Penthouse comes into view at the former Amato Opera on the Bowery

Apparently there will be a penthouse at 319 Bowery after all. Landlord Steve Croman received DOB approval last September to convert the former Amato Opera house between East First Street and East Second Street into a commercial and residential building.

The original plans showed three residential units above the ground-floor retail space, with a penthouse level. The approved permits that we saw later didn't list a penthouse level…



However, there is an amended permit dated July 8 that includes a penthouse, part of the fourth floor apartment.

In any event, you can now see this top level from the street…



In January 2009, Anthony Amato, the company's 88-year-old founder, announced that he had sold the building that the Opera had called home since 1964. The company closed in May 2009. Amato died in December 2011.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Life after the Amato Opera

Costume drama on the Bowery as the Amato Opera empties out

Ruin of the Bowery nearly complete: Last season for the Amato Opera

Amato Opera looks to be getting an encore as city OKs residential use

Work permits arrive at the former Amato Opera on the Bowery

Chase space on 2nd Avenue and St. Mark's Place is for rent

The retail space that is currently home to a Chase branch at 130 Second Ave. is on the market, available starting in January, according to a listing at Icon Realty.

Here are a few details from the listing:

130 2nd ave resides on St. Mark Place [sic] which is defined by a perpetual eclecticism born from an ever-evolving New York City and its mixing of the pop- and counter-culture movements. Dominated by pedestrians and boasting a lively, approachable and socialable sensibility.

-Prime East Village Corner Commercial Space on Second Avenue and St. Marks Place Accepting Offers for: General Retail Use, Restaurants/Bar, Office Space, Gyms/Fitness Centers
-New elevators will be installed and space will be delivered as a white box with a new all glass store front

And the asking rent? "$875,000 Per Annum." (Good for a mere $72,000 a month.)

Perhaps Chase figures they can do without this location… especially since there's another Chase branch two blocks to the north at East 10th Street.

And it appears that Chase is downsizing. There's a for rent sign above the Chase branch on Avenue A and East Second Street, as we noted last month.



This space is also available starting in January, according to the listing.

Bed-Stuy is the new East Village

Well, at least according to this listing at Craigslist…



Per the ad:

BedSty is new East Village but with out east Village price tag.
Perfect share for students, young professionals welcome.
Bring your cats and dogs with you.

The three-bedroom apartment is asking $2,500.

You will likely have to invest in a toilet-paper holder, though.

XYZ puts up its letters on East 7th Street

The signage has arrived for the new cafe opening at 102 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue.

XYZ will be serving "Spanish-influenced food," according to documents (PDF!) filed at the CB3 website for this month's SLA committee meeting. (This item for a new beer-wine license was not heard at the meeting.)

XYZ will be serving food daily from 7 a.m. to midnight. The proprietors previously ran Pintxos over on Greenwich Street. New York magazine gave that cafe high marks:

One of Europe's oldest cuisines, Basque, has a toehold on the west side. Though its roots lie in the Pyrenees, here it's surrounded by high rises in the form of nearby condominium building sites. But barring the occasional construction noise, this restaurant manages to feel unruffled and intimate. A husband-and-wife team serves not only in the namesake pintxos, the Basque equivalent of tapas, but also full-sized entrées. Simple dishes deploy characteristic Basque ingredients — seafood, peppers, pork—to great effect.

The previous tenant here, Tink's Cafe, closed in early June.

[Updated] Tokio 7 hasn't been open lately

Earlier last week an EVG reader stopped by the consignment shop at 83 E. Seventh St. near First Avenue … and was surprised to find the gate down… Tokio 7 remained closed through the weekend… and there isn't any note on the gate or inside noting a summer break. Calls to the store go unanswered.

Tokio 7 moved here (the former Seventh Street tumor) from across the street in 2010.

Updated:

The store is back open after a short holiday...

Ashiya Sushi has moved away from the East Village

The restaurant at 167 First Ave. has relocated to West 36th Street, per the sign on the door here between East 10th Street and East 11th Street...



And I've lost track of the various restaurants here since the faux-retro Bendix Diner closed in____?


[Photo from 1997 by Dave Buchwald]

Making way for Ben Shaoul's new retail-residential complex on East Houston

The demolition of the one-level row (except for Katz's!) of storefronts along East Houston between Ludlow and Orchard started back in early May, as BoweryBoogie first noted.

We were walking by the other day and checked in on the progress…





And EVG favorite Bereket remains in ruins…



As previously reported, workers are clearing all this out to make way for Ben Shaoul's 10-story residential building that will include an Equinox gym.

And it will look something like this…

A note about some old lady who rammed your car

Spotted on East Fourth Street tonight:

"Some old lady rammed your car multiple times trying to park in front of you at 7:05 p.m. …"

The note's author didn't catch the license number, but suggests watching traffic cam footage to find the culprit.

Photo by Derek Berg

Noted

Strange East Village sighting of the day: Woman picks up disgusting smushed pigeon out of the gutter and carries it several blocks. Not sure how this turned out. #dinner? #eastvillage #dontwanttoknow

A photo posted by Academy Records NYC (@academyrecords) on Jul 26, 2015 at 2:27pm PDT

Week in Grieview

[Photo from Tompkins Square Park yesterday by Bobby Williams]

RIP Charlie Romonofsky (Tuesday)

Groundbreaking on East 13th Street for the Bea Arthur Residence for homeless LGBT youth (Monday)

How Grace Farrell came to die outside St. Brigid's in February 2011 (Friday)

Here's the lineup for the 3rd annual MoRUS film festival (Wednesday)

Report: Bystander shot in foot during argument on Avenue D (Thursday)

East Village Spice back open on First Avenue (Friday)

NYPD rescues dog locked in car on Avenue B (Monday)

Hello Good Night Sonny (Monday)

Keeping up with Christo and Dora's new offspring (Friday)

Openings: Turntable Retro Bar & Restaurant on Avenue B (Tuesday)

In the case that you are just being an ass about the buzzers (Wednesday)

Paperwork filed to renovate Peter Brant's gallery space on East Sixth Street (Monday)

More about Bruno Pizza (Tuesday)

Blockheads opens (Wednesday)

Because we haven't posted anything about the incoming Black Seed bagels in more than two months (Thursday)

Ben Shaoul sells 31-33 2nd Ave. for $29 million (Thursday)

Former froyo spot will become body waxing center on 2nd Avenue, just because (Friday)

133 Avenue D is for sale (again) (Wednesday)

The former Contrada space is for rent (Thursday)

Summer Streets start next Saturday (Saturday)

First sign of the incoming CVS at 51 Astor Place (Friday)

Revisiting King Tut’s Wah-Wah Hut (Wednesday)

Continued dewatering at Ben Shaoul's 98-100 Avenue A prompts visit by the FDNY (Thursday)

Dunkin' Donuts moving into the Jefferson's retail space (Tuesday)

And in Tompkins Square Park: The NYPD patrol tower arrives (Tuesday, 149 comments) … prompting a fake Twitter account (Thursday) … a call for the tower's removal via an online petition (Thursday) … a flyer campaign (Sunday) … and a sleepover for Aug. 7-9 (Friday) … the tower also provided a backdrop for campgoers to discuss justice (Friday, 58 comments)

And in conclusion, some equal time for the candidates … spotted on East Houston (and elsewhere) …


[Art by Ivan Orama]

Check out the Little Free Library

At the Green Oasis Community Garden on East Eighth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D. Check out the garden's website for history and other info.

Photo yesterday by George Cohen.

Flyers urge removal of patrol tower in Tompkins Square Park

[Click on image for a better read]

Someone has posted these flyers… asking residents to call the 9th Precinct and politely insist that the NYPD "remove the ridiculous and unnecessary guard tower from the center of Tompkins Square Park" ...



Per the flyer's author:

When I spoke with Sgt. Wahlig on 07.22.15 at 11:33 AM, he could not answer. Instead, he bumblingly referred to the recent NY Post and Observer articles as evidence that the guard tower and patrol are needed. He also told me that since I am a parent, I should be glad that the guard tower is there, and that I should feel safer!! HA HA HA HA!!

The tower arrived in the Park on Tuesday. There is already an online petition asking Mayor de Blasio to remove the Skywatch tower.

Meanwhile, in other tower-related activities… concertgoers yesterday reported seeing a drone nearby …


[Photo via EVG correspondent Steven]

There was a report of a food delivery on Friday afternoon…


[Photo via an EVG reader]

… and EVG reader George Cohen tells us that a patrol tower has been parked at Avenue D and East Eight Street for the past month or so…





Previously on EV Grieve:
NYPD installs patrol tower in the middle of Tompkins Square Park (149 comments)

The Post reports Tompkins Square Park 'has become a homeless haven' (113 comments)

Observer editors write, 'it's time to take back Tompkins Square Park' (49 comments)

Petition asks Mayor de Blasio to remove the Skywatch tower from Tompkins Square Park

Parts of Avenue C and D now with a SkyWatch tower, additional NYPD lights

[Updated] NYPD patrol tower arrives on Avenue D

Last Sunday mass at the Church of the Nativity on 2nd Avenue

Via the EVG inbox…

Sunday July 26, 2015 marks the last Sunday mass at the Church of the Nativity. Parishioners will broadcast the service live via Periscope (@NativityNYC) from the 10:15 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. masses.

The Archdiocese of New York has denied Nativity parishioners the chance to appeal saying parishioners didn't meet the 10-day deadline after the November 2, 2014 announcement. Parishioners say they didn't know of the deadline and weren't allowed to see their decree (official document with information on the closure) until December 22, 2014.

Parishioners are now asking the archdiocese for a shrine or chapel in honor of Dorothy Day, a former parishioner who's on the road to sainthood. Day is also the co-founder of The Catholic Worker. They submitted an official request to the archdiocese two weeks ago.

Read more about the Nativity's request for a shrine for Dorothy Day in the Times here and The Wall Street Journal here.

As part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York's massive reorganization, the Church of the Nativity is merging with Most Holy Redeemer on East Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

The Church of the Nativity is located at 44 Second Ave. between East Second Street and East Third Street. Church supporters think the property will be sold, "since it is in a prime spot at Second Avenue and Second Street that is attracting more affluent neighbors," per the Times.

The final mass will take place on Friday at 7 p.m.

Breakfast special

East Second Street and Avenue C … photo yesterday by ‏@Jason_Chatfield

The spiritual harmony of Katinka on East 9th Street

[Photo from May by James and Karla Murray Photography]

Nice feature in the Times about jazz musician Billy Lyles and his longtime companion, designer Jane Williams, and the shop they have run together since 1979 — Katinka.

As the East Village’s grit and rebel spirit have steadily given way to upscale businesses, one of the mom-and-pop places that have hung on since the 1970s is Katinka.

Mr. Lyles and Ms. Williams, who live in a railroad apartment upstairs, have kept prices low, even as their rent has risen. The shop’s spiritual harmony, they claim, has kept them solvent.

“This store is like a magnet — they all want to come in and get some energy, and Billy is the gatekeeper,” said Ms. Williams, who designs the clothing and travels to India to have it made by hand. “I take care of the colors and he takes care of the music.”

The shop, located at 303 E. Ninth St. just east of Second Avenue, sells Indian clothing, shoes and accessories … they usually open around 4 … with limited hours Tuesday through Saturday.

Read the whole article here. Find more of James and Karla Murray's storefront shots here.

Noted

New street art spotted this morning on St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue…

Summer Streets start next Saturday

In case you missed this news from yesterday… Summer Streets start next Saturday, as the headline implied…

Here's the official Summer Streets About:

Summer Streets is an annual celebration of New York City’s most valuable public space—our streets. On three consecutive Saturdays in August, nearly seven miles of NYC's streets are opened for people to play, run, walk and bike. Summer Streets provides space for healthy recreation and encourages New Yorkers to use more sustainable forms of transportation. In 2014, more than 300,000 people took advantage of the open streets.

Summer Streets is modeled on other events from around the world including Ciclovía in Bogotá, Colombia and the Paris Plage in France and has since inspired other such events around the world such as CicloRecreo Via and London’s Regent Street Summer Streets.

Held between 7:00 am to 1:00 pm, Summer Streets extends from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park, along Park Avenue and connecting streets, with easy access from all points in New York City, allowing participants to plan a trip as long or short as they wish. All activities at Summer Streets are free of charge, and designed for people of all ages and ability levels to share the streets respectfully.

For us here in Midtown South, the car-free, Street-Festival-Free zone includes Lafayette, Astor Place and Fourth Avenue…



And the pièce de résistance this year? A giant water slide in Foley Square via Slide the City…


[Random Slide the City photo via Slide the City]

Please note that you have to wait 30 minutes after eating before sliding.

Into the west

Photo this evening by Bobby Williams...

Lights on, lights off

Christo taking a break this evening in Astor Place... photo via 8E

East Village Spice back open on 1st Avenue

Spice is back in business at 71 First Ave. between East Fourth Street and East Fifth Street.

The Thai place had only just opened in the former home of sister restaurant Pukk when it had to close to upgrade its gas lines… a fairly rigorous process these days.

The Spice on Second Avenue and East Sixth Street closed on June 1.

Head in the Clouds

The Orb is back with a new record... and they'll be around here at the Bowery Ballroom on Sept. 11.

Here's one of their more well-known tracks... "Little Fluffy Clouds" from 1990.

[Updated] Schoolchildren protesting NYPD patrol tower in Tompkins Square Park

A group of kids with the Middle Project JustArts Kids Camp were in Tompkins Square Park around noon to protest the NYPD patrol tower that arrived on Tuesday...

EVG correspondent Steven said that the campgoers are from the JustArts day camp, a collaboration between the Lower East Side Girls Club and The Middle Project, part of the Middle Collegiate Church on Second Avenue at East Seventh Street. The campers were chanting "No justice, no peace."





Edited to reflect the name of the day camp and affiliations

Updated 7-26

There are comments here from both Lyn Pentecost at the Lower Eastside Girls Club and the Rev. Jacqueline J. Lewis from Middle Collegiate Church (and executive director of the Middle Project).

Here is what Rev. Lewis had to say:

I want you to know the Church and the Middle Project have not yet made judgment about the tower in the park. It just got there and we have not yet discussed it. When we know, we will say. In the meantime, we will not rush to judgment, we will engage with you and the police about it, and we will do all we can to help make our community safe.

So our little people were not expressing an official opinion from the adults who shaped the camp. What they did in the JustArts Camp was to talk about justice, to talk about what it means to be citizens of the world responsible to use our voices to create a more just society, and to reflect on/do art in service of justice. Some of our children have marched for justice issues. What they did in this case was a concert in the park, and chanted No Justice, No Peace. with their drums. The camp art and conversation was focused on justice--economic, racial, lgbti, environmental...

What is great about art is it creates a space for us to reflect, to project, to imagine. All who gathered likely had different interpretations of what was happening. And each child, each family represented, might feel different about the art, about the tower, about the city, about the events in our nation that call forth voices on police reform, safely, etc. We encourage not only justice work but freedom of thought, speech, etc.

I am fascinated by this conversation, and glad for it. It is the best result of our intent. Our voices, our art, invoke/evoke/provoke conversation, reaction, new ideas, dialog, resistance, encouragement. A good conversation helps us to know each other, to be stretched by each other, to find solutions together that we hope change the world for the good. I am thrilled that EV Grieve told of this event and hosted this conversation. Thank you!

Yes, Middle Church is justice forward, working to heal our souls and our world. The Middle Project is our non-denominational non-religious partner. It works to to teach ethics to children, youth, young adults and clergy that lead to a more just society. I know you share our passion for justice. We believe that when we know justice, we will know peace.

Thank you parents, thank you LES Girls Club, thank you Middle Project Team for helping our little people use their voices. Thank you neighbors for watching the concert, for watching out for all of our community children, encouraging them, being a village for them. And thanks for engaging in this dialog.

Former froyo spot will become body waxing center on 2nd Avenue, just because

EVG Waxing Center Correspondent Steven noticed that the signage is up for the next tenant at 120 Second Ave. — another Manhattan location for the (a?) Uni K Wax Center.



The Uni K folks offer body waxing, bikini waxing and other various waxings for men and women, per their website.

The address here near East Seventh Street is returing to its spa roots. After a short-lived time as the froyo spot Twister, the storefront housed a Spa Belles.

Previously on EV Grieve:
For whom the Spa Belles toll

EV Grieve Etc.: the Polish delights at G.I. Deli; new evening options at Jennifer Cafe

[Photo on 2nd Avenue by Derek Berg]

The Polish delights at G.I. Deli on First Avenue (The Village Voice)

A Fuku-Superiority Burger comparison (The Observer)

A look at Via Della Pace Pizza on St. Mark's Place (Eater)

East Village resident Lilly O’Donnell recalls a summer romance (The Washington Post)

More viewpoints on the Tompkins Square Park police tower (CBS New York)

From 1871 to 1874, the building at East 10th Street and Avenue D served as the Strangers’ Hospital (Ephemeral New York)

More about NYC's first kava bar, Kavasutra, now open on East 10th Street (The Daily News)

Video: A visit to Harry and Ida's Meat & Supply Co. on Avenue A (The Village Voice)

Gigi Li accused of election fraud in campaign for District Leader (BoweryBoogie)

Alex rethinks Patti Smith (Flaming Pablum)

Parents upset over removal of principal from Marta Valle High School on Stanton Street (The Lo-Down)

The global appeal of the Ramones T-shirt (The Independent)

12 hours of discussing "Paul's Boutique" (Dangerous Minds)

Kerouac's "The Vanishing American Hobo" essay (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

... and EVG reader Lauren passes along word that Jennifer Cafe on East Fourth Street and First Avenue is now open in the evenings... the proprietors are now in the third week of selling tacos, quesadillas and tortas after 6 p.m. ...



... and a reader notes that Dieci on East 10th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue has been closed for the last two days... there's a notice from the city saying that restaurant has been operating without some unspecified permit...

How Grace Farrell came to die outside St. Brigid's in February 2011

[EVG photo from February 2011]

On Feb. 19, 2011, a woman froze to death in her makeshift bedding on Avenue B between Seventh Street and Eighth Street in a doorway at the under-renovation St. Brigid's.

In the days that followed, there were several media accounts of the woman, Grace Farrell. From the Daily News:

She came from Ireland half a life ago, a blue-eyed 17-year-old determined to make a splash in New York's art scene with her colorful portraits and vivid landscapes.

On Sunday morning — years after her life started to go bad in a haze of alcohol and a lousy marriage — Grace Farrell, 35, was found dead on the sidewalk in front of St. Brigid's Church on Avenue B in the East Village.

Her body was ice-cold from sleeping one too many nights on the street.

She spent her last night alive on a bed of cardboard in a church alcove. Thin blankets barely sheltered her from the brutal winter weather.

There's now a new documentary on RTÉ Radio 1 in Ireland titled Grace & Emmanuel. The special documents the lives of Farrell and Emmanuel Touhey, who grew up together at St. Vincent's Children’s Home in Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland. Touhey emigrated to the United States a few years before Farrell. Their lives took very different paths, as Touhey became an editor at C-SPAN's website.

In Washington D.C., Emmanuel read the news in the New York papers. Although he hadn’t seen Grace since his time in St. Vincent’s Children’s Home, he wanted her to be remembered as more than just another grim statistic.

“I think despite how hard she tried and how much she hoped to live a life that she wanted to live for her son and for her family, the odds were against her I think from the beginning.”

You can listen to the episode here. There's an accompanying article at The Irish Times here.

Updated: Tompkins Square Park sleepover planned to protest NYPD patrol tower

[Photo yesterday by George Cohen]

Via the Facebook invite:

Protest the NYPD "sniper tower" in Tompkins Square Park 1988 with a weekend long campout to celebrate the 27 years since the bloody NYPD riot that injured hundreds of innocent and unawares local citizens in our neighborhood. The arrogance of the NYPD was never greater since the recent erection of the "sniper" tower outfitted with cameras and recording equipment.

A clear and blatant violation to first and fourth amendments rights to public assembly, free speech and privacy. Bring a tent, some water and noise makers. Support the right of homeless people to enjoy a public park. It's real estate maggots like Jared Kushner who are destroying our community. Let's show him it won't come easy.

The sleepover is planned Aug. 7-9.

The patrol tower arrived on Tuesday, and has already inspired a Twitter parody account. There's also an online petition asking Mayor de Blasio to remove the tower.

Updated 2:44 p.m.

Some clarification in the comments from John Penley:

I was asked to come back to help with this so I am. First of all the camp will be called Camp New York Post and people will not be sleeping inside the park and being arrested we will sleep on 7th street outside the park and there will be no fires just free food and cold non-alcoholic drinks. We also will not block the sidewalk. The point I want to make is that the reason for doing this is not just the tower it is because we believe the NY Post used the sad plight of homeless people to create a return to Giuliani style policing in relation to the poor and those suffering from poverty, mental illness and gentrification and we do not want that to continue

Previously on EV Grieve:
NYPD installs patrol tower in the middle of Tompkins Square Park (147 comments)

The Post reports Tompkins Square Park 'has become a homeless haven' (113 comments)

Observer editors write, 'it's time to take back Tompkins Square Park' (49 comments)

Parts of Avenue C and D now with a SkyWatch tower, additional NYPD lights

[Updated] NYPD patrol tower arrives on Avenue D

Bringing up babies on the side streets

[Photo Monday by Fenton Lawless]

Unlike last summer, when the young hawks spent much of their formative months in Tompkins Square Park, Christo and Dora's 2015 fledglings have been keeping to the side streets near their former nest at the Ageloff Towers on Avenue A and East Third Street.

So there have been several hawklet sightings on side streets between Avenue A and Avenue B and East Sixth Street and East Third Street.

East Village resident Emily Reese shared this ...

One of Christo and Dora's brood decided to take a break outside my living room window.



The hawk seemed giant. I guess it was two feet from its toes to the top of its head. It was sitting facing away from the window at first, but it noticed me and moved to face me as I began to photograph it. It stayed for 20 minutes, first on the west side of my north-facing fire escape ... Then it shifted to the east side, much to the terror of my two pet birds just inside. It was amazing to watch.

Toward the end of the hawk's visit, she decided to close the aperture and slow the shutter speed on her camera to try to capture the beautiful movement of the hawk's feathers ...







As always, Goggla has been been keeping tabs on the hawk clan (here and here). You may also find more Christo-and-Dora activity at TwoHawksNYC here.