[Photo by James and Karla Murray via Facebook]
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Saturday, July 4, 2015
If you don't like construction noise, then...
From the Post today:
Sixty-two percent, or 33,533, of the complaints logged with the Department of Environmental Protection from July 1, 2014, through June 30 of this year were tied to off-hours construction or noise from equipment such as jackhammers.
Read the whole article here.
Rest assured, there isn't a fire in the hole at 98-100 Avenue A
Just to put your mind at ease this holiday. Over at 98-100 Avenue A, workers continue [and continue] to put in the foundation for Ben Shaoul's new
Readers have noted a generator running 24/7 since early May, at least. And lately there has been some smoke billowing up over the plywood.
An explanation for this arrived this past week.
Per the sign: "We are currently performing dewatering on this construction site. This is condensation (water vapor) coming up through the pipes. There is no fire, no smoke, and no reason for alarm."
So remain calm, all is well.
And for people who don't like reading the fine print…
Friday, July 3, 2015
Progress and frustration at B&H Dairy
[B&H in happier days by Ken Goldstein via Facebook]
B&H Dairy has remained shuttered since the deadly Second Avenue gas explosion on March 26.
The 73-year-old lunch counter at 127 Second Ave. between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place was close to reopening several times this spring, only to encounter an unexpected setback, such as in early May when the FDNY said that B&H needed a new fire suppression system. (Safety requirements from the city have become stricter since March 26.)
This upgrade, expected to cost $28,000, has kept the small restaurant from opening these past two months. The upgrade is also looking like the major factor that could permanently close B&H.
For starters, owners Fawzy Abdelwahed and Ola Smigielsk needed approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission (the building is in the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District) to install the new fire suppression system. The LPC approval finally came through last week. And as of Wednesday, the DOB had issued the necessary permit for the job. Work starts on Monday. (The contractor needed to be first approved by the FDNY.)
Now it looks like another few weeks before B&H can possibly reopen. "Another few weeks" is something that Abdelwahed has heard all too often in recent months. Meanwhile, other nearby restaurants were able to reopen fairly quickly after the explosion.
We spoke with Abdelwahed on the phone this week. He was understandably frustrated.
"I have bills to pay. What am I going to do? Where am I going to get assistance from? I just need to open the restaurant — simple," said Abdelwahed, who estimates that his monthly costs are $30,000, which includes rent, taxes and labor costs. (B&H successfully raised $26,000 in a crowdfunding campaign back in April.)
How about the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, which promised financial assistance to residents and businesses impacted by the Second Avenue explosion?
"They promised to give people money who have been affected by the explosion, but this has never happened," he said. "I've never heard from them."
However, he expressed his gratitude to Bernadette Nation from the Small Business Services agency (a mayoral agency), who has lately been advocating on B&H's behalf along with Community Board 3 officials. And there are the B&H faithful. "We have very big support from our customers," he said. "Since being closed the only people who care about us are our customers."
While there is progress to report, B&H still has a labyrinth of red tape to navigate before reopening. For example, after the contractor finishes the work, the FDNY must approve the new system, then ConEd has to approve the building's new gas lines (already installed). Once B&H gets final approval by all involved parties, the Department of Health steps in for an inspection before the restaurant is permitted to serve food again. (B&H had an A rating before.)
And if there is another setback, what will that do to B&H's chances of reopening?
“As each day goes by, I cannot pay the rent if we are closed. Two more weeks and I cannot afford it anymore," he said. "Two more weeks and I’m done. That’s it."
For his part, Abdelwahed just wants to get back to work.
“I miss the whole operation. I miss my customers. I miss seeing them. They are my friends — I know them by name. I miss serving people every day. I miss my job every day," he said, "I get up every day and I don’t know what to do. It is a very bad feeling."
[Photo of Fawzy and Ola from May 9 by Derek Berg]
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For further reading:
Save the B&H (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)
NYI featured B&H last night on its "NY1 For You" segment.
Plywood arrives for Tompkins Square Bagels build-out on 2nd Avenue
As we've been reporting, Tompkins Square Bagels is opening a second East Village location — this one at 184 Second Ave. between East 11th Street and East 12th Street.
Workers erected the plywood outside the storefront for the renovations yesterday. Owner Christopher Pugliese told us previously that he hopes to be up and running here in December.
Read our interview with Pugliese here.
East Village (temporarily) down 1 psychic
The psychic who has been psychicing from the psychic's space above Dunkin' Donuts on First Avenue at East Sixth Street has moved out of her home of 17-plus years, according to Bill the Libertarian Anarchist.
Apparently she is taking her business to Midtown.
It is not immediately clear what will become of this space. (The psychic signs remain as of this writing.) As we exclusively reported last fall, the business was for sale on Craigslist.
Flashback!
Meanwhile, what is your favorite psychic ability? Put us down for levitation.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Can someone lend me a $1 so that I can become a gypsy?
An unsettling sneak preview at the Quad Cinema
The Quad Cinema closed for renovations back on May 1.
EVG reader Michael Alex shared this photo showing the current state of the 43-year-old theater on East 13th Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue…
Real-estate developer Charles S. Cohen, a well-known film buff, bought the theater last summer.
"New York City has perhaps the greatest concentration of serious cinema lovers in the country," said Cohen in a statement published by Indiewire, "but for too long, these great, knowledgeable fans have had few places to see classic and important films on the big screen. The always-vital Quad Cinema will now become an even more important destination for classic films and compelling new ones – and the moviegoers who love them."
The Quad website says the theater will return in the fall.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Now playing at the Quad Cinema: Closed for Renovations
Bikes, By George! is gone
George Philbert has closed up his bike shop at 193 E. Fourth St. just east of Avenue A.
He removed his sign on Sunday…
[Photo by Greg Masters]
He has said that a rent hike forced him out. One reader said that Philbert, who has been repairing bikes around the city since 1970, will look for a new shop once he returns from a vacation.
The listing at Bond says that a restaurant is OK for the space. The asking rent is $3,750 for 340 square feet.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Rent hike will force Bikes, By George! to close on East 4th Street
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Report of a fire on Stuyvesant Street
[Photo by Brian Polay]
The FDNY is on the scene now on Stuyvesant Street between Second Avenue/East 10th Street and Third Avenue...
MAN ALL HANDS 29 STUYVESTANT ST, FIRE ON 3RD FLR,
— FDNY (@FDNY) July 3, 2015There are reports of smoke... and firefighters breaking glass.
Updated 9 p.m.
MAN ALL HANDS 29 STUYVESTANT ST, PRIVATE DWELLING FIRE ON 2ND FLR, UNDER CONTROL
— FDNY (@FDNY) July 3, 2015Via Della Pace opening a pizzeria on St. Mark's Place tonight
EVG correspondent Steven notes that the owners of Via Della Pace on East Seventh Street are opening a pizzeria offshoot at 130 St. Mark's Place starting tonight.
We don't have all the details just yet. The space near Avenue A had been home since late 2013 to Falanghina Pizza Bar, which wasn't ever all that crowded.
Updated 7/4
The pizzeria will have its grand opening on Wednesday evening…
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