Today in desk-side visits

EVG reader Jacki Carroll shared this photo with us from this morning — an unscheduled office visit!

We asked our friend and local hawk/wildlife photographer Goggla for insights into who this might be...

Looks like an adult, but I'm not sure who it is. Definitely not Christo (not his coloring), but it could be one of the Washington Square hawks who have become mysterious. They did not nest in WSP last year, but no one knows if they nested somewhere else or not. Union Square was always part of their territory and they'd often perch on the Con Ed building lantern on 14th Street. That pair is different now than the ones Roger Paw blogged about, so their habits are not really known. 

Check out Goggla's photo site for more on our resident red-tailed hawks, Christo and Amelia, and others.

1 more week for the pandemic-era curbside dining structures

Photos by Stacie Joy

You have one week to dine in one of the neighborhood's remaining pandemic-era dining structures. 

By the end of the day on Nov. 29, bars and restaurants must remove street dining structures to align with the city's permanent Dining Out NYC program. 

As previously noted, the significant change with the new guidelines is that enclosed, year-round roadway dining structures will no longer be permitted. The revised regulations stipulate that roadway cafes must now be open-air, easily portable, and simple to assemble and dismantle. 

Additionally, these establishments are restricted to operating only from April through November. (Sidewalk cafes are permitted year-round.) 

Ahead of next Friday, curbside dining structures continue to come down around the neighborhood (and other parts of NYC). For instance, on Wednesday, workers demolished the large streetery outside Eastpoint on Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street.

With the takedown deadline looming, a cottage industry has popped up...

Here's some background via a Nov. 4 article at Streetsblog about the timing of removing the structures: 

Businesses enrolled in the program had to either conform their set-ups to city's new designs to get the extension to Nov. 29 or take down their old-set-ups on Nov. 1. Many opted to simply give up their street seating sooner rather than set up new streeteries for just a few weeks. 

The city required restaurants to either apply for the permanent program or take down their sheds by early August, which caused the first wave of restaurant demolitions. Those that did sign up for the new program had to bring their roadway set-ups in line with the new design guidelines by Nov. 1; all street seats must come down by Nov. 30, even if they've been updated. 

DOT officials have said there were around 3,0000 roadway and sidewalk café applications as of late September. That's in contrast to the 13,000 participating in the temporary program in 2020.

A look at the recently revamped Brindle Room on 11th Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

After a months-long closure over the summer and into the fall, The Brindle Room recently reopened at 647 E. 11th St. near Avenue C. 

Owner Jeremy Spector, along with new partner Shervin Nassi, redesigned ("reimagined" was the word) the space and expanded the menu — food and drinks. 

The Brindle Room, known for its burgers, now also serves steak frites, spaghetti and meatballs, and chicken wings, among other items. Here's a look ...

Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 5-11 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 4 p.m. to midnight; Sunday 4-10 p.m.

The Brindle Room opened on 11th Street in the summer of 2022... Spector and Co. spent 11 years at 277 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. The restaurant was doing takeout during the early days of the pandemic but stayed shut after the spring of 2020. 

Spector later vowed to find a new home for The Brindle Room.

Scone hours

Since we had the scoop about Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop opening, people have asked about the hours at the storefront at 93 1/2 E. Seventh St. just east of First Avenue. 

For now, Mary O'Halloran has posted hours of 7 a.m. to whenever they sell out Friday through Sunday. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• At the sneak preview of Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop on 7th Street 

• On Sunday, a sneak preview of Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop ahead of its Nov. 16 grand opening

• Mary O is bringing her scones to 7th Street

Tompkins Square Park today between the rain showers

Early this afternoon, during a break from the showers. 

Per the National Weather Service: "Much-needed rain has arrived. An area of low pressure will remain near the region through Friday night, resulting in periods of rain. Some of the higher elevations west of NY, could see some of the rain mix with or change over to snow [ed note: !!!!]."

A new community fridge for the East Village

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

A new community fridge is now in service outside the Sixth Street Community Center between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

One Love Community Fridge, a 501(c)(3) organization, is the sponsor here.

With this arrival, Pastor Will Kroeze of Trinity Lower East Side let us know that the longstanding community fridge outside Trinity on Ninth Street and Avenue B, which had been broken, was dismantled and carted off yesterday. 

As we reported in August, the Trinity LES community fridge needed a new home.

"The Sixth Street Community Center expressed interest and had the most suitable location," Pastor Will told us. "We believe strongly in the kind of mutual aid exemplified by the community fridge model and know how much our neighbors continue to depend on it at all hours of every day, so we continue to support the fridge in its new location and are grateful for those who will now care for this invaluable community resource." 

If you'd like to help support the fridge, you can do so here.

This year, the neighborhood lost the use of the 12th Street and First Avenue East Village Neighbors Community Fridge. The plant-based community fridge outside Overthrow on Bleecker Street near the Bowery had been out of service since last December. Meanwhile, Overthrow is now permanently closed.

Construction watch: 204 Avenue A

Workers removed the plywood from outside 204 Avenue last week, providing a clear view of the new 7-floor building slowly progressing on the site of a former 4-story structure between 12th Street and 13th Street.

As previously reported, this city-owned property, along with the one at 535 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, is designated for affordable housing.

The project is an income-restricted cooperative with units available to households earning no more than 80% AMI. No. 204 features 10 units (8-1BRs & 2-2BRs). There are 11 one-bedroom rental units at the 6-story No. 535.

No. 204 and 535, part of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development's Tenant Interim Lease Program, have been vacant since 2008. "Due to deteriorating structural conditions," tenants from both buildings were relocated then.

Some more background: Both sites were city-owned since the mid-1970s and entered the Tenant Interim Lease program in 2001. 

The former tenants of each building will be able to purchase the co-op units in the newly constructed building at No. 204, which will include ground-floor retail. (The lottery for No. 535 ended in August 2022; we have not heard anything about 204.)

Shakespeare Gordon Vlado Architects is the architect of record for the project, which has taken several years to complete. 

Openings: Hearty & Healthy on 1st Avenue

Photos: Michael Tulipan/MST Creative 

Hearty & Healthy debuted at 103 First Ave. between Sixth Street and Seventh Street earlier this month.

Andee Rosario (pictured below), a hospitality vet whose family operates Los Munchies in upper Manhattan, The Bronx, and Queens, started the business as a ghost kitchen in the East Village during the pandemic. 

Given the brand's delivery success, she and her team decided to open a restaurant. 

Per a rep: "Sourcing organic and locally whenever possible, Hearty & Healthy has everybody covered with a menu full of options for vegetarians, pescatarians, vegans, and gluten-free diners ... the restaurant is great for groups and aims to be a destination where guests with different dietary preferences can all enjoy a meal together."

Hours: Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to midnight; Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.; and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. They are open for lunch and brunch on weekends. While there is a full bar menu, they also offer alcohol-free cocktails. 

You can find the website and menu here. And if you're on Instagram.

This space was home to Sidney's Five for three years until February.

A look at the Schmuck sign on 1st Avenue

The cube-shaped-lettered Schmuck sign arrived in early November on the NW corner of First Avenue and Sixth Street...

The under-construction cocktail lounge comes via Moe Aljaff and Juliette Laroui, alum of Two Schmucks in Barcelona. (Previously) 

Punch recently talked with the pair and called this "New York's Most Anticipated Bar." 

In recent weeks, we've heard from a few readers who said the signage reminds them of the classic Burger-Klein sign that was a familiar presence at 28 Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street for decades. (Building history here.) 

We lost the Burger-Klein sign in 2014 when the gym took over the upper floors.

Here it is in all its 2013 glory...
 

Wednesday's parting shot

Saifee for the holidays on the SE corner of First Avenue and Seventh Street...

The day before it was to rain all day

There is/was a strange energy in NYC today — a buzziness before tomorrow’s all-day rain. It feels a bit like the anticipation before a snow day — like work and school will be canceled. 

And we need the rain. Per Bloomberg: 

The dry fall of 2024 was unprecedented, with only 1.59 inches of rain recorded in Central Park in September and October. October was the driest calendar month on record in Central Park, with only 0.01 inches of rain. 

And for tonight into tomorrow evening...

We are expecting a widespread significant rainfall, mainly Wed night into Thu night. Not a drought buster, but it will help, especially with ongoing fire weather issues. Our rainfall forecast is around 1" to 1.5" #NYwx #NJwx #CTwx #drought #droughtrelief pic.twitter.com/fGoatntqon

— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) November 19, 2024

$400,000 revamp planned for the Tompkins Square Park Dog Run

Photos by Stacie Joy 

The Tompkins Square Park dog run has received a $400,000 investment thanks to the New York State Assembly. 

The Assembly-directed funding will go to upgrade and resurface the large dog run.

On Tuesday, Manhattan Borough Commissioner for Parks Tricia Shimamura, Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade organizer Joseph Borduin, Assembly Member Harvey Epstein, and the city's first honorary Dog Mayor Sally Long Dog, were in the park to make the announcement...

"As a dog lover, I believe that improving spaces for our beloved pets is essential," Epstein said in prepared comments. "I have taken my rescue dog, Homer, here since he was a puppy. Investing in our community and the spaces that make living here special is crucial." 

Said Shimamura: "This funding will enable our agency to continue transforming and enhancing Tompkins Square Park, providing East Village residents — both humans and dogs — with a state-of-the-art dog run."

No word just yet when the upgrades might commence.

Mini Gourmet Deli is a new walk-up coffee and juice stand on 14th Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Mini Gourmet Deli recently debuted at 230 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

The sidewalk-facing food-and-coffee stand reminds us of the classic Mike's Coffee & Deli on 32nd Street between Park and Madison.

Here, you can grab a coffee ($2 for a small; $2.69 for a large), fresh-squeezed juice, smoothies, and fruit salads, among other items ...

They also offer empanadas, hamburgers, cheeseburgers and chicken sandwiches. 

Prices are reasonable. A cheeseburger with caramelized onions, pickles, American cheese and "smack sauce" is $5.99. The big ticket item is the chicken saute (chicken, onions, jalapeños, sweet red peppers, and herbs sauteed in butter and oil over basmati rice with salad and sauces for $12.49).

There isn't any website or social media at the moment. There's always the phone: (646) 370-3418.

Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

This space has been vacant for a few years, with PJ's Grocery the last tenant.

Signage alert: Rice Thief on 2nd Avenue

Signage for Rice Thief arrived last week at 95 Second Ave. between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. 

We first mentioned this pending arrival in April when the business received administrative approval from CB3 for a beer-wine license for the space. 

This will be the first Manhattan outpost for the restaurant, which started as a delivery service specializing in Korean crab dishes. 

Some background on Rice Thief from a January post by Eater: 

Richard Jang, alongside his mother, Jong Sook Jang, and girlfriend, Haiqi Yu, started the business in the fall of 2022, specializing in soy-marinated crab that's hard to find in New York, known as ganjang gejang, as well as seafood stews, and rice. The service — which has drawn a waitlist — started at his home, before relocating to a Sunnyside, Queens ghost kitchen. 

Their first restaurant debuted in Long Island City earlier this year. 

No. 95 was most recently Thailand Cafe, which did not reopen following the pandemic PAUSE of March 2020.

A clean start for this 5th Street storefront with the arrival of Wash & Fold

Signage for Wash & Fold recently arrived at 325 E. Fifth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (Thanks for the tip, Eden!) 

The business directly next door to the 9th Precinct will offer dry cleaning and tailoring... always nice to see a helpful service arrive... though it is just a few storefronts to the west of the well-liked J.J. Cleaners & Laundromat on the block.

Recent past lives of the storefront include Social Tees... and the we-still-miss-it Gimme Gimme Records.

Tuesday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

The "No Longer in Business" sign went up today at Ludlow Garage, 151 Attorney St. between Houston and Stanton. 

As we reported last week, co-owner Jerome Vasconcellos and his brother-in-law, Mario Marques, decided to sell their auto repair mechanic shop that had been in business for five decades, first on Ludlow Street, then here since the early 1980s.

Read our feature here.

Workers reach the top of 644 E. 14th St.; future of building next door still in limbo 1 year later

Workers have reached the top at 644 14th St., the 24-story residential building on the SW corner of Avenue C. 

A newly arrived American flag now sits near the very top of the structure...

The 234-foot-tall building, going as 14+C, will include 197 residential units, "a state-of-the-art fitness room," a yoga studio, and a rooftop deck. Information about the number of "affordable" units included in 14+C, one of the stipulations for being allowed to build a more extensive (by nine floors) building, has not been made public. 

Last November, as we first reported, residents of the neighboring 5-story building at 642 E. 14th St. — many in rent-stabilized units — were abruptly vacated after foundation work next door reportedly destabilized the building.

Ahead of the first anniversary of the vacate order, The New York Times published a feature on the trauma of being abruptly told to leave their homes. In the past year, 642's tenants have been allowed back inside twice to retrieve possessions — but only smaller items that they could carry. (So, no furniture.)

There's still a pending demoliton permit to take down No. 642. 

To the Times: 

"These tenants will never be moving back into this building," said Adam Leitman Bailey, who is president of the law firm representing the landlords. "This is a building that needs to be demolished." 

He provided reports from three engineers, supporting the landlord's legal claim that the costs to make necessary repairs are more than the value of the building after the repairs are made. The tenants have engineers’ reports, too, with decidedly different findings. 

The housing judge will eventually decide which reports can be trusted. In the meantime, the Department of Buildings has a hold on the application to demolish the building. 

Second Avenue Deli owner Jeremy Lebewohl is reported to be the owner of the building. 644's developer, Madison Realty Capital, told the Times that "the landlord had neglected the property and did not support Madison's efforts to make the building structurally sound."

Openings: Vintage Store on Houston

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Vintage Store is now open at 250 E. Houston St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. (The storefront is on the western end of the residential complex FKA as Red Square.) 

This is a sibling to the Upper East Side Thrift Shop, which has locations on First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Here's a look inside the brightly-lit space, which has a sizeable amount of clothing and shoes from the 1960s-1990s ... as well as some records, framed pictures, custom jewelry, dishes, etc.

It seems a little more thrift than vintage ... but there's some good stock, and the staff says they add new items daily. 

Hours: Daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

CC Cyclery closes 13th Street shop to go mobile

Photos by Stacie Joy

CC Cyclery closed up shop late last week at 530 E. 13th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B...

In an Instagram post, Jeff Underwood, the founder and chief mechanic, announced that while the shop is now closed: "There will be a mobile version SOON!" 

In a way, it's a return to Underwood's roots... as he started the bike-repair business on the sidewalk along Avenue A.

Openings: Kernel on 4th Street (and long live Other Music!)

Kernel, a fast-casual lunch concept via Chipotle founder Steve Ells, has opened an outpost at 15 E. Fourth St. between Lafayette and Broadway. 

The brand got some buzz because robots make your order. (Background here... here... and here.) 

The address interests us because, until June 2016, this was home to Other Music for 20 years. 

After OM and before Kernel was a healthy food place called Broken Coconut (2017-2020). 

As the headline states, Long Live Other Music!