Saturday, December 6, 2014

Clinton Street Baking Company expansion underway



EVG reader Magic Brian passed along these photos yesterday… showing workers plywooding up the southeast corner of East Houston and Clinton Street.



As BoweryBoogie first reported back in June, pancake-line-waiting hotspot Clinton Street Baking Company will expand into the space last held by Min's Market.

Co-owner DeDe Lahman shared this with Gothamist Thursday:

The new space will boast 55 seats — up from 32 in the old space — which should help ease some of the brunch time congestion. Lahman says the old space will also stay open, eventually transitioning into more of a take out spot for coffee, baked goods and pickup orders. "The rest of the plans for that spot will take shape as we open the new space and suss out what will work for us and our guests," she explains.

And the space today…

If you like songs, caroling and storytelling



Several East Village residents are among the talented collection of singers who are taking part in this tonight…

An evening of song, caroling and storytelling
7:30 pm
Gustavus Adolphus Church
155 E. 22nd St.
FREE

The church is between Third Avenue and Lexington…

Friday, December 5, 2014

Thank you and good night



EVG reader William Klayer was outside De Robertis around 8 p.m. when the family closed the gate for business for the last time at 176 First Ave. The last words were a simple, "That's all she wrote."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Ugh: The 110-year-old DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe closes after Dec. 5 (43 comments)

Search continues for missing Stuy Town resident



We were asked to repost this information from the Town & Village Blog:

Police are looking for Andreas Robbins, a 25-year-old resident of Stuyvesant Town who was last seen on Monday leaving his apartment at 521 East 14th Street.

He is described as being 6’1” tall and thin, weighing 200 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair. He also has a prominent birthmark on the right side of his nose and tattoos on both shoulders and his right wrist. Robbins’ family said he may be wearing a grey herringbone dresscoat and a scarf.

Robbins’s parents Elsa Stamatopoulou and Bruce Robbins have also requested that anyone with information contact them at (212) 431-5872 or (917) 318-9707. Fliers have been posted at places Robbins frequents.

Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is also asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online.

Over the 'Rainbow'



Helmet led by former EV resident Page Hamilton is performing its 1994 release "Betty" in its entirety on Feb. 21 at the Bowery Ballroom. The show is already sold out... but maybe there'll be another one...

Here's a track from that record — "Wilma's Rainbow."

4:24 p.m., 176 First Ave., Dec. 5



So much for De Robertis closing at 3 today… the crowds keep coming in… not much product left, though.

A Fox 5 crew left just before 4.

Photo via EVG reader Robert F.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Ugh: The 110-year-old DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe closes after Dec. 5 (43 comments)

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition


[Photo along the East River Monday by EVG reader Barret Swatek]

Photos from last night's Eric Garner protests (Gothamist)

Here's the rendering for 190 Bowery, now on the market (BoweryBoogie)

Lypsinka back in the East Village (New York Post, ticket info. here)

Owners of Terroir and Hearth are parting ways after 11 years (Eater)

Inside one of the luxury residences at the former Hungarian synagogue on East Seventh Street (New York Post)

Q-and-A with Julie Cohen, director of "The Sturgeon Queens," a documentary about Russ & Daughters (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Marky Ramone on life in the East Village (Bedford + Bowery)

Ho-ho-ho: Sen. Hoylman pushes booze-free SantaCon (The Villager)

New exhibit provides a portal between the Lower East Side and Tehran, Iran (DNAinfo)

LGBTQ history on Cooper Square and the Bowery (Off the Grid)

Demolition prep work for Essex Crossing (The Lo-Down)

Holiday shopping in the city 100 years ago (Ephemeral New York)

Vincent D’Onofrio's has a spoken word punk project (The AV Club)

Watch some rare Raymond Pettibon home movies (Dangerous Minds)

Goodbye De Robertis


[Photo from June 2012 by Gudrun Georges]

After 110 years at 176 First Ave., DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe will close its doors for good this afternoon at 3.

The economy, age and health concerns reportedly weighed on their De Robertis family's decision to sell the building.

Meanwhile, leading up to today, there have been a number of tributes to the bakery.

It Was Her New York has a 2-part series ... here and here.

The Daily Beast stops by too.

It is one of those city relics New Yorkers gush about without ever darkening its door — or only go when they learn it’s shutting down. “I’ve passed this place a thousand times but never came in,” says Ranesh, who grew up in Staten Island and has lived in Park Slope for 20 years. “You take it for granted and think it will always be here.”


[Photo from June 2012 by Gudrun Georges]

Previously on EV Grieve:
174-176 First Ave. is in contract

[Updated] 110-year-old DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe looks to be closing once the building is sold

174-176 First Ave., home of DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe, is for sale

Let's take a look at the DeRobertis in-house bakery

Ugh: The 110-year-old DeRobertis Pasticceria and Caffe closes after Dec. 5 (43 comments)

What was that?



We went to bed early… and woke up to a whole lot of emails/tweets about an explosion/boom last night after 11 that most everyone from Avenue D to Third Avenue seemed to hear… at this point, we haven't heard any plausible explanations.

And we have power. And not the first time there have been unexplained booms/explosions/jet landings.

Updated 10:04 a.m.

An EVG Facebook friend points us to this Newsweek article ... which notes: "Protesters on Twitter claimed police deployed LRAD 'sound cannons' to control crowds" during last night's Eric Garner rallies.

176 E. 3rd St. changes hands for the 3rd time in 7 years


[Via Stone Street Properties]

Catching up to some news from last week. A package of buildings dubbed "The East Side Elevator Portfolio" has sold for a reported $126.3 million.

The portfolio features four Upper East Side properties as well as 176 E. Third St., a 48-unit building between Avenue A and Avenue B. According to the Commercial Observer, investors Nader and Lisa Shalom bought the East Third Street building. The asking price had been $38.5 million.

The Shaloms become the third landlord in seven years here. Icon Realty paid $14 million for No. 176 in August 2007, according to public records. Accusations of harassment and buyout offers followed in the year ahead. Here's a passage on the situation from an article in the Post from September 2008:

“They want to buy people out and renovate the apartment, and then they want to flip the building,” said Heather Gradowski, who pays less than $700 a month for her one-bedroom apartment.

Icon flipped the building a few years later. You can read a little more about the building's recent history in the link below.

There's no word on what No. 176 fetched this time around.

Previously on EV Grieve:
176 E. Third St. hits the market for $38.5 million

More about the End of Avenue A Block Association


[Photo via RyanAvenueA]

Earlier in the week, we noted the arrival of a newly formed (and apocalyptically named) End of Avenue A Block Association.

At the time we thought this was the work of residents. Turns out it is a group of bar/restaurant owners on the block between East Second Street and East Houston.

Jaime Felber, an owner of Boulton & Watt, offered some background via email.

"I approached all the bars on our block to join us, and was happy that Yerba Buena, 2A, the Library and Ella chose to join in," Felber said. "While this was set up by the managers and owners of the bars on our block, we obviously welcome the inclusion of anyone within our community."

There was a small turnout for the meeting. (He said that Boulton & Watt had flyers promoting the meeting up in their windows in recent weeks. He promised to share meeting info with EVG in advance of the next meeting.)

"A few issues regarding sidewalk congestion, noise and consideration of garbage were brought to our attention, and we worked out a basic course of action to hopefully mitigate these problems as best we can."

Felber said that he and one of his Boulton & Watt partners within a few blocks of here.

"So we consider ourselves part of the neighborhood as residents as much as bar operators, and look forward to further conversations." (Residents can use this email for any correspondence with the group.)

Oh, and how about the name — the End of Avenue A Block Association?

"The rather ominous-sounding name we chose for our block association was also pointed out at [the] meeting," Felber said. "Of course we didn't have that intention, but now it's out there, it seems almost a shame to change it."

Checking in on Checkers



As we noted back in late August, a Checkers is opening at 225 First Ave. between East 13th Street and East 14th Street … they've been collecting résumés the past few weeks…



… and the logo for the burger chain is now up inside…



No word on an opening date. Higher rents forced the previous longtime tenant, Gabay's Outlet, to leave the storefront for a new home at 195 Avenue A last summer.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Union Square tonight







Thousands of protestors have taken to NYC streets again tonight to protest yesterday's grand jury decision not to indict the NYPD officer involved in the Eric Garner chokehold case.

A march to 1 Police Plaza started at 5 p.m. from Union Square.

Photos by James and Karla Murray.

Meanwhile...

@ChristRobbins at Gothamist is among the many reporters providing live updates.

Among many tweets…



And the livestream…

NYPD arrives full force ahead of tonight's Eric Garner rally on Union Square



The NYPD arrived en masse this afternoon along Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue (where they have been camped out the past 10 or so days) between East 10th Street and East 14th Street...













Another night of protests are expected around the city in the wake of yesterday's grand jury decision not to indict the NYPD officer involved in the Eric Garner chokehold case.

One rally begins at the north side of Union Square at 5 ... with a march down to 1 Police Plaza.

Photos via EVG reader Robert F.