The 'for rent' signs have arrived on the corner of 14th Street and Avenue A

Spotted yesterday on the sidewalk shed...

A three-alarm fire wiped out the corner on May 12, 2010... taking with it neighborhood favorites Stuyvesant Grocery and Pete's-a-Pizza ...

[EV Grieve reader Sergey]

The corner has sat vacant since crews stripped the place clean several months after the fire... the owners of both businesses had said that they wanted to reopen here ...

[February 2011]

Conspiracy theories abound for this corner ripe for development. The usual suspects such as NYU have already been eliminated. (Via The Villager.)

The number is for Solil Management/Sol Goldman Investments. We didn't find any details about terms of the rentals, space available, air rights, etc.

Thoughts on what type of development will eventually land here?

Previously on EV Grieve:
Conspiracies: What next for 14th Street and Avenue A?

Renovations in order for Stuyvesant Grocery and Pete's-A-Place?

Penthouse striptease at 219 First Avenue

Seems as if the northwest corner of First Avenue at 13th Street has been boarded up/under construction since, say, 2005... the ground floor here once housed the Mee Noodle Shop, a favorite spot for Allen Ginsburg...

[A shot from 2007 via Flickr]

...and in 2009...



Yesterday, workers unwrapped the top levels of the former four-floor building...

...and by the end of the work day...

According to the retail listing... you can take possession of the ground-floor space in March....

We haven't found any information just yet on the housing portion of the building, and whether it will be condos or rentals. The DOB lists Joshua Landau of Integrated Capital as the building's owner.

Previously on EV Grieve:
219 First Avenue ready for a chain store, probably

Banned Bronx billboard on the Bowery

Well, it's not the same billboard here above the the Downtown Auto & Tire Center at Great Jones ... it's just the same ad for Wódka Vodka that angered Bronx community leaders after the billboard arrived over the Bruckner Expressway leading to Hunts Point, "an area still battling an image as a place to buy sex," as the Daily News reported.

After speaking with the local Community Board, the marketing company removed it last week. Per the marketing guy: "We wanted to help them out. We're going to get rid of the billboard and take it down, and we applaud them for what they're doing in their community."

Hmm.

Anyway, BoweryBoogie notes all this today ... and he has his own take. Meanwhile, we will be petitioning to have that "Rock Center with Brian Williams" ad below it removed ... We'll think of a reason why.

2 reasons to try Hot Kitchen, probably

Dave on 7th passes along this sign that he spotted on Seventh Street and Second Avenue... We're unsure if this is supposed to be for or against Hot Kitchen, the Sichuan restaurant that opened last September on Second Avenue near Sixth Street.

In the end, we think this is supposed to be for the place, because their chef doesn't cook and smoke at the same time... and the delivery people don't nibble on your food...

Regardless, Hot Kitchen is a good spot that we like ... and they also like it at New York magazine and the Voice... the NYC Food Guy ...

NY Healthy Choice opening on Avenue C

Signs have appeared at the under-renovation storefront on the southwest corner of Avenue C at 11th Street...

... a deli called NY Healthy Choice...

[Bobby Williams]

The last tenant, the Monk Thrift Shop, closed in December 2010. At the time, neighbors heard that a bank branch would open here.

Noted

Per a commenter:

Don't forget National Pancake Day for free pancakes at IHOP [today] Since beginning its National Pancake Day celebration in 2006, IHOP has raised nearly $8 million to support charities in the communities in which it operates. On February 28, 2012, guests from around the country are invited to celebrate National Pancake Day at IHOP and enjoy a free short stack of Buttermilk pancakes.* In return for the free pancakes, guests are asked to consider leaving a donation for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals© and other designated local charities.

Ninjasonik video shoot in Tompkins Square Park this afternoon

Brooklyn's Reverend McFly and Telli Gramz of Ninjasonik (plus guests) were in the Park today for a video shoot... Bobby Williams took a few photos...

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition

[The next morning on East 13th Street]

Gunfire and a police chase last night at the Baruch Houses (The Lo-Down ... WABC)

A 1990 map of NYU in the East Village (Ephemeral New York)

Ninth Avenue's Manganaro Grosseria closes after 119 years in business (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

David Godlis on photographing Television in the East Village (Stupefaction ... Diary of a Lunatic Photographer)

Jazz funeral for owner of 20 Peacocks (BoweryBoogie)

71 Clinton St. has been a lot of restaurants lately (Eater)

About skinny jeans (Gizmodo)

Cindy Sherman at MoMa (Gothamist)

Snack van catches fire on East Second Street

Dave on 7th is one the scene here between Avenue A and Avenue B...

No cause yet for the blaze, which broke out a block from the firehouse...

Union Market progress report

[This past weekend]

On Feb. 4, 2011, we first reported that the Brooklyn-based Union Market was opening an outpost on Avenue A and Houston... The official news release and signage pointed to a fall 2011 opening...

[Feb. 5, 2011]

Several nearby residents said that they haven't seen much construction action at the space in recent months... Here's how it looked inside last month...

We didn't hear back from anyone at Union Market about a possible opening date ... However, we did spot this tweet from Feb. 16:

@unionmarket
@yusophie Looks like a mid-April opening now. Construction challenges still taking time their time to resolve. We can't wait!

Previously on EV Grieve:
About Union Market coming to Avenue A and Houston

Looking at the Key Food renovations

Speaking of markets and groceries... A lot of people have been pointing out the ongoing renovations at Key Food on Avenue A and East Fourth Street... figured it was time to document some of the changes... First, with the entrance, which is just to the right of the old one... it's a more straightforward entry...

...the old entrance is semi-blocked off for the moment... (What will happen to the community bulletin board?)

...aside from the front entrance, the most visible work has been done near the beer selection...

...where workers are expanding the space...

...which still smells like dead vampires.

Thanks to Goggla for getting the scoop from a cashier recently... From the comments the other day:

"... she said the entrance wasn't very accessible to wheelchairs. With the growing elderly population across the street, they may be trying to make it easier for people with walkers to get in. The checker said the old entrance also made it to easy to steal stuff. A few years ago, as a junkie convulsed and went down in an aisle (taking out an entire shelf of cleaning supplies), the paramedics struggled to get a gurney through the checkstand. That could also be an explanation."

Key also moved the self-serve checkouts away from the doorway. Funny how people react when you start taking photos of cash registers and stuff. So, no photos of these for the moment...

A little love for Odessa

Odessa on Avenue A got a little love in the Post yesterday ... in the weekly "My New York" feature. Actor Paul Dano (best known for "There Will Be Blood" and "Little Miss Sunshine") singled out Odessa as well as Blue & Gold and Big Bar as some of his favorite places...

And we'll do the same... we're fans of the Odessa, particularly drinks at the old Cafe... seen here in two photos by Michael Sean Edwards...

Curly's Vegetarian Lunch is now 14 Carrot Vegetarian

Over on East 14th Street, Curly's Vegetarian Lunch is now 14 Carrot Vegetarian, per this photo and tweet via @SamStorer ... Turns out that Dave and Jean, who ran the place the past six-plus years, moved on at the end of 2011. From the Curly's website, "[T]he new leases terms proved just too much for a little vegetarian place..."

Here's their letter...

[Click on image to enlarge]

However, the Curly's folks are still serving vegetarian fare up the street at Hotel Tortuga.

We don't know too much about the new management at 14 Carrot. Sam says the vegan pancakes are still quite good. Meanwhile, the three Yelp reviews have been fairly brutal.

What East Village coffee bar/cafe is for sale?

This Craigslist ad popped up yesterday morning:

East Village Coffee Bar/Cafe for Sale << - $159,000 (Manhattan) Attractive and cozy cafe located in East Village for sale. Approx. 750 sq. ft. of attractive space plus a full basement. Newly built out in 2008, including all new electrical, plumbing. custom windows, A/C, security and audio systems. Lots of fridge/freezer/display units, electric stovetop, dual espresso machine, panini grill and much more.

There's a number to call for a business consultant... but no mention of what space is for sale. Any thoughts?