Reports: Man shot and killed on East 12th Street outside Campos Plaza last night

[Photo from last night by DR]

A man was shot and killed last night in front of Pedro Albizu Campos Plaza I on East 12th Street near Avenue C, according to published reports.

As PIX 11 reported, police received a 911 call around 10:44 pm. Elliot Caldwell, 23, had been shot in the back, polices sources said. He died later at Bellevue.

A neighbor told the Daily News that Caldwell grew up in Campos Plaza, and would return to visit.

Police haven't made any arrests and the investigation is ongoing, per PIX 11. CBS New York reported that a witness reported seeing a man in a red hoodie running from the scene.

Back in January, according to a report in the Post, an unnamed 23-year-old man had been shot in the left leg. Police said that the victim, who was trying to leave the scene in a cab, "was uncooperative and refused to give them a description of the suspect."

An NYPD patrol tower (SkyWatch) arrived on the scene shortly after the January shooting. The NYPD had recently removed the tower.


[EVG photo from February]

Updated 11:30 a.m.
DNAinfo reports that Caldwell, who lived nearby on 12th Street, had a 3-year-old son. "He was a great father. He changed his life for his son. He just got caught up in a bad situation," his aunt told DANinfo.

This is what's happening around here for Record Store Day 2016

The action starts tomorrow morning...

• Academy LPs, 415 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Avenue A

Just a reminder that in addition to the best selection of Record Store Day releases, we'll be putting out a motherlode of used/vintage records this Saturday , including a SEALED OG press of this Black Merda going out at 12th st! #rsd16 #recordstoreday #blackmerda #vinylcommunity #recordstore #vinyligclub #vinylcollector #nomailorder #noholds

A photo posted by Academy Records NYC (@academyrecords) on Apr 14, 2016 at 10:49am PDT

• Good Records NYC, 218 E. Fifth St. between the Bowery and Second Avenue

Saturday is Record Store Day but we are putting out incredible stuff all week for our core customers so don't snooze!

A photo posted by Good Records NYC (@goodrecordsnyc) on Apr 11, 2016 at 6:53am PDT

• Other Music, 15 E. Fourth St. between Broadway and Lafayette

We're burning the midnight oil in order to get ready for Record Store Day. See you Saturday at 10AM!

A photo posted by Other Music (@other_music) on Apr 13, 2016 at 7:38pm PDT

• Turntable Lab, 120 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue

#recordstoreday releases rolling in, see u @turntablelabnyc . . . #rsd2016 #rsd #recordstoreday2016 #rsd16 #vinylporn #recordcollection

A photo posted by @turntablelab on Apr 13, 2016 at 4:11pm PDT

• A-1 Records, 439 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue

I think I'm buying this.

A photo posted by A-1 Record Shop (@a1recordshop) on Apr 14, 2016 at 12:23pm PDT

There are also some Record Store Day happenings at In Living Stereo on Great Jones at Broadway. Details here.

Find the official Record Store Day website here ... and the list of special Record Store Day releases here...

Dempsey's Pub on 2nd Avenue closes for good on Sunday

After 24 years in business, Dempsey's Pub on Second Avenue between East Third Street and East Fourth Street is closing its doors for good on Sunday night.

Reps for Dempsey's issued a press announcement yesterday. Per the news release:

Opening in 1992 as Jack Dempsey’s Pub, [the bar] quickly became the go to spot for locals and NYU students alike. The sports bar transitioned to Dempsey’s Pub in 1998 after being acquired solely by Tom O’Byrne.

Ask any NYU student or neighborhood local and they will be sure to have had a fond memory at this East Village institution. Since opening their doors they have cultivated a crowd that has depended upon their various programming from sports nights, to showcasing local Celtic bands on Tuesday nights, to their famous Wednesday trivia nights.

These popular events will be moving just around the corner to their sister pub, Slainte, located on 304 Bowery.

O’Byrne also owns Cooper’s Craft and Kitchen on Second Avenue at East Fifth Street. He told Bedford + Bowery yesterday that Dempsey's "reached the end of its cycle."

He also added that the changing nature of the neighborhood had played a part in his decision to close up shop. "Obviously part of it is related to costs, and the demand for the type of place like Dempsey's is not there anymore in the way it was before."

According to the closing announcement, Dempey's will run happy hour specials "such as $5 beer, wine and well drinks" through the weekend, "ending on Sunday with can-bottle beer specials all night."

Image via Facebook

A celebration of community gardens tomorrow (Saturday!)

Via the EVG inbox...

Wear your best springtime and garden themed costumes, bring posters, musical instruments, and join us in our parade through the gardens of the East Village

Parade starts at 1:30 p.m. at 6B Garden [West Side Ave B (E 5th & E 6th) making stops at:
• Tompkins Square Park [West side Ave B (E 7th & 10th)]
• Children’s Garden [West side Ave B (SW corner E 12th)]
• Campos Community Garden [South side E 12th (Aves B & C)]
• 9th Street Garden [NE Corner Ave C & 9th)]
• La Plaza Cultural de Armando Perez [SW corner Ave C & E 9th]
• The Secret Garden [NW corner Ave C & E 4th]
• Parque de Tranquilidad [South side E 4th (Aves C & D)]
• Orchard Alley [South side E 4th St (Aves C & D)]

Ending at El Jardin around 3 p.m. [North side E 4th St (Aves C & D)]

From 3-5 pm at EL Jardin there will be:
• Seed Swap (get some seeds to grow stuff!)
• Garden Membership Drive
• Gardens Rising Walkabout (gardensrising.org)
• Bicycle Check Up
• Solar 1 Educational program
• LES Ready
• Poetry, Music, Food

On the topic of community gardens... the 6BC Community Garden (East Sixth Street between Avenue B and C) Orientation is Sunday ... details are on the flyer below are at the garden's website here.

Burgers will be popping up this weekend at the former Northern Spy space on East 12th Street

After six years, Northern Spy's owners decided to call it quits this past February. However, the space at 511 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B will be put to use again this weekend.

Here are details via the EVG inbox...

Fleishers Craft Butchery is running a pop-up burger joint for one weekend ONLY, at the former Northern Spy Food Co. space today through Sunday. (Northern Spy Food Co. partner Christophe Hille is also CFO and an owner of Fleishers — hence the utilization of the NSFCo space for one last time.)

Menu

• Classic American Burger $12
Classic blend of NY State pasture-raised beef with American cheese, special sauce, red onion and lettuce

• 100% Grass-fed Burger $13
NY State grass-fed beef with lettuce, tomato and onion

• The Bacon Egg & Cheeseburger $15
Made from NY State pasture-raised beef & bacon blend, sunny fried egg, American cheese

• Beef Fat Fries $6

• Northern Spy's Famous Kale Salad $12

•Beer, Wine and Brunch Cocktails will be available

And, these burgers are for a good cause: for every burger Fleishers sells at the pop-up, it is donating 6 oz of NY State pasture-raised beef to Trinity Lower East Side's “Service and Food for the Homeless” kitchen on East Ninth Street and Avenue B.

Spotted: A one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater (made of yarn) on East 9th Street

The latest yarn creation courtesy of @madebylondon arrived today outside La Plaza Cultural on East Ninth Street at Avenue C ...

Previously on EV Grieve:
An evolution in yarn at La Plaza Cultural

An enchanted yarn garden on St. Mark's Place

DumplingGo is closed right now

An EVG reader notes that brown paper is up on the windows at DumplingGo, the quick-serve restaurant on Second Avenue at East 12th Street. There aren't any signs up noting "closed for renovations"... the phone goes unanswered ... and the DumplingGo website has a "Error establishing a database connection" message.

However, there is a freshly approved permit for a "minor renovation of the existing restaurant" on file with the city. In addition, DumplingGo is on CB3's SLA docket (PDF here) on Monday night for a beer-wine license. (This application will not be heard before the committee.)

Anyway, this is likely just a closed for renovations for real (even though there isn't a note for customers).

DumplingGo opened here 13 months ago.

38 in a 25

Thursday morning speed trap on Second Avenue between East Seventh Street and East Sixth Street...





Photos by Derek Berg

A celebration of Streit's Matzo Factory starts tonight on Avenue A

When we exchanged emails with filmmaker Michael Levine the other day, the East Village resident had just lugged 1,200 pounds of matzo-making machinery and 800 pounds of matzo to Avenue A from Rockland County.

Levine's documentary, "Streit’s: Matzo and the American Dream," which explores the history of the family-owned matzo factory on the Lower East Side, debuts next Wednesday at the Film Forum.

Ahead of that, Art on A Gallery, 24 Avenue A between East Second Street and East Third Street, will feature an exhibit on Streit's starting tonight. (Levine shared the photos in this post while setting up the exhibit yesterday.)

"We'll have archival photos of the Rivington Street factory from the 1920s-1950s on display," Levine said. "We'll also have a photo series from 2015, just before the factory closed, by Joseph O. Holmes."

Other exhibit highlights include:

• Original machinery from the Streit's factory on display (Streit's saved seven tractor trailers of machinery from the factory — basically everything but the ovens — to rebuild at the new factory in Rockland County as a museum.)

• Work by Judi Harvest, an artist who has been creating gold-leafed matzo since 2000. She's creating a wall of special pink-gold matzos in honor of Streit's.

• Archival video projected on the rear wall of the gallery, shot at the Streit's factory in the 1940s.







"I had this idea when I thought about the fact that this would be the first Passover in a century without Streit's having some kind of physical presence in the neighborhood," Levine said. "There are so many people who would make their annual pilgrimage to the factory, and while I couldn't give them that, I wanted there to be some place for them to go and get in the holiday spirit, as it were. Streit's didn't sponsor any of this in any way — nor did they have any financial/editorial say in the film — but they're excited about the idea."

The four buildings that housed Streit's, vacated last year, are set to be demolished next week to make way condos.

"The idea of those buildings coming down, and maybe even more so what will replace them, makes me sick to my stomach," he said, "but I suppose if it has to happen, maybe [the film and gallery show] might provide a little more perspective than usual on the significance of that loss." (As Alan M. Adler, a great-grandson of Aron Streit, the business’s founder, told the Times in January 2015: "[T]he reality is that operating a modern factory in four old buildings has finally caught up with us.')

The opening is tonight from 8-10. (The exhibit will be up through May 5.) Members of the Streit family as well as several of the factory workers will be at the gallery tonight.

The documentary plays the Film Forum April 20-26. You may find tickets here.

114 E. 10th St. returns for a few million more

In September 2014 we wrote about the new-to-market townhouse at 114 E. 10th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. Didn't take long to find a taker — public records show that the address changed hands for slightly more than the $7.5 asking price in December 2014.

Now the owner — an LLC with a Pinecrest, Fla., address — is reselling the home. No. 114 is back on the market, though the price is now $9.85 million.

Here's the listing over at Douglas Elliman:

Beautifully renovated six bedroom townhouse designed in the mid 1800's by one of the most important architects of the day, JAMES RENWICK,JR. He is best know for his design of St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue. Well located on a street which has been called "The Most Beautiful Street in the Village".It also has been home to many famous people ,one being the prominent architect, Stanford White.

This outstanding house combines the preservation of original detail and a complete renovation which allows for the luxury and convenience of today'smodern world. Features include central air and heat,video,intercom,security and alarm system. Designer furnished. Real Estate Tax/annual $20,212.

And some photos...







No mention this time around of the sauna and outdoor shower on the roof.

Previously on EV Grieve:
This East 10th Street townhouse includes rooftop shower and garden apartment for staff

Images via Douglas Elliman

Report: 1st U.S. outpost of Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan opening on 10th Street and 4th Avenue

[EVG photo from December 2014]

Hong Kong-based chef Mak Kwai Pui is opening his first U.S. location of Tim Ho Wan, his Michelin-starred dim sum parlor, on East 10th Street and Fourth Avenue, the Voice reported yesterday.

The restaurant is expected to open this fall. Here are more details via the Voice:

Prompted by the Michelin stars, there are often hours-long lines of out-of-towners at Tim Ho Wan's Hong Kong locations — where Mak originally intended to feed locals at bargain prices. Mak tells the Voice that his designs on the U.S. involve appealing to the culinary tourists who seek his food abroad.

And!

Steamer baskets of plump prawn dumplings, Mak's signature trio of baked buns stuffed with barbecue pork, and Chinese-sausage-stuffed glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf all remain under $5. Even now, the tissues within the boxes placed atop each table serve as napkins.

The address here in Midtown South previously housed Spice, which closed in December 2014.

H/T Steven!

Ian Schrager’s Public Hotel at 215 Chrystie St. will have plenty of places to drink and eat

Been meaning to do another post about Ian Schrager’s Public Hotel at 215 Chrystie St. just below East Houston...as you can see on the horizon (these photos are from mid-March)... from many different vantage points...







Sigh. Because someone will ask!



When completed, the 28-story Herzog & de Meuron-designed building will feature 376 hotel rooms via Schrager's Public Hotel brand, topped off by 11 ultra-luxury condos, including PH3 that is selling for $18.75 million.

Hotel aside, the property promises to be "a luxe nightlife playground," as the Lo-Down recently put it ... including two restaurants from famed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. In total, there are 11 venues within the complex, though not all will serve booze. (Maybe just 8?) Still, enough licenses that CB3's SLA committee had a special session Monday night just for this application.

And Schrager was even there for part of the four-hour meeting, where some nearby residents expressed concern over the potential for the high-end nightlife wooshow. Here's Allegra Hobbs at DNAinfo with some meeting coverage:

Ultimately, [CB3] members approved all interior spaces as presented, but recommended the outdoor spaces, one of which is glass-enclosed, shut down at 10 p.m. When asked whether Schrager would comply with the request, a lawyer for the hotelier did not comment.

Schrager’s reps assured community members their sound-proofing methods would lock in any loud noise, but still agreed to meet with neighbors to test out the methods once installed in addition to quarterly meetings with tenants during the first year of the hotel’s operation to gather feedback.

BoweryBoogie attended the meeting as well:

Schrager opened proceedings with an introduction, conveying his intention to create “something great for the neighborhood” that embodies the spirit of the area. He went on to toot his track record across forty boutique hotels, yet in condescending tone. Assumed the panel wasn’t familiar with his vision and how to license hotels. There were frequent defensive outbursts.

A bounty of Bowie tomorrow night at the Anthology Film Archives

Tomorrow night!!! Big Bowie Bash: A Tribute...Redux Bathe yourself in #Bowie with Anthology’s encore presentation of the “KGB Movie Friends” very hefty and heartfelt, 4-plus-hour BIG BOWIE BASH: A TRIBUTE! Join us for a bounty of everything Bowie, with clips, videos, performance footage, interviews, and miscellany! A singular experience not to be missed that will have you singing, crying, laughing, gasping, and ... dancing in the streets!

A photo posted by Anthology Film Archives (@anthologyfilmarchives) on Apr 13, 2016 at 8:34am PDT

This four-hour "Big Bowie Bash" starts at 7 tomorrow night at the Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Ave. at East Second Street. Find more details here.

Iggy Pop in Tompkins Square Park

EVG reader Juliet passes along these photos of Iggy Pop from late this afternoon in Tompkins Square Park... filming something or another... (any idea who he's with???)



Maybe the former East Village resident is giving another tour of the neighborhood?

Anyway, Iggy played the United Palace last night in support of his fine new record, Post Pop Depression. (Alex shares a few thought on the show here.)

And Iggy — aka James Newell Osterberg, Jr. — turns 69 on April 21. So happy early birthday Iggy...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Go on a tour of Iggy Pop's East Village in 1993

4Knots Music Festival returns to the South Street Seaport this summer; Guided by Voices headline

Via the EVG inbox...

The Village Voice is proud to announce the lineup for its sixth annual 4Knots Music Festival, being held in its original home at the South Street Seaport on Saturday, July 9th. For this year's festival, the Voice is expanding their variety of genres to include Americana, Hip-Hop, Electronica, and more. 4Knots 2016 will feature performances by Guided By Voices, The Strumbellas, Protomartyr, Car Seat Headrest, Kirk Knight, Girlpool, Bayonne, Diane Coffee, Promised Land Sound, and Mild High Club, plus more bands to be announced soon.

The Voice is thrilled to announce it is returning to our roots with a free festival this year as part of the re-established Voice mission to bring music, art and culture to New Yorkers under the new ownership of Peter Barbey.

And here's a summery song by one of the bands on the bill... Girlpool...

Report: U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara now looking into deed lift at 45 Rivington St.

Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, is the latest official to probe the sale of the former Rivington House on the Lower East Side, Politico New York reports.

The deal under the de Blasio administration's watch in November is already under investigation by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, the city Department of Investigation and City Comptroller Scott Stringer.

To recap: In February 2015, Allure paid $28 million for the property, promising that 45 Rivington — the former Rivington Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation — would remain a health facility. In November, a city agency lifted the the deed in exchange for the Allure Group's $16 million payment to the city. Earlier this year, Allure then reportedly sold the property for $116 million to the the Slate Property Group, a condo developer who plans to create 100 luxury residences in the building that overlooks Sara S. Roosevelt Park.

The mayor has said he was unaware of the transaction until last month. City officials have accused Allure of misleading the administration about its intentions.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Bharara's office "is also examining whether donors to the Campaign for One New York, a nonprofit supporting Mr. de Blasio’s agenda and run by his allies, have benefited from favorable treatment from the mayor’s administration, people familiar with the matter have said."

A de Blasio spokesperson told the Journal that the administration didn't have any knowledge of a federal probe but would cooperate fully with any investigation.

Confectionery, a vegan chocolate shop and bakery, coming soon to 440 E. 9th St.

[Photo via Steven with assistance by EV Arrow]

Thanks to EVG regular Scuba Diva for this tip... a new vegan sweets shop called Confectionery is set to open next month at 440 E. Ninth St. near Avenue A.

The retail shop will be a collaboration between vegan chocolate company Lagusta’s Luscious and bakery Sweet Maresa's ... both of New Paltz and Internet fame.

VegNews described the new place this way: "Confectionery will feature items from both companies such as Sweet Maresa macarons and baked goods and Lagusta’s Luscious chocolate bars, barks, and truffles."

The shop is currently hiring.

The previous tenant in this space, Makki Deli & Grocery, closed in December after just nine months in business.

[Updated] TakeMeHome Rotisserie Chicken hasn't been open lately

The quick-serve restaurant at 151 Avenue A between East Ninth Street and East 10th Street has been dark for the past 10 days or so.

There's no answer on TakeMeHome's phone. And Seamless says the restaurant is now closed.

TakeMeHome did close without a note or notice in December 2014 — just three weeks after opening. (We were told the owner's wife had a baby.) Unfortunately, the closure looks more permanent this time.

In any event, people we talked with generally liked the food — large portions for the price. Never seemed to catch on, though.

San Loco closed here in February 2014. High-profile restaurateurs Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield were seeking a liquor license to open a bar cafe here in May 2014, though CB3 did not offer their approval, and the two decided not to pursue the space.

Updated 4/21

After being closed without any notice for the past two weeks... the restaurant is back serving chicken...

Early-morning wake-up call courtesy of alarms at PS 64

[File photo by Bobby Williams]

A few years ago, residents who live by PS 64 at 600 E. Sixth St. near Avenue B were treated to a morning wake-up call courtesy of alarms from the school.

That was January 2014. As we're hearing, the morning alarms returned several months ago. One resident said this occurs between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. "The alarm sounds and all the emergency strobe lights go on in the school, lasts for about a minute," the resident said. "This happens every every school year until there's enough complaints about it for them to get it fixed."

One resident recorded a video the other morning... you can see the strobes... the alarm doesn't come through as loudly as if you're right next door, but you get the idea...

Capital One Café opens July 11 on Union Square

[The same photo we posted yesterday]

In a thrilling post yesterday, we noted the faint progress at 853 Broadway at East 14th Street... where a combo Capital One-Peet's Coffee-den of slackwork space with Wi-Fi is coming soon.

How soon? An EVG reader shared a letter from Capital One...



...which notes that the new location will open on July 11. The letter also states that the Capital One branch at 21 University Place at Eighth Street will close after the business day on July 8. (As we recall, that space was most recently a BBQ restaurant.)

H/T Josh

The Children's Workshop School Schoolapalooza 2016 is Friday night

Schoolapalooza, the annual fundraiser for the Children's Workshop School at 610 E. 12th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C is Friday night (April 15) from 6-10.

Here is the flyer via the EVG inbox...



Late 1980s chart-topper Lisa Lisa (she is principal Maria Velez-Clarke's sister) will perform (and please no yelling "Lost in Emotion"...)

This year's palooza is at St. Nicholas Myra Church on East 10th Street at Avenue A. More details are here.

Wax on: Mr. Moustache Coffee Shop signage arrives on East 14th Street

Today, workers put up the sign for the incoming cafe at 227 E. 14th St. — say hello to Mr. Moustache Coffee Shop.

We hope to find out more about the shop soon. This space here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue housed Russian Souvenirs until last July.

Thanks to EVG reader Cristine for the photo!

Previously on EV Grieve:
The former Russian Souvenirs will become a coffee shop on East 14th Store

The Bean apologizes after telling resident with respiratory illness to vacate its outdoor benches

Some longtime East Village residents are upset with the Bean after a bench-clearing incident last week at the location on Second Avenue and East Third Street.

Friends of Michael David Arian, who works in production at La MaMa, said that he stopped to catch his breath on the benches outside on East Third Street. A worker reportedly told Arian, who has a respiratory illness, that he needed to purchase something or leave immediately.

"I am a senior and have breathing difficulties and need the rest on my way to work. The Bean insisted I move. So I did," Arian, 68, said in an email. "They have no respect for me or any of the people who provide the character of the neighborhood."

We reached out to Ike Escava, owner of the Bean, which also has locations on First Avenue at East Ninth Street and Broadway at East 12th Street. He told us the following via email:

We have always welcomed senior citizens to sit on our benches. I was made aware of this incident by a post on Facebook and reached out to Mr. Arian immediately and personally apologized. I am available to speak to anyone that would like to discuss it in more detail, I'd especially appreciate the opportunity to speak to Mr. Arian and apologize face to face. We consider ourselves to be part of the East Village community and hope that people realize that even people with the best of intentions can make a mistake, as we did in this situation.

Here's more from DNAinfo, who reported on this incident yesterday afternoon:

The mishap underscores the difficulties faced by the establishment in trying to strike a balance between being a good neighbor and making room for paying customers, said Escava. The shop’s benches are constantly overrun by loiterers who stake out the space all day, some of them homeless, he said, and the struggle to keep them usable means that sometimes baristas have to ask folks to clear off.

“We have a big challenge because we have a lot of people who sit all day,” he said. “There are a lot of homeless with nowhere else to go — we’re always watching the benches, and we have to watch them or they would have people sleeping on them.”

According to DNAinfo, Arian has so far refused Escava’s personal attempts to apologize.

Looking at the incoming Capital One Café on Union Square

EVG reader Max reminded us the other day that a Capital One branch is in the works for the southwest corner of Broadway and 14th Street... and not just any bank branch.

As Crain's first reported last May:

Capital One has come up with an alternative to the staid retail bank branch. It will launch a concept in Union Square, at 853 Broadway, on the building's ground, basement and mezzanine levels. The entrance will feature a large café operated by Peet's Coffee. The space upstairs will differ from a typical retail bank branch. Capital One will create a large work lounge, where customers can camp out and use free Wi-Fi.

Anyway, we walked by the corner on Sunday... there isn't any visible signage up yet... so not much to see at the moment...



There hasn't been any official word on an opening date. It could be a little while longer. Looks as if some of the necessary permits weren't approved by the city until this past December.

There's another Capital One Café on Third Avenue and 58th Street ... as well as in other cities.

This prime corner has been sitting vacant since Shoe Mania abruptly shut down in July 2012.

Storefronts and signage updates

A few items to note...



The coming soon signage has arrived for Tribeca Pediatrics, which is opening an office at 205 First Ave. between East 12th Street and East 13th Street. (Previously)

-----



J-Mar Special Touch barber shop is now open at 343 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Until last fall, the space housed a rental shop that specialized in Bollywood cinema. (Previously)

-----


[Photo by Steven]

The for rent sign is now up at the former Pork Pie Hatters shop at 440 E. Ninth St. near Avenue A. The store closed for good on March 20. The Porksters were an outpost of JJ Hat Center on Fifth Avenue, which remains alive and well. (Previously) Also! Next door, the for rent signs have been removed at the former Makki deli, which served Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian food. (Previously)

-----

And we had noted that the sign for Shin Bashi, the new Japanese restaurant at 85 First Ave. between East Fifth Street and East Sixth Street, looked rather homemade... Now, though, there are more permanent-looking signs on display... (Previously)

WeWork debuts new shared workspace on East 4th Street and the Bowery

Available add-ons include Wednesday Wing Nights at Phebe's and ear plugs.

Photo today by Derek Berg.

City Council to hear gas safety legislation tomorrow

[Photo of Rosie Mendez from March 26 by Stacie Joy]

Rosie Mendez's office passed along the following information earlier today...

Tomorrow, the New York City Council's Committee on Housing & Buildings will hear nine bills aimed at preventing another tragic gas explosion.

On March 26, City Council member Rosie Mendez led a press conference to remember the deadly Second Avenue explosion on its one-year anniversary. There, Mendez announced a legislation package that will increase inspections of piping systems, publish annual reporting on these inspections, provide better and more informed notifications to tenants, mandate natural gas alarms in units, and increased transparency.

Mendez is a lead sponsor of Intro. 1093, which requires gas providers to notify the Department of Buildings within 24 hours of issuing a gas service shut off. This bill and several others will hold individuals and agencies accountable and looks to prevent accidents and address negligence.

The public will be allowed to testify at the hearing tomorrow. Details are below.

Housing & Buildings
Tuesday, April 12 at 10 a.m.
Council Chambers, City Hall
Please arrive at 9:45 a.m. for good seating and if you wish to testify. You can sign up with the Sergeant at Arms.

The following legislation will be heard at tomorrow's hearing:
• Int 738 — A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to a gas qualification for journeyman plumbers.
• Int 1079 — A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to final inspections of gas piping systems.
• Int 1088 — A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to periodic inspections of gas piping systems.
• Int 1090 — A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring owners to provide notice to their tenants regarding procedures that should be followed when a gas leak is suspected.
• Int 1093 — A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring gas service providers and owners to notify the department of buildings within twenty-four hours when gas service is shut-off or not restored due to safety concerns.
• Int 1094 — A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to identifying the factors indicating gas-related violations in residential and commercial buildings.
• Int 1098 — A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring annual reports on the state of gas infrastructure in the city.
• Int 1100 — A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York and the New York city building code, in relation to requiring natural gas alarms in dwelling units.
• Int 1101 — A Local Law in relation to a temporary waiver of penalties for violations relating to fuel gas piping systems and appliances that are promptly repaired.
• Int 1102 — A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to designating violations of existing law regarding gas piping systems as “immediately hazardous.”

The Crocodile Lounge introduces its new clean, green awning

[The previous awning via Malcolm Brown/NYCGo]

As noted earlier this month, the awning disappeared from the Crocodile Lounge, 325 E. 14th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue... apparently it was damaged by a strong gust of wind...


[April 2]

...Now, a reader on East 14th Street notes this afternoon that the new awning has arrived... and it's very green (and clean)...

Report: Burglars help themselves to bottle service at Suffolk Arms

Three men reportedly broke into Suffolk Arms, the new cocktail bar at 269 E. Houston St. and Suffolk Street, and stole $3,000 in liquor.

Per DNAinfo: "Once inside, they snatched a $2,000 bottle of Louis XIII Cognac and other liquor before taking off, police said."

The break-in occurred on April 3.

The NYPD released this image of the suspects...



Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You may also submit tips online.

Suffolk Arms debuted back on Feb. 18.