Foundation looks set as 500 E. 14th St. finally shows some street-level progress

After some 13-months of post-demolition work at 500 E. 14th St., it appears as if the foundation is set here on the corner of Avenue A... as least that's what it looks like via the handy blogger portals in the plywood...





The pumps have been going 24/7 to dewater the property for Extell Development's two 7-floor retail-residential buildings. (A quick reminder: 500 E. 14th St. will have 106 residential units … while, further to the east, 524 E. 14th St. will house 44 residential units.)

As the developers at 432-438 E. 14th St. a block to the west have discovered, there are elevated groundwater levels and soft soil courtesy of an underground stream.

Anyway, Extell Lake seems to be a memory now at No. 500.



Previously on EV Grieve:
The disappearing storefronts of East 14th Street

[Updated with correction] 8-lot parcel of East 14th Street primed for new development

New 7-floor buildings for East 14th Street include 150 residential units

Meanwhile, Steiner East Village tells Avenue A to get in its belly

With a discussion of the new developments two blocks away at 500 and 524 E. 14th St. ... might as well look at the progress of developer Douglas Steiner's rather gargantuan condoplex at 438 E. 12th Street and along Avenue A to 11th Street... aka Steiner East Village...





... looks as if Stei Town might just swallow the corner buildings on 12th ...



To recap, the 7-story, 82-unit building features Steindos starting at $1.1 million... with the 4-bedroom Steinhouse with 1,364 square feet of terraces that's asking $11.25 million.

Steiner bought the former Mary Help of Christians property in 2012 from the Archdiocese of New York for $41 million.

Previously

Stubby cups and mini bubbles coming to East 14th Street (yes, more bubble tea)

PaTea is opening its second NYC location at 227 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... Per the signage: "The first Stubby Cup in the East Coast."



Here's more about the company:

[W]e are a family owned business and we strive to bring the authenticity of Taiwanese bubble tea to everyone.

The name “Patea” is from the concept of “It’s Party Time”. Our passion is to bring joy and a fun experience to all customers while experimenting on some of the newly innovated flavors.

The first PaTea opened at 135 Mott St. in 2013.

The previous tenant here, a mobile phone business, came and went very quickly.

Meanwhile, directly across 14th Street, the sign is now up for the incoming Pink Bear Ice Cream, which specializes in rolled ice cream...



Also directly across the street, another bubble tea shop.

Melt Shop bringing grilled cheese sandwiches to 4th Avenue

Signage has arrived at 135 Fourth Ave., where another location of Melt Shop is coming soon.

This looks to be the fifth Manhattan location for the expanding quick-serve restaurant that specializes in grilled cheese sandwiches (and tater tots).



This location between East 13th Street and East 14th Street has applied for a beer and wine license. They are on the June CB3-SLA docket, though the item won't be heard during the committee meeting.

The previous tenant, Desi Shack, the quick-serve Indian-Pakistani restaurant, closed in April after less then two years.

After 2 months, J-Mar Special Touch barber shop closes on East 6th Street

[Photo from April 2 by Vinny & O]

J-Mar Special Touch barber shop opened at 343 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue in early April.

There was a price cut within a few weeks of opening...


[Photo from May 6 by Vinny & O]

...and by Saturday, workers had cleared out the space... bringing an end to J-Mar Special Touch's two-plus-month run...


[Photo by Michael Hirsch]

Until last fall, the space housed a rental shop that specialized in Bollywood cinema.

Week in Grieview

[NOT @LinkNYC. Photo by Derek Berg]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Screaming Mimi's is leaving its home of 25 years on Lafayette for West 14th Street (Monday)

POTUS comes to town (Wednesday)

Mount Sinai Beth Israel ready to sell its First Avenue campus (Wednesday)

Tompkins Square Park has a Prince-inspired piano for the next 10 days (Wednesday ... Thursday)

The last exhibit at ABC No Rio before building demolition (Friday)

Chico's tribute to Muhammad Ali on Avenue B (Tuesday)

A new era (for awnings) at Veselka (Thursday)

Report: Steve Croman filed for alterations in 32% of his East Village properties (Friday)

Baby hawks fledge (Friday)

Vintage clothing boutique D.L. Cerney returns to the East Village for the summer (Friday)

A Hōkūleʻa sighting on the East River (Wednesday)

End days for Surma Books & Music (Tuesday)

Something brewing (demolition) for former beer distributor on East Second Street (Tuesday)

The Grassroots Tavern now opens 1 hour earlier (Thursday)

The St. Mark's Church Greenmarket returns for another season (Tuesday)

East Village-based artist Ori Carino unveils Ramones mural in Forest Hills (Tuesday)

Kanye West almost played at Webster Hall (Monday)

Welcome to Stuyraq (Thursday)

On East Houston, empty lot awaits million-dollar condos (Wednesday)

Former Avenue D Rite Aid has been demolished to make way for a 12-story building (Tuesday)

Plywood for 4 St. Mark's Place (Monday)

Restaurant-ready space at 58 St. Mark's Place asking $19k (Thursday)

A farewell show for Other Music (Monday)

A cakery for East Second Street (Monday)

DOUBLE RAINBOW (Sunday)

201 Second Ave. is for sale (Thursday)

Hi, Ben Shaoul would like to buy your building (Wednesday)

Puke Island Part 6 is this afternoon in Tompkins Square Park

Here's the rundown of band's via Facebook...

2PM R.O.T.T.E.R.
2:45 PURPLE PAM AND THE FLESH EATERS
3:30 CHAOTIC MELTDOWN
4:15 THE DECEIVERS
5:00 WE ALL DIE

Saturday evening clouds

Photo this evening from East 12th Street by Lola Sáenz

Hi, I'm a baby hawk

The first of the three Tompkins Square Park hawklets fledged on Thursday (by now, the other two may have as well)...

EVG regular peter radley shared these photos of the first fledger from yesterday afternoon... striking a pretty badass pose...





The first of Christo and Dora's eggs hatched in late April. So this one is roughly 8 weeks old. They grow so big with the daily rat tasting menus.

Updated 1:16 p.m.

Apparently the third hawklet just fledged...

Spellbound: Some love for Enchantments, the city's oldest witchcraft shop

The Guardian checks in with a feature on Enchantments, 424 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, which has been selling custom-carved candles, blended oils and various herbs and resins the past 34 years.

To some excerpts with owner Stacy Rapp:

The shop does not perform spells, Rapp tells me, after leading me to a quiet backroom away from the heady smell of the incense. The shop provides supplies that people use to perform a spell. Enchantments strictly sells supplies for good magic, Rapp explains, which is one reason to which she attributes its continuing success. The shop puts out positive energy, so positive energy comes back to it, she explains.

And...

Not everyone is charmed by the pink-haired witch of East 9th Street and her egalitarian spiritual musings. People have called the shop in the past to tell employees that they are going to hell and are in league with the devil, says Rapp. When an article on the shop ran alongside photos of Rapp years ago, men would call the shop proposing to marry her in order to save her soul.

Image via the Enchantments website

Enjoy 6 hours of peaceful green space on East 2nd Street today

[A scene from the cemetery in 1831 via Harper's Weekly]

The New York City Marble Cemetery on East Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue has its first Neighborhood Open Day of the season today...

An opportunity for our friends and neighbors to enjoy our peaceful green space.

Saturday, June 11
Sunday, July 10
Saturday, Aug. 13
Sunday, Sept. 10

11 am to 5 pm

In the top photo... former President James Monroe was briefly interred here in July 1831... he was transferred to his native Virginia in 1858. (The procession shut down Astor Place, which was in its first year of reconstruction.)

A little bit of 'Heaven'

Here's Brooklyn-based Japanese Breakfast with "In Heaven," some dream pop from the band's recently released record Psychopomp.

They'll be at the Bowery Ballroom on June 20 opening for Mitski... that show is sold out, though.

Fledge night

After several days of practice, the first of Christo and Dora's red-tailed hawklets fledged last evening in Tompkins Square Park...


[Photo by Goggla, reposted with permission]

A small crowd gathered to watch as the young one took off to the west (as far as to the Krishna tree anyway)... Goggla was there. Check out her play-by-play here.

The other two hawklets should fledge very soon... expect to see a little erratic flying in Tompkins Square Park this weekend...

The last exhibit at ABC No Rio before building demolition

As previously reported, ABC No Rio will be shutting down at the end of the month ... the cultural center on Rivington Street between Suffolk and Clinton will be demolished this fall to make way for a new "environmentally friendly" structure.

Before that, there's still one more exhibit, which starts tonight.

Via the EVG inbox...

"InFinite Futures" + "The Past Will Be Present"
June 10 — June 24

OPENING Friday June 10 at 7:00pm
VIEWING HOURS Sundays 1:00 - 5:00pm
Tues, Wed, Thurs 4:00 - 8:00pm

"InFinite Futures":
Kevin Caplicki with Alexander Drywall, Peter Cramer + Jack Waters, Barrie Cline with Paul Vance, Jody Culkin + Christy Rupp, Mike Estabrook, Fly,
Brian George + Kelly Savage, Julie Hair, Takashi Horisaki, Becky Howland, Vandana Jain, Mac McGill, Max Schumann, Noah Scalin, Amy Westpfahl, and Zero Boy.

"The Past Will Be Present"
Margarida Correia, Jade Doskow, Vikki Law and Chris Villafuerte

"InFinite Futures" and "The Past Will Be Present" are funded in part with support from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts.

ABC No Rio's zine collection recently moved to the nearby Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center... while the Saturday matinee punk shows will move to various venues across the city.

You can read more about the new building and check out the renderings at the ABC No Rio website.

Previously

H/T EVG reader Bobby G.

Report: Steve Croman filed for alterations in 32% of his East Village properties

According to an analysis of Department of Buildings filings, there’s about one alteration application for every three East Village apartment units that Steve Croman owns, The Real Deal reports.

Croman of Croman Real Estate and 9300 Realty was arrested last month. In a lawsuit via New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, "Croman directs an illegal operation that wields harassment, coercion, and fraud to force rent-regulated tenants out of their apartments and convert their apartments into highly profitable market-rate units." In total, Croman was hit with 20 felony charges and faces 25 years in prison.

The Croman revelation was just one finding from The Real Deal's investigation of DOB permits dating to 2012 to determine which landlords filed the most permit applications relative to the number of units they own in the East Village.

Per TRD:

Other East Village landlords with a high alteration strike rate include Mark Scharfman’s Scharfman Organization, which owns about 4,000 units citywide ... The company filed 19 alteration permits at its 118 East Village units since 2012, a rate of about 16 percent.

Jared Kushner’s Kushner Companies, which has acquired a sizable portfolio in the neighborhood since 2012, also made the top five. It filed 77 alteration permit applications and owns at least 522 units in the neighborhood. Raphael Toledano’s Brookhill Properties, which owns about 400 units in the East Village, was fourth on the list and filed 53 alteration permit requests.

Per previous published reports, Kushner and Toledano have been accused of trying to force out tenants at East Village properties in the past. (Like here ... and here... and here...)

And what might all these filings mean?

Emily Goldstein, an organizer at the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development, an affordable housing advocacy group, believes any correlation between a high rate of renovations and harassment allegations may be more than coincidence.

“I think it raises a red flag,” she said. “I think absolutely an unusual rate of alt filings is cause for concern.”

However, reps for the landlords "emphatically rejected such characterizations of renovation work."

Find the the full Real Deal report here.

A snapshot of the East Village housing market

PropertyShark, a real-estate search engine and database, released a report this week titled "The Gist of the East Village Home Market."

A few takeaways from the report, starting with the median sale price for condos, co-ops and townhouses decreased 34 percent in April compared to April 2015 ... while the median rent just topped that of the Upper East Side.

Specifically:

• Home prices decreased by more than 30 percent year-over-year in March and April; the median price in April was $767,000

• The median rent in March and April reached $3,450, slightly more than on the Upper East Side

• 82 percent of all housing units built in the East Village are rentals, a higher percentage than the one for all of Manhattan (67 percent)

• The smallest home in the neighborhood spans only 250 square feet, yet sold for $500,000 back in 2006

• 34 is the median age of an East Village resident.

You can read the full post here.

And here are more factoids from a handy-dandy infographic via PropertyShark ...



The largest home mentioned in the chart might be this one at 210 E. Fifth St. (It was asking $25 million in 2012.)

Vintage clothing boutique D.L. Cerney returns to the East Village for the summer

The D.L. Cerney boutique is back again for part of the summer... setting up (a pop up) shop in the Umbrella Arts Gallery at 317 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

You can browse the hand-made, vintage-style clothes every day from noon to 8 p.m. through July. (D.L. Cerney is still selling clothes online.)

After 28 years in business, D.L. Cerney closed up shop on East Seventh Street at the end of 2012.

Tonight on Ludlow Street: Anton van Dalen's Avenue A Cut-Out Theatre

Longtime East Village resident Anton van Dalen is performing his Avenue A Cut-Out Theatre tonight.

Here are some details via the EVG inbox...

This time it will take place at ROMEO, 90 Ludlow Street, on the 5th floor by elevator. Doors open 6:30 pm, performance 7 pm.

My one-person exhibition there remains on view until Sunday June 19. Exhibition open Saturdays and Sundays 12 noon until 6 pm.

Second exhibition is at Sargent’s Daughters and closes coming Sunday June 12. Its location is 179 East Broadway, open Wednesday through Sunday. The hours are from 12 noon until 6 pm.

He first performed the Avenue A Cut-Out Theatre in 1995 at the University Settlement House on the Lower East Side. The performance has been shown at numerous institutions, including The Drawing Center, the Museum of Modern Art and The New York Historical Society. Read more about the performance and its history right here.

A new era (for awnings) at Veselka

EVG regular ~evilsugar25 notes the arrival of new awnings at Veselka today on Second Avenue and East Ninth Street..



So it's out with the green...



"Those green awnings were here since 1996," Veselka owner Tom Birchard told us. "It was time for a change."

And one more shot via Steven...

[UPDATED] Ramona (aka Bear) is lost

Via the EVG inbox...



Updated 3:57 p.m.

Ramona has been found! We don't have all the details... apparently she is a little banged up and is at the vet, but she is fine. Thank you to everyone who helped, tweeted, etc.

Let's go crazy

The Prince-inspired Sing for Hope piano (titled Dearly Beloved) is now ready for action in Tompkins Square Park...



Brooklyn-based artist Eric Inkala designed the piano, which will be in the Park through June 19. Sing for Hope will later place the pop-up pianos from around the city in NYC public schools.

And thank you Tony...



Updated

Here's Billy the Artist taking it for a spin...



Photos by Steven

Christening a new neighborhood

Spotted this morning on the plywood along East 13th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue...



Welcome to Stuyraq!



This is at the site of the former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office. There are currently approved plans for an 8-story, 114-unit (23 affordable, 91 market rate) mixed-use building here.

However, reps for the developers (Benenson Capital Partners in association with the Mack Real Estate Group) are lobbying to receive a zoning variance for a 12-story building. In an analysis of the plot, the developers note that "unusually elevated groundwater levels and exceedingly soft and unstable soil (owing to the presence of an underground stream) ... result in extraordinary construction costs." Read more about this here.

Officials from Stuyraq could not be reached for comment.

Thanks to EVG reader Daniel for the photos!

[Updated] Mount Sinai Beth Israel officials to discuss future plans with CB3; plus, an open letter

There has been a lot of news coming out of Mount Sinai Beth Israel in recents weeks... first, officials announced that they are closing their 825-bed facility on First Avenue at East 16th Street in the next four years.

Mount Sinai Health System plans to replace the existing facility by opening a smaller, 70-bed hospital on 14th Street and Second Avenue.

Yesterday, the Post reported that Mount Sinai officials have put its First Avenue properties on the market.

As a reminder, hospital reps will be on-hand tonight during a joint Community Board 3 committee meeting to discuss their future plans. The 6:30 p.m. public meeting is in the Thelma Burdick Community Room, 10 Stanton St. at the Bowery.

Meanwhile, we heard from several residents who recently received this letter in the mail from Mount Sinai Beth Israel ...


[Click to go big]

Billed as "some exciting news for the downtown community," the letter outlines Mount Sinai Health System's $500 million investment in their services at various facilities below 34th Street...



The letter, signed by Kenneth L. Davis, president and CEO of Mount Sinai Health System, does not mention that the current facility will close in the coming years.

Updated 6-10

NY1 has a report on the meeting here.

Excerpt:

Administrators discussed some details of their plan at a community board meeting Thursday night. Saying while the current 825-bed hospital would indeed shut down — it would be replaced by a new, smaller facility nearby.

Still, many question what they see as a drastic reduction in service.

"Now they say no we're not going to be closed, but the admissions part of it, the in-house beds are going to be closed, reduced from 825 to 70," said one woman.

"I see the poor, the needy and the elderly is going to be the ones who have to travel up to Roosevelt, to all these different hospitals and the ones that's paying market rent down here they are going to be the ones that have the luxury to lay up in the new hospital with only 70 beds," said another.

We'll update with other media reports as they are posted...

Restaurant-ready space at 58 St. Mark's Place asking $19k

[Image via LoopNet]

Hakata Hot Pot and Sushi Lounge, housed in the retail spaces at 58 St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue, closed at the end of February.

In a message on Facebook, the owners said that they had lost their lease. (Hakata Hot Pot combined with sister restaurant Zen 6 the next block to the west at 31 St. Mark's Place.)

The two spaces are now on the market. According to the listing at Sinvin, the 1,400-square-foot space can be leased separately or together. Each space is asking $9,500; $19,000 for the whole thing.

Some bullet sales points:

• Charming intimate spaces for restaurants or coffee shops
• Brick walls & wood floors
• As of right, space for two tables in front of each store
• Landlord presenting each as a vanilla box
• Restaurant ready with venting, grease trap, 200 am electric panel, HVAC, and stubbed for gas and plumbing
• Wine & beer only, next to a church

Raphael Toledano became the building's landlord last fall.

Natori, a longtime favorite, closed at this address in November 2012.

201 2nd Ave. is for sale

[Image via Cushman & Wakefield]

The five-story building between East 12th Street and East 13th Street arrived on the market this week.

Here's how the folks at Cushman & Wakefield are positioning the sale:

The building currently consists of a ground floor retail space with residential apartments on the upper floors. The retail is currently leased to Ray's Gourmet until February 2021 who pays $7,957 per month, or $102 per square foot which is below market. There are preliminary plans to expand by increasing the retail square footage to approximately 2,115 square feet (when space becomes vacant).

The preliminary plans for the above floors call for eight apartments of which two (2) will be three-bedroom units, two (2) will be two-bedroom units, and four (4) will be one-bedroom units.

201 Second Avenue presents the opportunity to capitalize on a neighborhood commanding in excess of $85/SF for residential rents and over $2000/SF for new condo units. The building is less than one block from the L train stop at 14th Street, next door to Momofuku Ssam and has close proximity to Union Square.

Price: $10.5 million.

Per public records, it appears 201 2nd Ave. Realty with a 111 Broadway address purchased the building in April 2015 for $7.8 million.

The Grassroots Tavern now opens 1 hour earlier

EVG and Grassroots regular Riley McCormick notes that the bar at 20 St.Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue is now open one hour earlier ... 3 p.m. ... still with the $2 pints (of Bud/Bud Light right???) ... and now also offering — heh — white peach sangria.

Not sure how this compares just yet with the Great Changing of the Old TV Set in 2011.

8:15 p.m.

By Bobby Williams

[Updated] Waiting for POTUS on Astor Place

[Photo by EVG White House correspondent Steven]

President Obama is in town this afternoon and evening for two fundraising events. He also taped a segment for "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon."

Anyway, in case you were wondering about the massive NYPD presence and barricades on Astor Place, Lafayette, East Houston, etc.

Updated 6:15 p.m.

Another photo via Steven...



Those new Cadillacs are pretty nice!

... and another via Steven...



If you missed the President just now, you can also see him during a pop-up visit at Webster Hall at 2 a.m.

Updated 6:40 p.m.

Here's the Presidential motorcade passing Avenue A at East Houston a little earlier... via EVG reader Ronnie... (highlight at the 19- to 24-second mark...)



Previously on EV Grieve:
East 12th Street and Avenue A tonight: Waiting for the President to pass by

Today in Hōkūleʻa sightings on the East River

EVG Hōkūleʻa correspondent Dave on 7th spotted the legendary voyaging canoe on the East River earlier today...



The craft arrived in New York Harbor on Sunday...

The canoe is taking part in a variety events this week, including World Oceans Day today.

You can read more about the Hōkūleʻa and its historic East Coast voyage right here.

Report: Mount Sinai Beth Israel ready to sell its 1st Avenue campus

[Photo from May]

The Mount Sinai Health System, as previously reported, plans to replace its existing First Avenue facility by opening a smaller hospital on 14th Street and Second Avenue in the years ahead.

Now officials have reportedly put up its First Avenue properties, which are expected to close in the next four years, on the market.

Lois Weiss at the Post had the scoop:

Real estate sources say the sale, which is expected to include that full block bordered by First and Second avenues and East 16th to East 17th streets, will also include other First Avenue properties.

Weiss reported that Douglas Harmon of Eastdil Secured, who brokered the $5.45 billion Stuy Town/Peter Cooper deal with Blackstone, is talking to interested investors.

While it lies opposite Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village ... the campus is also opposite the leafy and elegant Stuyvesant Square Park, making residential options enticing, especially as Stuy Town’s new owner, Blackstone, has plenty of air rights toward seeking landing strip.

There's no word yet what this prime chunk of real estate might fetch. The Real Deal noted that "hospitals make an attractive target for developers. For example, in 2014, Fortis Property Group paid $240 million for the Long Island College Hospital in Cobble Hill, where it plans to build residential towers."