In addition this past week, workers had to remove the one in the photo below at the Park entrance on Eighth Street and Avenue B...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jqbEri-dPXTTDTq7S-WacGglRU7Md8_8zFjhK4MwCbbGAtVKlcd4GmcmEG8vZePZfz5B5aVEvYCtEDSlr_Pheo8auwAjZS7miplFsV7Lj1o7VAvHA5qWlT1CU_YqivBkdUXM6FU4WnY/s400/3203115711_cd8196da08_b.jpg)
It's gone.
...even the roots had to be removed to help prevent the spread of the Dutch Elm...
And now...
An FDNY paramedic helped cops nab a group of thugs who robbed and roughed up a cabby in the East Village yesterday, authorities said. Lt. Jim Scordus was one of several on-duty EMTs near the corner of Second Avenue and East Seventh Street just before 3:30 a.m. when they saw the four goons get in a scuffle with the 50-year-old driver.
All four fled, and Scordus took off after them in his truck. He radioed to police and kept an eye on the suspects until cops arrived. David Forest, 23, Carl Muraco, 22, Chad LaForest, 21 and Nicholas Menardy, 22, were nabbed and charged with robbery.
Investment opportunity! Raise below market rents to fair market value. A 20' wide x 50' long 4 story, 4,000sqft (approximately) 4 unit walk-up apartment building. The ground floor unit is live/work/store with a store front entrance and an entrance from the building. This unit has a beautiful 750 sqft south facing garden. The 2nd floor unit is a 2 bedroom, 1 bath with a 250 sqft south facing terrace. It has Southern, western and northern exposures. The 3rd floor unit is a 3 bedroom 1.5 bath home with southern, western, and northern exposures. The 4th floor unit is a 2 bedroom, 1 bath home with skylights, 3 exposures and a beautiful stair case. The building is fully renovated with new kitchens, baths, windows, floors, washer/dryers, etc. The gross yearly rent is approximately $164,000 a year. Tenants leases can be terminated with three months notice.
"Food will be comprised of local, organic and heritage products that pair well with beer so cheese, cured meats, pretzels, hot dogs, nuts and some chocolates," says David Cichowicz, the brain behind the operation. Patrons will have the chance to grab a seat at one of the tables in the store and pair the food with some of the 12 beers they’ll have on tap. The beer selection will be mainly local, sustainable products, but David says they'll occasionally throw in some West Coast, Belgian, English, and German beers as well."
"From the outset it was clear that this would not be a simple before/after take on the neighborhood. While keeping an eye on the earlier photographs done in 1980, I wanted to rediscover the place with fresh eyes, with the perspective of time, change, and history. The result, still being added to, is a set of photographs that looks backward and forward, that posits the idea that places are not simply “then and now,” but exist in a continuum of decay and rebirth."
It is a sad scene right now outside 16 Handles, which posted this sign that it's closed til 10 pm. Sources outside the store say there is a fly infestation inside. Gross! We headed to copycat store Yogurt Station on St. Marks. It's packed here now.
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).
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.