Esperanto Fonda is open on 1st Street

Avenue C mainstay Esperanto has opened its satellite location at 58 E. First St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Esperanto Fonda, which has room for some 30 diners, also offers food to go. Per a recent preview at DNAinfo:

Esperanto Fonda will allow patrons to grab to-go-friendly items such as tacos, empanadas, burritos, and a Cubano sandwich with roasted pork loin, ham, melted Swiss cheese and mojo sauce.

The cocktail menu includes the Caipirinha, Mojitos and Brazilian Sangria. (Espernato Fonda's food or drink menus aren't online just yet.)

The previous tenant, BARA, a French/Japanese bar-restaurant, closed after service on June 11.

Summer Streets return tomorrow (Saturday!)

It's that time of year again. Here's the official About:

Summer Streets is an annual celebration of New York City’s most valuable public space — our streets. On three consecutive Saturdays in August, nearly seven miles of NYC's streets are opened for people to play, run, walk and bike. Summer Streets provides space for healthy recreation and encourages New Yorkers to use more sustainable forms of transportation. In 2015, nearly 300,000 people took advantage of the open streets.

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

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

For us living around Steiner East Village, the car-free, Street-Festival-Free zone includes Lafayette, Astor Place and Fourth Avenue.

As always, there are five different "Rest Stop" activity zones along the route. On Foley Square, a 300-foot, three-story Vita Coco™ Beachside Slide will offer Summer Streeters a chance to stand in line — but only if you pre-registered to stand in line.

Astor Place will host the "Paws and Play Dog Run." Other Astor Place programming tomorrow includes:

During week one, test your athletic prowess by running with Team Citi and the Mets. Summer Streets participants can virtually race a U.S. Olympian, meet three time U.S. National Champion and 2016 U.S. Paralympic Hopeful Scout Bassett, as well as Mrs. Met and pick up some Mets and Olympic swag from the social media vending machines.

And down on Bleecker and Lafayette, a rep from the Mayor's office will be on hand each week to lift a deed restriction on a building for one aspiring landlord.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Takin' it to the streets like the Doobie Brothers

Summer loving had me a blast, Summer loving happened so fast

Workers remove American Elm in Tompkins Square Park

As we understand it, part of the tree broke off about 10 days ago... apparently the trunk was rotting, and workers had to take it down, per Park sources...

EVG correspondent Steven shared these photos...









For reference purposes, the tree was in the Sandra Turner Garden... between Temperance Fountain and the ping-pong table...

54 years on 7th Street

The Post today talks with a handful of New Yorkers who have spent more than 50 years in their homes.

On the list: East Village resident Christine Sachko, 54, who has lived her whole life in the same building near McSorley's on Seventh Street.

Sachko still has the original lease; her parents first paid $26.45. Her monthly bill is $1,500. The apartment next door, once a mirror image of her own, has been renovated to add a second bathroom and more bedrooms, and is currently on the market for $4,690.

Report: Village View residents considering going private

The residents/shareholders of Village View, the 1,200-plus-unit Mitchell-Lama co-op, "are now mulling whether to withdraw from the affordable housing program," according to an article in this week's issue of The Villager.

Per the article:

The decision to withdraw would allow residents to sell their units for a huge profit. But some worry it would be shortsighted to cash in on their below-market-rate homes — and that privatizing could further erode the neighborhood’s affordability.

And!

Withdrawing from the program would require a two-thirds vote by residents of at least 822 apartments. If the measure passes, shareholders could choose to deregulate their units and put them on the market. They could also relinquish their shares by leaving and having their equity returned, or stay on as tenants in rent-regulated apartments.

It sounds as if all this is still in the exploration-only stage. Village View's board of directors reportedly started holding informational meetings in June to discuss the possibility of converting to a private co-op.

According to The Villager: "The first step in the process would be to vote in favor of a feasibility study that would examine the consequences of leaving the program. At least 51 percent of shareholders from a minimum of 617 apartments would have to vote to support the study."

Village View, which opened in 1964, consists of seven buildings between First Avenue and Avenue A, from East Second Street to East Sixth Street.

The new Astor Place rolls out the tables, chairs and umbrellas

The tables, chairs and umbrellas arrived on Astor Place this week... as the reconstruction of the plaza inches closer to completion this fall.

More seating is on the way... as are some trees... and the Alamo...


Meanwhile, the Village Alliance Business Improvement District is presenting the "Astor Alive! Festival" Sept. 15-17 "to celebrate the upcoming reopening of the new Astor Place, which will be complete in the fall."

Here's more on that via the Facebook invite:

As a vibrant cultural district with over two dozen theater, dance, music, art, architecture and historic landmarks including Blue Man Group, Fourth Arts Block, Cooper Union, Joe’s Pub, St. Mark’s Church and the Public Theater, the festival will debut Astor Place’s four new public plazas, among other civic space transformations as part of its larger $16 million revitalization project. The vibrant downtown New York City neighborhood will celebrate the imminent reopening with entertainment, workshops, tours, a parade, local restaurant specials and more, which will be free and open to the public.

Astor Place Festival highlights will include:

• Performances & Stages – With four performance stages starting from 4th Street to 9th Street, there will be 20+ groups of diverse local theaters, performing arts companies and schools performing throughout all three days. They include La MaMa, Joe’s Pub, Bowery Poetry Club, The Public Theater, Theater for the New City, Hetrik-Martin Institute, The Standard Hotel’s Sounds, Rod Rodgers Dance Company, Peridance Capezio Center and Danspace Project. All performances will focus on five historical themes of Astor Place, including Theater for All, Alternative Cultures and Radical Politics, Thinkers and Writers, Immigrant Populations and Architectural Frontiers.

• Mosaic Light Pole Dedication (September 15) – Popular East Village Artist Jim Power will debut the restored mosaic light poles throughout Astor Place in honor of the festival.

William Kelley, executive director of the Village Alliance, recently told us that the Alamo would return to the plaza this month, and "it is exactly the same as it was before ... It received a thorough cleaning and coating to protect it from the weather and will return in good shape."

Kelley also said that there will be a single food concession in the north and south plaza spaces at Astor Place (not around Cooper Square or points south), per the license agreement with the DOT. He said that no other vending will be allowed on the plazas.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Five years later, Astor Place apparently ready for its 2-year reconstruction project

The all-new Astor Place is coming along (for real)

Free tonight in Tompkins Square Park: 'True Romance'

Tonight's free film in Tompkins Square Park is "True Romance," the hipsterized 1993 road-trip thriller/black comedy written by Quentin Tarantino...



There's pre-movie music via Revel in Dimes. The film starts at sundown.

Check the Films in Tompkins Facebook page for any updates on tonight's screening.

And upcoming:

8-11 — "Romeo + Juliet"

Secchu Yokota serving now omakase tempura on East 3rd Street

[Photo via]

Secchu Yokota has been in soft-open mode of late at 199 E. Third St. near Avenue B.

The small restaurant's website describes the place this way: Contemporary Japanese featuring omakase tempura. (Most of the site appears still to be under construction.)

The space was previously home to Meskel, the Ethiopian restaurant that quietly closed last August.

Aug. 3

Someone obviously attempted to steal the thunder away from National Watermelon Day today by discarding a pretty sweet fake holiday tree on East 12th Street near Second Avenue...

Photo via Mary on East 12th Street

Exclusive: New owners of John's of 12th Street look to carry on the restaurant's tradition

There are plans for new owners to take over John's of 12th Street, the venerable Italian restaurant that opened here between First Avenue and Second Avenue in 1908.

Judy Anderson, whose late husband, Mike Alpert became a co-owner of John's in 1973 along with Nick Sitnycky, confirmed the news.

"Our accountant, Paul Dauber, a long-time friend and customer of John’s for about 30 years, along with his good friend from childhood days on the Lower East Side, Jan Siegel, are purchasing the restaurant," Anderson said.

Anderson emphasized the importance of new owners keeping the spirit of John's alive.

"Nick and I feel strongly about continuing the legacy of John’s of 12th Street and also ensuring that our long-time employees, some of whom have been with us 30-40 years, remain part of the continuing story of John’s," Anderson said. "There is great mutual affection and respect between Paul and our employees, and we are thrilled that Paul and Jan are enthusiastic about maintaining the character of the restaurant. They assure us that nothing will change, and Nick and I will assist in whatever way we can to be sure that the transition will be seamless."

Dauber and Siegel will appear before the CB3 SLA committee on Aug. 22 for a new liquor license.

"Nick and I plan to be at the Community Board meeting in their support," Anderson said.

In August 2014, a deal to sell John's to a team led by Brett Rasinski, who reopened the revamped Beatrice Inn, ended up not materializing.

Sitnycky and Alpert bought John's from the founding Pucciatti family in 1972. Sitnysky, who grow up on Avenue B, owns the building at 302 E. 12th St. Alpert died on July 13, 2013, at age 71.

Previously on EV Grieve:
About the new ownership for 105-year-old East Village institution John's of 12th Street

Report: Deal for East Village treasure John's of 12th Street is off

Out and About in the East Village with Nick Sitnycky Part 1 and Part 2

The John's of 12th Street documentary premieres next month

Q-and-A with Vanessa McDonnell, director of the John's of 12th Street documentary

Lanza's remains closed on 1st Avenue

While the future of John's of 12th Street appears to remain secure, the news is less positive over at Lanza's on First Avenue. On July 14, as we first reported, the state's fluorescent SEIZED sticker (for "nonpayment of taxes") arrived at Lanza's here between 10th Street and 11th Street.

Nearly three weeks later, the SEIZED stickers remain on the front. The mail is also piling up. There's a FedEx awaiting pick up. It doesn't appear as if anyone has been inside in recent weeks...


[Photo by Steven]


[Photo by Steven]

... the tables remain set... and they're starting to look a little worn...


[Photo by Steven]

The only new sign on the door of late was to alert attendees of the new location for Kasia's baby shower last weekend...



The old-world Italian restaurant reportedly first opened in 1904.

Signage arrives for Greek restaurant opening in the former St. Mark's Ale House

St. Mark's Ale House closed at the beginning of July after 21 years at 2 St. Mark's Place.

At the time, we heard rumors that the owner was converting the space into a Greek restaurant.

And now yesterday, signs arrived outside for Agios Greek Rotisserie. As we heard, there wasn't going to be much downtime between the Ale House and the new venture. So maybe we can expect an opening soon...

Box Kite Coffee has closed on St. Mark's Place

Box Kite Coffee has closed at 115 St. Mark's Place. The cafe between Avenue A and First Avenue shut down after business on Sunday.

Per an EVG reader, who first told us the news:

Pretty big for coffee enthusiasts in the neighborhood. Box Kite has closed! Went the day before for their brunch. Am pretty friendly with the baristas but I don't think they knew it was coming either. Texted one of them the next morning when I was greeted with locked doors and not a soul inside.

A sign on the door — showing a dead unicorn with stitches on its stomach — directs people to the Upper West Side location...



There's more from coffee publication Sprudge, who has this from an unnamed employee:

The location of the shop was never quite able to sustain the super premium coffee experience that it was set up to provide, and the other aspects of the business – the food and alcohol sales – never pulled their weight… The owner [Matt Prete] was always very up front with everyone that it was losing money and that he would be willing to tolerate it as long as it was fun and as long as we could get it reasonably closer to breaking even.

Sprudge also has a comment via Facebook from founder and former owner Cora Lambert.

"While the news wasn’t altogether shocking (and part of the reason I’m no longer part of the project), I’m truly sorry for all the employees that lost their jobs and for all of the customers that went out of their way to give us their business. This was my first stab at owning something, and a great lesson on making better choices about who I will get into business with again."

Chefs Justin Slojkowski and Dave Gulino hosted a critically-acclaimed nightly chef's counter dinner in the space for part of 2014.

Box Kite opened at the end of 2013.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Box Kite Coffee opening at former Tuck Shop space on St. Mark's Place?

2nd annual #EastVillageLoves Party is tomorrow (Thursday!)

Via the EVG inbox...

The East Village Independent Merchants Association (EVIMA) will be hosting its second annual #EastVillageLoves party at Jimmy’s No. 43 (43 E. 7th St.) on Thursday, Aug. 4. The party is a celebration of local, independent businesses, specifically those located in the East Village.

The #EastVillageLoves party was founded in the wake of last year’s Second Avenue explosion that claimed two lives and shuttered dozens of small businesses in the area for months at a time. East Village Loves & EVIMA seeks to unite East Village residents and merchants and to create a stronger neighborhood where small business can thrive.

The party will include prizes, small bites, a meet and greet with the EVIMA board, and a free first drink for all in attendance. RSVP via eastvillageloves.eventbrite.com. A special toast will be made at 7 PM sharp.