Wednesday, July 10, 2024

On 2nd Avenue and 2nd Street, an empty lot and lots of questions about what's next

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Rumors are circulating that Gemini Rosemont will proceed with the development company's original plans to build an 11-story mixed-use building on the vacant NE corner of Second Avenue and Second Street.

In 2020, Gemini Rosemont spent more than $50 million to assemble the development ... buying the former La Salle annex at 38 Second Ave. and Second Street. The $14.5 million purchase of the four-story building was the third of three contiguous plots they acquired. The commercial real estate investment company closed on 42-44 Second Ave. and 46-48 Second Ave. (the former Church of the Nativity) in March 2020 for $40 million. 

However, as The Real Deal first reported last August, the city revoked the building permits after Robert Proto, who owns 50 Second Ave. at Third Street, raised concerns about the development. Per TRD: "Proto made unceasing calls to officials for weeks, triggering an audit by the Department of Buildings that found code and zoning issues that had initially slipped past the agency." 

The property hit the sales market last fall and is no longer available. Sources told us there weren't any takers. We contacted a Gemini Rosemont spokesperson for comment and will update you if they respond.

Proto recently provided EVG with a tour of the building he co-owns with his wife. His son and his son's girlfriend live in the building now. While Robert Proto and his wife live in New Jersey now, they have their office at No. 50. 

Surveying the rubble-strewn property next door, which previously housed the Church of the Nativity and LaSalle Annex, Proto said he "doesn't like a vacant lot" and that his building, which is now "covered in graffiti," isn't protected from vandals enough.
Proto has owned the landmarked 1899 Renaissance Revival-style tenement for 12 years and has maintained its pre-war charms.
Proto has been a vocal opponent of the mega-developer. As detailed in the TRD article, the adjacent construction site posed a significant risk of undermining his 10-unit building. 

This led to a legal battle with Gemini (the litigation continues), as the company needed a permit to drill through his basement to check the depth of the footings. Proto emphasized the need for "access agreements with all the surrounding buildings in order to build on the site."
"It's paramount to me to protect my tenants," Proto said, noting that "the status quo helps no one."

A look at 14th Street and 1st Avenue — 'a New York Block No One Can Fix'

The New York Times checked in yesterday with a look at the long-problematic stretch of 14th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue in a piece titled "A Street Brawl, a Stabbing Spree and a New York Block No One Can Fix" ... following the triple stabbing left one man dead on June 23

As the paper notes, "East 14th Street also embodies New York City’s struggles with a web of interconnected ills that have defied attempts to rein them in and have flared since the pandemic in parts of Manhattan: homelessness and mental illness, addiction and rampant shoplifting and seesaw battles for control of public space." 

The piece has more about the suspect, Alejandro Piedra, a 30-year-old man "with a history of serious mental illness who now faces charges of murder and attempted murder," and one of the stabbing victims, who has returned to 14th Street — his "stomping grounds." 

Since the stabbings, the NYPD has been a regular presence on the block, both on foot patrols and in patrol cars. Last week, Mayor Adams reportedly allocated $1 million to place a police mobile command center there. 

You can read the full article here. (The piece also mentions some previous EVG coverage.) 

Meanwhile, on Monday, local elected officials took part in a meeting with various city agencies... Since June 23, several residents and readers have said they've noticed a positive difference along this corridor, though each has asked: Will it last?

A Radhika and Saman pop-up on 9th Street this week

Photo and text by Stacie Joy 

Saman Mahmood of Radhika and Saman is hosting another pop-up shop this summer ... taking place this week at 616 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

This year, the boutique owner is joined by her daughters, one of whom is vending handmade lip oils and the other lemonade, plus an artist who sells Muslim/Palestine-inspired products. 

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Sunday. 

Mahmood sells dresses (which can be custom-ordered), skirts, tops, and other accessories handcrafted by women in Pakistan and India. 

Mahmood's business partner, Radhika Khanna, whom she met while a student at FIT in 2001, died of lupus in February 2022 at age 47. Part of the shop's proceeds go to the Lupus and aHUS Foundation.

Pakistani bakery chain bringing Layers Bakeshop to 14th Street

Photo by Pinch

Signage is up at 209 E. 14th St. for Layers Bakeshop between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

The bakery chain started in Lahore, the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Punjab. In 2022, Layers opened several locations on Long Island and has been expanding to Astoria, Williamsburg, and now here.

They offer a variety of baked items, including cakes, cupcakes and brownies, as well as homemade ice cream and sundaes.

And Layers marks the fourth cafe-bakery outfit to open around here in recent months.

The retail space was previously The Whale Tea shop. 

Tuesday, July 9, 2024

Tuesday's parting shot

As seen on Ninth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C... "It's painted carefully." 

Caution sign or a proud worker? 

Thanks to Robert Miner for the photo and text.

What comes around: How about a Beastie Boys Square street sign for your home?

Updated 2:03 p.m.: Ugh, that was fast — the site says the item is sold out. Given the interest, maybe the city can make more than 75.

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The DOT announced today that the city is selling commemorative Beastie Boys Square street signs to mark Paul's Boutique's 35th anniversary. 

Per the EVG inbox: 
As part of the agency's monthly "sign drops," the Beastie Boys Square signs are hand-made at the NYC DOT Sign Shop, which produces over 70,000 signs each year. A limited edition of 75 signs will be sold online for $75 each and are available one per customer. All signs will be sold via the CityStore ... and proceeds will benefit the city's general fund. 
Paul's Boutique dropped on July 25, 1989.

Last September, the city (finally, after a long campaign) co-named Rivington and Ludlow, which played a starring role on the cover, Beastie Boys Square... (photo below by Stacie Joy)

D.A. Bragg announces indictment of suspect in random slashing on Astor Place

Top photo from June 6 via the Citizen app 

Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg yesterday announced the indictment of Steven Johnson, 35, in the random slashing of a man on Astor Place on June 6. Bragg said that Johnson is also accused of assaulting a restaurant employee with a tire chain on St Mark's Place the day before. 

The D.A.'s office stated that Johnson "is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with one count of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, two counts of Assault in the First Degree, and one count of Assault in the Second Degree." 
According to court documents and statements made on the record in court, on June 5, 2024, at approximately 12:45 p.m. at 34 St. Mark's Place, Johnson was lying in front of and partially blocking the doorway of a restaurant entrance [there are two restaurants at the address — Birria LES and Anytime Street]. The restaurant employee recognized Johnson from a similar prior encounter, asked him to leave, and called 911. While the restaurant employee was on the phone with dispatchers, Johnson approached him from behind and struck him in the head with a metal bike chain, causing significant bleeding from a laceration that required stitches at Bellevue Hospital. 

The next day, on June 6, 2024, Johnson was removed from the Union Square subway station after sitting in the middle of the platform and blocking pedestrian traffic. Minutes later, at approximately 5:15 p.m., Johnson walked behind a man who was seated at a table in the Astor Place pedestrian plaza and slashed him with a sharp object from his right ear to his left shoulder.

Johnson fled to the subway station at East 14th Street and First Avenue while bystanders rendered aid to the victim, who was rushed to Bellevue Hospital. The victim underwent surgery and is facing permanent scarring.
Police arrested Johnson on June 8 at the subway station on East 86th Street and Lexington Avenue wearing the same clothing he had on during the alleged assaults.

"My thoughts are with the victims as they heal from their extensive injuries," said Bragg in a statement. "Those who harm and threaten the safety of New Yorkers will be held accountable."

Public records show that Johnson is due back in court on Aug. 12.

Amara Coffee makes an artful awning debut on 14th Street

Photos by Stacie Joy

On Friday, we spotted local artist Eddie Pons creating an awning mural for the recently opened Amara Coffee at 534 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Here is how it looked on Sunday...
Amara debuted in late May... and had its grand opening on June 28. 

The coffee shop (serving Stumptown) also offers pastries and sandwiches.
Amara features the work of local artists, the first of which is "The Friend-A-Renda Show."
Pons (below) says he plans to live paint once a month outside Amara and offer giveaways of his work.
Shop hours: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with an 8 a.m. open on Saturday and Sunday.

The space was most recently Perk Espresso & Coffee Bar.  

A mystery yogurt shop for the former Liquiteria space on 4th Avenue and 13th Street

Signage for something called LoveMi Yogurt is up in the vacant storefront on the NE corner of Fourth Avenue and 13th Street. 

We originally heard this would be the sixth NYC location for the chain Yomie's Rice X Yogurt

We contacted Yomie to see if this might be some spinoff brand. (We couldn't find any mention of LoveMi Yogurt on social media or elsewhere.) 

In any event, this will be the first tenant for the high-profile space since Liquiteria abruptly closed here (and all NYC locations) in January 2020.

Updated: Crazy Burger's short tenure has come to a close on Avenue C

Renovations continue inside 193 Avenue C, the short-lived home of Crazy Burger here between 11th Street and 12th Street. (Thanks to Edmund John Dunn for these photos!)

Based on the refrigerated display cases, it appears to be becoming a market-deli (or maybe a smoke shop with snack and soda options)...
The quick-serve smash burger joint debuted in January and appeared out of business by early June. 

Updated July 13 

Signage arrived for the new business...

Monday, July 8, 2024

Monday's parting shot

From Tompkins Square Park today... expect to see more splooting squirrels in the days ahead as the heatwave continues

The city has a map of outdoor cooling options (including spray showers and drinking fountains) at Cool It! NYC and a Cool Options map.

What's the 311? How East Village residents can effectively file complaints

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Judging from the extensive volume of comments on EV Grieve posts, there are plenty of complaints about problems in the neighborhood. The list is long, and includes rats, loud bars and clubs, restaurants, and curbside dining structures, nightlife in general, unlicensed smoke shops, drivers parking in bike lanes, cyclists riding on the sidewalk, and emotionally disturbed people.

But what can one do to get solutions to neighborhood problems? 

I sat down with Susan Stetzer, the local Community Board 3 district manager, to find out what can be done when someone is facing a quality-of-life issue.
How does one file an effective 311 complaint? Is it best to do it online through the portal or by phone? 

The most important thing is to file the complaint [link here]. Depending on the time and the complaint, you may have to wait a long time and prefer to use the app. Otherwise, I suggest calling. There may be questions from the operator that will make the complaint complete. I always ask that the complaint be read back to me to ensure all the details are correct. 

Some 311 complaints are immediately processed and responded to. Two of these are the rat portal at nyc.gov (the health department pest division pays close attention to rat complaints and will inspect), the other is "homeless person in need of services." Homeless Outreach will respond — usually within an hour. 

What types of complaints can one file, and when should one not use the 311 system? 

311 is for NYC complaints. Therefore, it won't work for state or federal complaints. If a bar is violating stipulations — such as keeping windows open past 10 p.m. — this is not a violation of city law. However, it violates the bar's state license, so these types of State Liquor Authority complaints should be made to the SLA on the SLA website.

We have recently learned of people making "loitering" complaints, but there is no law against loitering. Doorways, entrances, and exits cannot be blocked, but you should be specific if that is the case. Also, Community Board 3 has a complaint form on the website

It is very helpful to use this form as it guides you through important information. Sometimes, we get a complaint by email or through the form, and the person does not include a contact email and states they have not called 311 to report. Not having contact information makes it really hard to resolve the problem, even more so when 311 has not been contacted. 

Is there a "complaint season?"

Summer is the season for rats and bar noise. Winter, of course, for heat complaints. 

We hear from people time and time again that their complaints are not addressed. For example, The 311 system lookup indicated that the ticket was closed out and no action was taken, that the police responded and didn’t find an issue, or that they watched from their window or door as the police responded by going to the address and then leaving without taking any steps to fix the issue. What can you advise about that?

These flaws do exist. But to answer by issue: Having a ticket closed does not necessarily mean that there is not an action or response. It may be that it was reported to the responsible agency. For instance, the ticket is closed when DOT refers a complaint to another agency or Con Ed. But another agency is now working on the issue. This is where the Community Board can be helpful — we can follow up for you. 

Regarding police finding no issue—that is often the case. It may be that they did not respond for a long time, and the condition was gone. But, if there is a problem situation and there are many calls, there will also be responses that police respond and take action. I'm often surprised by how many times this happens. Also, 311 calls create a record. The Community Board may be working with the precinct and reporting complaints about a location, and the precinct may respond with, "There are no 311 complaints for this location."

If you have called, regardless of the outcome, you have created a record of complaint. We recently had a meeting with the SLA and were told that people should make 311 complaints and report a number of 311 complaints when reporting a problem to the SLA. They specifically said to do this even without a police finding. 

Regarding police closing a complaint when you know there has not been a response or other similar issues, this can occasionally happen, and I have personally observed it. I always report this to the commanding officer or another officer I work with. If this happens, our office will work with you and the precinct.

When is it time to escalate a complaint? Should one also call the precinct or community affairs?

We are fortunate that we have very excellent Community Affairs officers. They also generally remain in their positions for years and gain knowledge of our community and issues. Police should be called for police issues. I have observed at precinct meetings that sometimes people expect the police to take care of all problems — rats, homelessness, and building violations. Contact police for police issues. 

We also work very closely with elected officials’ offices, and different offices will take the lead on different issues. Our state elected officials for state issues like rent regulation and state laws, and our councilmember with some agency issues (such as DOB) where they are more likely and able to get a responsive action. 

Also, all Community Boards are mandated by the City charter to hold a district service cabinet meeting every month. This is a multi-agency meeting to find solutions to multiagency issues and is one of our best tools for finding solutions.
How can residents get their issues addressed, and what type of mediation – if any – is available? 

Mediation is a wonderful tool for the right situations. I remember directing parties to mediation for a community garden dispute. The former director of nightlife devised mediation for bar complaints as a way to reduce the number of violations of nightlife businesses. It has worked for this purpose—fewer violations have been issued. 

Here is an email I received from an officer: "The city has moved away from wanting to cite bars/ establishments for infractions as suchNYC CURE is a non-enforcement unit that wants to help. I also recommend NYC Mend, which will arrange a mediation between residents and establishment owners with professional mediators."

The problem with MEND (mediating establishment and neighborhood disputes) is that most nightlife businesses have stipulations requested by the community and Community Board, and the SLA puts the license on the license as a condition of operation. Mediation does not deal with any legal issues and does not inquire if there are stipulations and if they are being violated.

Therefore, the very method devised by the SLA and community boards to address community issues and support businesses is ignored. I have brought this up with MEND many times, but they do not wish to address this fault. There is also no way to enforce the resolution. I have been involved in two mediations with residents and businesses. Both times, there was agreement on resolving the issue, but there was no follow-up to the agreement. Also, the mediations are secret. 

Many businesses we work with want to be good neighbors and contributing members of the community. We can often resolve problems with information and a phone call. But we all focus on the problems we can’t resolve so easily. It is important to acknowledge our good neighbors. 

Are there any tips or resources you can recommend for residents who feel beaten down by the war of attrition in fighting noise (or other issue) from a restaurant, club, neighbor, or business? 

The only tip I can give is — don’t give up. There is strength in numbers, working with agencies, elected officials and Community Boards. Things change. Lily Fan, the relatively new SLA chair, works with the community and is very responsive. 

Not all nightlife issues are state issues, but for the ones that are, the SLA is very firm in their enforcement. Community Boards may need to do outreach on how to work with the SLA when the final Dining Out guidelines are published by the SLA.

Unapologetic Foods looking at the former Huertas spot on 1st Avenue

The team at Unapologetic Foods — owner Roni Mazumdar and Chef Chintan Pandya — has an application in for a liquor license at 107 First Ave. between Sixth Street and Seventh Street ... the former Huertas space. 

According to public records and posted notices, reps for the hospitality group (they're behind Dhamaka in the Essex Market and Adda Indian Canteen in Long Island City) will appear before Community Board 3's SLA committee next Monday, July 15. (Questionnaire PDF here.)
The application for the unnamed Indian concept shows proposed daily hours of noon to 2 a.m., with plans for a small sidewalk cafe and several tables on a back patio within the property line. 

Unapologetic also operates the fried-chicken outpost, Rowdy Rooster, at 149 First Ave. at Ninth Street, and the Filipino restaurant Naks, 201 First Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street. 

Huertas closed last August after 10 years in service. The building had a new landlord, and chef Jonah Miller said he could not agree to "suitable terms" for a new lease. 

Reps for Paulie Gee's Slice Shop looked at this space late last year, though those plans didn't move forward.

The July 15 SLA meeting starts at 6:30. Find the Zoom link at this link.

This is a hybrid meeting, and there is limited seating available for the public — the first 15 people who show up at the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

A new mural for a new restaurant opening at 97 St. Mark's Place

Cecilia, a new bistro via Russell Steinberg, opens later this summer at 97 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue. More on Cecilia later. (You can visit the CB3 application from January here.) 

And ICYMI: Longtime East Village-based artist Stephen Tashjian — aka Tabboo! — recently created the mural outside the address...
This space was mostly recently Luz Cafe and Taberna 97... and for 31 years it was home to Yaffa Cafe (RIP 2014).

In 2016, workers painted over the mural that had been on the wall since 1993 — a portrait of Lika Ramati, the former co-owner of Yaffa Cafe... a heart mural via Hektad arrived next for the Taberna 97 era.

Astor Place gets the neighborhood's first electric charging docks for e-bikes

Last week, an electric charging dock for Citi Bike's e-bike fleet arrived outside Wegman's on Astor Place, the location of a previous docking station. (Thanks to Jacob Ford for the photo and tip!

This marks the first docking station in the neighborhood specifically for charging e-bikes. (These docks also accept the first-gen bicycles.) The DOT and Lyft unveiled the first two in May, with Hell's Kitchen and Greenpoint locations. 

Notably, the Astor Place station is electrified on the street, a unique feature compared to the first two stations, which were on the sidewalk. (Streetsblog has a comprehensive background on this here.)

According to DOT and Lyft officials, electrified charging stations will allow Citi Bike e-bike batteries to be charged while parked in stations instead of manually swapped out, making e-bikes more available to riders and reducing vehicle miles traveled by operations vans. 

Most e-bike batteries are charged in a warehouse and shuttled back and forth for manual swapping at the station in an often cumbersome manner... According to May figures, Citi Bike has about 15,000 e-bikes in its fleet. In the first five months of the year, Citi Bike riders have taken more than 7 million trips on e-bikes.

Lyft recently announced that starting on Wednesday, Citi Bike e-bike rides will become more expensive for the $219.99-per-year annual members, rising to 24 cents per minute from 20 cents per minute. Back in January, the price went from 17 cents to 20 cents per minute.

Sunday, July 7, 2024

High spirits: At WitchsFest USA on Astor Place

Photos by Stacie Joy 

The annual The WitchsFest USA — A Pagan Street Faire took place yesterday on Astor Place between Broadway and Lafayette. 

As always, there were workshops, performers, and vendors, as well as a grand finale, the Summer Blessing Ritual. Here's a look.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo of Gutter Beach outside Il Posto Accanto on 2nd Street)...

• RIP Anton van Dalen (Wednesday

• East Village McDonald's pays tribute to 2 victims from a suspected DUI collision in Corlears Hook Park during July 4 celebration (Sunday

• With a larger new kitchen, EVLovesNYC expands to feed more New Yorkers (Monday

• Mary O is bringing her scones to 7th Street (Tuesday

• Bands we like: Skorts (Friday

• Upclose with Gustaf at Berlin (Friday

• Signage alert: Stuytown Pharmacy on 14th Street (Monday

• Other plaques that are currently missing in the East Village (Wednesday

• A tree branch falls in the small dog run in Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday)

• H Mart is expanding on 3rd Avenue (Tuesday)

• These 2 East Village trees are still entombed in concrete (Monday) ... Reader report: 2 more entombed trees (Saturday)

• Dua Kafe is on vacation (Wednesday) ... The SOS Chefs storefront will be closed until early September (Wednesday

• A visit to Cakes by Klein on St. Mark's Place (Tuesday)

• Juvenile red-tailed hawk getting the washing and drying down in Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday

• Smiles everyone: New-age dental studio setting up shop in 2nd Avenue condoplex (Monday

• An e-bike repair shop for 7th Street (Friday

• 50 Avenue B is now on Housewatch (Friday

• Signage alert: Crepe City on Avenue A (Tuesday)

... and a word for the Colonel on Second Avenue and 14th Street ...

East Village McDonald's pays tribute to 2 victims from suspected DUI collision in Corlears Hook Park during July 4 celebration

Residents who live around Corlears Hook Park on the Lower East Side are reeling from the tragedy that unfolded on the evening of July 4 when an alleged drunken driver plowed into a group celebrating the holiday, killing three people and injuring at least eight others. 

There's a makeshift memorial with balloons, candles and flowers at the McDonald's on 14th Street at First Avenue for two of the victims, Lucille Pinkney, 59, and her son, Herman Pinkney, 38.

"Lucille had worked for many years at the McDonald's on 14th Street and First Avenue and was the sweetest person," said Tom Hickey, who shared the photos here. "[She was] always greeting patrons with a smile and remembering their orders and things like that. Lovely, lovely woman." 
Authorities identified the other victim as Ana Morel, 43, of East Harlem. 

Police said that a Ford F-150 came traveling "at a high rate of speed" shortly before 9 p.m., went through an intersection and past a stop sign, then drove onto the sidewalk and into Corlears Hook Park. 

The driver, Daniel Hyden, 44, a substance abuse counselor in New Jersey, was arrested on charges including aggravated vehicular homicide, eight counts of assault for recklessly causing serious injury with a weapon, driving while intoxicated, and aggravated unlicensed driving, police said.

This afternoon, local elected officials helped organize a prayer vigil at Corlears Hook Park. Rev. Dr. Marc Rivera will lead the service, which starts at 4 p.m.
CBS 2 ... PIX 11 ... and the Post are among the outlets with comments from the victims' loved ones, including 29-year-old Diamond Pinkney who lived a block away in the Vladeck Houses with his mom and brother.

Saturday, July 6, 2024

Saturday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

Wedding day today at St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church on Seventh Street near Cooper Square...