[Updated] Former Sustainable NYC space for lease

The for rent sign has arrived at 139 Avenue A, previously home to Sustainable NYC the past seven years between St. Mark's Place and East Ninth Street.

The sign just arrived, and so the listing hasn't made its way to the Douglas Elliman website yet. Updated: The rent is $12k a month.

The eco-minded general store and café closed back at the beginning of August after waning sales and missed rent payments.

And some related reading from the Times in 2007 … when the address was home to Alt Coffee … because someone usually mentions Alt Coffee in relation to this address.

There are now 2 ping-pong tables in Tompkins Square Park

[Photo last week by Derek Berg]

The city installed the ping-pong table in Tompkins Square Park back on March 18, 2011… and while the table has been the scene of mindless bloodletting through the years… The table has proven to be a popular draw… so much so that the city has placed another one in the Park … over near the basketball courts…


[Image via Facebook]

Both tables come courtesy of local manufacturer Henge, whose president, Alan Good, is an East Village resident.

We asked Good why he donated another table to Tompkins Square Park.

"Tompkins won over other locations because of the astonishing growth in spirit of the core group of players there," he said via an email. "The age range is now 11 to 75, with a wide mix of economic classes, with people giving lessons to newcomers."



Henge continues to hold ping-pong tournaments on Saturdays this fall (see their Facebook page for details).

And now, a look though the EVG archives at some non-ping-pong moments at the ping-pong table…


[August 2014 via Bobby Williams]


[March 2013 via Bobby Williams]

[March 2012 via Bobby Williams]

[May 2011 via EVG]

[Updated] American Apparel packing up its spandex, cotton and denim and leaving the LES

BoweryBoogie points out today that the 11-year-old American Apparel outpost on East Houston and Orchard has closed… probably not a shocker given that the company is teetering on the verge of financial collapse or something less dramatic sounding.

On this occasion, we will dig deep into the EVG archives for this post from December 2009 thoughtfully titled "And now, my collection of the newish American Apparel ads" …







… and maybe our first sighting of the American Apparel van on Avenue A in December 2008… bringing the micro-mesh to the people…



Updated 6:38 p.m.

An American Apparel spokesperson emailed us the following statement:

"This store closure is a next step in implementing our previously announced turnaround plan, which includes closing underperforming locations and investing in new stores in promising areas."

So the LES is no longer promising?

Saint's Alp Teahouse closes for good after today

Saint's Alp Teahouse, purportedly the first teahouse to bring bubble tea to New York City, is closing its door after service tonight on Third Avenue.

Owner Bob Chan didn't offer any reason for the closure. (Lost lease? Increased rent? Decline in business?)

Here's a note from Chan from under the "About Us" tab on the Teahouse website:

The first location opened in 1995 in Chinatown on the corner of Mott Street and Bayard Street. Back then I don't believe bubble tea was even a word in the English Dictionary. Now you can get bubble tea almost anywhere.

When foods get popular, they get commoditized. It becomes a way for many people to cash in on what's popular today. This is a double edged sword. The obvious benefit is the popularity. I am very happy that the product is getting national, even international recognition. The downside is that in many attempts to cash in, some very important aspects are taken for granted. The quality is compromised for profit margins. The experience is compromised for convenience.

This outpost of a Hong Kong-based chain opened in the East Village in 1999. They closed for a month at the beginning of the year for a renovation and menu upgrade.

East Village writer Christine Champagne told us about the closure. She had been a regular since 2002. "I come on my own a few days a week to get a break from work. It is one of those places where you can sit and think and not be bothered or you can chat with the employees if you are so inclined."

The retail strip in the base of NYU's Alumni Hall between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street is rather barren now: Four of six storefronts will sit empty. Subway was the last tenant to go. Birdbath Neighborhood Green Bakery closed in July 2014. Citi Habitats moved out in June 2014.

Local politicos seek answers from the Blackstone Group on the Stuy Town air rights deal

News broke last week that The Blackstone Group was partnering with Canadian investment firm Ivanhoe Cambridge to buy Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village for $5.3 billion.

As part of the new agreement with the city, Blackstone will preserve 5,000 units as affordable for the next 20 years, according to The New York Times.

Only later did more details emerge, that the deal contains an inducement: Blackstone has New York City's backing to sell the property’s unused development rights, as The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Per the Journal:

Development rights — also known as air rights — are a hotly contested jewel sought by Manhattan developers. Every property has its own allocation of air rights based on zoning, and for those buildings that haven’t used all of them, the rights can be sold to others looking to build vertically. But such sales are generally restricted to properties on the same block.

Stuyvesant Town has more than 700,000 square feet of these rights, according to people who have reviewed the property’s zoning. That is more than half the size of the Chrysler Building— roughly enough for about 1,000 rental apartments.

Yesterday, City Comptroller Scott Stringer sent John Gray, global head of real estate, a letter asking for clarification on the density of the air rights Blackstone may be transferring.

Here are portions of the letter:

[W]e must express our concern regarding your intention to pursue transferring air rights from ST/PCV to the surrounding communities. This component of the agreement has not been disclosed in any detailed way either in the public documents or in our New York’s communities are keenly aware of the potential impacts associated with air rights, and any plan to radically change the zoning of a large parcel of land must include the community’s voice. ST/PCV tenants, the local community board, and the surrounding neighborhoods need and deserve a detailed description of Blackstone’s intentions including the scale, timeline and public purpose of the zoning change.

Air rights are not a commodity that can be transferred across the city at will; they are zoned onto individual properties pursuant to a larger neighborhood plan and only after full consideration of the potential impacts. The transfer of air rights from one block to another has only been permitted in connection with a clear public purpose and only when limited to the immediate vicinity of the site in question...

While ST/PCV is an iconic community endowed with substantial open space, the two superblocks that make up the complex include neither landmarks nor public parks. Further, the neighborhoods immediately surrounding the superblocks have few vacant parcels to accommodate any new density. Therefore, the public purpose of your proposal, and the boundaries within which an air rights transfer can occur, are not readily apparent.

The public reporting has indicated that only 700,000 square feet of air rights are available on the site. However, the October 2015 term sheet applies no restriction on the total density that can be transferred, and Department of City Planning data indicates that the unused air rights on the two superblocks could amount to 10.7 million square feet when community facility uses are included. While we recognize that no official number has yet to be set, the potential impacts of 10.7 million square feet of density on public transit, streets or other critical infrastructure are staggering, and the true number must be clarified and publicly disclosed.

Finally, while we appreciate that no formal agreement has been submitted, a change of this potential magnitude deserves immediate public disclosure and discussion. It is essential that these conversations begin prior to finalizing an agreement to ensure time for community consultation.

The letter was also signed by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, State Sen. Brad Hoylman and State Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh.

Among the questions they are seeking answers to:

• What is the scale of density of air rights that Blackstone is intending to transfer?
• What is Blackstone’s intended timeline for public discussions, disclosures and feedback?
• What geographical constraints is Blackstone considering for receiving sites of the density?

Image via

Here's what Ben Shaoul's 98-100 Avenue A will likely look like now

[EVG photo from Saturday]

Now that we know Ben Shaoul's new condo building will be two floors taller at 98-100 Avenue A... what will the final product look like here between East Sixth Street and East Seventh Street?

The current rendering on the plywood looks like...



But here's the actual rendering (H/T NY Yimby!) via Issac & Stern Architects...





According to Isaac & Stern, the mixed-use building is approximately 30,000 square feet with and 44 residences. In announcing sales of the condos last month, The Real Deal noted that there would be 33 residences. Per broker Ryan Serhant, prices will range from the high $1,000s per square foot to north of $2,000 per square foot.

As previously reported, Blink Fitness will be the commercial tenant.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Trying to figure out what is going on at 98-100 Avenue A

The Swiss Water® Coffee Studio opens Friday on Lafayette and East Houston

[Photo via EVG reader Mike]

A pop-up shop opens Friday in part of the BP station on Lafayette and East Houston that's facing demolition to make way for a retail-office building.

Here's the deal about the Swiss Water® Coffee Studio via Facebook:

This is a one of a kind experience to try coffee like you’ve never had it before.

Inside the Swiss Water® Coffee Studio you will be invited to experience the Art of Coffee Without Caffeine. Be guided through a sensory experience that includes espresso, hand crafted manually brewed coffee and cold brew options. There will also be educational elements of how we remove caffeine from coffee with our innovative and unique 100% chemical free process.

In the evenings, the experience amplifies the Art of Coffee Without Caffeine and additional musical elements and creative coffee cocktails will be introduced.

The studio will be up through Nov. 8. You can read more about the company here.

Sexy East 9th Street raccoon for Halloween

Photos last night on East Ninth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C by Shawn Chittle…

Some rat proofing for Tompkins Square Park

EVG contributor Derek Berg came across workers contracted by the city this morning installing (burying) rolls of these wire wool blankets of sorts four inches below the ground in Tompkins Square Park... apparently part of the Mayor's rat reservoir plan ...





... this material helps prevent the rats from burrowing or whatever rats do underground... the materials can also be fashioned into shorts and tank tops for anyone who may want to sit on the park lawn in the spring or summer months...

[Updated] City forces the country's 1st Hemp Bar to close on St. Mark's Place

The Brooklyn Dark Hemp Bar — who bill themselves as the first Hemp Bar in the United States — opened at 9 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue on Aug. 15.

And it appears that the cafe, which sells pastries, coffee, tea, etc., has sold its last hemp-based product, at least for now.

The note on the front door explains…



Per the note via CEO Lev Kelman:

"Even after passing all health and sanitation guidelines, the Health Department is requiring us to install 2 additional sinks despite the lack of space."

As of now, Kelman is unsure whether he will be able to reopen the shop, he told us via a Facebook message. Meanwhile, you can still find their products in various stores in the city and online.

Updated 10/27

The Village Voice, who did not give us any credit, picked up on our story and spoke further with Kelman.

Before opening, Kelman had the site inspected to make sure it was up to health standards. There were two sinks left from the space's earlier incarnation as a cafe called I Am Coffee. One was used for hand washing, the other for rinsing utensils and plates.

But in early October, Kelman says, city health inspectors came in with new rules, which he was cited for violating: There needed to be at least four sinks: one for soaking dishes, two others for sanitizing and rinsing dishes, and for hand washing.

Kelman went to court to contest the violations, and instead was slapped with an $800 fine, on top of being forced to close his business...

Updated 10/28

Scott Beyer at Forbes, who gave us credit, has a follow-up story. Read that here.

Per a city spokesperson:

Brooklyn Dark Hemp, like every other restaurant in NYC, needs to wash its dishes and cookware properly. A three compartment sink enables washing, rinsing and sanitizing to occur separately, critical for preventing contamination. This restaurant, like others, can request a variance if it can assure the Department that sanitizing can occur safely.

The city also said that the side-by-side sinks each needs a separate drainage system.

"Kelman refused to comply with this demand, knowing that it would skyrocket his business costs while adding no decipherable public safety benefits. It would also be impractical – even impossible – in such a small store that produced very few dirty dishes."

Previously on EV Grieve:
First U.S. hemp bar is now open on St. Mark's Place

The 'stunning boutique collection' of new residences on East 1st Street in 'The Bowery District'

The broker bunting has arrived on the scaffolding at 64 E. First St., where luxury condos are a-rising on the corpse of La Vie between First Avenue and Second Avenue …



There's a teaser site now for the six, full-floor residences. No pricing, but a few details:

Generous full-floor residences
2 bedrooms/2.5 bathrooms
Deep-set casement windows
Private outdoor terraces for each residence

There's also some new brandage action for the building… apparently this address is located in (heh) "The Bowery District" … (sounds more glamorous than Midtown South, aka MiSo?)…



Anyway, eventually, as the rendering on the plywood shows, the building will eventually look like … oh, never mind!



Here it is for real…


[Official for real rendering]

Also! Bonus Crane Operation here on East First Street coming up this Sunday!



Previously on EV Grieve:
La Vie has closed; neighbors rejoice

Former La Vie space on East First Street will be demolished

Getting rid of the rats at the former LaVie ahead of a new 6-floor residential building

Here lies the remains of La Vie

Here's a look at the new condos coming to East 1st Street

This is what the new condo building at 64 E. 1st St. will really look like

Report: A small victory for the Stage vs. Icon Realty

[Photo last Tuesday by Steven]

In our post last week about the sidewalk message outside the Stage at 128 Second Ave., an EVG commenter had some info about a recent judge's decision about the ongoing legal battle here with landlord Icon Realty.

DNAinfo has more details about the order issued on Oct. 15 by Judge Nancy M. Bannon, which bars Icon from evicting the Stage based on gas-tampering charges, pending the outcome of the lawsuit owner Roman Diakun filed in the spring.

In addition to preventing an eviction based on the gas-siphoning claims, Bannon also ordered Stage to make “timely and full payments of all rent and additional charges as required by the lease,” according to court documents.

“It’s a nice victory for Stage but the case is not over, unfortunately,” said Diakun’s attorney Ross Kordas about the court’s most recent decision. “We hope that we can resolve it and be open soon.”

Diakun has strongly denied any wrongdoing.

The landlord, however, remains convinced the restaurant worked on the gas lines illegally, putting the building’s tenants at risk, said representative Chris Coffey.

“We are confident that the right thing will happen and they will vacate that space,” he said.

Meanwhile, expect to continue seeing the gate down here between St. Mark's Place and East Seventh Street for the near future. Bannon ordered both parties to appear for a preliminary conference this coming Jan. 28, per DNAinfo.

The 35-year-old diner has been closed since March 30.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Report: Icon Realty serves the Stage an eviction notice

Stage owner Roman Diakun responds to allegations of illegally siphoning gas

Petition to help reopen the Stage

[Updated] The Stage is giving away its bulk food and supplies to charity

Report: The Stage is suing landlord Icon Realty to halt eviction process

The Stage is now crowdfunding to help in its legal fight with Icon Realty