Late night at Key Food

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Key Food returned to a 24/7 schedule last October after shortened hours during the pandemic. 

Ownership — the Mandell family operates this location as well as the Key Food outposts in Park Slope and Astoria, part of the Key Food Stores Co-Operative — invited me into the grocery during the overnight hours... and even provided an all-access tour of the space. 

Aside from knowing EVG's affinity for the grocery (for better or worse!), the store on Avenue A and Fourth Street is trying to encourage people to shop between midnight and 6 a.m. and has a promo through July 27 — $5 off a purchase of $50 or more.

While I didn't receive a laminated all-access badge, I did have a tour guide in Dwyane "Petie" Reddy, who has worked for Key Food since 1987 — starting at the Queens store, and here for the past seven years ...

Also on duty this night — store manager Richie Gaitan, who has also been with Key Food since 1987...

...and away we went ... here are some behind-the-scenes scenes ... away from what shoppers might see... the place is a lot bigger than you might think at first glance rounding aisle 1...

A few things I learned... the ready-to-eat salads and prepared meals you see when you enter Key are made in-house. (The sushi is delivered each day from an outside vendor.) The meat department is staffed daily as well...

Key Food management also showed off a new employees-only T-shirt design (and I pitched them on making merch for the store because we'd buy this)...

And some Key trivia — these 24-packs of Poland Spring water are the store's top-selling product. (I'm told this is a loss-leader item)...

Richie's (iconic?) yellow sale signs and other various notices that are everywhere are designed and printed in-house...

And there's a reason for the seemingly never-ending supply of Keebler Export Sodas canisters and those 18-pound bags of wild bird food by the exit — they are big sellers...

We also cracked the mystery of the store music, often heavy on the semi-forgotten and/or guilty pleasure hits from the mid-to-late 1980s (from Level 42 to Glass Tiger to Mike + the Mechanics). 

However, my editor is making me save this scoop for another post so he can list all the random songs he's heard while shopping at Key. 

Speaking of shopping, the overnight hours proved to be a good time to knock this errand off your to-do list ... if it fits into your schedule. 

The Great Jones Crown Affair

The former home-studio of Jean-Michel Basquiat has (unofficially) been crowned on Great Jones between the Bowery and Lafayette. 

After news broke this past week that Angelina Jolie was opening a space from designers and other creators at 57 Great Jones St., artist Adrian Wilson (under his @planndalism account and with an assist from The Lisa Project NYC) paid tribute... adding an unsanctioned giant crown — an iconic symbol seen in Basquiat's work — to the two-level building's exterior...

There was another addition...

Wilson also cleaned the 7-year-old memorial plaque for Basquiat on the building. 

Jolie has reportedly said that she will leave the building's exterior as is when she moves her new enterprise into the space. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Angelina Jolie is creating a collaborative space for designers and artisans in Basquiat's former studio on Great Jones Street

Construction watch: 270 E. 2nd St.

Foundation work recently commenced at 270 E. Second St. between Avenue C and Avenue D.

This will be a new state-of-the-art facility for Barrier Free Living (BFL). This project has been on hold for a few years. 

We got the first look at the new 12-story building with a twisting façade back in December 2018. The rendering on the plywood shows a very similar structure — designed by JCJ Architecture — in the works here...

And here's a full view ... from our December 2018 post...

And here's more from the 2018 news release about the new building for the nonprofit, which provides services and support for survivors of domestic violence with disabilities

The new 65,000-square foot facility will provide permanent housing specifically to meet the needs of this population and will include 74 apartments, administrative offices, a rear garden, an elevated outdoor recreation area, and community and support spaces.

The building will challenge assumptions about the aesthetics associated with supportive housing and create a more direct and engaged relationship for residents with the surrounding environment. The new facility is intended to efficiently serve the needs of BFL’s clients, to provide a sense of pride, place and home for residents, and to create a unique architectural presence in the rapidly changing neighborhood where the East Village and Lower East Side converge.

January 2025 is the new completion date. 

Workers demolished BFL's previous structure here in 2020.

That's Mr. Pizza to you

Photos by Steven

Coming-soon signage is up for a venture called Mr. Pizza at 186 First Ave. ...

This is the first business for the retail space since Handsome Dan's Snocone & Candy Stand closed here between 11th Street and 12th Street in September 2018. 

In early October 2018, a six-alarm fire next door at 188 First Ave. caused extensive damage to the surrounding properties ... and the residential spaces at No. 186 and No. 188 remain without tenants. 

8-Bit Bites bringing its nostalgic vibes to 2nd Avenue

Photo by Steven

8-Bit Bites is bringing its "nostalgia of the 80s and 90s" to 77 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street. 

The growing company with three outposts in Brooklyn and more on the way in Manhattan serves smash burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, wings, fries, etc. On Instagram, their motto is "EAT LIKE A KID AGAIN." Their establishments also feature a variety of retro video games.

8-Bit Bites, not to be confused with 8 Bit And Up Video Games on Third Street, takes over the space from Sauced Up, which shuttered earlier this summer after two-and-a-half years of serving wings, sandwiches, fries, etc.

Signage day for Jazba on 2nd Avenue

Signage for Jazba went up yesterday on the SW corner of Second Avenue and 13th Street. (Thanks to our friends in The Acute for the photo!) 

As previously noted, the Indian restaurant from Junoon owner Rajesh Bhardwaj is expected to be open later this summer ... serving recipes inspired by the popular roadside eateries that Bhardwaj visited in India. 

The corner's previous tenant, David Chang's Ssäm Bar, relocated to the South Street Seaport in 2020.

You can keep tabs on Jazba via Instagram. 

Workers remove the curbside dining structure from outside St. Dymphna's

From the EVG tipline late this afternoon... workers were spotted removing the curbside dining structure outside St. Dymphna's at 117 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. 

According to the tipster who lives nearby, the bar removed the streetery themselves. 

Meanwhile, a permanent outdoor dining program for NYC is still in limbo. 

As Gothamist reported earlier today: 

Halfway into summer, the City Council is facing pressure once again to pass a bill that would make outdoor dining permanent in New York City, as the latest emergency order that allows restaurants to operate the sidewalk spaces is set to expire next week. 

 Meanwhile... 

But the program’s detractors, in a series of lawsuits, say it invites noise and congestion, and poses unneeded obstacles to New Yorkers with disabilities.

Work set to begin on 14+C, the 24-floor building coming to 14th Street and Avenue C

Work looks ready to commence inside the long-empty lot on the SW corner of 14th Street and Avenue C. 

In the past week, workers have boarded up the corner of what will be 644 E. 14th St. ...

... and brought in the heavy equipment...

Madison Realty Capital apparently has the green light (DOB approved the permits earlier in the year) for a 24-story residential building here (and apparently the city addressed the contamination reported on the site). 

The rendering for the all-new 644 E. 14th St. is up on the plywood...

Plans for a development this size were first unveiled in June 2022. The 234-foot-tall building will be known as 14+C, according to the Fischer + Makooi Architects website. 

Details: 

14+C is a luxury rental with a modern façade composed of terracotta panels and window wall. 

The building houses 197 apartments ranging from studio, 1 & 2 Bedroom.

No word on how many "affordable" units will be included in 14+C, one of the stipulations for being allowed to build a larger (by nine floors) building.

There were already approved plans for a 15-floor mixed-use building, though no affordable units were attached to that version. As revealed in the spring of 2021, several developers spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to lobby the city for NYCHA air rights to make this a larger structure with more housing.

In the spring of 2022, the NYCHA and Madison Realty Capital filed documents seeking a non-ULURP modification — known as an LSRD — to the development plan. (Madison Realty Capital paid Opal Holdings $31.3 million for the property in May 2020; Opal Holdings bought the parcel in June 2016 for $23 million.)

Here were some of the maneuverings necessary to expand the footprint of the building, as first reported by PincusCo:

The application seeks to modify the boundaries of the previously approved plans and zoning calculations by expanding the zoning lot to include 644 East 14th Street (Block 396, Lot 29). Through the zoning lot merger, the development rights from the existing LSRD comprised of Campos Plaza I and II, which are owned by a joint venture that includes NYCHA ... can be transferred to Block 396, Lot 29, a vacant property owned by Madison Realty Capital.

In June 2022, Community Board 3 signed off on the plan, which was expected to generate $19.5 million for the NYCHA, to be exclusively used at the adjacent Campos Plaza II for capital repairs and other programmatic needs as determined by a community planning process involving NYCHA and the residents of Campos Plaza II.

A previous post on the development has more background, including some opposition to the building. Per one resident: "While we are all for the development of that corner ... and the affordable housing element of the plans, we are not happy with the sheer size of the footprint and the excessive height that goes along with the proposal." There are also concerns about what the excavation work might do to the adjacent buildings on 14th Street.

The corner property has been in a stalled-development mode for years. This space last housed the single-level R&S Strauss auto parts store, which closed in April 2009.

No. 644 has an August 2025 completion date, per the rendering.

H/T Delphine!

Huertas is closing next month on 1st Avenue

And the closing hits just keep on coming.

Huertas, the popular Basque restaurant at 107 First Ave. between Sixth Street and Seventh Street, will shut down next month. 

And it isn't over a lack of business. Chef-co-owner Jonah Miller explained the situation — a new landlord — in an email to patrons yesterday. 

It's with a great deal of sadness that I share that Huertas will be closing on August 12th. 

Our building was purchased a couple of months ago and our 10-year lease is coming to an end soon. I've been negotiating with the new landlord, but we haven't been able to come to a number that works for both sides. 

Our last service will be Friday, August 12th. Until then we will be open 5 days-a-week, Tuesday-Saturday (closed Sunday/Monday). While it's certainly been a difficult situation to navigate and it's an upsetting outcome, I hope that the next several weeks can be celebratory. 

For nearly a decade we've been passing pintxos and pouring vermouth on 1st Avenue. We've hosted weddings, countless birthday celebrations, and made many friends along the way. 

We're not sure what’s next, but we're proud of the restaurant we’ve built. We have every intention of finishing strong and hope to see many of you in the coming weeks! 

 Thanks for the support! 

Public records show that an LLC called First Avenue Property Owner with a Great Neck, N.Y., address bought the three-building parcel — 105-109 First Ave. — in a deal worth nearly $14 million.

News of the closing circulated quickly... several EVG readers wrote in about it, lamenting the loss of this space with a friendly, professional staff ... and savory small plates to share.

Huertas opened in April 2014. 

Image via the Huertas website.

Tuesday's parting shot

Last night for Ink on A... thanks to Pete DeMola for the photo.

Ghost signage at the former New Double Dragon

Workers today removed that great New Double Dragon signage from the now-closed restaurant at 37 First Ave. between Second Street and Third Street. 

And there's some ghost signage beneath... difficult to see, but it looks like the letters Bet _ _ _ _ & Grill.

Via the NYC Municipal Archives, we found this street view from the early 1940s... you can see the neighboring business, a wine store and an A&P (33 and 35 First Ave.). No. 37 looks to be a restaurant...

And you can see a snippet of the El train  ... plus the cars are facing south on what is now a northbound thoroughfare.

The photo from the 1980s is too blurry to help, unfortunately. 

As noted, the three-building parcel here — 33 to 37 First Ave. — is slated for demolition for some unspecified new development.

Above photo by Stacie Joy

Last day for Ink

In case you missed our post from Sunday... today is the last day in business for Ink, the newsstand-convenience store at 66 Avenue A between Fourth Street and Fifth Street. 

As we first reported here and here, owner Ben "Benny" Dahud has been in a legal tussle with the private equity firm that bought the block-long building last fall for $64 million. 

So Benny has decided to step away, noting that his "kids are grown up and have completed their education, and this is the perfect time to retire."

Since Sunday, items have been going for $1-$3. Interesting items for sale include racks of rare postcards, including photos by Genevieve Hafne.

The store hours are usually 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., though we really don't know how late the doors will stay open.

The newsstand dates to 1987, Benny said, though he took it over in the early 1990s. Here's how it looked in 1997 (photo by Dave Buchwald) ...

Benny worked in the kitchen at Café Mogador on St. Mark's Place when he first got to the city from Israel. He later realized that the restaurant business wasn't for him.

Based on responses from past and present residents, Ink will be dearly missed ... as well as Benny's everyday presence on the block. 

Enjoy the retirement (and day trades!) Benny...

Above photo last month by Stacie Joy

On 5th Street, Tamam is closing

Tamam, a home accessories boutique, is closing its small retail space at 304 E. Fifth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Today is the last day for Taman's physical shop, which offers handmade ceramics, hand-embroidered pillows, scarves, accessories, vintage textiles, and clothing from Turkey, Central Asia, India, and beyond. 

They'll be open (July 11) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., selling stock for special prices as well as furniture and furnishings. (Tamam might be open intermittently through July, but after today, they'll be into the packing-up mode.)

The business will continue with online sales.

"Post-COVID retail has just never been the same. Regulars have left the neighborhood. We just can't support having a retail space. It's a tough business, retail shops," Clare Louise Frost, one of Tamam's three partners, told us. "It's been a great run! We couldn't thank our friends and neighbors enough."

Tamam opened here in late 2018.

Image via @shoptamam 

First sign of Pig & Butter on Avenue B

Signage for Pig & Butter has arrived above the doorway at 42 Avenue B between Third Street and Fourth Street. (Thanks to the EVG readers who noted this!)

As previously noted, this will be a sibling to the P&B that serves breakfast-inspired dishes all day long from 134 Ludlow St.

Chef-owner Sherry Grimes, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, will be serving comfort food and cocktails from the small space with six tables and a bar with nine seats.

Looker, which served vegan bar food and cocktails, closed here early last year after nine months in business.

Meanwhile, next door (No. 40), a new venture called Dora's Restaurant is in the works (signage is up for that too). More about them in another post.

Monday's parting shot

Photo by Rainer Turim 

Catching the NYPD's Emergency Services truckster (#1706-19) early this evening on First Avenue and Ninth Street... 

Baker Falls set to debut this week on Avenue A

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

A new era in East Village day- and nightlife gets underway this week with the soft opening of Baker Falls at 101 Avenue A.

As previously reported, the venue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street will feature an all-day cafe with coffee service and non-alcoholic drinks, as well as a bar and performance space with live music, DJs and readings. 

This performance space is also home to what will be called Knitting Factory New York at Baker Falls. (The Knitting Factory Brooklyn in Williamsburg closed last August.) The first gig under the Knitting Factory brand is July 20, featuring Sunflower Bean with GIFT and Slow Fiction. 

East Village resident Nick Bodor, who has owned and operated several local businesses in the past 25-plus years, including the Library and alt.coffee, is behind Baker Falls, scheduled to debut with a soft opening on Thursday evening. (Details on the first few gigs are below.)

Leading up to the opening, Bodor provided EVG's Stacie Joy with a work-in-progress sneak preview of the former Pyramid Club, which closed last October after a decades-long run. 

On the main floor, beyond the original bar, you'll find the stage area — now painted black and with upgraded audio-visual production and soundproofing — for the live music, DJ sets, and readings. The lower level will feature seating for coffee and drinks in a setting that Bodor has called a "fever-dream" or manor house in terms of décor with vintage lamps and other odds-n-ends. 

Helping him realize this vision downstairs is Deb Parker (seen below with Bodor), a thrift aficionado who is/was behind EV spaces like Beauty Bar, Barmacy and No-Tell Motel...

The inaugural event here Thursday evening, which Bodor said is inspired by the very first flyer for the Pyramid Club stating: "DOWNTOWN FOR DOWNTOWN," is a release party for Jesse Rifkin's book "This Must Be the Place: Music, Community and Vanished Spaces in New York City."

The evening features special guest DJ Dany Johnson of Club 57, Pyramid, Mudd Club and Wah Wah Hut fame. Cover is $5. Doors open at 7 p.m.

The rest of the soft opening weekend includes what Bodor describes as "Nick's fuzzed out, drone-y, noodle-y, psych-rock guitar freak-out... just setting up a bunch of guitar amps and starting a reverb-ed out guitar strum and then have other invited guitar players come in and out as they see fit to play leads and make shit up in real-time as the night goes on... could be 20 minutes or could be 8 hours...who knows, we are just jamming out on a Spacemen 3 vibe."

Saturday features Lach and Friends Anti-Folk/Anti-Hoot, a nod to the now-closed Sidewalk Bar and Restaurant across the street... and Sunday will see stand-up comedy featuring Erik Bergstrom and friends.

You can find the Baker Falls calendar with info on these and more shows here.

Opening hours for coffee service is 10 a.m. Visit the Baker Falls website for more details on programming. And if you're on Instagram.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Generation next: Baker Falls will bring together a cafe, bar and the Knitting Factory at the former Pyramid Club on Avenue A (Nov. 28, 2022)

• The next iteration of the Knitting Factory coming to the East Village (Aug. 24, 2022)