Village Fabrics to close next month

As I've been reporting, Village Fabrics is going out of business on First Avenue at 11th Street... ThreadNY had more details today ....

Come August, one of the last of the East Village's family-owned fabric stores, Village Fabrics, will close its doors for good.

With little more than a month before it shutters, the store is hosting a liquidation sale to clear out the rest of its inventory. Owner Stephen Katz expressed sadness and frustration over the futility of working to save the business his parents started 20 years ago. He anticipates the store will last until August, despite his persistent attempts to petition the city council and negotiate with landlords.

At this point, Katz is unsure of what the future will bring for his family's business, and for the industry as a whole. After a long time bailing out a sinking ship, he's understandably exhausted and can only take it day by day. However, with a small business like Village Fabric, they became what they did based on a sense of resourcefulness and creativity this city is famous for. That said, we can only be optimistic for the next generation of garment industry scions to help foster and cultivate fledgling design talent (and service the sewing needs of the rest of us).

Meanwhile, EV Grieve reader Dave Whitaker sent along this shot from the VF window around Halloween 2008....





Previously on EV Grieve:
Closing sale at Village Fabrics

The Bowery to get a South Beach diet

These flyers are up on the Bowery regarding tonight's Community Board 2/SLA meeting... as you can see, there's a new liquor license application for 348 Bowery...



I saw this, and wondered what storefront was 348... I got to Great Jones...




Ugh. Of course. As I reported in May, the whole parcel of 348-352 Bowery is for sale -- "restaurants welcome."

And Segafredo? Well if it's the same Segafredo... it's an international chain. Per the website: "Segafredo Zanetti Espresso Café, the only global café with Italian credibility offers a multi-sensorial experience reflecting the lifestyle of the quintessential Italian café. The constant drive for excellence exhibited by the Segafredo family is evident in product quality, efficient service and a friendly atmosphere all of which makes a positive difference in the quality of life of the customers."

I browsed through some news releases of other Segafredo Zanetti Espresso Café openings, such as one in the downtown Miami/Brickell area in 2008: "Segafredo Brickell exudes a posh and luxurious atmosphere ... Inside the venue, exhibiting the same level of chic-meets-comfort as the exterior, guests will experience a true Italian-style café with a coffee bar with barstools, plush red leather couches and free Internet services. ... Located within the restaurant, Spazio Nero is a lavish boutique night club that will be open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Embodying the nightclub’s name, the décor is outfitted in all things black, from the stylish black leather couches with silver buttons, to the black-tinted mirrors throughout, to the fleur-de-lis textured black-on-black wallpaper. The club features an elevated DJ booth, a one-of-a-kind advanced multi-zoned distribution audio system and a computer controlled lighting program by Infinite Audio Systems."

Segafredo, though, is operated by the VE Restaurant Group in Miami Beach. They have a slew of different types of eateries... so there are other possibilities for 348 Bowery.

As for the name (Alexander Duff) on the flyer, here's one guess...from the Metro 1 Hospitality Group in Miami Beach:

Alex Duff
Sr. Associate – Restaurant/Hotel/Bars Division
Alexander Duff, a native New Yorker, in 2002 began his real estate career specializing buying and selling restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Some of Alex’s most notable deal include: Mokai Lounge/ Mama Vieja; Halo/ Hemisphere; Indomania/ Siembra; Tunelli/ Oasis; Hakan/ Dab Haus; Amendment 21/ Gigi Bistro; Fiore Pizza/ Pizza Power; Scrapbar/ Gil’s Café; Rabbit’s foot/ Loading Zone; and the restaurant at the Tudor Hotel. Alex also works as a restaurant consultant, focusing on improving existing business practices and fabricating new concepts.

Meanwhile, start saying your goodbyes to Downtown Auto and Tire...



Indeed, as a Curbed headline read last summer, Bowery's South Beach Transformation Nearly Complete.


Previously on EV Grieve:
The last days of the Downtown Auto and Tire?

International Bar owners taking over Lilly Coogan's

As I noted back in late June, a transfer for the former Lilly Coogan's space is on the docket for this month's CB3/SLA meeting on Thursday night ... And an eagle-eyed tipster notes that the telephone number on the notice hanging outside Lilly's is the same as the International Bar.

If this is the case, then this is very good news... after sitting empty for a few years, new owners Molly and Shawn reopened the dear old International on First Avenue near Seventh Street in 2008 ...the new International is one of the best bars in the East Village... a place for neighbors that's blissfully free of jackasses.

Jeremiah had a feature on the new International back in June 2008...

A quick update on the 240 E. Houston fire

Just a quick update on the fire from last Thursday at 240 E. Houston... As I mentioned, Discovery Wines reopened last Friday... Kelly's is also open, though the Double Down next door is still "closed for renovations" (it was closed even before the fire...)...and the nail salon around the corner on Houston remains closed...

As for Discovery, here are a few shots from the fire's aftermath...



[Top two photos courtesy of Bill Farrington]



The Discovery folks are babysitting the fish for some displaced neighbors from the fifth floor...

The illegal Chipotle banner is gone

Yesterday, I got word that the Chipotle banner hanging from First Avenue and St. Mark's Place was coming down... Sure enough... as a walk by last evening revealed...



Flashback!



Per a reader yesterday:

So I was living in that building when they put up the banner. Actually, I was lying in my underwear in bed when the guys putting it up drilled it into the wall directly outside my window (the one next to the bottom left hand corner of the banner).

I took it as one more sign that the East Village has become one big Starbucks -- a pantheon of ads and corporate chains. Solution?: I moved to Brooklyn.

Previously on EV Grieve:
That really big Chipotle ad on First Avenue is illegal, probably

RIP Tuli Kupferberg

Tuli Kupferberg, a co-founder of the Fugs, has died. He was 86.

Robert Christgau called the Fugs "the Lower East Side’s first true underground band."

As the Times noted, the The Fugs formed in 1964 in the Peace Eye Bookstore on East 10th Street ... (Ephemeral New York has more on the bookstore here.)

Here's a photo of the shop when it was on 147 Avenue A...



Read more about Tuli's work here. Read more about the band's history here.

At the Shepard Fairey mural: Talk about plywood!

Oh boy. Is the Penistrator now using a new canvas?

[Photo credit: DNAinfo]

Chipotle banner coming down on First Avenue?

Our friends at East Village Wines report that it looks as if the (ILLEGAL) Chipotle sign on First Avenue and St. Marks might be coming down. There's a big crane with some guy wobbling up top fidgeting with the sign. And there's nothing on the truck to indicate a replacement ad. (Photos anyone?)

Previously on EV Grieve:
That really big Chipotle ad on First Avenue is illegal, probably

Free screening tonight: 'Local Faith Communities of the East Village'

Tonight is the premiere of the documentary "Local Faith Communities of the East Village," a film by East Village resident Anthony Donovan, who, as the Lower East Side History Project put it, "has been selflessly bridging the neighborhood's various religious and spiritual institutions for a long time."

Monday, July 12th, 7:30 p.m.
@ Anthology Film Archives
32 Second Ave. at E. Second Street
Free (donations appreciated)

Another fire in the East Village?

An EV Grieve reader noted some smoke coming from what looks like west of First Avenue. There was also a helicopter hovering...I'm stuck at work, so if anyone has any information...



UPDATE (12:03 p.m.)

Several readers have said the fire is on Broadway near Houston... possibly Best Buy? In any event, the fire is apparently out.

UPDATE (12:06 p.m.)
NotifyNYC Emergency personnel are on the scene of a 2 alarm fire at 628 Broadway between East Houston St and Bleecker St.



[Top photo via Twitpic]


[Photo via]

Fear of Dutch Elm Disease in Tompkins Square Park

There's a big operation under way this morning in Tompkins Square Park... workers are removing one of the Park's beautiful elm trees ... A Park supervisor said that this tree and several others have been stricken with Dutch Elm Disease. Unfortunately, several of the trees can't be spared. Officials are worried that the disease from an infected tree's roots will spread to nearby healthy trees. So far, two trees have been removed. The supervisor said they will begin injecting healthy trees with some sort of solution to help keep them healthy.

The supervisor also said that he had been getting grief from several people for removing the trees. "Believe me, no one wants to remove these trees, especially not great old elms like this. But we don't have any choice."

Bagels for Avenue A?

Last week we mentioned that 165 Avenue would be turned into a restaurant/bar, former site of the Monk Thrift Shop....

Well, per a reader comment:

I heard from someone who worked on the construction of Diablo that this next door place will sell bagels.

Another tipster said that it is going to be a shop from the same people who own the Bagel World stores in Brooklyn.

Butter Lane closed until Thursday -- for a folding table and chair violation

Butter Lane, the popular cupcake emporium on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, will be closed for the next three days thanks to the city. Co-owner Maria Baugh told me it is "due to a permitting violation for having a folding table and chairs in front of the shop." A Butter Lane staffer will be posted outside during business hours to answer any questions and give out coupons. The shop reopens Thursday.

"Obviously we're not happy with the penalty, but we plan to make the most of the down time," Baugh says. "Since they can't get paid for their regular work, we're going to pay our staff to plant flowers and do other small clean up/fix up jobs on our block during the three days."

Work is getting real serious at St. Brigid's

The amount of scaffolding continues to increase at St. Brigid's, on Avenue B at Eighth Street...



Meanwhile, looking up from Eighth Street, it almost looks as if the entire northern side of the church has been removed...




That was the side with the enormous crack in the foundation...(previously!)

2 Cooper shows off its windows that open

A grizzly discovery on First Street

Who killed Teddy? In a dumpster on First Street near Second Avenue.

World Cup humor

Spotted outside the new sushi place on 13th Street and First Avenue.

East Village on Russell Brand alert

The 'Arthur' remake (a travesty that I won't even go into) is filming around Second Avenue and 11th Street tomorrow... The remake stars Russell Brand in the Dudley Moore role... co-starring Jennifer Garner and Nick Nolte....and maybe the old Batmobile.

Flea market today in Tompkins Square Park

Closing sale at Village Fabrics

As I noted this past Tuesday, Village Fabrics on First Avenue and 11th Street is on the way out... closing sales are going on now...





A lot of comments for Village Fabrics here. The store will be missed.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The East Village continues to lose retail diversity

240 Houston fire update

This morning on Houston and Avenue A... workers had boarded up the windows on the top floors...




Patrick Hedlund at DNAinfo has an update on the fire here...it's still under investigation...and tenants were allowed back in briefly yesterday to retrieve valuables, including pets. Two cats were found safe in a second-floor apartment.

Previous coverage here.

Discovery Wines back open

The four-alarm fire at 240 Houston on Thursday evening shuttered several businesses... One of them, Discovery Wines, reopened last night. EV Grieve reader BaHa said that there is a lot of ceiling damage, so the overhead lights are out. They are getting by with clip-on lights. However, the refrigeration is working...

Tim from Discovery Wines left this comment for us:

We feel so very lucky to have only water damage and smoke odor.

We must have dumped over 300 gallons of water between last night and this afternoon -- I've never been so happy about a leaking ceiling in all my life!

We've still got a lot of electrical work to straighten out, but we reopened at 5:30 tonight (Friday).

Best of luck to our displaced friends and neighbors and a big thank you to the firefighters who saved lives last night.

All fire coverage here.

No respect! Queen's historic speech interupted at the UN

Those Smurfs!

[Flashback to Wednesday.]

The other day on Seventh Street

Between Avenue B and Avenue C... quickly riding through the spray of an open fire hydrant to make a delivery...

'Love Songs' tonight in Tompkins Square Park

Previously.