Benny's Burritos closes for good after tonight

As we first reported on Tuesday, Avenue A mainstay Benny's Burritos is closing after service tonight.

However, Benny's will still offer food to go and make deliveries from a small storefront adjacent to the restaurant space here on Avenue A and East Sixth Street.

Lisha Arino at DNAinfo talked with owner Mark Merker about the closure. The restaurant has had trouble staying afloat, as costs and rents rose while competition increased from Chipotle and other restaurants that served burritos, Merker said.

No word on the next tenant. There are for rent signs now above the storefront.



Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Benny's Burritos is closing; will offer take-out only service (50 comments)

If you need a big, big tree

The largest Christmas/holiday trees for sale so far are outside St. Mark's Church-In-The-Bowery on Second Avenue … we didn't ask about the price, since none of them would probably fit inside our front door...



This one spotted last night outside Rite Aid on First Avenue might be a better fit…

Have yourself a Germanish Christmas

Starting tomorrow…

Via the Zum Schneider website:

Doors open at 1 pm. Free admission. Sorry, no reservations!

• Traditional community singalong with Benjamin and Sylvester on the guitar and hammered dulcimer
• Songbooks will be provided
• German and American Christmas carols
• Mulled wine
• Mama Schneider's Christmas Stollen
• Weihnachtsgebäck / Christmas cookies
• Festive decoration

Zum Schneider is on Avenue C and East Seventh Street…

September songs

The Dublin-based September Girls have a new EP out this week. Here's a track off that release called "Veneer."

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[Photo by James and Karla Murray Photography]

Charges filed in fatal hit-and-run on the Bowery (BoweryBoogie)

Leadership changes at Community Board 3 (The Lo-Down)

Remembering Will Connell, Jr., "downtown’s unsung hero of Free Jazz" (All About Jazz)

East Village-based photographer Katrina del Mar is crowdfunding for her experimental documentary webseries (Kickstarter)

Reverend Billy And The Stop Shopping Gospel Choir held an Organic Thanksgiving on the front lawn of the Monsanto World Headquarters yesterday afternoon and rallied last night in Ferguson (Photos and videos are on the the Rev. Billy Facebook page)

100 Montaditos closing 2 months after opening on Ludlow Street (DNAinfo)

While the d.b.a. on First Avenue will remain open with new ownership, the Brooklyn location closes Sunday (Gothamist)

Thanksgiving with friends in Tompkins Square Park (Gog in NYC)

A visit to the Cafe Edison (Scouting NY)

A Hooters takes over the former Peep World on 33rd Street (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Part of Edith Wharton's childhood home on 23rd Street now features a Starbucks (Ephemeral New York)

Lorne Greene and Betty White hosted the 1964 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (Bowery Boys)

This season's Christmas sweater from the Descendents (Dangerous Minds)

Exploring 2 like-minded small shops on East 6th Street

As the holiday shopping season gets underway... EVG contributor Stacey Joy takes a look at two women-owned, side-by-side boutiques on East Sixth Street near Cooper Square ...

Handcrafted Mosaic Lamps (208 E. Sixth St.), with the tagline “Make the Sun Jealous,” features Turkish mosaic-style lamps, lights and candleholders. It is owned and operated by Melissa Benovic, who makes certain that each lamp is run on LED lights and that prices remain affordable.



I spied a beautiful rainbow-colored candleholder made for tea lights at $60 as well as a crave-worthy blue hanging glass lamp at $110. This shop is tiny, maybe 325 square feet, with a beautiful layout and Melissa could not have been warmer or more accommodating. Amazingly knowledgeable about all things lamp-related, I didn’t want to leave the shop! It is especially welcoming in the dark, early winter cold.







Hours are flexible, but traditionally open Monday through Saturday, from 1 to 8 pm.

--

Nomad Vintage, also at 208 E. Sixth St., is owned and operated by Katie McDonnell, and is a small shop crammed full of her hand-selected vintage treasures.



Textiles, shoes, fabrics, dresses and all manner of vintage jewelry and accessories can be found here. Katie was kind enough to show me some of her favorites ... and I was excited to see a sweet velvet cape perfect for early winter walks, some Vivienne Westwood heels that I could never walk in but would love to own, and batik shirt that looked vaguely Moroccan.







Pieces here tend to be slightly more high-end, with accompanying price tags. The patchwork denim and flannel cape I liked was tagged at $225. Hours here are also flexible (and some days by appointment only) so please contact Katie to make sure the shop is open before heading out that way.

Always happy to see small local businesses succeed, Melissa and Katie both spoke about their love for the neighborhood and the people in the area.

Native Bean is on the move

As previously reported, Native Bean is moving from 50 Avenue A to 36 Avenue A... which is all good, except for that DOH closure a few days ahead of time.

By Wednesday, though, workers had already started taking apart the space between East Third Street and East Fourth Street.

Signs point to a Dec. 1 opening at the new location.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Space that houses Native Bean on Avenue A is for rent

Native Bean space apparently back on the market

Native Bean will be moving on Avenue A

Looking at a Cube-less Astor Place

On Tuesday, workers carted off the Alamo from Astor Place… for safekeeping during the reconstruction phase.





No word how long the cube will be in storage. But it will return as the centerpiece for the all-new Astor Plaza…



The cube was installed here in 1967.

East 14th Street Santa watch is on

The RV arrived Sunday evening here at First Avenue… the trees on Wednesday.

Santa likely won't be here until after the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Seeing as there is only one Santa.

Enjoy the bounty of the harvest this season

Photo Monday in Tompkins Square Park by Bobby Williams…

Report of a fire on East Houston

There was a major FDNY response earlier this evening on East Houston between Norfolk and Suffolk...

MAN ALL HANDS 251 E HOUSTON ST, MULTIPLE DWELLING FIRE ON TOP FLR, UNDER CONTROL

— FDNY (@FDNY) November 26, 2014

EVG reader Chris Mason shared this photo showing the scene on the rooftop...



No word at the moment on what caused the fire or the extent of the damage...

The DeRobertis family says goodbye

The building here at 174-176 First Ave. is in contract. The last day for the bakery is Dec. 5.

Jeremiah Moss pays his respects today.

This one hurts like hell.

I'd like to say something more eloquent, but that's all I've got right now.

Previously on EV Grieve:
174-176 First Ave. is in contract

[Updated] 110-year-old DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe looks to be closing once the building is sold

174-176 First Ave., home of DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe, is for sale

Let's take a look at the DeRobertis in-house bakery

Brooklyn Piggies has closed

Smorgasburg vendors Brooklyn Piggies, which sells hand-rolled pigs in a blanket, have apparently closed its first brick-and-mortar storefront at 195 Avenue A near East 12th Street.

For rent signs are up … there's no mention of the closure on the various Piggy social media properties.

You may still order piggy platters online.

Brooklyn Piggies opened in January. Guess we now know the answer to this question that we posed then:

Biscuits on one side of Avenue A ... and pigs in a blanket on the other. Who will win this single-food late-night throwdown?

How you can help the Bowery Mission this holiday season

[Image via Facebook]

The Bowery Mission is prepping to serve its 135th Thanksgiving.

According to the Times, the Mission's volunteer slots are full, but they are accepting donations 24/7 at 227 Bowery near Prince Street.

Per the Times:

Milk, butter and eggs are especially welcome; they’ve got the turkeys and potatoes covered.

Pork, beef and chicken are also gladly received, as the charity continues to serve three meals a day.

There are other ways to donate year-round at the Bowery Mission. Find that list here.

Meanwhile, Gothamist compiled a list of places where you can donate and volunteer this holiday season. Head right here.

Ferguson protests in the East Village and Lower East Side

For the second straight night, people took to the streets to protest a grand jury's decision not to indict Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson.

There were reports of solidarity protests around the city. (There were several arrests throughout the city, though the number varies by media outlet.)

Protesters marched from Union Square through the East Village and, according to the Times, "hopped a barricade onto F.D.R. Drive."

EVG reader Brian Polay shared photos of a banner hanging in front of the St. Mark's Church-in-The-Bowery on Second Avenue and East 10th Street.



Here's a snippet of video showing protestors heading east on Fourth Street at Avenue A...

A video posted by David Rodway (@daverodway) on Nov 11, 2014 at 4:43pm PST

BoweryBoogie and The Lo-Down have photos and reports of the protestors on Delancey Street.

Updated 11:17 a.m.

Here is footage from East Houston via GammaBlog…

Police hunting for 2 suspects in daytime robbery on East 10th Street

[NYPD via CBS New York]

Here is information via CBS New York:

The suspects came up to the 21-year-old woman around 10:15 a.m. Nov. 17, in front of 208 E. 10th St. between First and Second avenues, police said. They tried to grab her knapsack, which had $2,000 cash in it, police said.

The woman resisted the suspects, who in turn sprayed her in the face with an unknown substance, police said. The suspects then took the knapsack and cash.

There isn't much descriptive information about the male suspects, both described as between 20 and 30 years old with close-cut beards and about 6 feet tall.

Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online.

Parishioners fight to save the Church of the Nativity on 2nd Avenue

Earlier this month, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan announced the largest reorganization in the history of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.

In total, 112 parishes will be merged to create 55 new parishes. On this closure list: Church of the Nativity on Second Avenue between East Second Street and East Third Street.

The parishioners have started a social media campaign in hopes of keeping the church open. They have created a Facebook page, a Twitter account and a YouTube channel.



Developers have to be drooling over this prime piece of East Village real estate... a one-level structure in close proximity to three new residential buildings, including Jupiter 21 and that ugly box thing that Ben Shaoul developed.

Gym taking over part of the former Mondo Kim's space on St. Mark's

Signage arrived on Monday for the newest tenant at 6 St. Mark's Place — Nimble Fitness.

They'll be taking the space above Barcade that had been on the market for months.

Here's more about what Nimbler offers via their website:

We bridge the gap between physical therapy and functional strength through movement. At Nimble you’ll work with a team of dedicated professionals that are passionate about helping you achieve success through an integrated training approach.

Previously, before the quick succession of ground-floor restaurants, No. 6 was home to Mondo Kim's ... and going back ... No. 6 was first, starting in 1913, home to the Saint Marks Russian and Turkish Baths ... which, in 1979, became the New Saint Marks Baths, the gay bathhouse (purportedly the largest one in the world) that the city eventually closed in 1985 during the AIDS epidemic.

Also, in 1914, The Modern School — "an anarchist school with Emma Goldman on the board," according to NY Songlines — had space in the building.

Noted

Ah, we hadn't noticed this sign outside Village Veterinarian on East 11th Street...



Thanks to EVG Facebook friend Dian Crystal for sharing the photos this week...

Lucy's will return on Dec. 10

Over at 135 Avenue A, Lucy if off for her customary holiday break... as you can see from the sign, the bar will be back open on Dec. 10.

And is Lucy's the only bar in the East Village with a VFW sticker on the front door?

Report: Suspect in 3 sexual assaults pleads not guilty

[From NYPD surveillance footage]

The East Village man accused of assaulting three women in separate attacks pleaded not guilty today.

Last month, police arrested Juan Scott, 26, for the attempted rape of a 20-year-old woman in an elevator at 600 E. 14th St. in Stuy Town. Scott was later linked to two other attacks, one on East 11th Street and one on East 13th Street.

According to the Post this afternoon:

[He] pleaded not guilty Tuesday to attempted rape, burglary and sexual abuse raps for three separate attacks on women in Manhattan while his latest victim’s teary-eyed parents watched from the gallery.

Prosecutor Brendan Tracy recommended a sentence of 20 years behind bars if the dangerous creep pleaded guilty to all three attacks.

The Villager had previously reported that Scott is a cousin of Rosario Dawson. Her mother and father and other relatives still live at 544 E. 13th St., where police arrested Scott.

There goes The Alamo

Well, no wonder the Alamo was back in plain view on Astor Place... EVG reader John M. just got a quick shot of workers carting off the Cube on a truck ... apparently for safekeeping during the reconstruction of Astor Place.

And here's a little video action via Gothamist...

A video posted by David Johnson (@david_johnso) on Nov 11, 2014 at 7:16am PST

[Updated] Benny's Burritos is closing; will offer take-out only service

[Photo yesterday by Riley McCormick]

Word started circulating yesterday afternoon that Avenue A mainstay Benny's Burritos is closing after Saturday.

However, fans of Benny's Mexicali food here at East Sixth Street will still be able to order it via a to-go storefront that workers have been carving out of the existing corner restaurant and D-Lish Pita next door...



We haven't heard any official word about the closure from management just yet. Apparently Benny's had been struggling lately to make it work here. Employees received the news about the closing yesterday.

Benny's opened in the East Village in 1988... and is the latest comfortable spot to close along Avenue A ... joining 7A and the Odessa Cafe and Bar, among others.

Updated 2:43 p.m.

Lisha Arino at DNAinfo talked with owner Mark Merker about the closure.

“The world has changed,” said Merker, who opened Benny’s in late 1988.

The restaurant has had trouble staying afloat, as costs and rents rose while competition increased from Chipotle and other restaurants that served burritos, Merker said.

“It’s actually been pretty good, that’s the killer,” he said. “I would say that our traffic has been pretty consistent for the past four [or] five years, but that’s a problem. With rising costs, you need more business. It’s just the way things are going.”

The take-out space will include a few tables for diners, he said.

Updated 2:55 p.m.



EVG reader Riian Kant-McCormick notes that workers are currently loading a truck with scrap metal and equipment from Benny's...

City gives Native Bean a moving gift on Avenue A

A few weeks back we reported that Native Bean is moving after tomorrow from 50 Avenue A to 36 Avenue A.

Several days before closing for the move, the DOH came calling … and found enough violation points to immediately closed the cafe here between East Third Street and East Fourth Street.



The inspection, dated Friday, found 59 violation points. The top two listed violations:

1) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
2) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.

Not sure what happens next given that they were ready to move from this space.

Native Bean's new home will be in the former space that Angelina Cafe used before moving across Avenue A.



Previously on EV Grieve:
Space that houses Native Bean on Avenue A is for rent

Native Bean space apparently back on the market

Native Bean will be moving on Avenue A

The Alamo comes back into full view

[Michael Paul Photography]

On 15, workers boarded up the Alamo to protect it during the reconstruction of Astor Place... the cube is now temporarily back into view... just mind the backhoe ...



Updated noon:

And now the whole thing is gone.

Noted

The person who has been leaving the "cool" graffiti around the East Village has added this to a building on East Seventh Street and First Avenue — "Kushner is mold" …



We're not sure if this particular building is one of the many bought up by developer/New York Observer publisher Jared Kushner.

To date, he hasn't been very popular around here with all the allegations and subsequent media reports of tenant harassment and quality-of-life issues brought on by gut renovations in the buildings.

Cool also left this one above the former 98-100 Avenue A…



[Top photo via EVG reader Elle Sturm]