First Avenue home of Brickman & Sons and 22 apartments is for sale

OK, first of all, Brickman & Sons, the longtime hardware store here between East Third Street and East Fourth Street, isn't going anywhere.

However, the building at 53-55 First Ave. that houses the store is now for sale.

Here are the details via Massey Knakal:

The two 5 story buildings are situated on the west side of First Avenue between East 3rd and East 4th Streets. Combined, the buildings total approximately 18,240 gross square feet and contain 22 residential apartments and 1 commercial unit. Of the residential units, 9 are currently fair market, 12 are rent stabilized, and 1 is rent controlled, ranging in size between studios through 2 bedrooms.

Overall, both the rent regulated and fair market units are operating approximately 33% below market. By achieving market levels through renovations, vacancy turnovers, and deregulation of units, future ownership has the opportunity to substantially increase their top line and realize the building’s full potential.

Additionally, the single commercial space is owner occupied by H. Brickman & Sons and encompasses the ground floor of both buildings totaling approximately 3,840 rentable square feet. Current ownership is requiring a lease-back of the commercial space with an initial term of 20 years at $20,000 per month with 2% annual increases.

H.Brickman & Sons will also be responsible for 25% of the increase in real estate taxes. The company’s origin dates back to the 1930’s when it first opened at 53-55 First Avenue. Since then, Brickman & Sons has expanded with two additional locations in Manhattan illustrating it’s long-lasting success and providing prospective investors with long-term commitment to their space.

Asking price: $14 million.

[Image via Massey Knakal]

CB3/SLA committee March highlights: A new applicant for El Sombrero on Stanton Street?

[EVG file photo]

CB3 released the SLA licensing committee docket on Wednesday… the agenda includes a new proposal for El Sombrero on Stanton and Ludlow, which was previously going to become another outpost of Artichoke Pizza. That deal fell through, as BoweryBoogie first reported last month.

Now, an entity named Two Almontes Corp. is aiming to take over the inexpensive Mexican restaurant that opened here in 1984. We asked Regina Bartkoff, who has worked here since 1988, about all this. She has been out of work the last few weeks with a wrist injury. However! "I heard this rumor and called the restaurant and they told me no! Nothing is happening."

So perhaps chalk this up to some pre-mature paperwork. Anyway, The Hat remains open, of course — go while you still can!

Meanwhile, the rest of the docket is pretty quiet in the way of Big Ticket items…

Applications within Saturated Areas
• Zaragoza Mexican Deli & Grocery (Zaragoza Mexican Deli & Grocery Inc), 215 Ave A (b)

Not sure what is going on here… CB3 had previously OK'd a license for beer at Zaragoza back in May 2012.

• Sigmund Pretzel Shop Inc, 29 Ave B (upgrade to op)

• Paprika (Albatross Restaurant Corp), 110 St Marks Pl (op)

• Nublu (Tatu LLC), 151 Ave C (op)

• Bikinis (Eat Bikinis Inc), 56 Ave C (extend license to patio and gallery space)

New Liquor License Applications
• To be Determined, 117 2nd Ave (wb)

This was a scratch from the February agenda … A taker for the very short-lived Picnic on Second Avenue and East Seventh Street.

• To be Determined, 536 E 5th St (wb)

This is the address for the Minca Ramen Factory and Kuboya next door… not sure what space this application is for at the moment…

• Numero 28 (La Meridiana I Ltd), 176 2nd Ave (wb)

• Menkuitei (Shin Restaurant Inc), 63-69 Cooper Sq (op)

Or Menkui Tei.

• Mesa Seaview (Mesa Seaview), 41-43 E 7th St (upgrade to op)

????

• Eric Thant Corporation, 57 1st Ave (wb) (Pudgie's)

Hmm, Sushi Zayy already opened here at the former Pudgie's-Nathan's-Arthur Treacher's action-packed combo.

• To be Determined, 269 E Houston St (op)

Hahahahaha. This is like the 78th time this has shown up on the agenda. The Local 269 closed here in September 2012. There have been a few potential suitors, though nothing ever came of the various proposals for the bar space. We spotted nine different for rent/sale signs on the business last summer ... The whole building remains on the market for $12 million.

• Gaia Lounge (Sams 1 Lounge Inc), 103 E 2nd St (wb)

The meeting is March 10 at 6:30 p.m. Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. 4th St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

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b=beer only | wb=wine & beer only | op=liquor, wine, & beer | alt=alterations

Prime and Beyond New York space for rent on East 10th Street

[EVG file photo]

Back on Jan. 28, 2013, Jennifer Gould Keil at the Post reported that Prime & Beyond, the steakhouse at 90 E. 10th St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, is leaving the East Village to be closer to the Lincoln Tunnel and its New Jersey location.

We're not sure of the status of those plans… however, a new listing for the space turned up this week at Streeteasy… Miron, who has an office upstairs, has the listing:

Amazing and well established high-end steakhouse for rent or for sale near Union Square. Greenwich Village. Wine and beer license in place. Fully vented. Great lease terms! Private garden area for outdoor seating ready for the summer season. Over 1 million invested in renovations and brand new equipment. Key money upon request. One of the best locations in Manhattan.

Not sure if the sub-level space below Miron's office is "One of the best locations in Manhattan." But that's subjective!

There are actually two listings for the space at Miron… one for $15,500 a month… the other for $16,300 (which is the one that arrived on Streeteasy this week)…

Regardless, the space itself looks pretty nice… at least from the photos … never been down here ourselves…



Prime opened in July 2011.

Don't gouge the trees

An EVG reader writes in …

I took this photo [Wednesday] morning on East 4th St. between Avenue C and D. There are two small trees that were planted last fall in front of P.S. 15 The Roberto Clemente School on this block. This morning I noticed someone gouged both of the trees on purpose. This was not done by an idiot chaining their bike to it, because they were fine yesterday. I wish people were more aware of taking care of the trees. These are in front of a school and it would be so nice to have them grow tall ...

Godzilla and Rodan team up on East Seventh Street

Hey, something more creative than a snow penis!

EVG regular Grant Shaffer spotted this after the light snow yesterday on East Seventh Street between Avenue B and Avenue C…

Perhaps it's some guerrilla marketing for the new "Godzilla" blockfuckingbuster coming in May… (heh) And Godzilla nerds are debating whether Rodan makes an appearance… And maybe you were one of the 10 million people who watched the trailer since its Tuesday debut…

Tonight's sunset

Via Bobby Williams

Workers removing trees from the Jacob Riis and Lillian Wald Houses

Workers are currently pruning or cutting down trees this morning at the Jacob Riis Houses and Lillian Wald Houses along Avenue D…



A worker told Dave that they are removing all the ones marked with an X. And they all seem to be marked with an X… especially here on East 10th Street between Avenue D and the FDR…



Said the worker: "Sandy messed 'em up."

3 Awful Avenue A bars: What are they now?

A few days ago we noticed that the sign went up for Ethos Meze, the new Greek restaurant opening this year at 167 Avenue A…




While the previous tenant here, Diablo Royale Este, has been closed for more than 18 months… the new sign is symbolic of sorts… an end of an era where three bars on Avenue A drew the ire of neighbors for the beer ponging, party busing, sidewalk peeing ways of its patrons...

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[September 2011]

From May 2010 to August 2012, Diablo Royale Este, which claimed it catered "to a mature audience," was popular with the party bus crowd … and, most famously, once hosted (unwittingly or not) a Boats 'N Hoes party for NYU students.

Diablo Royale Este eventually closed after some ongoing issues with the State Liquor Department.

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Then, at 200 Avenue A, there was Superdive.

Oh, the legendary Superdive, which started its reign of woorrorism with table-service kegs in June 2009… and remained open intermittently until October 2010… (Superdive threatened to return too many times… it was like trying to kill Jason Voorhees… )


[The glory days of 2009 via Meri Micara]

There was a midget dressed as a pirate working Champagne Tuesdays… Bargoers were encouraged to mix their own drinks… oh, lordy. We're just going to stop.

Today, the space is home to the ABC Animal Hospital.



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… and at 34 Avenue A, there was Aces & Eights, which arrived in March 2009 … residents quickly branded the place a beer-ponging frathole …


But, to the bar's credit, the general manager did try to make some changes, reaching out to EVG readers for input … and even making good use of the upstairs space for a cool art show…

The bar closed for good in October 2010.

The space is now home to Ruff Club, "a social club for dogs."

On St. Mark's Place, 'this parable of neglect'

The photo and text are courtesy of longtime East Village resident Anton van Dalen ...

This scene compresses several histories of our neighborhood, a history of slash and burn economics.

Many of us were in a state of disbelief when a 7-Eleven opened at 35 St Mark's Place, but then the chain store imploded in just 18 months. Removal of the 7-Eleven signage reveals that JAS Mart, the Japanese grocery store, had been at site before.

And asleep in front on a sliver of sidewalk the homeless person, completing this parable of neglect.

I have noticed that certain addresses seem doomed, repeatedly turning over tenants and each time ending up abandoned, suggesting that some landlords have no clue or curiosity about the needs and subtleties of our neighborhood. Each time the renovation will take about a year, causing turmoil with neighboring businesses and community.

Company Bar and Grill is for sale on East 10th Street

We spotted a listing on Craigslist this week noting that Company Bar and Grill is for sale at 242 E. 10th St. at First Avenue.

Given that these ads can be bogus (see Busy Bee Bike Shop), we contacted the bar. Proprietor Shawn Rogol confirmed that Company is for sale… He is moving, and he needs to sell the business. (Asking price: $225,000.)

Rogol took the bar over in the fall of 2011 and installed a new kitchen and made the whole place less sketchy.

Dental work at Root and Bone

The renovations continue at 200 E. Third St. at Avenue B, the future home of the Southern-themed Root & Bone.

Yesterday, EVG reader Peter Mitchell pointed out a discovery that workers made here… an old door was found behind a wall of the restaurant … announcing the office of Dr. H. Blicker, Dentist…



We have no idea when this door dates to (Mama's Food Shop was the tenant for 15-plus years.) We couldn't find any mention of Dr. Blicker online.

In any event, that this space once served as a dental office gives the name Root & Bone a whole new meaning ...

The drummer of the Spin Doctors is selling his East 13th Street duplex, complete with a recording studio

Aaron Comess, the drummer for the Spin Doctors, is selling his duplex at 124 E. 13th St., Jennifer Gould Keil reports at the Post.

This space between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue is a 2,796-square-foot duplex with keyed elevator access and a 300-square-foot terrace with an outdoor shower, hot tub and gas line for a grill. The first floor houses the recording studio, which is zoned commercial and can be transformed however the potential buyer sees fit, per the Post. Comess, who has lived in the East Village for 25 years, is moving to South Williamsburg.