Demolition permits on file for historic 316 E. Third St.

Back in August, Curbed reported that a Karl Fischer-designed, 33-unit apartment building is coming to 316 and 318 E. Third St., which is between Avenue C and Avenue D. (Still waiting for those renderings!)

In May 2010, we posted info about the sale of the four-story brick townhouse. It was on the market for $3.995 million.

According to the listing, "The townhouse is surrounded on 3 sides by bucolic garden, open lawn and mature trees. The townhouse itself is not landmarked, and there are approximately 22,900 buildable square feet available to the purchaser of these combined 2 lots, offering myriad opportunities for creative expansion."

Anyway, it was just a matter of time... last week, the demolition permits were put on file for the house at 316 E. Third St.

Preservation groups had worked to try to protect 316 E. Third St., a circa-1835 house bound for the condo after life. Unfortunately, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) rejected a hearing on the matter in September, according to the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation website.

Several readers had noted that former Community Board 3 member Barden Prisant owned the home. He confirmed this to us in a message via Facebook at the time.

According to an article on living in Prospect Park South in the Times dated Oct. 6, Prisant and his wife "decided to sell their house in the East Village because a tall building was to go up next to their beloved backyard."

Area marked below is 316-318 E. Third St. ...

Forgot about this beast in the works for that empty lot above at Houston and Avenue D:



Back to the Times article: "In addition to uprooting their 8-year-old daughter, the move would involve transplanting the garden that Mr. Prisant had cultivated over 20-plus years. It had peach, apple, cherry and pear trees, none of which they wanted to leave behind. Factor in the barbecue, which Mr. Prisant likes to use year-round, and it was clear that no ordinary place would do."

As the article points out, they found a suitable new home "a block and a half from Prospect Park’s parade grounds."

Japadog construction starts; plus, the end of an era for 'the doorshitter'?

As we reported, Japadog is opening its first U.S. outpost at 30 St. Mark's Place...

Last week, workers knocked off the front section of the address, the former Go Japanese Restaurant...

In doing so, the space here is, of course, much more wide open... a space made famous (sort of!) last summer ...

...by the infamous Doorshitter.

Not really as much cover left for clandestine crapping.

At Joe's Bar, a freshly painted gate, mystery and, apparently, roaches

On Friday evening, we walked by the now-closed Joe's on East Sixth Street — hopeful that one of our favorite bars had reopened.

A worker had just finished up painting the bar's front gate. We stopped and asked if the bar was reopening. The worker looked startled, and said, "I didn't have anything to do with it. I didn't have anything to do with it." With that, he hurried inside the adjacent building leaving us wondering, To do with what?

The bar is still closed in the eyes of the DOH. On Oct. 5, the DOH hit them with 71 violation points. The DOH returned on Oct. 21, and found improvements, though there were still 32 violation points. There are two listed sanitary violations on the DOH website ("critical" violations are displayed in red):
1) Live roaches present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
2) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.

Ko-Z not looking very open anymore on Sixth Street

Also while walking on East Sixth Street Friday evening... We noticed that Ko-Z was closed. We checked again on Saturday and Sunday evenings too. Closed. We wrote about the small Thai eatery just a few weeks ago. We had tried the food and liked it. The owner prepared our sandwich with great pride... enough pride that it took him maybe 15 minutes to do so. Which is fine. We weren't in a hurry. But we were the only people there. We wondered what happened if there was a crowd or an order for delivery...? We only ever saw the owner working.

Perhaps this is all just temporary.

The restaurant had just opened in last September.

Peek A Bao

We haven't looked at the latest offering from Michael "Bao" Huynh in a month or so here on First Avenue near 14th Street ... (most recently home to the short-lived Select Burger...)

Here's a peek (and yes — that headline is awful) ...

DOH temporarily closes Muzzarella Pizza

Muzzarella Pizza on Avenue A near 14th Street remains "closed for renovations." On Oct. 27, the DOH closed the pizzeria with 65 violation points, including for "evidence of mice or live mice."

As an Eater reader noted about the place back in August: "Muzzarella Pizza is everything that the East Village used to be and is losing at an alarming rate."

How your apartment can star in a CBS medical drama

Hmm, can't quite make that sign out... scouts for the CBS medical drama "A Gifted Man" are looking for a first floor or ground-floor apartment to use on Monday, Nov. 21. Interested? Call Ana at (917) 548-3201... spotted at Sixth Street near Avenue B...

We'll hold out for CBS' "2 Broke Girls."

Chimney collapse at 528 E. 13th St.

Several readers have told us about a chimney collapse at 528 E. 13th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B around 8:30 tonight...

Witnesses said that everyone is OK... however, residents who live in the rear of the building will have to spend tonight (and perhaps a few other nights too) elsewhere... the Red Cross was going to put anyone up who needed it... One resident described the noise as "sounding like an earthquake."

The following photos are from EV Grieve reader Deanne Draeger...

According to the DOB, there have been three complaints against the building... In September 1997, "EAST WALLOUT OF PLUMP REAR YARD CHIMNEY PULLING AWAY FROM BLDG. BROKEN SHAFT."

On Oct. 8, 2010 — "BRICK CHIMNEY SEPARATING" ... and Sept. 22, 2010, "FAILURE TO MAINTAIN BUILDING WALL. NOTED: STRUCTURAL STRESS CRACKS AT NUMEROUS LOCATIONS ON ALL FLOORS OF EAST ELEVATION."

According to the DOB, Crisari Realty is the owner.

Bubble man back in Tompkins Square Park today

Photos by Bobby Williams...

Week in Grieview

[Ninth Street at Avenue C, by Bobby Williams]

New condos for Seventh Street (Monday)

Tuition for Cooper Union? (Tuesday)

So long Crazy Landlord sign (Friday)

David Cross reads EV Grieve comments at the UCBeast grand opening (Monday)

76 Third Ave. is coming down (Thursday)

Rent reduction for St. Mark's Bookshop (Thursday)

A memorial for Steve Jobs in Tompkins Square Park? (Friday)

Zip 10003 has how many chain stores? (Wednesday)

Pepper spray and NYPD on Avenue A (Tuesday)

Nevada Smith's new home (Monday)

The Lab is gone from First Park (Monday)

Long lines for the M15 Select Bus Service on First Avenue; plus scarves (Friday)

We noted our 10,000th post (Tuesday)

Hello Karl Fischer!: Meet 'NY's most loathed architect'

[532 E. Fifth St.]

In the Post today, Maureen Callahan takes a look at Curbed favorite Karl Fischer in a piece titled "NY’s most loathed architect."

Let's jump right in:

Since 2003, Montreal-based architect Karl Fischer has designed more than 200 residential structures in Manhattan and Brooklyn, each one looking very much like the last: glass-curtained boxes flecked with grim brick or concrete, characterless high-rises in bohemian areas that, like uninvited party guests, seem to neither know nor care that they are profoundly out of place.

"Like doctors, there is a certain ethic of the architect: You're not supposed to make anything worse," says Aleksandr Mergold, architect and professor at Cornell University. "I'm not saying Karl Fischer is making things worse. But he’s not making things any better. That Cold War look seems to come from a lack of imagination. Great business model, though."

Fischer currently has three projects working in the East Village ... 427 E. 12th Street ... 316-318 E. Third St. ... and 532 E. Fifth St. ...

Please explain

East Third Street near Avenue B.

Yo Post

Somewhere along Avenue A. And is this the start of a NYC paper sticker war?

Meet the Ass family on Seventh Street

Photo by Dave on 7th.

A note for Adam

Spotted by EV Grieve reader Rob on Avenue A between Second Street and Houston...

And now, your 7-Eleven branding on the Bowery

As we first reported on Aug. 29, 7-Eleven is opening shop on the Bowery in the long-dormant retail space at 52E4 — the 15 stories of condo...

Anyway! The green, orange and red has arrived...

A thank you from St. Mark's Bookshop

Now, on to the next crisis...

Previously.

Do rats know how to Push?

In our ongoing coverage of the TSP Ratstravaganza, we've discussed the problems with the trash outside the Park — specifically on the corners of 10th Street and Avenue A that provided another possible source of food. You know, just dart across the street for the smörgåsbord.

Anyway, the city has added new Push tops on the corner cans.

We waited to post these until the early reviews were in... so far, the new Push lids haven't been reviewed on Yelp.

Buy a book... or a children's book

Jeremiah has declared this as a Buy (Another) Book Weekend at St. Mark's Bookshop... Meanwhile, EV Grieve reader and blogger Marjorie Ingall notes in a post yesterday what a great resource the store is for kiddy books... with a small but well-curated section. She also talked with co-owner Bob Contant about the children's book section.

The good German

The Passions with "I'm in love with a German film star" from 1981.

The long lines for the M15 Select Bus service on First Avenue

[The line on Tuesday morning for the M15 Select Bus ticket machine on First Avenue between Second and Third streets]

The M15 Select Bus Service debuted back in October 2010. We haven't heard much about it since then.

However, in the last three to four months, EV Grieve reader Jenny notes that there are problems with the stop on First Avenue between Second Street and Third Street.

Per Jenny: "Nearly every morning one of the two machines is out of service and there are lines of 60-70 people at a time. You have to wait 15 minutes just to get through the line, and then sometimes the bus will wait another 10 minutes for others to get on the bus."

One way to bypass this: Jump on the bus, hop off at 14th Street to pay where there are more machines, and get back on the bus. For Jenny, this worked a few times — until the MTA police caught her without a receipt and fined her $100. She explained that the machines were down and showed them all her previous receipts. But, you know.

A solution: Add a third machine to this stop on First Avenue. Or at least send around crews more often to repair the machines.

RIP Crazy Landlord sign

Construction continues at the incoming Bean on Second Avenue and Third Street... You can see the progress as of yesterday in this photo by EV Grieve reader Marjorie Ingall ... Notice anything different?

The plywood is gone! Which means!

NO MORE CRAZY LANDLORD SIGN!

We first noted the sign on March 30, 2009.



Then there was this addition to the sign back in March...

Thanks for the memories, Crazy Landlord sign corner...

RUMORS: Memorial tree for Steve Jobs planned for Tompkins Square Park

On Wednesday, workers removed the stump from the Irene-damaged tree in Crusty Meadow ...

[Bobby Williams]

Now there's a rumor that the hole here will be filled with a Redwood tree honoring the late Steve Jobs.

We're not sure that we believe any of this... even the people who passed along the information were skeptical... but you never know...Not sure of any East Village-Steve Jobs connection, though we once saw someone drop an unprotected iPhone in the Park and smash the screen.

P.S.
DId you ever see the Steve Jobs tribute on Bond between Bowery and Lafayette?

Developers secure $200 million loan to help make Astor Place look like an industrial park in, say, Dallas this

According to the Observer yesterday: "The full-block office tower set to rise at 51 Astor Place has closed on a construction loan valued at between $165 and $200 million with Bank of America."

And per Crain's, construction on the only commercial office building going up in New York City without a tenant should be completed by the spring of 2013.

Previously on EV Grieve:
East Village — the new Midtown?

Helping publish 'Time and Space on the Lower East Side'

Lower East Side-based photographer Brian Rose is wrapping up his Kickstarter campaign to raise money to publish "Time and Space on the Lower East Side."

Golden Section Publishing, a small company run by photographer Bill Diodato, is publishing the book, which has more than 100 photos split between 1980 and 2010. (Such as the two 1980 shots above, and the before and after below.) Singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega wrote the book's introduction. (Rose and Vega have a long history together involving music and photography.)

The book should be available in the first part of 2012. You can find out more about about the Kickstarter campaign here. We first wrote about the project in July 2010. You can find that post here.

An East Fifth Street before and after from the book...