After a fire upstairs, a gutted TabeTomo hopes to reopen on Avenue A in August

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

TabeTomo remains closed after an early morning fire upstairs at 131 Avenue A on April 24. 

According to ABC 7, five residents sustained minor injuries while fleeing the six-floor building on the NW corner of St. Mark's Place. Firefighters recovered a lithium-ion battery from a unit, per ABC 7. 

At TabeTomo, a tskumen specialty shop, owner Tomo Kubo (below) told me yesterday that reconstruction of his restaurant is expected to start in the week ahead.

Once underway, Kubo hopes that renovations will be complete in two to three months — with an eye on reopening in August if all goes well. 

The business was insured, he said. 

"It costs a lot — very expensive," he said of the gut renovation ahead. "We want to renovate and reopen as soon as possible." 

Kubo ushered me inside the space, where the air was still thick with the smell of a fire. 

"There was no fire damage — all the damage was water," he said. "Between the ceiling and the second floor, there was much damage to the wood, which could warp. And we want to avoid mold. It's not a good environment for food. We cannot sell food in here now." 

The interior has been stripped to its studs.

Tubo is grateful for all the support from neighbors. He also praised the FDNY for their quick response. 

"I appreciate people who care about the store and encourage me, and I care about the employees who work here," he said. "Since it takes so long to renovate, I am worried, Will customers return? It's heartwarming that people in the East Village care. This gave me confidence and a reason to reopen." 

The TabeTomo staff onsite yesterday (from the left): Esan, Victorino, Tomo Kubo and Abe Naoto.

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On May 8, some tenants of 131 Avenue A rallied outside the building in conjunction with the Cooper Square Committee. 

The concerned tenants demanded that landlord Citi-Urban adequately address problems, such as cleaning smoke- and water-damaged units and allowing residents who feel unsafe to move out without penalty. Tenants, some of whom had to navigate rusted fire escapes, said that this was the second fire in the building in the past six months, the other occurring on Nov. 8.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (plus the crowd watching the wisteria on Stuyvesant Street — photo by Steven)...

• When a Dodge Charger drove down the sidewalk on 2nd Street during a high-speed chase (Saturday) 

• D.A. Bragg: Landlord indicted for harassing rent-regulated tenants, including in the East Village (Thursday) 

• On the CB3-SLA docket: New operators for East Village classic Lucy's on Avenue A (Monday) 

• How to take part in Lower East Side History Month activities this May (Friday) 

• The Ukrainian Museum revisits the early work of East Village-based photographer Peter Hujar (Wednesday) 

• On Avenue B, a there-goes-the-neighborhood building sells for $43 million (Wednesday)

• EVG Etc.: NYPD arrests 56 in clearing NYU and New School protest encampments; Knickerbocker Village sells for $85 million (Friday) 

• What happened to the famous East Village (replacement) pear tree on 3rd Avenue? (Thursday) 

• An extension for 'Houses and Hotels' at O'Flaherty's on Avenue A (Wednesday)

• Iconic East Village gay bar Boiler Room has closed ahead of move to a new location on 2nd Avenue (Monday) 

• A Link5G tower for Avenue C (Monday) 

• The fellow "looking for a girlfriend" is now "looking for the perfect woman" (Thursday)

• Spin-offs: Throwback Two debuts on 9th Street (Saturday) 

• The Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks returning to the Hudson River for some reason (Thursday)

• Friday at 5: The great new track by Pretty Sick (Friday) 

• Watch a large raccoon climb down a tree on 10th Street (Monday) 

• Openings: Hidden Grounds Chai & Coffee House on 3rd Avenue (Monday) 

• Coming attractions: The Oasis Cafe on Avenue A (Monday) 

• Tea Dealers & Ceramics is leaving Avenue B (Friday) 

• A Luscious new market option on 2nd Avenue (Monday) 

• Kōbo by Nai has not been open lately (Wednesday) 

• Today in thieving squirrels in Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday) ... Today in makeshift fire pits by the Hare Krishna tree in Tompkins Square Park (Monday) 

... and we had several readers spot a (presumably) pet parakeet in Tompkins Square Park... in case of an escape from your home...

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Today in makeshift fire pits by the Hare Krishna tree in Tompkins Square Park

Top two photos by Joe; FDNY pic by Steven 

We were told some "kids" (teens) decided to start a campfire of sorts by the Hare Krishna tree in the center of Tompkins Square Park (and just as the rain started around 5:15 p.m.) 

The FDNY was there in minutes to extinguish the small blaze...

EVG reader Joe did get yelled at for taking the top photo instead of putting out the fire (even as the FDNY was already in the Park)...

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included... (with the word from 10th and A)... 

• At NYU, 'Gaza Solidarity Encampment' leads to arrests of over 150 people (Tuesday)

• Police searching for suspect in unprovoked daytime stabbing on 7th Street on April 9 (Monday) 

• The untold story of Snack Dragon's attempted East Village comeback (Tuesday) 

• An early-morning fire at 131 Avenue A (Wednesday) ... assessing the fire damage (Wednesday) 

• Violet times: An Earth Day look at the wisteria on Stuyvesant Street (Monday) 

• From the Poetry Window at East Village Books (Saturday) 

• Dan & John's has closed its original East Village location after 9 years (Tuesday) 

• The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival returns to Tompkins Square Park this Aug. 25 (Wednesday) 

• Celebrating the birth of the Pyramid Club at Howl! Arts (Thursday) 

• A benefit concert for East Village musician Jesse Malin (Wednesday)

• About Stylus, a private members-only club coming to the Lower East Side (Friday) 

• Workers removed a dead elm from Tompkins (Thursday) ... and the city has been planting new trees in the neighborhood (Friday) 

• Closing notices: J-Spec Wagyu Dining and Esora Omakase on 5th Street (Wednesday) 

• Openings: Pizza Pazzo on 1st Street (Monday)

• A retail reset at 20 St. Mark's Place (Monday)

• So long to the longtime sidewalk bridge on 12th Street, and hello to SMØR Bakery (Monday) 

• Sushi Fan has not been open lately on St. Mark's Place (Friday)

• Where to see Films on the Green this summer (but not in Tompkins Square Park) (Friday)

• A smoke and vape shop for the former Gaia Italian Café on 3rd Street (Wednesday) 

• A changing of the bar at 16 1st Ave. (Monday) 

... and beware of those dubious rental listings promising various "doorman amenities" (photo on 9th Street by Steven)...

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A late-day look at the fire-damaged 131 Avenue A

Photos by Steven

A fire broke out early this morning at 131 Avenue A on the NW corner of St. Mark's Place. 

According to ABC 7, five residents sustained minor injuries while vacating the six-floor building. 

Starbucks was open today for business in the retail spaces, while TabeTomo next door told us that they suffered “substantial damage.”

Next door, Bad Habit hope to be back open tomorrow...

As for the rest of the building, there is a Partial Vacate Order limited to two residences. 

Per the Department of Buildings: 

FIRE HAS CAUSED EXTENSIVE WATER, SMOKE AND FIRE DAMAGE IN APT#1, ALSO FIREFIGHTER OPERATIONS IN APT#7. WINDOWS AND WALLS HAVE BEEN REMOVED LEAVING STRUCTURES OPEN TO THE ELEMENTS. THESE POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS HAVE THEREFORE RENDERED UNSAFE TO OCCUPY. VACATE APT #1 AND 7. EGRESS WAS NOT COMPROMISED. 

Firefighters recovered a lithium-ion battery from a unit, per ABC 7, though fire officials haven't stated that was officially the cause. Another resident mentioned talk of an "electric scooter explosion."

Report of an early morning fire at 131 Avenue A at St. Mark's Place

The FDNY responded to a report of a fire this morning on the second floor at 131 Avenue A, a six-floor building on the NW corner of St. Mark's Place. 

According to the Citizen app, the FDNY received the call at 5:15 a.m. Firefighters were seen wrapping up by 6:15 a.m.

There weren't any reports of injuries. [Updated: ABC 7 reported five residents suffered minor injuries.] Several building residents were gathered with small bags and backpacks, surveying the FDNY at work. Some of them reported leaving their apartments via the fire escapes. 

While it's too early to determine the cause of the fire, firefighters recovered a lithium-ion battery from the second floor, per ABC 7. 

The building is home to several businesses, including Starbucks and TabeTomo. It's not immediately known how much damage they may have sustained.

The renovation and expansion of 188 1st Ave.

Structural repairs continue at the five-story 186-188 First Ave. between 11th Street and 12th Street. 

Both buildings were severely damaged during a six-alarm fire at 188 First Ave. in October 2018. Fourteen people, 11 of them firefighters, sustained minor injuries, the Times reported. 

As you can see, the renovations include a horizontal expansion ...

Uogashi occupied No. 188's ground floor and an extension in the lot's backyard. FDNY officials said the fire began in the restaurant, per published reports. The back structure was demolished. 

In total, No. 188 had eight apartments. Both 186 and 188 have been vacant since the first.

The retail spaces at 186 First Ave. both have new tenants on the way, Mr. Pizza and Lilly's Shakes & Crepes.

According to public records, HUBB NYC Properties has been the landlord of 186-188 since January 2018, paying $14.25 million.

The $24 million renovation of the Nuyorican Poets Café is officially underway

ICYMI: Last week, officials announced the start of the three-year, city-funded $24.1 million renovation project for the Nuyorican Poets Café on Third Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

The Nuyorican Poets Café, a space steeped in history and cultural significance, closed its doors this past fall after its 50th-anniversary celebration. The NYC Department of Design and Construction is now overseeing the project for the Department of Cultural Affairs that will not only renovate but also expand this iconic space, ensuring its legacy continues to thrive. 

About the work being done:

This project will renovate and expand the Café, with a new main lobby and performance space on the first floor, an additional dedicated performance space on the fourth floor, and a “flex” space on the second floor, which can be used as a classroom or rehearsal space. 

The project will also add a new elevator to the four-story building and office space for staff. These improvements will allow the organization to reach a wider audience by hosting multiple performances concurrently and providing local students with masterclasses and workshop opportunities. 

The project will also entail exterior work, including a new roof, extensive building envelope rehabilitation and waterproofing, a new ADA ramp for public access from the sidewalk level into the facility, new fire exit stairs as well as renovations to the plumbing, HVAC and electrical systems. 

Here's a look at two renderings (Rice+Lipka Architects is designing the project)...

The expected completion date is spring 2026.

Puerto Rican writer and poet Miguel Algarín founded Nuyorican in 1973 as a living-room salon on Sixth Street along with Lucky CienFuegos, Bimbo Rivas, Pedro Pietri and Miguel Piñero. Algarín died in December 2020 at age 79.

The programming here has included poetry slams, open mics, Latin and contemporary jazz and hip-hop shows, theatrical performances, educational programs, and visual art exhibits.

During the renovation, the Nuyorican staff is staging pop-ups and collaborating with other New York institutions. For updates, check Instagram or the Café website.

What a relief: Portable toilets return to Tompkins Square Park

Updated April 2: The toilets have been unlocked!

Hopefully, this isn't an April Fool's Day joke! 

This morning, workers brought in a truck full of porta-potties for Tompkins Square Park. (Thanks to EVG reader Lauren G. for the photo!)

The busy 10.5-acre park had been without toilets since Jan. 9, when city workers carted off the three porta-potties from their temporary home near Ninth Street and Avenue A.

At the time, sources told us that the previous porta-potties were constantly trashed and not really the most fun things to use. So, the thinking was, Why replace them with more only to meet the same fate?

So, in the past three months, anyone who needed to answer nature's call did so in nature, including in, on and around the playgrounds, causing a stink among residents. (Photo below from this morning via our friends at the De Colores Community Yard.)

As previously reported, the restrooms in the Tompkins Square Park field house are closed due to an 18-month (or so) renovation that began last May. The porta potties arrived around the same time ... before an August 2023 relocation.

In February 2023, a Parks official explained that temporary toilets were not part of the contract "and cannot be supplied during construction." The alternative for public use during this period: The restrooms at the McKinley Playground on Fourth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue adjacent to P.S. 63/the Neighborhood School — roughly a seven-minute walk.

By March 2023, though, Community Board 3 noted that porta potties would be on-site after all. 

According to the Parks Department website, work at the field house is 34% complete, with an anticipated wrap-up date of September 2024.

Updated 5 p.m. 

There are three port-potties... located near the ping-pong table by the field house... the two line green models are actually called Key Lime Restroom...

Per the Callahead website: 

The KEY LIME RESTROOM is designed with bright key lime coloring specially for waterfront and seaside locations. The KEY LIME is another design by Charles W. Howard, CALLAHEAD's President & CEO, to add to the long list of specialty designed restrooms to look amazing and add value to any location. The Rockaways, City Island, Long Beach, Manhattan Beach, Coney Island, Jones Beach, Brighton Beach, the Hamptons, Fire Island and Montauk are just a sample of where the KEY LIME RESTROOM is a popular rental.

And Steven notes the grand opening must be at a later date — all three latrines are padlocked...

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo from 3rd between B and C)... 

• NYPD: Suspect arrested in connection with the 2 recent shootings in Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday)

• Greenpoint hit Taqueria Ramírez is opening an East Village outpost (Thursday) 

• 1st sign this spring of the wisteria on Stuyvesant Street (and that townhouse is for sale!) (Tuesday) ... Walking on Stuyvesant Street in the rain (Sunday)

• Marking the 113th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire (Monday) 

• This non-fiction reading series in the East Village turns 10 on Monday (Wednesday) 

• A look inside Trader Joe's Pronto, now open on 14th Street in Union Square (Wednesday) 

• A journey into the COZMOS on 10th Street (Friday) 

• Good Friday on Avenue B (Saturday) 

• Remembering Tim Lomas (Saturday) 

• Checking in on the former mucky tree well on Avenue A (Tuesday) 

• 'Orson’s Shadow' at Theater for the New City (Wednesday) 

• Tribes of Morocco relocates to a larger storefront on 9th Street (Tuesday) 

• Coming soon to the East Village: No More Cafe, 'a haven for alcohol-free celebration' (Monday)

• Openings: The Commodore on Avenue C (Friday) ... Yummy Hive on 2nd Avenue (Monday) 

• Kolkata Chai Co. closed for renovations until April 1 on 3rd Street (Monday) 

• Spa treatment (Thursday)

• About a sustainable Salon No. 17 (Wednesday) 

• Signage alert: Utshob Restaurant on 1st Avenue (Thursday) 

• Art Gotham is the new tenant for the landmarked 4 St. Mark's Place (Monday) 

... annnnnnnnnnnnnd! (Background!)

... and a reader shares the tiniest tree that we may have ever seen discarded... on 14th Street this past week ...

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Marking the 113th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire

Today marks the 113th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.

As in past years, volunteers have participated in the chalking project (organized by Street Pictures), writing the names and ages of the victims — mostly young women —  in front of the buildings where they lived on the Lower East Side.

The reader photos are from St. Mark's Place (above) and 11th Street...

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City on March 25, 1911, was the largest industrial disaster in U.S. history ... causing the death of 146 garment workers who either died from the fire or by jumping from the factory windows.

The Triangle Waist Company was located on the northwest corner of Greene Street and Washington Place, just east of Washington Square Park. The Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition website has more details on the tragedy and its legacy.

Same gunman suspected in shooting today in Tompkins Square Park, police say

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Updated 3/26: Police made an arrest in the shooting.

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No injuries were reported after a gunman opened fire early this afternoon near the chess tables at the 7th and A entrance to Tompkins Square Park, police said

NYPD sources, who were not authorized to speak on the record, said there were five to seven shots fired, with a bullet penetrating a window above Niagara across the street.

Police said the suspect, described as a Black male wearing a ski mask and dark clothing, was the same shooter who fired shots that struck two innocent bystanders this past Saturday. "It's a beef," per a police source.

The suspect reportedly fled on a Citi Bike.   

"We're not going to stop until we get him," a police official told us. 

The official said that they were "confident in the direction this investigation is going. The detectives here are world-class and won't rest until the job's completed." 

"We already had increased patrol at the park, including when the shooting happened," the official said.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with some hoops at Sara D. Roosevelt Park via Stacie Joy) ...

• Two bystanders shot after a nearby argument escalated to gunfire in Tompkins Square Park (Saturday)

• 1 year after building fire, A&C Kitchen grandly reopens on Avenue C (Wednesday) 

• Housing lottery underway for units in this new building on 10th Street (Monday)

• The NYPL's archive of the legendary East Village Eye now available to the public (Tuesday) 

• 'Americans in Paris' at the new Grey Art Museum on Cooper Square (Friday) 

• Architectural sculpture digest: A look at some unique 'Houses and Hotels' at O’Flaherty's (Thursday)

• A familiar face returns to Key Food (Wednesday) 

• Coming attractions: The 'Kim's Video' documentary debuts at the Quad on April 5 (Thursday) 

• Full reveal at 14 Avenue C, where the team behind The Commodore is opening a new outpost (Monday)

• An update from G's Cheesesteaks, opening May 1 on Avenue B and Houston (Thursday) 

• This day on the Bowery in 2007 (Thursday) 

• Your faceless Charlie Brown mural update from 12th Street (Tuesday) 

• Boris & Horton reopens on Avenue A (Tuesday)

• Openings: Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao on St. Mark's Place (Tuesday) ... Not as Bitter brings the fresh fruit lattes to 10th Street (Tuesday) 

• PLNT Burger closes its Union Square outpost (Monday) 

• Meet Belvedere, the Russian tortoise (Thursday) 

• Perk Espresso & Coffee Bar closes on 14th Street (Monday)

• Goodbye Dolly (Monday) 

• Awash in debt, Body Shop shuts down operations (Tuesday) 

... and a post we didn't get around to posting this past week... Starlight Convenience coming to 110 Third Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street... (bring back the Variety Theater!)

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1 year after building fire, A&C Kitchen grandly reopens on Avenue C

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Great news for fans of A&C Kitchen — the longtime quick-serve and affordable Chinese restaurant reopened yesterday at 136 Avenue C after more than a year on the sidelines. (H/T Ryan John Lee for the first report.)

Mr. Li, who has owned the business for 30-plus years, was happy to see many returning customers...

It had been a rough 13 months here. 

On Feb. 27, 2023, a two-alarm fire broke out behind the building between Eighth Street and Ninth Street. Initial reports blamed a "lit object" discarded from a window down to the courtyard. 

The fire destroyed a ground-floor apartment. A&C Kitchen sustained some water damage — mostly in its basement. 

However, as we understand it, the gas was shut off as a precaution, and it took some time (and red-tape cutting) to get all the proper approvals in place ... and the various inspections.

We've mentioned this before: One of the original chefs from Dojo works here, and the menu includes such old favorites as the hijiki tofu burger. 

Find the restaurant's website here. For phone orders: (212) 677-8112. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• The owner of A&C Kitchen on Avenue C would like to reopen his business now

Restaurants can now apply to participate in NYC's new outdoor dining program

Workers removed the curbside dining structure outside the 

former Huertas space on 1st Avenue last week. Photo by adammash

A new era for the city's permanent outdoor dining program began yesterday.

And you may not noticed — yet. Yesterday marked the first day that food service establishments could start applying online to join the Dining Out NYC program. (Apply here.)

City officials released the new guidelines, "Dining Out NYC," early last month. As previously noted, the significant change is that enclosed, year-round roadway dining structures will no longer be permitted. The revised regulations stipulate that roadway cafes must now be open-air, easily portable, and simple to assemble and dismantle. Additionally, these establishments are restricted to operating only from April through November. 

According to city officials, if restaurants plan to offer diners open-air options, owners will have to remove their old outdoor dining setups and replace them by the summer. 

"We're getting outdoor dining right, getting sheds down, getting trash off our streets, and fundamentally changing what it feels like to be outside in New York City," Mayor Adams said in a statement yesterday announcing the new dining portal.

Per the city's release announcing "Dining Out NYC" ...

Final program rules include clear design requirements, siting criteria on where outdoor dining setups can be located in relation to other street features, like subway entrances, fire hydrants, and more, and the types of materials that can be used in outdoor setups. They also require that the setups preserve clear sidewalk paths and emergency roadway lanes — including water-filled, rat-resistant protective barriers for roadway setups — and use easily moveable furniture and coverings. Ultimately, the final rules will create a lighter-weight outdoor dining experience with lines of sight, as compared to the fully enclosed shacks of the temporary COVID-19-era program. 

This link has guidelines for roadway and sidewalk dining.

Meanwhile, last week, the city unveiled a prototype for a new style of outdoor dining structure. One of the test-pilot restaurants was Sunday to Sunday on Orchard Street.  

As for the existing structures that went up during the pandemic, per CBS 2: "Any restaurant participating in the temporary outdoor dining program that does not apply to join Dining Out NYC by the deadline will need to remove their structures after Aug. 3."

The city's first public e-bike charging site for delivery workers unveiled on Cooper Square

City officials yesterday: 

... activated the first of five public e-battery charging locations as part of the city's new six-month pilot program to test safe, public charging of lithium-ion batteries by an initial group of 100 delivery workers. The first charging site is located in Cooper Square ... and is a key component of the administration's overall “Charge Safe, Ride Safe: New York City's Electric Micromobility Action Plan" to support safe e-bike use and prevent deadly lithium-ion battery fires. New York City is among the first major cities in the United States to launch a public e-bike charging pilot program.

The Essex Market will also receive an e-bike charging station in the coming weeks. 

Per the Times:

During the pilot program, up to 100 delivery workers can volunteer to use the charging hubs for free and provide feedback to the city. The program will cost about $950,000 in city funding. Its results will inform the city’s efforts "to expand safe and affordable e-battery charging to all New Yorkers," city transportation officials said.

The new charging sites come amid ongoing concerns over fires sparked by lithium-ion batteries.

According to ABC 7 and other media outlets, 18 people died, and 150 people were injured in 268 fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in NYC last year. 

Last Friday, 27-year-old journalist Fazil Khan was killed and 22 others injured during a fire in a six-floor apartment building in Harlem. FDNY officials said the fire started in an apartment shared by six delivery workers charging lithium-ion batteries. 

Meanwhile, the Times pointed out that the city received "a $25 million federal grant last year to install 173 outdoor charging stations for e-bikes and other e-mobility devices at 53 of the city’s subsidized public housing complexes, but none have been built yet."

It will likely be months before you see any signs of these, The City reported.

And another angle brought up in Streetsblog's coverage:

When it comes to electric charging infrastructure for cars, DOT has been able to install 100 chargers at sidewalks in all five boroughs within 18 months, and the agency is eyeing tens of thousands more in the coming decade, Streetsblog reported. 

Nevertheless, the asked why it appeared to be easier for the agency to accommodate electric cars than e-bikes, DOT Commissioner Ydanis Commissioner contended it was not more challenging to set up the e-bike infrastructure.

Photos courtesy of the DOT

Tuesday morning in review

Photo from 9th and A by Steven 

Waking to a slushy snowfall this morning... as the entire NYC metropolitan area and northeast corridor remains under a Winter Storm Warning (the first in two years) until 6 p.m. 

Readers have reported gusty winds and sloppy sidewalks... though not close to the 4-8 inches forecast (yet).

Meanwhile, flames were spotted coming from a manhole on the southbound lane of Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street ... as the salty runoff caused some sparks here... the FDNY was quickly on the scene. 

Thanks to EVG reader Emma for this clip...

 

... and a shot with Con Ed and the FDNY via Derek Berg...

Updated 5 p.m. 

We've heard from several readers about the stubborn (and dramatic) manhole fire ... the FDNY (with Con Ed) eventually had to clear out part of (half of?) the open-air curbside space at Kazuza Lounge...