"Inexpensive eco-friendly" Italian restaurant coming to old Graceland space

The signs posted at the former Graceland space provide the details... eventually the owners will want a sidewalk cafe here...




And if you notice the address, it's 150 E. Second St., which also happens to be the address of Nicky's. I asked the folks at Nicky's if this meant they are moving. However, a family member said the restaurant is just for the Graceland space. The family member said they will find out in another four weeks if they keep the East Village Nicky's location. (They also have a shop in Boerum Hill and one coming to near City Hall...)

Meanwhile, the new Italian restaurant is one of many up for CB3/SLA review on June 14.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches leaving the East Village?

Nicky's staying in the East Village; Graceland moving out?

Lovely townhouse with bucolic gardens on East Third Street ready for "creative expansion"

There is an ivy-covered townhouse at 316 E. Third St. near Avenue D that looks lovely from the outside this time of year... And it just went on the market Tuesday for $3.995 million ...



Here's the listing:

This unique offering comprises 2 contiguous lots, 316 and 318 East 3rd Street, together forming an unusual L-shaped area that is 48' wide in the front, over 67' wide in the rear and 105' deep.

The existing structure is a 22.5' wide, 4 story brick townhouse circa 1900 with period details that requires renovation and is delivered vacant. The townhouse is surrounded on 3 sides by bucolic garden, open lawn and mature trees.

However bucolic... what are the chances that this space will be long for the neighborhood?




Check out the rest of the listing:

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. Located one block north of Houston in the vibrant Lower East Side, one block east of the famed Nuyorican Poets Café, in an area alive with restaurants, museums, specialty shops and nightlife.

All square footage and buildable potential should be independently verified by an architect.

Listing appears for Houston and Avenue D development

Back in January, the Lo-Down broke the story about a new development (with a roof deck! and $2,800 studios!) coming to Houston and Avenue D... They had a follow-up on the scoop in February, reporting:

The developer, whose name was not disclosed, intends to build on the corner of Houston and Avenue D. There would be 166 rental apartments, 34 of them affordable. This past Tuesday evening, CB3 accepted the committee’s recommendation to approve the deal, with 18 voting yes and 11 voting no.

Anyway, I stumbled upon the ground floor retail listing the other day at Robert K. Futterman & Associates (RKF) ...



Per the listing...:

approximate size
Ground Floor - 9,711 sf
Basement - 4,816 sf

rent
Upon request

frontage
120 feet on Avenue D
70 feet on East Houston Street

term
Long term

possession
Fourth Quarter 2011

neighboring tenants
Banco Popular, Capital One, Duane Reade, FedEx Office, Dunkin Donuts, Subway and Baskin-Robbins

comments
- Brand new 180-unit luxury residential rental building
- High ceilings
- Over 12,000 apartment units within a five-block radius
- In close proximity to Tompkins Square Park



Possession by the end of next year? Seems awfully ambitious, but OK... The "neighboring tenants" mostly seem to be the ones at Red Square or One Avenue B... obviously only chain stores could afford the asking prices for retail here... this will be a development that many people will continue to watch...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Avenue D's future

Blue tarp down! [Repeat] Blue tarp down!

Tuesday at the Mystery Lot!



Now!






At least now we'll all be able to enjoy the new tags... As a reader noted the other day:

The tarp was down (still there, but down) this morning.

I'm not sure it means anything. A year or two ago a plastic fence was put up behind the chain-link fence. It was eventually taken down and as far as I can tell nothing had happened.

I like that lot. It looks just awful when they put stuff up to block the view.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Mystery lot singing the blues?

Workers spotted at previously dormant 100 Third Ave.

I can't even recall the last time that I saw anyone working at 100 Third Ave. between 12th Street and 13th Street... until the other afternoon! Look! There's not one but two workers here!




Five stories are being added to the old four-floor tenement built in 1880. (A Fine Blog has more on the building's history here.)

Anyway, back in the fall, the city slapped a stop-work order here because... "BUILDING SHAKING/VIBRATING/STRUCT STABILITY AFFECTED."

Regardless, if you on a smoking break outside Bar None, then I'd consider standing elsewhere..

Previously on EV Grieve:
100 Third Avenue's lonely add-on

Saint's Alp Teahouse reopens on June 26

Saint's Alp Teahouse on Third Avenue at NYU closed on April 5 for renovations... as the sign out front shows, the joint reopens on June 26... and will now serve things like fish cakes, spicy noodles and peppery squid... because you can't really find food like this for at least one block...

123 Third Ave. shows its yellow belly

Still no sign of that "coming soon" sales office, though... 14th Street and Third Avenue.

A pizza empire grows on St. Mark's Place

On Monday, we pointed out that Totale Pizza (brick oven!) opened on St. Mark's Place just a few doors from the cheapza at 2 Bros ...



Well! Grub Street's Daniel Maurer has the details ... he reports that "the improbably elegant digs are the handiwork of Eli Halali, who owns 2 Bros. a couple of doors down with his brother." Read more here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Another pizza place for St. Mark's Place

The Bowery, 6:01 p.m., May 26

Rolling out the pink carpet for AOL's 25th anniversary bash at the Bowery Hotel.

Report: Man arrested for kidnapping, attempted rape after finding woman passed out on Avenue C

An awful story from today's NYPD Daily Blotter in the Post today:

A thug abducted a drunken, unconscious woman from an East Village street, brought her to his apartment and attempted to rape her, authorities said yesterday.

Cuerin Fernanders, 35, scooped the 27-year-old woman from the ground on East Ninth Street near Avenue C at about 1:30 a.m. Friday, cops said.

The victim was on her way home and blacked out after having drinks with a friend.

When she regained consciousness, she was in Fernanders' apartment, with her underwear removed and her wedding and engagements rings missing, she told police.

She fled and reported the incident, and Fernanders was busted for kidnapping, attempted rape and grand larceny.

Exclusive: First look at "The Smurfs Movie" in the East Village

Please meet the next corner of the Bowery primed for something luxurious

Yesterday, Eater broke the news that a new eatery is in the works at the former Sunshine Hotel Annex on the Bowery at Stanton Street...

Now... it looks as if yet another corner of the Bowery is ready to fall into the hands of luxury ... The space is available immediately at 348-352 Bowery, which is these three properties:



The killer here is the corner of Great Jones... home of the auto repair shop... this business has been doomed for years... just waiting for the day to be swallowed up in the wake of the Varvatos-DBGB-Bowery Hotel luxury invasion... the listing says this 800-square-feet of outdoor space is available... and that restaurants are welcome! But of course!



Some facts from the listing:

neighboring tenants
John Varvatos, Rogan Jeans, Whole Foods Market, DBGB, Gemma, Double Crown, Il Buco, Pulino's Bar & Pizzeria, and Five Points Restaurant

comments
- Nightlife corridor
- Unbeatable 24 hour/seven-day-a-week traffic
- In close proximity to The Bowery Hotel and The Cooper Square Hotel
- Located among some of downtown's best eateries
- Can be combined
- Restaurants welcome

Can we put this one into our McNally Effect folder too? And here's how it all might fit together...



Meanwhile, one of the properties for lease is the former sales office for Village Green, your favorite eco-indulgent condoplex on East 11th Street...Given the apparent success of Village Green... an off-site office may not be necessary...

On East Fifth Street: Blue Jay vs. Cat (Plus! Cute cat video alert!)

There are several signs posted along East Fifth Street between Cooper Square and Second Avenue... (You can click on the post for a better view...) ... about a nest of baby Blue Jays... they are in danger of falling, but that's OK. The instructions on the sign tell you what to do in the event you find a dazed Blue Jay on the street...



And there's more information about what's happening here via AnimalTourism.com:

"The eggs have hatched in the fire escape nest built by blue jays on Fifth Street ... but that hasn't stopped the blue jay father from obsessing over the cat who lives down the block."

I'll say!



And there's video!

Cooper Square Hotel finishes building fence that looks just as out of place as the hotel

As I noted yesterday, workers were fencing in the garden spot along East Fifth Street outside the Cooper Square Hotel... How many Popsicle sticks were used to make this?




However, as you can see, the Coopsters left a slot in the Popsicle sticks for any fancy car parties they may have this summer...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Residents discuss the problems created by the Cooper Square Hotel: Meanwhile, across the street, a party for a sports car

One brief moment outside the Crazy Landlord Building

Monday afternoon, I spotted someone hanging something or another on the Crazy Landlord Building at Third Street and Second Avenue...



Less than 24 hours later, the sign (I think it was a stenciled Arizona Immigration piece) had been removed by Crazy Landlord Street Art Cleaners...



Previously on EV Grieve:
"Crazy Landlord" cleans up his corner: Here comes a "sexier Balthazar"

Cafe Colonial says goodbye

BoweryBoogie brought the sad news that Cafe Colonial on Houston at Elizabeth was closing for good last evening... I stopped by just after 6 p.m. to see what was what... Cafe Colonial owner Luciane Gilan left a message behind on the mural...



...while the inside was already cleared out...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Cafe Colonial owner says Pulino's opening helped triple her rent

Future of 276 Elizabeth apparently doesn't include the Cafe Colonial

Shepard Fairey's mural tagged and cleaned and tagged again ... again

I can't even keep track of this anymore... the tags are cleaned off, only to return bigger and better...

Read the previous Shep coverage here.

Charlotte Ronson filming something on the Bowery today

Spotted just north of Houston.

The agony and the Ecstasy: A report from the EV Grieve Eau Claire Bureau

A story from May 13... though relevant given "The Smurfs Movie" is filming here now... and, well...

A 16-year-old boy was charged Wednesday in adult court in Clark County with four drug-related felonies, including selling Ecstasy in tablet form of cartoon characters Papa Smurf and Homer Simpson.

(Source: Eau Claire Leader-Telegram)

NYPD impounds President Hoover's car collection

At First Avenue and Seventh Street... For a film shoot, of course... but which one?