Tough retail Environment? Upscale furniture shop closing on the Bowery

Environment Furniture, which "creates timeless contemporary collections for the home that respect the planet," is having a going-out-of-business sale at its showroom on the Bowery between Great Jones and East Fourth Street...



The Environment website described their location this way:

In the heart of the bustling hip neighborhood of the Bowery, iconic destination for the underground art world and music community. Footsteps away from the Bowery Hotel, Il Buco and former CBGB historic location.

The store arrived in 2012... and later expanded into the adjacent space at 350 Bowery (previously Gallery 151).

New shop hopes to be a perfect fit on East 9th Street

EVG contributor Steven passes along word (and a photo!) of a coming soon sign that arrived yesterday at 331 E. Ninth St. for Tailors Atelier of NY ... which, as you may have guessed, is a tailoring shop that's expected to open Feb. 1 here between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

The head tailor, Nigel Ramsey, has 30 years of experience, per the shop's website.

Here's their mission statement:

At TAILORS ATELIER, we have tailored our livelihoods on Altering and Tailoring people's clothing into works of art. From the simple to the complex we've experienced it all and can assist you every step of the way. No job is too small or too big for our knowledgeable staff. We've happily done it all for 30 years now!

The previous tenant here, the Glasgow Vintage Co., closed this past August after less than a year on the block.

Medical marijuana now for sale on East 14th Street

Columbia Care, one of NYC's first medicinal marijuana dispensaries, opens today at 212 E. 14th St., just east of Third Avenue.

As previously noted, the medical conditions approved for marijuana prescriptions are limited to cancer, HIV/AIDS, ALS, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, among several others. In addition, the NYC dispensaries will only sell 30-day supplies of marijuana in the form of oils, pills or tinctures.

CNBC toured the facility... per their report:

The dispensary's exterior is intentionally discreet, lacking marijuana plant designs so commonly seen around the country. There are five security cameras out front, and patients will be buzzed in after showing medicinal program cards. Once inside, customers are invited back to the pharmacy area. The interior space is modern and warm, not sterile like a doctor's office.

But key larger questions remain including how many medical practitioners will participate in the program, and recommend medicinal marijuana to patients.

Also, health insurance does not cover medical marijuana so patients will have to pay out of pocket. Columbia Care will run a separate program for low-income patients. The company has submitted its consumer-facing price proposals to the state for approval.

Previously on EV Grieve:
New East 14th Street retail space already gone to pot

Columbia Care brands its marijuana dispensary on East 14th Street

[Updated] Now playing at the Sunshine: flooding

We are temporarily closed at the moment due to repairs; we will keep you updated on when we will open.

— Sunshine Cinema (@sunshine_cinema) January 6, 2016

In case you had plans on seeing a movie (maybe the Charlie Kauffman retrospective) at the Sunshine Cinema on East Houston, you are out of luck at the moment.

The Sunshine tweeted out earlier this afternoon that they are "temporarily closed."

The Lo-Down heard from management that the theater closed due to flooding. They hope to return to cinematic action tonight... or tomorrow morning. Watch their Twitter account for updates.

Updated 1 p.m.

Back open!

We are back open! Come see a film with us: https://t.co/Ell1CH0uGE

— Sunshine Cinema (@sunshine_cinema) January 7, 2016

About those Stuy Town-Peter Cooper air rights that could fetch Blackstone $625 million

Well, you know that the Blackstone Group and Ivanhoe Cambridge's $5 billion-plus purchase of the Stuy-Town/Peter Cooper Village is in the books. (Mostly!)

Now Lois Weiss at the Post has more details about those air rights bandied about in previous sale discussions:

Blackstone has tucked away air rights that could be worth some $625 million.

While the majority of the air rights — roughly 1 million square feet — will be transferred somewhere over the city’s rainbow through a new entity, Blackstone also retained 250,000 feet of air rights within a Stuyvesant Town associated LLC.

These include 200,000 square feet for a community facility, 25,000 square feet for residential and 25,000 square feet for commercial use.

But before residents and elected officials freak out, Blackstone sources said the company is sticking with its promise and will not build anything else on site. The executives spoke on condition of anonymity and explained the deed filings merely divvied up the air rights between various entities.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Local politicos seek answers from the Blackstone Group on the Stuy Town air rights deal

A revamped Dry Dock Playground is back open

The Dry Dock Playground recently returned to action after nearly six months of renovations...





Amazingly enough, the $1.5-million project, which included refurbished basketball courts and additional security lighting, was finished ahead of its projected spring 2016 deadline. (The refurbishments did not include the pool.)

Meanwhile, making free throws against the backdrop of the Con Ed power plant still takes intense concentration...



Previously on EV Grieve:
The Dry Dock Playground is closed for reconstruction

You now have a few more hours to use the local libraries during the week

[EVG file photo of the Tompkins Square library branch]

The New York Public Library has expanded hours at branches throughout the city, with a focus on evenings, weekends and other periods of high demand, as we cut-and-paste from the news release.

How did they manage this?

A historic $43 million increase in operating funding to the city’s three library systems in Fiscal Year 2016 has allowed NYPL to add 293 more public service hours per week at branches across the system, bringing average weekly branch hours up from 46.6 hours to 50.

And here are the new hours for the branches around here...

• Hamilton Fish Park Library, 415 East Houston St. between Pitt and Columbia
Hours: Mon. and Weds. 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Tues. and Thurs. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Ottendorfer Library, 135 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and East Ninth
Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Tompkins Square Library, 331 E. 10th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B
Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

None of these branches will have Sunday hours, however, like several other locations. (Still only one Library open on Sundays hereabouts.)

Also, the NYPL released the "Top Book Check Outs of 2015" by branch... so in case you were wondering...

Hamilton Fish Park - "Blue Exorcist" by Kazue Kato and John Werry

Ottendorfer - "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

Tompkins Square - "The Paying Guests" by Sarah Waters

H/T DNAinfo

NY Village Deli is on the move on 1st Avenue

An EVG reader let us know that the NY Village Deli has closed its doors at 39 First Ave. after 25 years...


[Reader-submitted photo]

However! Per the sign on the door...



... the deli is just relocating two storefronts away to the north...



This storefront between East Second Street and East Third Street was home to Puebla Mexican Food until last March. (Puebla since found a new location in the Essex Street Market.)

Puebla's lease was up, and the new rent was too much for owner Irma Marin to manage. And according to a tipster, the landlord of NY Village Deli raised the rent to $17,000, which was more than the store owners could pay and stay in business.

The new home of NY Village Deli is expected to open on Monday.

Send a salami to your boy next door in the condo

The branding is up on the plywood, as Curbed noted, on East Houston between Orchard and Ludlow ... where Ben Shaoul is dropping in an 11-story condoplex with an Equinox Fitness in the retail space.

In total here at 196 Orchard St., there will be 94 units — studios to three-bedroomers ... with pricing starting at just under $1 million and measuring from 555 square feet.

And as BoweryBoogie pointed out yesterday, the sales messaging relies upon next-door neighbor (and air rights seller) Katz's...



Here's another marketing photo via the 196 Orchard teaser site...


[Hey yoo guys — this isn't the Surf Inn!]

And BoweryBoogie brought this up: "How long before these future tenants start bitching about the smells emanating from the kitchen of Katz’s?" The air was resplendent (or whatever) with the delicious smell of pastrami last evening while taking these photos on Orchard. (Note to self: Pastrami-Proof© Windows?) One former resident of The Ludlow wrote some years back how much she won't miss the "smell of pickles from Katz [sic] Deli that I am forced to inhale when walking home every day."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Making way for Ben Shaoul's new retail-residential complex on East Houston

Katz's is now the last business on East Houston between Ludlow and Orchard

Feeling the Breeze on 12th and C

There's a new panel up at the 12C Outdoor Art Gallery … on Avenue C at East 12th Street.

This past weekend, Amsterdam-based Hyland Mather created "Shape Piles" ...







The gallery is curated by East Village resident Robert Galinsky, who shared the above photos...

Previously

Urban Etiquette Sign (Box Edition) of the week, so far

[Photo via Instagram]

Spotted on East 10th Street and Avenue A by @themikeschreiber ...

It reads, in part: "Who took this box + opened it & took the contents out is a fucking theif [sic]. We need our stuff back. Return to Brindle Room!!"

Not sure if the contents were ever returned. The box is now being used as a discarded holiday wreath dispensary.

It was so steamy out this morning

EVG reader Brett W. shared this photo looking east toward the Con Ed plant earlier this morning, about 8 degrees ago...

Tagging Joey Ramone

This morning, EVG reader Lola Sáenz noted that the Joey Ramone mural on Bleecker Street at the Bowery was tagged... the mural, by Solus and John CRASH Matos, arrived on Sept. 3 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Ramones debuting at CBGB. This is the first time that we recall it being defaced.

An open letter to landlord Raphael Toledano from the Toledano Tenants Coalition

[EVG file photo of 233-235 E. 5th St.]

Members of the Toledano Tenants Coalition are distributing the following letter to media outlets and local elected officials about the ongoing situation at buildings purchased last fall by Raphael Toledano. Some of the following was also covered in a recent article published in The Villager. The Toledano Tenants Coalition shared a copy with us before its circulation elsewhere...

Dear Mr. Toledano,

Prior to and since your purchase of the Tabak real estate portfolio in Fall 2015, tenants have experienced an alarming amount of alleged harassment. You have articulated your goal to many of us: you wish to remove rent-regulated residents from their homes. Given your intention to remove units from rent-regulation, the publicity surrounding 444 East 13th Street, and other legal matters, tenants of 17 buildings in your portfolio have formed a coalition.

Since June 2015, this coalition has recorded numerous instances of such alleged harassment perpetrated by you, Isaac Toledano, and agents of Brookhill Properties. You and your property managers have allegedly engaged in activities such as:

1. Serving tenants with frivolous notices to vacate and holdover lawsuits;

2. Threatening to shut off basic services such as heat and hot water;

3. Refusing to renew rent-stabilized leases based on meritless allegations;

4. Threatening that impending construction will be an extreme nuisance and will render apartments uninhabitable in your buildings;

5. Following tenants in and around their buildings, after hours, on the street, and close to where they live;

6. Calling tenants to discuss buyout offers, even after tenants have firmly expressed that they are not interested;

7. Pressuring tenants to quickly accept buyout offers.

We would like our interactions with you to reflect the civility and respect that we believe we deserve. We further ask that you examine your methods of operation, and comply with all laws, including the Tenant Protection Act of 2008, and the newly enacted buyout protection. We would ask that you treat your role as a landlord with the gravity it deserves, and that you respect both the letter and the spirit of the law.

Sincerely,

The Toledano Tenants Coalition

Previously on EV Grieve:
Claim: Landlord of 444 E. 13th St. threatened 'to drop dynamite on the building'

Report: State investigating East Village landlord Raphael Toledano

Report: Uncle suing nephew broker Raphael Toledano over $100 million East Village deal

Report: Raphael Toledano completes purchase of 16-building East Village portfolio

More about alleged harassment and landlord visits via Brook Hill Properties

Brook Hill Properties launches chocolate offensive

In op-ed, Raphael Toledano says that he wants 'to make the East Village a better place'

Report: East Village landlord Raphael Toledano allegedly misrepresented himself as a lawyer