East Village Shoe Repair has closed

Back in February, we heard that the custom-shoe specialists at East Village Shoe Repair at 1 St. Mark's Place would be closing… unable to continue to make it work here. However, not only did they remain open, but owners Boris Zuborev and Eugene Finkelberg also had the 100-square-foot space renovated.

And that was that… until several tipsters on the block passed along word that the shop closed for good this past Friday. (One tipster said that the marshal was on the scene to seize the store.)

This weekend, a small handwritten note, since removed, said that the store was closed, and there was a number for people to call to arrange pick up of their shoes.

Here's a post from April 2010 on Style Bubble notes:

" ...characters like Boris and Eugene are diminishing in cities... that encounters in grimy holes where they gesture to their faded albums with shoe polish fingers are few and far between... I maybe over-romanticising but I did feel ever so slightly enrichened by a visit to this particular shoe repair joint..."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader report: Will a rent hike force out East Village Shoe Repair on St. Mark's Place?

Rustico is now open on First Avenue

Rustico is now open at 135 First Ave. near St. Mark's Place. We don't know too much about the place, other than that they specialize in crêpes and serve Italian coffee (per the chalkboard sign out front).

The address was previously home to Iconic Hand Rolls, which closed in April after 10 months in business.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Crêpes for First Avenue?

Plans for luxury housing with a gym and penthouse filed for part of the Children’s Magical Garden

[Photo from May via MoRUS]

Developer Serge Hoyda has filed plans for a six-story, six-unit residential building on part of the Children’s Magical Garden on Norfolk and Stanton streets, according to a report today at BuzzBuzzHome.

Citing security and safety concerns, workers erected a fence on part of the property in May that Hoyda owns, much to the dismay of residents, community activists and local poltiticians, who wanted to maintain the entire space as a community garden.

In late June, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development transferred ownership of the remaining sections of the garden to the Parks Department to protect the parcel as park space. (Read more about this at DNAinfo.)

Per DNAinfo from June 27: Community gardeners hoped "to convince Hoyda to give up his part of the lot or participate in a land swap in which the city would give Hoyda another block of land in exchange for the full Children's Magical Garden."

According to the proposed work plans, the new building will measure 7,242 square feet and include a gym and a penthouse.

Hoyda purchased the lot in 2003.

H/T Curbed. Find more background on the Children's Magical Garden at the Lo-Down and BoweryBoogie.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Updated: Children’s Magical Garden under siege on the Lower East Side

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[Michael Sean Edwards]

Meet Sprinkles, the firehouse snake of East 2nd Street (DNAinfo)

Three centuries, three views of East 14th Street (Ephemeral New York)

The Keith Haring mural at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Center on West 13th Street (Dangerous Minds)

Sting and others at La MaMa's annual benefit (The Wall Street Journal)

A call to tame SantaCon (BoweryBoogie)

Sampling Otto's Tacos on Second Avenue (Eater)

"Everybody Street," a new documentary on street photography (Flaming Pablum)

Revisiting Chantal Akerman's "News from Home" from 1977 (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Teen mugshots from 100 years ago (Bowery Boys)

An end to the knish shortage? (Eater)

More proposals for the former Domino Sugary Factory (Curbed)

... and, mysteriously enough, perhaps, a dead chicken in a box on East Fourth Street...


[ Derek Berg]

Is this the new home for the St. Mark's Bookshop?

Last Thursday, Publishers Weekly reported that St. Mark's Bookshop had found a new retail space "in the East Village in a space near Avenue A and Third Street." The article didn't mention where, exactly, the rent-challenged new store will be.

According to the article, the shop will leave its Third Avenue home and its Cooper Union landlord for a space that "would be about half of the store's current size, or 1,300 sq. ft."

So where exactly is this relocation going to happen? We understand that the owners aren't ready to divulge the details. Readers made some guesses on Friday.

The most practical space is 136 E. Third St., where Landmark Bicycles was housed before moving to the northwest corner of East Third and Avenue A.

The NYCHA is the landlord at No. 136. Here is a description of the space:

136 East 3rd Street
Rentable Square Footage: 1,328
Rent: $60.00 per square foot
$79,680 per year/$6,640.00 per month

The square footage is right. And the space is ready for a new tenant. The NYCHA notes that an application is in process for the space.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: St. Mark's Bookshop prepping fundraiser ahead of possible move to Avenue A

The Space at Tompkins looking for some help with its Thanksgiving meal

Starting today, The Space at Tompkins will have use of the storefront at 75 E. Fourth St. this week for an array of events.

From Kathryn Villaverde, director of community relations at The Space at Tompkins:

This means we will have the special opportunity to host a Thanksgiving Dinner for our participants. We are fortunate to have a generous donor sponsoring the meal. However, we do not have the proper tools to keep the food warm throughout the afternoon. If someone you know has food warming supplies (e.g. sterno hot box, hot plates, food wells, heated shelves) that they can lend us for the day, it would be so greatly appreciated!

If so, then you may email her here.

Here's the Space at Tompkins Facebook events page with details about other workshops and readings at the pop-up space this week.

The Space at Tompkins is a harm reduction organization providing aid and support to the transient homeless community.

Demolishing 100 Avenue A

We noticed a few workers on top of 98-100 Avenue A on Friday… they were jackhammering away...



And a rooftop view...


[Photo by Paul Dougherty]

The former movie theater/grocery is coming down to make way for Ben Shaoul's retail-residential complex here between East Sixth Street and East Seventh Street. The rendering posted on the plywood shows a new building looking like this...



A retail listing that we posted in May stated that the building will contain 40 residential units.

Also on the plywood outside 98-100 Avenue A…



Previously on EV Grieve:
A little bit of Hollywood on Avenue A

East Village Farms is closing; renovations coming to 100 Avenue A

Inside the abandoned theater at East Village Farms on Avenue A

Reader reports: Village Farms closing Jan. 31; building will be demolished

Asbestos abatement continues at 98 Avenue A, Ben Shaoul's latest East Village trophy

Half reveal at 84 Third Ave.

The construction netting is off the East 12th Street side of the new residential complex at 84 Third Ave.



And the rendering for a comparison…

Former Max space now for rent on Avenue B

Max, the reliable Italian restaurant on Avenue B near East Fourth Street, served its last meal here this past New Year's Eve after 12 years. Not much activity here these past 11 months … until "for rent" signs finally arrived late last week.



The listing doesn't appear to be online just yet at Jalca & Associates. The Max outpost in Tribeca remains open.

Casa Gusto closes on Avenue A

We recently noticed the Casa Gusto, the relatively new gelato shop at 199 Avenue A near East 12th Street, was closed. We thought maybe it was a seasonal thing. Not so. The space is for rent. Casa Gusto didn't seem to last too long. They just opened at the beginning of the year, taking the storefront of the former Milo Printing.

Today's hawks

There's some concern that this hawk has a broken or cracked beak… hard to say...





Top 3 photos by Bobby Williams

-----

And Goggla shared these with us… "This hawk was clearing the Avenue A playground of rats and mice today as the children played in the background. I lost track of how many it caught, but it downed a mouse in one gulp."

Week in Grieview

[At the Blue & Gold]

A fundraiser and a move for St. Mark's Bookshop (Friday)

Buy a CBGB T-shirt to help the family of Cesar, who was killed riding home from work at Stromboli Pizza (Monday)

Twitter coming to 51 Astor Place? (Tuesday)

Rocket watch over the East Village! (Wednesday)

Chico's 9/11 tribute mural reappears on Avenue A (Tuesday)

Flashback: The Rolling Stones on St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

Black Ant coming to Second Avenue (Friday)

Vella Market space for rent (Monday)

Police arrest Mellow Yellow for being too loud on his bike (Tuesday)

A welcome sign for Mee Noodle Shop (Monday)

About Dirt Candy's move to Allen Street (Tuesday)

More renovations for Pride and Joy (Tuesday)

Out and About with Manuel (Wednesday)

Banjara on the move (Monday)

The former rectory with "condo finishes" (Thursday)

Empire Biscuit (Monday, 85 comments)

Top cop's SantaCon endorsement: 'It's what makes New York, New York'

[Photo from 2012 by A. Sasaki]

At a time when it seems like a lot of people are rallying against SantaCon, the annual event received a thumbs up from Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

"This is an event we support. It's what makes New York, New York. There has been some rowdy activity by a small handful of people," Kelly said.

This reminds me of that scene from "Jaws," where Mayor Vaughn says to a reporter, "I'm pleased and happy to repeat the news that we have, in fact, caught and killed a large predator that supposedly injured some bathers."

Anyway! Is SantaCon, which happens this year on Dec. 14, really what makes "New York, New York"?

Meanwhile, here's a SantaCon report from Friday evening on WABC.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Some Midtown bars will now ban drunken SantaCon revelers (52 comments)

How was your SantaCon?

A few scenes from SantaCon 2012: Scourge of the city or good time had by all?

The hardy flowers of Tompkins Square Park

Several EVG readers have pointed out that, despite the time of year and temperatures, some flowers are still in bloom in Tompkins Square Park…









[Bottom three photos by Bobby Williams]

Avenue A and Tompkins Square Park earlier this morning

Reader report: Film crew makes woman in walker use sidewalk on other side of East 10th St.

There are some annoyed residents along East 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B this morning… While residents mostly try to be accommodating to the endless film shoots around the neighborhood, Jose Garcia notes this small crew crossed a line this morning.

"These clowns, who could not or would not say whether they have a permit, made the woman pictured WHO IS USING A WALKER, cross the street so they wouldn’t have to interrupt their precious work. They also asked the parks people to stop raking."

"We were not as polite as we normally might have been once they harassed the woman WHO IS USING A WALKER and bullied her into crossing the street. Happy Saturday everyone!"

Updated 12:15
Apparently the crew is filming a scene for a movie called "Little Galicia."

A resident on this block was told that the crew was from "Little Galicia." This is NOT true. The locations manager wrote in to say that they had proper permits from the Mayor's Office of Film Theater and Broadcasting, "and would NEVER allow our crew to stop an elderly woman from crossing the street during filming." They were shooting at 253 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and 1st Avenue on Friday.

Today in marriage proposals

A reader spotted this on Avenue C and East 12th Street…

Previously on EV Grieve:
A marriage proposal by mural on Second Street (and she said yes)

Going to the mural and we're gonna get married

Marriage mural on East Second Street rankles neighborhood activist

A week in the life of the Cooktop Sidewalk Garden on St. Mark's Place

It was, of course, the story the captivated the city this past week. It started after someone discarded cooktops on the sidewalk along St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. Then that one guy you always see on St. Mark's Place put them to good use.

The rest is, of course, Cooktop Sidewalk Garden history.

Monday!



Tuesday!



Wednesday!





Thursday!





Friday!



Today! [sob]



It was also a week in which we learned that not many people know, exactly, what a cooktop is.



So. Worst sidewalk garden branding ever then?

Taking this disk for a drive on the 6 train

Yesterday, while waiting for the downtown 6 at Astor Place, EVG contributor Derek Berg talked with this gentleman holding the giant disk… he is a veteran computer guy who was transporting this hard disk (the IBM 2302?) from the late 1960s to his new office…



Perhaps this held the battle plans for 51 Astor Place?

'Til death do us part

Video posted last month from Savages … with "Husbands."

Donostia opens tomorrow on Avenue B

The tapas bar/cafe opens tomorrow morning at 155 Avenue B at East 10th Street, per the signs on the gate. We don't honestly know much about the place other than what was on their application for a beer-wine license back in May.

• Listed food: "Spanish tapas, sandwiches, salads, meats, cheeses, etc."

• "The principal has worked as an employee at several fine dining establishments including Craft, db Bistro Moderne, Estiatorio Milos."

There is also a small retail component here as well … selling "Spanish specialty goods," per CB3 documents. The space, previously home to Zee's Pet Shop (now on East 13th Street), has been meticulously renovated.

[Photos by Bobby Williams]

Cafe Rakka looks to be a goner on Avenue B

[Photo courtesy of Ray LeMoine]

Ugh. Long-timer Cafe Rakka on Avenue B is for rent ... the familiar sign of Croman Realty's "Call Harvey" can't be missed.

Too bad — Cafe Rakka is always a nice, affordable option here near East Third Street. Anyway, it remains open for now.

Meanwhile, the Cafe Rakka — now called Rakka Cafe — is undergoing renovations on St. Mark's Place.

Today in posts about turkey mac-n-cheese

Via the EVG inbox from S'MAC on East 12th Street...

Our Thanksgiving Turkey MAC is back on the menu and you can find details on our website ...

It will stay on the menu through Christmas.

Report: St. Mark's Bookshop prepping fundraiser ahead of possible move to Avenue A

Rent-challenged St. Mark's Bookshop is finalizing a fundraiser ahead of a move to Avenue A, according to a report at Publishers Weekly.

There's a fundraiser (online and in the store) set for Dec. 5 that will feature signed first editions donated by a variety of authors, including Ann Carson, Lydia Davis and Paul Auster.

Per Publishers Weekly:

But that is only one piece of the store’s fundraising plans so that it can stay in the East Village in a space near Avenue A and Third Street. The president of Cooper Union has offered to help the bookstore by letting it use the school’s Great Hall for a fundraiser and to contact some of the schools’s donors on the store’s behalf. Those details are still being worked out.

Cooper Union will reportedly allow the store to leave its current home on Third Avenue with four years left on the lease.

Back to Publishers Weekly:

The new location would be about half of the store’s current size, or 1,300 sq. ft. Co-owner Bob Contant regards the store's downsizing as a good thing. “The print book business isn’t as robust as it used to be,” he points out. “Where we sold 25 books, now we sell five.”

As for the new new location "near Avenue A and Third Street" … let the speculation begin!