At NatureEs, the Mars Bar replacement that apparently is no longer open

There hasn't been much, if any, daytime activity over at NatureEs, the juice bar/cafe/"wellness center" combo at 21 E. First St. in Jupiter 21, the residential building that rose from the grave of the Mars Bar and several other businesses here between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Former Mars Bar owner Hank Penza was reportedly a partner in this new venture that included a founder of Juice Press.

The cafe space was seemingly cleaned out about a month ago… the doors are always locked during the announced business hours… for at least a week in late September, there were signs on the door noting a closure for a private event...



An EVG reader noted bouncers and a line outside on several nights in early October (there is an active liquor license for the space)…



Out of curiosity, I stopped by NatureEs twice during its run … once right after it opened this past May. There was a disorganized vibe to the place, though you may expect a little chaos shortly after opening.

NatureEs actually didn't have much for sale in this huge space — six juices … a chia bowl. The (presumably?) manager, who treated me like an undesirable party guest, said they were making smoothies, but they didn't have menus yet. They also had hot soup — a lentil bean concoction, which seemed a little much on this unseasonably warm May afternoon. They had two small to-go dishes. The chia bowl and a broccoli/cauliflower mix. Neither item had the ingredients (nor the price) listed. The vegetables had a sauce, but no one knew what it was. Also, the AC wasn't working.

I returned later in the summer, when NatureEs looked more inviting…



I looked around the well-appointed space … I was the only person there, other than the lone employee…



I looked at some body oils and scented candles… it had the feel of a fake store created for a film set…



Eventually I decided to — in the name of blogalism — fork over $11 for a smoothie … the Starter Wife, featuring avocado, pineapple, spinach, ginger and coconut water, sounded appealing (enough).



The employee said of course, and disappeared into the back room. He returned several minutes later with a sheepish look and the news that he did not have any avocados on-hand to make this smoothie. Maybe come back?

Yesterday, CB3 released its roster of meetings for November, including the SLA committee meeting set for Nov. 16.

Among the items on the agenda under alterations:

• Naturees (Paulmil Cafe Inc), 21 E 1st St (alt/op/convert juice bar to Spanish bistro and add additional bar)

So it appears there are plans to convert the juice bar/spa into a bar-restaurant.

Previously on EV Grieve:
NatureEs calls: About the organic cafe coming to where Mars Bar 2.0 was in the works

A quick look inside NatureEs, the new organic cafe coming to 21 E. 1st St.

Hitchcocktober movie of the week: 'Rear Window'

Tonight at 8, a personal favorite with the Hitchcocktober movie of the week at the Village East Cinema on Second Avenue at East 12th Street... it's "Rear Window"



And thus we conclude another Hitchcocktober. See you next month for NovemBay, featuring the oeuvre of Michael Bay...

An Autumn afternoon

Photo in Tompkins Square Park today by Bobby Williams...

Out and About in the East Village

In this weekly feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village.



By James Maher

Name: Robert, who is a little camera shy, with Stellar
Occupation: Hair Stylist
Location: 2nd Street and Avenue A
Time: 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23

I’m from upstate New York originally. I moved to California after graduating from SUNY Binghamton. I went to beauty school and ended up having my own salon. It was great. I had traveled around California and had friends who were living in Monterey. I spent 15 years there. But I became sick of the friggin’ fog.

I came to the city in 1986. My parents were moving back up from Florida. I spent two weeks with friends from California and partied my ass off. Then an apartment I had fell through at the last minute and friends said, oh but so and so knows this place on St. Mark's and 1st, so I ended up there with a couple of roommates.

At that point, I would come to Avenue A, go to Odessa, go to the Pyramid Club to go dancing and stuff, but you couldn’t go into the Park. It was a real mess. But I enjoyed the part of the neighborhood you could walk in. It was friendly. You could actually talk to people and meet people and stuff. There’s a sense of community. It’s changing. There are all these new buildings that to me don’t seem to fit in.

My career went really great in California. After a few years I got a clientele together and had my own salon. I was busy as hell. Then when I moved here, I found a salon to work in on 7th and 23rd. It was called Eclipse. I started dating the hair colorist. Then the salon closed for back taxes. We were able to get clients files. So we ended up sitting on 23rd Street splitting up the files. It was coming up summer and you know how dead the city gets. We were like how are we really going to survive?

I ended up back in California because that was the place where I knew. Only lasted a year there because [my boyfriend] freaked out. I think he expected Florida. In California, he'd stand on the balcony looking out through the fog and say, They called this place fuckin’ beautiful?

So we moved to Orlando. This was back in the 1990s. There were lots of job openings and, of course, the weather was great. We had a pool in the backyard and a two-bedroom house. But you can’t make any money. After doing hair for 20 years I was getting paid like $7.50 an hour. I stayed for two years and had eight jobs. I worked a couple jobs for Disney — for the Epcot Center.

I ended up coming back here. I moved to an apartment on Avenue A near 14th Street. There was a large thunderstorm once when I wasn’t there. I came back and said something’s wrong downstairs. There was black mold from floor to ceiling and all around. And [management] did their half-assed renovation of it. They just took a cloth and washed it and slapped on some paint. I didn’t think it was healthy to continue living there. I tried to get the landlord to check it out, to do something about it. The building manager wouldn’t so I got a local lab. I took a piece and they tested it and it came back with like four pages. It was Stachybotrys plus seven or eight other molds. My landlord was like, You’re just freaking out. I was like, You’re goddam right I’m freaking out.

So it was time to move. And now I'm in an apartment between C and D. It is a safer place in a lot of ways, but, then again, I would say that I don’t think it’s that safe, especially on Avenue D and especially later at night. I was returning home [over the summer] and walking the dog. I went up the steps and I saw the cops who were walking by me and I said, thank you for being out here and walking the beat, because I feel like Avenue D is going downhill and they turned to me and said, the whole neighborhood is going downhill.

In my building, two people have reported junkies walking in during the afternoon … and finding junkies in the hallway shooting up. As you walk down the stairs, there are stairs that lead into the basement. I walked out awhile ago and there was a junkie on the steps. He turned and looked up at me and carried on.

James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.

Check out the new 10-story building for the former 2nd Avenue BP station

The demolition work got underway yesterday (officially anyway) at 24 Second Ave. at East First Street.

As if that's not newsy enough, the city OK'd the plans (per DOB records) on Monday for the new 10-story retail-residential complex that will call this corner home. (Pretty speedy turnaround for the city. Reps for the developer only filed the plans in July.)

Dumbo-based RSVP Studio is the architect of record. While we didn't find any renderings at RSVP, there is a new one on the website for mortgage lender Ladder Capital, who provided a bridge loan for … brace!



Permits show some 45,000 square feet for the 31 residences (rentals? condos?) … and another 5,700 square feet for the commercial space.

As New York Yimby first noted in July when the developers filed the permits, apartments will begin on the second floor, with four to five units per floor through the sixth story. The seventh and eighth floors will host two duplexes, and the ninth and tenth floors will hold one penthouse duplex with a private roof deck. Amenities include a shared terrace and recreation space on the second floor, and a fitness room, storage and bike storage in the cellar.

The BP — which was the second-to-last gas station left in the East Village — closed in July 2014.

Previously on EV Grieve:
RUMOR: Gas station going, boutique hotel coming on Second Avenue? (31 comments)

BP station on 2nd Avenue closes this month

The 2nd Avenue BP station has closed

Report: 50,000 square feet of condos coming to the former 2nd Avenue BP station

Permits filed to demolish former 2nd Avenue BP station

More about the 10-story building taking the place of the former BP station at 24 2nd Ave.

A look inside the last East Village gas station

On 2nd Avenue, Moonstruck Diner is now The Kitchen Sink

So we're told the sign/name switcheroo happened in the middle of last week here on Second Avenue at East Fifth Street ... goodbye Moonstruck Diner, hello The Kitchen Sink...



As we understand it, the ownership is the same... and while the diner standbys (burgers, omelettes, sandwiches, etc.) remain, the menu has been glammed up a bit, which would explain the cringeworthy arrival of Punk Rock Shrimp...



The owners revamped the space back in January ... this was on top of the fall 2014 revamp that ushered in the arrival of a new bar, draft beer and multiple flat-screen TVs ... (and — mason jars!)... running a diner in NYC is a tough business these days with rising costs and changing tastes.

Anyway, we've stopped by several times in recent months for dinner ... and the food was always solid, and the service friendly… we'll give The Kitchen Sink a whirl one of these days too, though the thought of saying We're going to eat at The Kitchen Sink doesn't sound so appealing…

[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

Incoming sign of Virgola on East 7th Street

The signage has arrived at 111 E. Seventh St. for Virgola, the Greenwich Village-based oyster-and-wine cafe that's opening an outpost here between Avenue A and First Avenue...



Owner Joseph Marazzo told DNAinfo in August that the East Village location will have the same vibe as the original — "with a dimly lit, black interior similar to the Greenwich Avenue bar and a new steel bar."

The previous tenant here, The Bourgeois Pig, closed after 10 years in late January, moving to a new location on MacDougal Street.

Photos by EVG contributor Steven…

Previously on EV Grieve:
Oysters coming to the former Bourgeois Pig space on East 7th Street

DOH temporarily closes Sushi Dojo on 1st Avenue

Sushi Dojo, chef David Bouhadana's well-regarded restaurant at 110 First Ave., had to sit out this past weekend after a DOH-mandated closure.

Several EVG readers noted the arrival of the telltale yellow sticker last Wednesday here between East Seventh Street and East Sixth Street. A look at the DOH report notes just 21 violation points from a visit on Oct. 21. The two "critical" sanitary violations:

• Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
• Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment.

Given the horror show of violations (flesh flies!) that we've seen at some places, this seems like pretty ticky-tacky stuff in comparison, especially to shut down a restaurant for five-plus days over…

Updated noon

Eater has more on the story here.

Per Bouhadana:

We were closed for one thing and one thing only, not wearing gloves. Sushi chefs are not supposed to wear gloves. 17 employees lost their job because the DOH has been harassing me for four months and threatening me for this issue. I have 20+ of the best sushi chefs behind me and many more ready to bat for me. We will solve this BS rule, a rule I don't stand by. Sushi is being ruined my gloves, freezing fish and more issues...