Soho Billiards eyeing move to Red Square

When we saw the following item on this month's CB3/SLA docket — NYC Billiards Club Inc, 250 E Houston St (op) — we didn't realize that this was the former Soho Billiards. The 22-year-old pool hall closed late last fall, as we first reported.

In any event, documents on file ahead of Monday's committee meeting show that the ownership is the same... and they are looking at taking over space in the Shoppes at Red Square between Avenue A and Avenue B. (It would be the space that Sleepy's used before they moved into the Blockbuster location.)

The new location would have hours of 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday; to 4 a.m. on Friday Saturdays, documents show. There would be one 10-foot bar (no food) with a total occupancy of 74 people.

As far as we can remember, there was a pool hall along here before the Blockbuster...

Muji opening on Cooper Square this April 12

As you may have heard, a Muji store — its fourth in Manhattan — is opening on Cooper Square ...

Workers told Bill the libertarian anarchist that the Japanese import, which sells various home goods and clothing and stuff, will indeed open here at 54 Cooper Square on April 12...

...and an interior shot from Friday via Muji's Facebook page...

[Updated] Here is your new Community Board 3

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer today proudly announced the appointment of 76 new members to Manhattan’s 12 Community Boards. This year’s appointees continue the trend of increased diversity among board members and include small business owners, including those recovering from Hurricane Sandy, NYCHA residents, clergy members, parent leaders and a fifth generation New Yorker. A full list of appointees can be found here.

Here's the rundown for our own CB3...



...if we can count, there are 8 new members, whose names are in bold in the list below...



The Lo-Down has more information about the 8 new members here.

The Lo-Down notes that one of the new CB3 members is Teresa Pedroza, the grandmother of Dashane Santana, the 12 year old who was killed while crossing Delancey Street last year. She was successful in calling on new safety measures for this notoriously dangerous stretch of Delancey.

[Photo of Teresa Pedroza from last May by Shawn Chittle]

Here is the Anthology Film Archives as the 27th Precinct

The exterior is converted to film a scene for the TV pilot "Ironside," as noted earlier today...

[Thanks to EVG Facebook friend Maud Dinand for the photo]

Nobu chef Toshio Tomita opening Cagen on East 9th Street

A tipster told us last month that a 15-year-alum of Nobu plans to take over the former Kajitsu space on East Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue. (Kajitsu moved to East 39th Street.)

Nobu chef Toshio Tomita will open Cagen on East Ninth Street, according to CB3 documents. (PDF) The space will house 10 tables, seating 33 people, and will serve dinner from 5:30-11:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturdays.

The documents on the CB3 website include menus... showing two full meals — one for $85 and one for $120...





Cagen reps will be applying for a beer-wine license at next Monday's CB3/SLA meeting. The 9th Street A-1 Block Association has entered into a "memorandum of understanding" with the applicant.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Claim: Nobu alum taking over Kajitsu space on East Ninth Street

Here's Jupiter 21, now in orbit around Second Avenue and East First Street

This past week the remaining scaffolding and construction netting came down at Jupiter 21, the apartment-retail complex at Second Avenue and East First Street... so now you have a really good idea of what it looks like, save the street-level plywood...





Per the J21 press materials:

The building will ultimately have 65 units: 13 affordable condos, 52 market-rate studio through two-bedroom rentals, and two commercial condos. Nine of those affordable condos "have been reserved for the tenants of the original buildings displaced by the new construction" ...

And a look behind the plywood... where there will be a fucking bank ... and maybe a Mars Bar 2.0?



Anyway, here is the rendering. How did they do?

Previously on EV Grieve:

What's next for the now-former Bar 82 space on Second Avenue

As we first reported on March 22, Bar 82 was shutting down at the end of the month ... We never did hear any official word why the neighborhood spot on Second Avenue near St. Mark's Place was closing...

Last night was the bar's grand finale ... Meanwhile, a tipster hears that the landlord does not want another bar or restaurant in the space... and is looking for "dry goods" as the basis for a new tenant.

Per the tipster: "So, Duane Reade? Chase? We could use a Chase on this block ..."

ABC Animal Hospital makes move to Avenue A

Last Thursday, ABC Animal Hospital on East 14th Street began the move to its new home at 200 Avenue A (the former Superdive!).

Per the signs out front....



And here's their message online:

Our new space is still under construction, but our pharmacy and store for food purchases will continue to operate in the basement of our new space. We expect to start seeing appointments as usual by April 16th. If you need assistance after Wednesday March 27th we can still provide basic treatments in our new space, can provide advice over the phone, or will refer you to another veterinarian.

Please excuse our appearance at the new location as we work towards building a beautiful space for you and your pets.

Thank you all for your patience and continued support.

Dr. Tufaro and staff,
ABC Animal Hospital

200 Ave A, Ground floor and basement
NY, NY, 10009
(212) 358 0785

The hospital is one of the many businesses on East 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B to either relocate or close. As we first reported in December, eight parcels consisting of 222 Avenue A and 504 - 530 E. 14th St. were leased for a 99-year period for some yet-unspecified project.

Previously on EV Grieve:
East 14th Street exodus continues

Anthology Film Archives becoming the 27th Precinct — for the 'Ironside' TV pilot

EVG reader Marjorie Ingall notes that crews will be in the neighborhood today filming part of the pilot for an "Ironside" remake with Blair Underwood in the Raymond Burr role ... as the police detective in a wheelchair...

(Side note: Don't fuck with "Ironside"!)



Apparently the show will be set in NYC and not San Francisco like the original... as part of the shoot, the exterior of the great Anthology Film Archives on Second Avenue and East Second Street will be transformed into "the 27th Precinct," according to one of the crew members...

Lordy, this all sounds so April Fool's Dayish. It is not.

Anyway, here's the show's opening credits ... from 1967...

[Updated] Reader report: biscuits and jams for former Habibi Lounge space on Avenue A

[First, I assure you that this is not an April Fool's gag...] Reliable sources tell us that the former Habibi Lounge space on Avenue A near East 12th Street .. will soon be home to a ... 24-hour biscuits-and-jams place. (Possibly English or Scottish?) And no liquor license.

We just heard from the folks at Empire Biscuit, which is what the space will be called.

"Just wanted to let you know that we'll be serving Southern-style biscuits and biscuit sandwiches 24/7 beginning (hopefully) early this summer. We will not be serving the Scottish cookie. (It's an honest mistake. Enough people have been misdirected by our name that we might find a recipe and bang out a batch of Empire Biscuits now and then.) It's true that we will not be serving alcohol."

Updated 3:30
DNAinfo posted a piece with the Empire Biscuit crew this afternoon... noting that the owners, Yonadav Tsuna, 22, and Jonathan Price, 33, met in 2009 while working as waiters at Bouley in Tribeca.

Previously on EV Grieve:
'No bar/restaurant' for former Habibi Lounge space

Under the Williamsburg Bridge: Bloomberg's robot army or bike-share docking stations?

Oh, it's a photo of the docking stations for the city's bike-share program... stored for now under the Williamsburg Bridge before hitting the streets this spring ... The photo is from Saturday night via @finitor, who really wanted these to be Bloomberg's secret robot army.

Meanwhile, the photo reminded @lehrblogger of a scene from a movie ...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Here are your East Village bike share locations, probably

Report: Citi Bike share back on track for a May debut, probably definitely

The East Village is in the 1st rollout phase of the bike-share program this May, probably for sure

Breaking! (Sort of!): Here come the bike-share docking stations

First sign of Wafels & Dinges on Avenue B

As we've been reporting, Wafels & Dinges is opening its first café based on the same concept as the popular food trucks in circulation around the city .... here on Avenue B and East Second Street... as you can see in the photo, there's a bit of a teaser up on the windows: "The dinges are coming."

W&D founder Thomas DeGeest, an East Village resident, told us back in January that the store was "progressing at turtle speed" and he was eyeing a spring opening date.

He also noted that it "will be as much a good coffee place as a waffle and ice cream place."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Is Wafels & Dinges opening a café on Second Street and Avenue B?

Wafels & Dinges hoping for a spring opening on Avenue B

Welcome to the neighborhood, Papaya King!

Coming very soon to St. Mark's Place near Third Avenue... where the plywood came down last week...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Papaya King coming to St. Mark's Place

This is the line to get into Wylie Dufresne's new restaurant Alder on Saturday

As you may have heard, noted LES chef Wylie Dufresne opened a new restaurant last Thursday called Alder on Second Avenue near East 10th Street.

Apparently it is popular.

@davidsokol passed along the above photo late Saturday afternoon... showing a line forming before the doors opened at 6. (Per the Alder website, the 56-seat restaurant does not accept reservations.)

In an opening preview last week in the Times, Florence Fabricant noted that Alder, "a complement to WD-50," serves "inventive twists on classics."

Such as!

The rye pasta includes pastrami, so with mustard sauce and pickles you have a homage to the pastrami on rye at the Second Avenue Deli, which used to be across the street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Wylie Dufresne bringing fancy cocktails for foodies