East Houston Street Wine & Liquor is headed to a new larger space across East Houston

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

After 10-plus years at 250 E. Houston St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, East Houston Street Wine & Liquor is moving to a larger storefront — directly across the street. 

On Monday evening, I stopped by the current shop, which will likely close today, and talked with General Manager Leo Kiteishvili (below left) and Assistant Manager Ryan Tejada. (Store owner Rhea Duggal was not in.) 

"We are leaving the East Village for officially the Lower East Side — right across the street," Kiteishvili said.

The new shop at 253 East Houston St. (the former Participant Inc. performance venue, which relocated to Elizabeth Street) is expected to be ready today...

The space is "bigger, brighter, with lots of storage," Kiteishvili said.

The new shop will have tastings, educational sessions and events. 

"This is a very welcoming neighborhood," Kiteishvili said. "We've had tremendous growth here." 

The lease at East Houston Street Wine & Liquor is up in September, and they hope to sublet the space "to an artist, a gallery or a pop-up shop" for the next few months. 

By the way, the lifesize cardboard cutouts seen around the store of George Clooney, the Rock, Kendall Jenner, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, etc., will also be making the move...

You can follow East Houston Street Wine & Liquor on Instagram here.

New mats for the outdoor fitness area at Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Steven

Several readers have noted this in Tompkins Square Park ... the fitness area adjacent to the basketball courts in the 10th and B corner is currently barricaded off (not the most elaborate security system)...

... while Parks workers install some new heavy-duty weatherized mats...

As we recall from the last time we were there to see how many pistol squats we could do in 60 seconds (answer: zero)... the old mats were well-worn. 

Also, Parks staff did not know when the work would be complete.

Tuesday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy

Some classic Stevie Wonder hits flowing this afternoon from the turntable at C&B Café on Seventh Street...

The porta potties are MIA in Tompkins Square Park

Photo by Steven 

Has anyone seen the porta potties in Tompkins Square Park? The toilet triplex near Ninth Street and Avenue A outside the ballfield/skate area is no longer in the spot. 

Park workers we asked didn't know anything about their whereabouts. Hmm!

The porta potties first arrived last May... before an August relocation.

As previously reported, the restrooms in the Tompkins Square Park field house are now closed as part of an 18-month renovation underway. 

RIP Charlie Carroll

Neighbors at 21 First Ave. shared the following information and photos...

Charlie Carroll, a longtime East Village resident, died on Jan. 1. He was 63. 

According to his obituary, he "passed away peacefully at his home, in the care of his devoted sisters Diane Carroll, Lorraine White and Eileen Toler, friend Vicky Berrios, wife Meaddows Ryan, and dedicated hospice workers."

Charlie, the youngest of four, was born in Manhattan to Angie and Charles Carroll II, "and he was a quintessential New Yorker from that day forward."

In 1980, he joined the United States Marine Corps. After serving, he returned to downtown Manhattan, "where he put his mechanical and construction skills to work as a property manager, crew supervisor, and contractor specializing in repair and renovation."

Charlie became a self-employed superintendent for four buildings in the East Village, including where he lived at 21 First Ave. 

He was also passionate about guitars, "researching them, buying them, adapting them, collecting gear for them, puttering with them, and sometimes even playing them." He played in several local bands, including Raw Kinder, Krunch and the Milestones.

You can read more about Charlie's life and passions here.

On Saturday afternoon (Jan. 13) from 1-3, friends and family are coming together to celebrate his life at the Redden Funeral Home, 325 W. 14th St. between Eighth Avenue and Ninth Avenue.

In addition to his wife and sisters, he is survived by his mother, stepson Justin Ciuzio, nephews Raymond White and Michael Aquino, and niece Buffy Aquino Lopez ... "as well as countless other family and friends." 

Sadie's Ward officially takes over from the Whiskey Ward

Photo by Stacie Joy 

A new era officially begins tonight at 121 Essex St. as Sadie's Ward takes over from the Whiskey Ward here between Rivington and Delancey. 

Last fall, Whiskey Ward co-owner Sandee Wright decided that it was time to move on from the neighborhood bar after 24 years in service. 

The new owner, Stephanie Watkins, is a hospitality vet who served as the Whiskey War's bar manager.

You can find the Sadie's Ward website here. (And Instagram here.)

Oh, and you can read about the legend of Sadie "the Goat" Farrell here. Or the Comedy Central version here.

Reports: Kushner sells 6-building East Village portfolio for $57 million

Kushner Companies reportedly sold a six-building portfolio in the East Village for $57 million. 

According to the @TradedNY account, which first reported on the deal on Dec. 28, the buildings are 118-120 E. Fourth St., 199-203 E. Fourth St., and 315 E. 10th St. 

The buyers: a limited liability company affiliated with David Gleitman's Targo Capital Partners. 

According to The Real Deal, Kushner purchased the properties in 2013 for $51.6 million. 

At one point, Kushner Cos. was the second-largest owner of East Village residential buildings, trailing only perennial landlord of the year candidate Steve Croman. 

However, as TRD noted, "when Jared Kushner departed for the White House in 2017, the firm started moving to offload some of its New York holdings." 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Jared Kushner's residents at 118 E. 4th St. would like gas for cooking and some heat

File photo of 118 E. Fourth St.

Mr. Kim quickly leaves St. Mark's Place

Photos by Steven 

Store-for-rent signs are now posted at 22 St. Mark's Place, marking the end of a brief run for Mr. Kim. 

The business only arrived in September and offered one-stop-shopping for some St. Mark's Place-friendly staples — tattoos, piercings, cheap sunglasses, etc.

Mr. Kim, no relation to the onetime famous Kim's on the block, was here 21 years and nine months less than the last business — WAGA, which sold handmade goods primarily from West Africa.

Documenting the demolition of Middle Collegiate Church

As we noted on Friday, workers finished removing the rest of the sidewalk bridge from the SE corner of Seventh Street and Second Avenue, marking the end of the demolition on the Middle Collegiate Church property.

Here's a look at the space now as church officials focus on the next phase of their return to the East Village. (They hold services from their temporary home — East End Temple, 245 E. 17th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. )

Tomorrow (Tuesday) evening, Committee Board 3's Landmarks Committee will hear about a Certificate of Appropriateness for the Middle Collegiate's space at 50 E. Seventh St. (seen below next door to Van Leeuwen) with changes to windows, siding, skylight and the rooftop unit.

By December, officials hope to create a new worshiping space for up to 225 people in a two-story structure adjacent to the church and their property at No. 50.

In recent weeks, EVG correspondent Steven documented the work on the church lot. Middle Collegiate leaders considered this a combination demolition-salvage operation. Workers sifted through the remains of the building, initially completed in 1892, to save any of the limestone and ironwork for use in the new sanctuary that would eventually rise on the property.

In these photos, you can see that workers marked the stones that will be reassembled and used for the new construction.

As previously reported, church leaders said they had to remove what remained on the property within the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District. According to a report commissioned by the church, the culmination of an 18-month review, there was too much damage to the existing structure to integrate it into Middle Collegiate's new home, that it wouldn't withstand a full-scale rebuild on the property. 

The church structure was destroyed during a six-alarm fire early morning on Dec. 5, 2020. The fire reportedly started inside 48 E. Seventh St., the five-story residential building that once stood on this corner. FDNY officials blamed faulty wiring at the under-renovation No. 48 and said the fire had been deemed "non-suspicious." 

As for the future of this lot, this is from the Rebuilding Middle Church FAQs:

We aim to have completed our roughly $15MM campaign with cash, grants, and pledges by December 2025. Funds will create Middle's Center for Spirituality, Justice, and the Arts on the site of its historic 1892 former building that can support transformational ministry for centuries to come...

Previously

The J. Crew men's concept store on the Bowery has closed

After nearly 15 months on the SW corner of the Bowery and Bleecker, the bespoke J. Crew men's shop has closed... [Update: Sources said that this was only supposed to be a short-term deal.]

The shop arrived to lots of hoopla in September 2022, ushering in a new era for the brand. In 2021, J. Crew hired Brendon Babenzien — former Supreme design director — to be the creative director. He debuted/celebrated his first collection in September 2022 at a party at Jean's on Lafayette, featuring a 7-song set by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.  

Per J. Crew at the time, this location was "a new men’s concept store featuring a curated collection of J.Crew menswear, vintage finds including art and furniture, plus coffee from Urban Backyard." 

There were signs of trouble in August when the store was closed for several weeks due to "technical difficulties" (no customers?). The space eventually reopened, though without the coffee service. (Anyway, Think Coffee is right across Bleecker.)

A lot of money went into renovating this space (not including the 24/7 security detail hired to prevent people from tagging the 316 Bowery storefront) that had been a string of restaurants through the years, most recently Saxon + Parole.

Meanwhile, it's not all bad news for the brand: a J. Crew is opening nearby on Bond and Lafayette this year. 

G's Cheesesteaks will be the first retail tenant in 15 years at 6 Avenue B

Photo by Salim

G's Cheesesteaks is the new tenant for 6 Avenue B at Houston Street. 

This will be the fourth location for the brand, which also has a food truck business.

Owner Giacomo Pisano, whose family has been in the restaurant business for several generations, founded G's in Staten Island in 2015 at age 20. 

This corner retail space has been empty since the owner of the liquor store here passed away in the fall of 2009 at age 89.

And as we've noted, the building also remained vacant during this time. An LLC linked to Penn Capital South, whose portfolio includes multiple EV properties, bought the building last February. This was one of the abandoned properties owned by the estate of the mysterious team of Arthur and Abraham Blasof, both long deceased.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Here's a look at the renovated interior of the long-vacant 6 Avenue B

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

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

• Time passages: Check out the interior of the long-empty Mom's Liquor Store on Avenue B

Trek officially closes on the Bowery

The Trek Bicycle shop at 303 Bowery between Houston and First Street has officially closed. The retail space was said to be shutting down in September, though they remained open through 2023 to unload the remaining stock.

Door signage notes that this Trek has "joined forces" with the outpost on First Avenue in Stuy Town.

The brand arrived on the Bowery in September 2019 ... one of several outposts around the city.

Before Trek, this storefront in the retail base of Avalon Bowery Place sat empty for three-and-a-half years (the last tenant, Tatyana Boutique, left in January 2016). 

The retail space next door remains for rent too... Blue & Cream decamped for Greenwich Village at the end of 2022.

High-end East Village sushi favorite Cagen has closed on 9th Street

After 10 years on Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, the well-regarded omakase spot Cagen has closed. 

Chef-owner Toshio Tomita, who previously worked at Nobu, opened the kappo ryori-style restaurant in the subterranean space at No. 414 in 2013. 

An Instagram post earlier in December (about the same time the space hit the rental market) noted that they'd be moving on to their next phase...

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cagen Sushi (@cagennyc)

Top image via Loopnet; H/T Steven

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo from 7th Street at 2nd Avenue by Derek Berg) ...

• Longtime East Village sewing shop Gizmo will be relocating in early 2024 (Wednesday) 

• 2024 marks the 50th year in business for Ray's Candy Store (Monday) 

 • The remains of the fire-damaged Middle Church structure have been removed (Friday)

• 2 NYPD officers sustain minor injuries after line cutters cause skirmish at reticketing outpost for asylum seekers on 7th Street (Saturday) 

• 2024 development watch: 33-37 1st Ave. (Tuesday) ... 42-46 2nd Ave. (Wednesday) ... 50-64 3rd Ave. (Thursday)... 280 E. Houston St. (Friday) ... 

• Jen the bookseller closes the book on her Avenue A vending days (Thursday) 

• Le Dive owners looking to take over the Boiler Room space on 4th Street (Thursday)

• About those New Year's Eve fireworks (Monday) 

• Glizzy's has left St. Mark's Place (Tuesday) 

• Closings: Milk Burger on Houston (Tuesday) 

• Patis Bakery bringing the bread to Broadway (Tuesday) 

• Yuca Bar closed for renovations on 7th and A (Thursday) 

... and an EVG reader shared this photo from the dog run in Tompkins Square Park yesterday... titled Dogs Frolicking In 1st Snowfall of 2024...

Follow EVG on Instagram or X for more frequent updates and pics.

Photos from new transformer day at the Con Ed substation on Avenue A

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Yesterday saw the arrival of a new transformer at the Con Ed substation on Avenue A at Fifth Street... the second new one for the facility in the past year. 

The crews from Con Ed and Bay Crane worked quickly (and efficiently, TBH) to install the 180,000-pound transformer ahead of Winter Storm Ember, which ultimately brought snow flurries and season-appropriate Instagram posts.

The operation included the placement of the new transformer's radiator and cooling tank...

... and here's everything in place and waiting for the hookup...

And based on the street signage on Fifth Street and Avenue B, we look to be in for some more crane work next weekend... (and do they mean Jan. 12 and 13?)...

Saturday's parting shot

A moment late early this evening on Second Avenue and Fifth Street during the snow shower. 

Per the National Weather Service: "Rain and snow, becoming all rain after 10 pm. Low around 34. Wind chill values between 25 and 30. Breezy, with an east wind 16 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible."

2 NYPD officers sustain minor injuries after line cutters cause skirmish at reticketing outpost for asylum seekers on 7th Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Two police officers sustained minor injuries this morning after two asylum seekers tried to cut in line at the reticketing center on Seventh Street and Avenue B. 

According to police sources, two officers were stationed at the former St. Brigid School as usual. Trouble started when two men tried to cut in line... causing a fight among the others who had been waiting in the cold for hours. (Sources also said this isn't the first time people tried to cut in line.) 

Two officers in the immediate area from the 9th Precinct responded to the scene. Both officers were injured in the fight, one suffering a bloody nose and the other a hyperextended arm. Both were checked out at the station house on Fifth Street before returning to patrol. There wasn't any word of injuries to asylum seekers involved in the skirmish. 

Several residents noted a large NYPD presence at the site as more officers arrived following reports of injured officers.

Meanwhile, police officials also cautioned well-intended residents from leaving items near the property for asylum seekers, which has caused some pushing and shoving as they fight over several pieces of clothing or food.

Officials said plans are in place for a more extensive distribution to meet the needs of more asylum seekers. 

According to media reports and local elected officials, the line here has grown from a few hundred to several thousand each day "as the city is out of space to house migrants," per CBS 2. 

Adult asylum seekers come to the school for placement in city shelters after their 30-day limit expires. Many asylum seekers, carrying all their belongings, start lining up as early as 4 a.m. 

Read our previous coverage here.