BP station on 2nd Avenue closes this month

Late last month we heard a rumor that the BP station and MRM Auto Repair at 24 Second Ave. at East First Street would close in the coming weeks.

This has been confirmed. On Saturday, workers were hauling away equipment for MRM …



… which is relocating to West 38th Street …





A BP employee told us that the gas station and snack shop will close by the end of the month.

As we've pointed out, the East Village will no longer have any gas stations within a year or so. In March, Hakimian Property filed plans to erect a 9-story mixed-use building on the site of the Mobil station on East Houston and Avenue C. (The station was expected to be open until next year.) And nearby, the BP station on East Houston and Lafayette will be home to a new luxury development one day.

As for what's next for the BP property on Second Avenue, the word is a boutique hotel. There aren't any building plans on file with the city at this time.

Previously on EV Grieve:
How much longer will the East Village have gas stations?

The East Village will soon be down to 1 gas station

The Mobil on Avenue C is still going strong — for now

You have a little longer to get gas on Avenue C

Plans filed for new 9-story building at site of Mobil station on East Houston and Avenue C

RUMOR: Gas station going, boutique hotel coming on Second Avenue? (31 comments)

Gino's short-lived retirement

[Photo by James and Karla Murray]

Back in early April, Gino DiGirolamo announced that he was retiring after 50 years working as a tailor.

Turned out that the retirement came about after the landlord at 520 E. 14th St. asked for a $1,000 monthly rent increase, an amount that Gino couldn't afford. So Gino set a May 31 closing date for his delightfully cluttered Royal Tailor shop …


[Photo by Michael Paul]


[Photo by Michael Paul]

But! Well-wishers who stopped in to say goodbye to Gino's shop over the weekend heard some good news …


[Photo by Michael Paul]

Gino has found a new storefront where he can continue his trade…



Now he has not signed the lease yet at 434 E. 11th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue … but he said that he has a verbal agreement and hopes to be up and tailoring again in a few weeks here…



Gino moved to East 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B in late 2006. Previously his shop was on Avenue A near East 12th Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A pile of clothes at the Royal Tailor

After 50 years in business, Gino DiGirolamo is closing the Royal Tailor shop

Report: Rent hike forced Gino to retire and close his Royal Tailor shop

Dok Suni calls it a day after 21 years on 1st Avenue

The standby at 119 First Ave. near East Seventh Street closed for good after service Saturday night.

The folks at Dok Suni thanked patrons for their years of patronage (owner Jenny Kwak still runs Do Hwa on Carmine Street) …



A new operator will be taking over the space, offering a Korean-style menu featuring items like crispy pig ear with jellyfish and mother-in-law chicken wings.

We first reported on this coming closure back on May 6.

Après closes 3 weeks after debut; Unidentified Flying Chickens on the way in

[Photo from early Friday evening]

Wow. After a splashy, well-publicized revamp, Après has closed for good, Eater first reported Friday afternoon.

Apiary, the nearly 6-year-old restaurant at 60 Third Ave. near East 11th Street, closed for renovations in early May … reopening May 8 as Après with a new chef and a "modern, vegetable-centric menu."

What happened?

It was "a difference in vision between the chef and management," managing partner Jenny Moon told Paper, who also has the scoop on what's next for the space: the first Manhattan branch of the well-regarded Jackson Heights-based Unidentified Flying Chickens.

Here is New York magazine on the place:

Unidentified Flying Chickens finesses its fowl in a winning style that is all the rage in Seoul. Perdue birds are coated with highly spiced batter, deep-fried in vegetable oil, drained of excess grease, and fried again. This technique cooks out the schmaltz and crisps the tasty crust.

So the Third Avenue space will be revamped (again!) "into a more casual spot with 18-20 craft beers on tap," according to Paper.

Liquiteria opens today on 4th Avenue

At East 13th Street. The original Liquiteria opened on Second Avenue and East 11th Street in 1996.

Meanwhile, next door, Desi Shack debuts later next week.

It will be the second Manhattan location for the quick-serve Pakistani restaurant.

Previously on EV Grieve:
East Village-based Liquiteria taking over beloved Gray's Papaya space

Liquiteria coming soon to former Blimpie space on 4th Avenue

A new look for the northeast corner of Fourth Avenue and East 13th Street

Sidewalk bridge collapses on the Bowery

[EVG photo from Thursday]

The sidewalk bridge arrived last Wednesday ahead of the demolition of Salvation Army's former East Village Residence on the Bowery at East Third Street.

Earlier this evening, a portion of the structure came crashing down, nearly blocking the entrance to the 7-Eleven next door… and spilling into the street…



EVG regular Pinhead shared these photos … and said that the FDNY responded within 2 minutes … thankfully, no one was injured …



The Residence closed in August 2008. It will be torn down to make way for a 13-floor residential building.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Whatever happened to that really ugly hotel planned for the Bowery?

Permits filed to demolish former Salvation Army residence on the Bowery

The Salvation Army's former East Village Residence will be demolished on the Bowery

Looks like 347 Bowery will be home to a 13-floor mixed-use residential development

Week in Grieview

[The Santacruzan pageant yesterday on East 10th Street via Bobby Williams]

RIP Karen Kristal (Monday)

David Scwhimmer helps the NYPD in male prostitute stabbing case (Monday)

Out and About with retired police officer Christopher Reisman (Wednesday)

A look at The Robyn, new luxury rentals for East Third Street (Friday)

NYPD looking for this guy who allegedly took $11,000 from Immaculate Conception Church on East 14th Street (Thursday)

Crab Shack coming to St. Mark's Place (Friday)

Plans for I Cipressi on Avenue A don't work out (Tuesday)

A Feast/Google Glass post mortem (Wednesday)

Another story from the Cadillac with the Tiger in it (Thursday)

So long Tree Chair of East Sixth Street (Friday)

Fixing the East 9th Street bike lane (Friday)

Coyote Ugly closes for renovations (Wednesday)

What's next for the Odessa Cafe and Bar? (Thursday)

Plywood action at East Third Street lot (Wednesday)

Gutting Surprise! Surprise! (Tuesday)

'There goes the neighborhood' — 30 years later

Just realized that this issue of New York magazine was on newsstands 30 years ago this week… so here's a look back at the issue via an EVG post from June 6, 2008 ...

That's the headline for the May 28, 1984, New York magazine cover story that I recently came across. The piece begins in the early 1980s with the rotting hulk of the Christodora and the young man eager to own it, Harry Skydell.

Skydell's enthusiasm was indeed mysterious. The sixteen-story building he wanted to buy, on Avenue B facing Tompkins Square Park, was surrounded by burned-out buildings that crawled with pushers and junkies. It was boarded up, ripped out, and flooded...Early in the seventies, the city had put up the Christodora up for auction and nobody bid.

The building was eventually sold in 1975 for $62,500. (Last I saw, two-bedroom units there — roughly 1,100 square feet — average $1.6 million or so. Of course, they're rarely available.)

The article talks about the influx of chain stores, art galleries and chic cafes. "And real-estate values are exploding" as a result. Said one longtime resident on the changes: "I've lived in my rent-controlled apartment for years and pay $115 a month. I live on the Lower East Side. The young kids who just moved in upstairs and pay $700 a month for the same space — they live in the East Village."

There are so many interesting passages in the article by Craig Unger that I'd end up excerpting the whole thing. So it's below. You can click on each image to read it. Meanwhile, what do you think would be the headline for this story today?

Because we haven't posted any photos of a Lamborghini in some time

Last night on Avenue A … via a reader who is being priced out of the East Village.

Previously

Night and day East Village skyline

[Photo by Grant Shaffer]


[Photo by Bobby Williams]

Even more sprkl for Second Avenue

A few weeks ago, local musician-artist-folk hero Paul Kostabi added his character sprkl to the roll-down gate at Cacio e Vino, 80 Second Ave. between East Fifth Street and East Fourth Street.

On Thursday night, he started work on the gate at Ballaro across the Avenue…





The evening included a visit from producer-label owner-musician Walter Schreifels (Quicksand, Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today…)







Paul finished the work late last night …



… and here's a final shot via Fenton Lawless…



Thanks to PandaCat for the photos.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Paul Kostabi puts some sprkl on Second Avenue

Tom Cruise movie poster lives to see another day on the Bowery

Hmm, something smashed into the phone bank here between East Houston and East First Street…



Forceful enough impact to cause the sidewalk to buckle … hopefully no one was making a call at the time …



… the "Edge of Tomorrow" poster mostly survived…



Anyone witness the collision?

Baby hawks of Tompkins Square Park practicing to take flight

As Goggla pointed out, the tabloid-friendly baby hawks of Tompkins Square Park turned 3 weeks old this on Thursday …

AND LOOK HOW BIG THEY ARE GETTING ALREADY. (All that rat and squirrel meat plumps them up.) This GIF is via James and Karla Murray, who have been keeping a watchful on Christo and Dora's three offspring up on the Christodora House on Avenue B and East Ninth Street.

Meanwhile, you can find photos and video from the hawkcam via East Village resident Francois Portmann …

Previously on EV Grieve:
Red-tailed hawks nest on the Christodora House

The hawks of Tompkins Square Park have laid an egg at the Christodora House

More eggsciting hawk news from the Christodora House

Breaking (heh) news: The hawks of Tompkins Square Park are officially parents

OMG baby hawks! (UPDATED WITH VIDEO!)

VIDEO: Watch the baby hawks of Tompkins Square Park dine on some rat

How was your Manhattanhenge?

[East 14th Street photo via EVG reader Pinch]

After the cloudy bust of Manhattanhenge on Thursday night… we completely forgot about last evening's Manhattanhenge sequel … but other people remembered!

And EVG reader Stephen Popkin took advantage of the situation to take photos of people taking photos of Manhattanhenge …









And an actual photo of Manhattanhenge last night via Twitter…

Marvelous #Manhattanhenge tonight in #NYC. pic.twitter.com/uKh0SELXVb

— Inga Sarda-Sorensen (@isardasorensen) May 31, 2014

'Forever' now

A little prom pop from Tweens ... The trio plays the Gothamist/Impose Northside Festival show at Rough Trade NYC on June 13. Head to Brooklyn Vegan for details about that.

Mulch madness: City destroys the great Tree Chair of East 6th Street

[Last week]

We had been wondering about the great Tree Chair of East Sixth Street ... we took the above photo last week... showing that things weren't yet in bloom here between Avenue A and Avenue B ...

Unfortunately, we will never see it in full bloom again. EVG reader Riian Kant-McCormick shares this sad site this morning ...



City workers ripped out and mulched up this beloved stump ... word from an onlooker — rats were living under the stump or something ... and it had to go ...

A moment of silence

Long live the great Tree Chair of East Sixth Street!


[Photo from July by Robert Miner]

Previously on EV Grieve:
What happened to the tree chair on East Sixth Street?

The tree chair of East Sixth Street is... back!

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[Tompkins Square Park photo by Fallopia Tuba]

Funeral services this weekend for Wen Hui Ruan (DNAinfo)

Chad Marlow to challenge CB3 chair Gigi Li in upcoming election (The Lo-Down)

Happy 3-week birthday to the baby hawks! (Gog in NYC)

Why do we love Manhattanhenge so much? (The Atlantic)

Maya Angelou and New York City (Runnin' Scared)

Another look at Miss Lily's 7A Cafe (Gothamist)

The NYC of The Village People (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

The peril of hipster economics (Al Jazeera America)

More 'bro' for Epstein's Bar? (BoweryBoogie)

Demolishing old Pier 17 (Curbed)

At Manhattan's first Dairy Queen on West 14th Street (Eater)

Pinball returns to Coney Island! (Amusing the Zillion)

Speaking of Coney Island and summer ... check out this video by Bruce Handy from last night marking "The Thunderbolt's Maiden Voyage." It is the first custom-built roller-coaster for Coney Island since the Cyclone in 1927. (Via Amusing the Zillion)