Apartment 13 concept returns for Avenue C space

[EVG file photo]

In October, a group headed by Paul Seres went before the CB3/SLA committee to discuss a new venture called Apartment 13 at 115 Avenue C between East Eighth Street and East Seventh Street. As we understand it, some neighbors opposed the plan, in part due to the presence of co-applicant Aleksandra Drozd of Ludlow Manor/DL (and The Delancey). The committee denied the plan, and the applicants withdrew before appearing before the full Community Board that month.

Apartment 13 returns to the docket for this Monday's CB3/SLA meeting. And, according to paperwork (PDF!) on file with CB3, this time around, only the name of Paul Seres, president of the New York Nightlife Association and a member of Community Board 4 (serving Chelsea), is listed as an applicant.

There are also more details. For instance, here is the dining concept:

All entrees at Apt 13 will be market driven and will be served in the same style as Korean barbeque. Every dish will be served with side dishes, appetizers, condiments, sauces, salads, and garnitures. Seasonally and locally driven. Family styled dinners. Meant to feel reminiscent of an intimate sit down dinner in our apartment. All dishes will change based on market availability. In following the theme and mission statement of apartment 13 we strive to not only support our local state Farms but also our neighborhood by featuring local artists and supporting local businesses.

The paperwork shows 36 tables seating 80 people... and one bar seating 12 people.

And the proposed hours are as follows:
Saturday — 11 a.m. - 4a.m.
Sunday — 11 a.m. - midnight
Monday — closed
Tuesday-Wednesday — 4 p.m. - midnight
Thursday-Friday — 4 p.m. - 2 a.m.

The committee meeting is Monday night at 6:30, JASA/Green Residence, 200 E. Fifth St. at the Bowery.

Previously.

Rawvolution has 'closed for renovations' on East 12th Street

Rawvolution, the raw vegan cafe/retail store on East 12th Street, has closed for renovations. The Santa Monica, Calif.-based store opened in August 2011 here just east of Avenue A.

Jill heard from an employee that the owners are in California ... and they are supposed to reopen Jan. 1.

Meanwhile... anyone ever try the place?

Previously.

Remembering the Second Avenue Baptist Tabernacle

Yesterday we posted that item on the 1920s marketing brochure for 166 Second Avenue... and our friend Pinhead reminded us about what was at the address before the luxury apartment building — the Second Avenue Baptist Tabernacle, which opened in 1850 ...

As Pinhead wrote at East Village Transitions, the church made way for the new building starting in 1928... (Oh, what the bloggers wrote then! Later, we'll pull a quote from Aristocratic Stuyvesant Grieve, aka AS Grieve.)

[Images via NYPL]

The church's former sanctuary is now the Urban Outfitters. Read the whole post here. (And take a look around while you're there! At East Village Transitions, not Urban Outfitters.)

So do you want to be a member of Community Board 3?

Anyone interested?

And I'm still upset that Chloe Sevigny never pursued it...

Tompkins Square Park memories starting to get heavy

Or else it was the wind... Or those kids. Photo late this afternoon by Bobby Williams.

Previously on EV Grieve:
What's your memory of Tompkins Square Park?

On this date in End of Prohibition history...

Via the John's of 12th Street Facebook page...

"Our famous candle at the back of John's of 12th Street was started on December 5, 1933 to celebrate the end of Prohibition!"

FAB Café is closing on East 4th Street; 'FAB Lab' on the way

[Via]

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Fourth Arts Block (FABnyc) announces the closure of FAB Café at 75 East 4th Street in Manhattan, New York. FABnyc will be holding a Closing Holiday Party, open to all 5-7 PM on December 14, 2012, the Café's last official day of service.

FABnyc plans to transform the café space into what will be called "FAB Lab." FAB Lab will function as a shared creative workplace and hub for community events and programs. Though forgoing its food service operations, FABnyc is excited about this transition, believing that it will better serve the neighborhood by providing new opportunities for creativity. FAB Lab is set to open in January 2013.

FABnyc originally decided to expand the scope of its non-profit community service by assuming the lease at 75 East 4th Street and opening the FAB Café in January of 2011. FABnyc broke a NYC record for opening a new café, from lease to health inspection, in under one month. The café was staffed and managed by artist-baristas who helped make the it a creative hub for the neighborhood.

FABnyc was also able to relocate the East Village Visitors Center, a collaboration with the Lower East Side History Project, to the space, creating a vibrant spot for tourists and locals alike to learn more about the neighborhood. The FAB Café & East Village Visitor Center has hosted a total of 11 art exhibitions since its opening, curated by Joyce Manalo and Keith Schweitzer.

After consulting with board and community members, FABnyc has determined that the FAB Café space will better serve by acting as a hub for artists, creatives, and local culture aficionados who desire to work and learn together. East Village Visitors Center is anticipated to continue operations out of 75 East 4th, however the structure and hours of EVVC are yet to be determined.

Closing Holiday Party:
December 14, 2012
5PM-7PM @ 75 East 4th St.

Previously.

[Updated] Today at Cooper Union: tuition protests continue

The Cooper Union tuition protests continues... there's a rally outside the Foundation Building...

And 11 students are still barricaded in an office suite on the 8th floor... students are sending them notes of support via these red balloons...

[Via @ChangeThruArt]

NOT JUST 11 STUDENTS. A wall full of solidarity notes sent up to the Peter Cooper Suite by balloon. #Solidarity twitter.com/FreeCooperUnio…

— Free Cooper Union (@FreeCooperUnion) December 5, 2012

And here's an update on what's happening via The Huffington Post.

Previously.

[Photos via Marjorie Ingall]

Updated 5:15 p.m.

Here are a few more photos from today via EVG regular peter radley ...

Checking in on the Memories of Tompkins Square Park poster

[Bobby Williams, from Monday night]

We noted yesterday the arrival of a poster board thingy in Tompkins Square Park... that asked people to share their Park memories. The sign survived another night remains up ... there are a few more sentiments...

...though some of the comments are getting rather ugly...

And thanks to everyone who left a favorite memory on our post...

Out and About in the East Village

In this weekly feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village.

By James Maher

Name: Karen
Occupation: Retired, Social Worker
Location: 10th Street and 1st Avenue
Time: 1:15pm on Monday, December 3

I’ve lived in Manhattan my whole life. I was born on 26th Street and I lived in Stuyvesant Town for most of the time, and I’ve been living in this neighborhood for 5 years. But I had relatives living on 7th Street since I was born, so I’ve always been around here. I would visit my grandmother and my aunt. That’s why I feel very connected to this area.

I’m retired now. I was a social worker for the Veterans hospital on 23rd Street. I worked there for 30 years and then I just felt like I had enough. It was a hard job but I was glad that I did it.

In the last several years, I worked in a program for women veterans. I totally changed what I did. That became a whole different thing because their needs weren’t being met by the hospital because the hospital was used to serving men. That was very different and a lot of the women had a lot of problems.

Unfortunately, the VA is closed right now because of the storm. They had very bad electrical damage and they don’t know when it’s going to open up. The veterans who depend on it have to go to the Brooklyn VA or other places.

During the 1970s and 1980s, it was a horror show around here. Unfortunately, a lot of the bad stuff is the stuff that stands out. Like, I still get creeped out whenever I go over to Tompkins Square Park. Even though it’s OK there now basically, I can’t psychologically, I just cringe when I walk near that Park, because it was so horrible. I remember these tents and burning garbage cans and all of these really awful, dangerous homeless people. Avenue A was my cutoff point; I wouldn’t walk further east. Avenue B, C, D — forget about it.

I had a boyfriend in college — both his front teeth were knocked out in Tompkins Square Park. I think it was just a night mugging and it didn’t even seem that shocking to me.

And then I had this other boyfriend who lived on the block where the Hells Angels lived, and he went into a supermarket. I’m not sure if it was a Key Food or an A&P, but he was attacked in the supermarket and he had to pick up a broom to defend himself in there. I think he went in there to steal tuna fish.

My favorite place right now is this little dive — it’s just a counter and there no tables. It’s called Stage [Restaurant] and it’s next to that "Stomp" show. I love that place. I get their beef goulash; and their potato pancakes; and pierogies; and blintzes; and soups; and meatloaf; just about everything that I’ve had there is really good. You can go and spend 12 bucks for a full meal and the guys are so nice.

James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.

Marketing 166 Second Avenue in the 1920s: 'a desirable location for the modern home'

On Monday, Curbed had a post titled "19 Vintage New York City Real Estate Ads and Photos." This reminded me of the following item that I found at Columbia University's New York Real Estate Brochure Collection. (I have more brochures from around here if you're interested.)

It's a marketing brochure for 166 Second Avenue between East 10th Street and East 11th Street ... it isn't dated, but I'd put it around the mid-to-late 1920s.

Here's how Warren Hall was being marketed...

Location: "In the heart of the old aristocratic Stuyvesant and Astor Place section, a new and distinctive residential neighborhood is rapidly spring up. This district, so rich in City tradition, is once more coming into prominence as a desirable location for the modern home."

Sounds nice. But what about the traffic?

"The congested state of New York's transportation will never become a menace to residents of WARREN HALL. Within two blocks is the Astor Place Place station of the Fourth Avenue Subway, the 9th Street station of the Third Avenue Elevated and any number of surface lines leading in all directions."

[Click image to enlarge]

And all this cost a fortune for the times, really. Look at the rent.

[Click image to enlarge]

The least-expensive apartment was the two-room home on the third floor for $700 (assuming this was monthly, right?). The top-of-the-line penthouse home ("designed in the form of country bungalows, yet have all the city conveniences") went for $2,600.

Interestingly, the brochure notes that "the building will be completed in October, 1929" — right in time for the Stock Market Crash! Wonder how that hurt the move-in rate.

166 Second Avenue isn't called Warren Hall anymore... still a fine home. Here's a description of the building on Streeteasy ... interesting to see how it is being marketed circa 2009 (pre Nicoletta!) or so:

This is a dangerous location for food lovers! Blackhound bakery is right downstairs and the famous Veselka Polish diner is one block away. You can sit out front and enjoy your iced coffee at Dunkin Donuts before heading across the street to take advantage of the twice weekly farmers market.

The four active listings range in price between $2,700 to $8,400.

Benefit for Occupy Sandy Saturday at Sidewalk

Via the EVG inbox...

BoysLikeBarbies and MERMAIDFARM Media Arts present I HEART HURRICANE RELIEF, a benefit for Occupy Sandy at the Sidewalk Cafe.

Music, poetry, comedy, plus live auctions and raffles to support those in the process of recovering from Hurricane Sandy. $10 suggested donation. 5:30 p.m. — midnight.

Jeffrey Lewis
Victor Varnado
Debe Dalton
John F. O'Donnell
Madison Cano
Jessica Delfino
Bernard King Presents
Myka Fox
Bridget and the Squares
The DeLorean Sisters
Tim Shea
Peter Loureiro
Sean T. Hanratty and the Mighty Mighty

Hosted by A Brief View of the Hudson

ON THE AUCTION BLOCK:
- Vintage jewelry and accessories from Dusty Buttons
- A Photograph from rock and roll photographer Jonnie Miles
- A gift certificate to Mark Garrison Salon
- 2 $25 bar tabs at the Sidewalk Cafe
- A Bridget and the Squares shwag bag
- A $50 bar tab at Sophie's Bar
- A $50 bar tab at Mona's Bar
- A $50 bar tab at Josie's Bar
- A complimentary massage from Jessica Laine Trugman Massage

IN ADDITION to monetary relief, we are asking all in attendance to please go take a look at the Occupy Sandy website, and are encouraging all to bring any supplies they are currently requesting to the event. They have expressed a dire need for volunteers, especially on the weekends, and team leaders and organizers who can commit for extended periods of time. A representative from the Occupy Sandy group will be there accepting donations and have information for the ways in which you can help!

There's also a Facebook page with more information here.

Cooper Union update

Students for a Free Cooper Union have been in the Peter Cooper Suite for >28 hours. Candlelight vigil on the ground: twitter.com/FreeCooperUnio…

— Free Cooper Union (@FreeCooperUnion) December 5, 2012

Here's an update on this situation this evening via WNYC.


Previously.

Get your Lucky Beggar Wallet!

[Image via Curbed]

Uh-oh.

Per Jezebel this afternoon:

Ah, yes, the "iconic," "quirky" poverty of the New York City streets! Imagine having a wallet that conjures all the romance of sleeping on sidewalks in a city where an unprecedented number of people are now without a roof over their heads.

H/T Curbed.