piece was no easy feat. "To get this loan from New York City is outrageous," he said. "It's like getting the Statue of Liberty," Friedman added, pointing out that negotiations took about a year, with a lot of back and forth, an army of lawyers and piles of paperwork. 

But, he said, it was worth the effort. 

Given its VIP reception out east, the Cube will likely not return home via the Jitney. 

Checking in at Jazba, a new Indian restaurant opening this summer on 2nd Avenue

Interior renovations continue at 207 Second Ave., where an Indian restaurant will open here at 13th Street this summer.

Workers were spotted bringing in equipment in recent days. (Thanks to Steven for this photo.)

As previously reported, and first by the Commerical Observer, Junoon owner Rajesh Bhardwaj has a new concept for the space called 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 this corner spot 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 here until October 2016, before Ssäm Bar expanded.

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

You can keep tabs on Jazba via Instagram.

City issues curbside dining structure removal to the shuttered Compilation Coffee

Photos by Steven

The Department of Transportation has issued a "Termination" notice for the curbside dining structure outside Compilation Coffee, 102 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue.

The flyer states that the owners have 48 hours to remove the abandoned structure, or the city will do it and charge the business that closed six months ago ...

Compilation, a pour-over coffee spot, closed last November after less than two months in business without any notice to patrons. The curbside dining structure was erected a week before the shutdown.

A for-rent sign now hangs in the front window.

Meanwhile, the status of outdoor dining in NYC remains in flux.

Parkgoer escapes injury after a branch falls in the Tompkins Square Park dog run

Photos by Steven 

Parkgoers are buzzing about a tree limb that fell early last evening in the Tompkins Square Park dog run.

According to several witnesses, the branch struck and knocked over a young woman believed to be in her teens who was inside the dog run. 

Bystanders rushed to her aid and were relieved to see she was OK. (One witness said that she was screaming, though apparently about the bugs she encountered in the fall.)

This morning, a concerned parkgoer told us: "I have been asking [the Parks Department] for years to prune the trees in the dog run. Look at the rest of the trees in the park, then look at the trees in the run, which hundreds of people sit under every day. This happened last night ... with no wind or storms."

Workers demolish the south ramp to East River Park at Houston Street

Photos by William Klayer

The demolition/reconstruction of East River Park continues its northern march. Most recently workers have demolished the south ramp at the Houston Street overpass...

The north ramp remains open for park access. 

And here's a look at the work to date... with what looks like nearly half of the park closed down and gutted...

This is part of the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) project. Workers have been burying the 57.5-acre park under fill, cutting down trees and will eventually elevate the land by 8-to-10 feet above sea level to protect the area from future storm surges. The city has said they will maintain public access to a minimum of 42 percent of the park throughout construction, which is expected to be complete by the end of 2026. 

The "phased work operations" began in November 2021 in Project Area 1 between Montgomery Street and 15th Street.

Last week, CB3's Parks, Recreation, Waterfront, & Resiliency Committee received an update on the project. You can find a PDF of the presentation here. 

Openings: Saint Pizza on Avenue B

Saint Pizza has debuted at 223 Avenue B between 13th Street and 14th Street. (First reported here.)

EVG reader Jake Bowling shared these photos and a quick assessment: "A pretty good slice place has opened ... they also sell cannoli and 7-layer cake. Nice people!"

A regular slice starts at $3.50 ... and there are heaven-themed pies, like the Blessed, a Margherita pizza with vodka sauce, pesto and mozzarella... 

For now, their daily hours are 11 a.m. to midnight... the placeholder website is here.

A necessary 'eVil'

Fresh off its award-winning premiere this month at the Coney Island Film Festival, Lion Heart Distribution has reportedly acquired North American rights to Allan Piper's horror-comedy "eVil Sublet." 

 

Per Deadline:

It follows the misadventures of a New York couple who think they have hit the jackpot when they move into a cheap apartment. They soon discover they have landed landlords quite literally from hell, who want them to pay the rent with their lives. 

The film is based on real-life mysterious events in Piper's apartment which he shares with his wife (Leigh Houston) in New York's East Village (aka "the eVil").

After more screenings on the festival circuit, "eVil Sublet," which also features Sally Struthers, will receive a commercial release later this year. Check out the trailer...

   

Packing up the Urban Umbrella scaffolding around Cooper Union

Workers continue to remove the sidewalk bridge (yes, we were faked out here once), part of the more aesthetically pleasing Urban Umbrella scaffolding that has been around Cooper Union's Foundation Building for two-plus years... 

The structure arrived in April 2021... work permits pointed to a "renovation at the fourth floor."

The Urban Umbrella, made of recycled steel and translucent plastic panel, made its first NYC appearance in the fall of 2017.

Thanks to everyone who noted this ongoing removal, including @unitof and Lola Sáenz.

[Updated] 8 new trees on a truck in Tompkins Square Park

Workers have a truckload of new trees (eight in total) here at the St. Mark's Place entrance to Tompkins Square Park... presumably for planting in the park.

They were still on the truck when N&Lon7th snapped the photo this morning. 

We like new trees.

Updated 3 p.m. 

A few more shots of the trees... and their new home... via Steven...

The annual Ukrainian Festival is this weekend

The St. George Ukrainian Festival returns to Seventh Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square this coming weekend for its 45th edition. 

The three-day festival celebrates Ukrainian culture, music, and food with various performances and vendors selling traditional arts and crafts. 

The Festival runs from Friday evening, May 19, through Sunday late afternoon, May 22. Here are a few highlights: 

• Friday at 4 — Food and crafts vendors open for business 
• Saturday at 2 — Outdoor song and dance stage performances 
• Saturday at 5 — Ukrainian Liturgy inside St. George Church 
• Saturday at 6 — Outdoor stage performances 
• Sunday at 11:30 — Concert inside St. George Church by Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York 
• Sunday at 1 p.m. — Outdoor stage performances begin 

Find more details on the Festival's Facebook page.

With Community Board approval, Sammy's Roumanian Steak House takes another step to returning to the Lower East Side

Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse received a critical approval from Community Board 3 last night as the NYC institution continues to move toward a return to service on the Lower East Side.

As previously reported, Sammy's was looking to open in a new home at 191 Orchard St. between Houston and Stanton.

CB3's SLA committee signed off on the application, though with some debate on the language in the stipulations. Prior to last night's virtual meeting, owner David Zimmerman met with the local community group L.E.S. Dwellers and entered into a Memorandum of Understanding. The main sticking point: dinner seating in the outdoor garden behind the restaurant. Zimmerman has agreed not to use the outdoor space for any service. 

Neighbors/residents also agreed to the method of operation, which will be similar to its old basement space on Chrystie Street, including the services of a lounge singer on keyboards.

In addition, based on the day of the week, there were different proposed closing times, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. The new Sammy's will close nightly at 12:30 a.m.

After the unanimous approval, Zimmerman, who was on the Zoom meeting, flashed a Famous Sammy's T-shirt, stating, "We are all proud."

By the way, the new outpost will sell Sammy's merch.

Sammy's closed in early January 2021 after 45-plus years of serving up ice-encased vodka, smeared pitchers of schmaltz and enormous platters of meat from the lower level at 151 Chrystie St. between Delancey and Rivington.

The restaurant had been shuttered since the PAUSE of March 2020, and this wasn't a business ready-made for delivery or outdoor dining.

In an Instagram post at the time, Zimmerman left the door open for a return.  

And now it's happening, though no word on an opening date. The space has been vacant for nine years, and needs a lot of work to bring it into service.

Noted

We're coming up on the 1-week anniversary of the porta potties arriving in Tompkins Square Park for patrons to use during the field house renovations. (What are you doing to celebrate?) 

EVG regular Jose Garcia shared this photo and some preliminary thoughts on Day 6 

"This entire area truly smells like shit. It's actually impressive how much it smells. No kidding." 

Just 17 months and 3 weeks to go under renovations are complete!

Mayor Adams visits Tompkins Square Park

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

On Friday morning, Mayor Adams toured Tompkins Square Park, where he met with several local elected officials, community leaders and business owners to discuss various issues, including the state of Tompkins Square Park.

It was part of the Mayor's "Get Stuff Done" campaign (there's a podcast titled that too). While this was not an official media event, EVG contributor Stacie Joy was in the Park and shared these photos of the Mayor's tour...

During the walk-through, which lasted nearly 45 minutes, the Mayor fielded questions about the former P.S. 64/CHARAS at 605 E. Ninth St. ... and drug use, homelessness and unpermitted late-night parties in Tompkins Square Park...he also received an update about the reconstruction of the Tompkins Square Park field house...

And via social media...

The #GetStuffDone team is on the move! @NYCMayor joined @HarveyforNY in the East Village to talk with constituents this morning. pic.twitter.com/lqc2Ignt0H

— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) May 12, 2023

Tompkins Square Park is a cultural hub, a place to enjoy nature for thousands of local residents. TSP needs investment to keep it safe for NYers. We talked to @NYCMayor about the need for more gardeners & resources for NYers experiencing homelessness or substance use disorders. pic.twitter.com/WJHrxfX7Ne

— Harvey Epstein (@HarveyforNY) May 12, 2023

Local City Councilmember Carlina Rivera was also by the Mayor's side and thanked him for the visit. "We look forward to continued partnership to improve quality of life and well-being in our communities."

While a few hecklers were in the Park, the tour and conversation were seen as positive by those in attendance...

Report: 8 months after fire, residents want their landlord to repair their Avenue D building

Photo from September 2022

Eight months after a two-alarm fire at 11-13 Avenue D, some residents of the 6-floor residential building between Second Street and Third Street say their landlord is "dragging his feet" in making the necessary repairs.

PIX11 reports that three tenants are taking landlord Gregorio Nunez to housing court via Mobilization For Justice. Residents say no work has been done to the rent-stabilized units.

"The landlord originally told us six months, and that's obviously not the case," Ise White... told PIX11 News. "Our apartments are in great condition. It's mostly the windows that need to be fixed very easily. There was no structural damage."

"Apparently, he's dragging his feet," Nikita Salehi-Azhan, the Mobilization For Justice lawyer and tenant advocate, told PIX11 News. "Unfortunately, it takes a lawsuit to do anything about it. Because only four of the 16 units were occupied and three of the four are rent-stabilized. You can say he doesn't have an incentive to get the repairs going," Salehi-Azhan added.

When PIX11 contacted Nunez, he reportedly said, "no, no, no" and hung up the phone.

After the fire, the DOB issued a vacate order on the building.

Per the city: 

Due to extensive fire damage at 1st-floor restaurant along with fire, water and smoke damage throughout building... fire fighting operations to vent out entire building where all windows and doors have been removed along with removal of the skylight for venting. These hazardous conditions have therefore rendered the ENTIRE premises unsafe to occupy. 

Sources previously said the fire started in the New Chinatown Restaurant. 

There were no injuries in the fire.

PIX11 says the tenants will be back in housing court today.