Tuesday, December 27, 2016

RIP 2016



Via Vinny & O ... there's an homage to some of the creative personalities who died in 2016 taking place tonight at the Bowery Mural Wall ... included in the projection: David Bowie, Bill Cunningham, Carrie Fisher, Leonard Cohen and George Michael ...











Other people honored included Prince, Natalie Cole and Gene Wilder.

Happy Birthday Lenny Kaye



Lenny Kaye, the influential guitarist and composer perhaps best known for his work with Patti Smith, turned 70 today.

On this occasion, EVG reader Jennifer, who lives on 15th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, hung a Happy Birthday Lenny Kaye banner from her terrace this morning. (Unfortunately, we didn't get a great shot of it. The winds this morning prevented the banner from staying up for too long.)

Anyway, per Jennifer: "We wanted to salute his many talents!"

There's a sold-out 70th birthday concert tonight at the Bowery Ballroom in his honor.

1st tree arrives in Tompkins Square Park mulch pens

As noted yesterday, MulchFest (sold out, but tix remain on StubHub) is Jan. 7-8.

Ahead of that, workers in Tompkins Square Park erected the holding area for anyone to toss their tree in... and as of this morning, we have our first tree-tossing taker, per this photo by EVG correspondent Steven...



As a reminder from mulch officials, remove all lights, ornaments, stands, plastic bags and gifts from the tree.

Updated 5:57 p.m.

A SECOND TREE HAS ARRIVED!


[Photo by Steven]


2 live music venues, Cake Shop and Elvis Guesthouse, closing after New Year's Eve


[EVG file photo of Elvis Guesthouse]

Live music takes another hit as two venues are shutting down after New Year's Eve.

• Elvis Guesthouse, 85 Avenue A

The bar, located in a subterranean space between Fifth Street and Sixth Street, recently confirmed — via Brooklyn Vegan — the rumors of a pending closure.

The venue opened in early 2015 ... and by November 2015 had drawn complaints from neighbors who say the owners didn't do enough to mitigate the noise from the space. At that time they were said to cut back on the number of shows in the space.

Elvis Guesthouse co-owners Zachary Mexico and Billy Jones, who operate Baby's All Right in Williamsburg, are opening a venue on Lafayette near Astor Place described as an "an indie music hall and restaurant."

• Cake Shop, 152 Ludlow St.

The 11-year-old cafe/live music venue between Stanton and Rivington has had its share of financial struggles ... which owners Nick and Andy Bodor were able to overcome with a crowdfunding campaign in 2012.

Earlier this year, the owners were looking to sell the ground floor cafe/bar while maintaining the well-curated live-music spot downstairs.

BoweryBoogie has more on what's ahead for the space via an email from the Bodors...

We will close for improvements January 1, and reopen as soon as possible, but the end of Cake Shop in its current incarnation is this coming New Year’s Eve. Tonight is the start of some very, very special goodbye shows, and we’d love to see you all!!

Location and sustainability in our current and long running model have been an issue for more than a long time, as I’m sure you’ve heard me whine about for years. As beloved to you and me as it is, we are failing to keep up with the bills, we have been for years. It’s been the longest, most fulfillable, most enjoyable project of my entire life.

You can find a list of their final shows here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Comeback special: Arrow Bar owners opening Elvis Guesthouse on Avenue A

Elvis Guesthouse officially ready for occupancy tonight

Report: Live music ends for now at Elvis Underground

Cake Shop will rock on

9th Street residential garage reveal



The plywood and sidewalk bridge have finally been cleared at 327 E. Ninth St., providing a full reveal of Icon Realty’s six-story, two-unit residential building nearly four years now in the making....



We haven't seen any listings yet for the two units at this site of a former parking lot here between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Thanks to EVG contributor Steven for the photos!

Previously on EV Grieve:
The big dig begins for 6-story, 2-unit condo on East 9th Street

East Ninth Street parking lot will yield to 6-floor residential building

Fresh & Co. closes 4th Avenue location



After 21 months on the southeast corner of Fourth Avenue and 13th Street, Fresh & Co. has called it a day...



What was the kale-and-quinoa chainlet's 12th NYC location closed late last week. Fresh fans are directed to nearby locations on Broadway at Waverly and Eighth Street at Mercer...



The last tenant here, Pie Face, didn't fare much better. Before the renovation and rent increase (to $30,000), the previous tenant, Brothers Deli, didn't seem to have any issues with business.

A psychic departs East 14th Street building accused of being a hotel



Over at 536 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, the Psychic (Psychi) Advisor who has operated out of the storefront for years ...



... has been told to vacate by the city...



The DOB website complaint notes this about the space: "illegally converted (west) store to Class A Apt with psychic office w/o providing required means of egress."

There are also complaints of "illegal hotel rooms" in the building. Per one complaint dated Dec. 11 (and left in the DOB ALL-CAP STYLE):

THERE IS A APARTMENT BUILDING BEING USED AS A SHORT STAY HOTEL.PEOPLE ARE CONSTANTLY COMING AND GOING. I SPOKE TO A RENTER AND THEY SAID THEY WERE STAYING FOR THIRTY DAYS. I HAVE IT ON VIDEO TAPE.

The building's longtime owner is listed as Betty & Lilly Corp.

In any event, this space is likely more attractive these days ... just two storefronts away from the new mixed-used building going in at 524 E. 14th St., where luxury housing and some retail are on the way.

For further reading:
"What Does the Future Hold for the City’s Tarot Card Readers and Fortune-Tellers?" (The Commercial Observer)

Thanks to Michael Paul for the photos!

Dahlia's Tapas Wine Bar appears closed for good



Last week, we noted that Dahlia's Tapas Wine Bar at 214 E. Ninth St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue had been closed of late during posted business hours.

A look inside yesterday reveals an interior in disarray ...



There aren't any signs up for patrons about a closure... and no one answers the phone.

The owners also operated Dahlia’s, the Mexican restaurant on Second Avenue and Fifth Street that the SLA busted for allegedly serving 50 minors last January. The restaurant closed in May.

Monday, December 26, 2016

Report: 2 people stabbed at 1 Haven Plaza

A man and woman were stabbed by a neighbor who has a history of emotional problems, according to published reports.

The attack happened this morning before 9 inside 1 Haven Plaza on Avenue C near 12th Street.

The suspect, who lives on the 19th floor, reportedly ran down to the 8th floor where he stabbed a man and his daughter, who is deaf, following a dispute.

Per the Post: "The suspect, in his 30s, who neighbors say lives on the 19th floor with his mother and suffers from mental-health issues, was taken into police custody after he led officers on a brief chase."

It was not clear what led to the attack. The victims were taken to Bellevue.

Per one report:

Friends told NBC 4 New York at the scene that the suspected stabber had texted a friend several days ago that he was going to "snap" and wanted to go back into the church where he wanted to be a minister. He may have recently broken up with his girlfriend.

The suspect and the male victim were martial arts partners and played music together, friends said.

Noted



Spotted on Seventh Street between Avenue A and First Avenue by Derek Berg...

Annual Boxing Day Coat Drive today at Jimmy's No. 43

The annual Boxing Day Coat Drive is today (2-11 p.m.) at Jimmy's No. 43. Donate a new or gently used coat, get a free pint. Coats will be donated to the Mary House Catholic Worker on Third Street.

Jimmy's is at 43 E. Seventh St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square.

Noted



I was walking south on Fourth Avenue this morning around 9:15... I noticed just a few people standing outside the new Tim Ho Wan at 10th Street. Lines had been back to 11th Street when it opened on Dec. 16. Perhaps the holiday season curtailed the lines?

Oh! The line was on 10th Street, maybe 30 deep...



Lunch service during Tim Ho Wan's soft-open phase starts at 10 a.m.

The grand opening for this first U.S. location of the Hong Kong-based, Michelin-starred dim sum parlor is Jan. 18.

The eerie splendor of an abandoned Union Square Holiday Market



The annual Holiday Market was up and running from Nov. 17 through Dec. 24... EVG reader Harry Weiner shared these photos from yesterday, showing the empty structures waiting for removal for another season...



Because it's never too early to talk about MulchFest


[Photo on 2nd Avenue from yesterday]

Although your holiday/Christmas tree should remain fresh until it's time to take it to the curb next December, some people may want to discard of it sooner.

Soooo ... the annual MulchFest takes place on Jan. 7 and 8 (2017!) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Tompkins Square Park. Details are here.

And if you can't drag the thing to the Park? You can leave by the curb... but with some rules. Per the NY Department of Sanitation ...

Weather permitting, DSNY will collect and compost clean Christmas trees left at the curb from Tuesday, January 3, 2017 through Saturday, January 14, 2017. The trees are chipped, mixed with leaves, and recycled into rich compost for NYC's parks, institutions, and community gardens. Remove all lights, ornaments, stands, and plastic bags from your tree; trees that still have these items attached will be collected as garbage.

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Here comes Santa Claus



Right on Avenue A today... photos by Derek Berg...

Week in Grieview


[Holiday lights on East 5th Street]

David Barton Gyms abruptly shut down (Wednesday)

Report of a fire at 96 St. Mark's Place (Wednesday)

Police make arrest in shooting outside the Hells Angels HQ on 3rd Street (Tuesday)

Taberna 97 is now open on St. Mark's Place (Thursday)

OAAITEV 2016 recap (Wednesday)

Dahlia's Tapas Wine Bar has been dark of late (Thursday)

A reveal at 222 E. 7th St. (Wednesday)

East 12th Osteria resumes service (Monday)

An Urban Etiquette Sign about smoking indoors (Wednesday)

A line-waiting opening for Tim Ho Wan (Monday)

A ride on the MTA's vintage fleet (Sunday)

Gas-service interruption (Monday ... Tuesday)

Construction watch: 11 Avenue C (Tuesday)

Out East bringing a coastal taste of Long Island to 6th Street (Wednesday)

Verizon Wireless takes over former Verizon Wireless storefront on Second Avenue (Tuesday)

A Croman Christmas (Friday)

Remembering Joe Strummer (Thursday)

A sign of the Second Avenue subway (Wednesday)

Sen. Squadron calls for False Claims investigation against group who sold Rivington House for condos (Thursday)

... and new art went up this past week on Second Street at First Avenue courtesy of @HimBad...



...with a bonus cat between the Lotus and the Flower...

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Saturday's parting shot



A view toward Midtown tonight via Goggla...

Holiday feast



Christo on Christmas Eve in Tompkins Square Park via Bobby Williams...

Free love



On the freshly paved Seventh Street between Avenue B and Avenue C... photo by Dave on 7th

A-Paving We Go!



And in other Christmas miracles noteworthy items... Seventh Street between Avenue B and Avenue C now has a new surface... this after Con Ed had been replacing gas mains on the block the past three months.

Thank you Suzy and Jack



A holiday gift in Tompkins Square Park...



Not sure if it's still filled with caramel corn or maybe frozen embryos.

Friday, December 23, 2016

Captain's Christmas



Season's greetings from Captain Sensible.

Reports: Office building in the works for current home of P.C. Richard on 14th Street

Here's an update on 124 E. 14th St., current home of P.C. Richard (and Son!) at Irving Place.

In November 2015, the city's Economic Development Corp. (EDC) began accepting proposals to redevelop the city-owned site that P.C. Richard (and Son!) has leased the past 19 years.

And now, a short 13 months later, the de Blasio administration has selected RAL Development Services, a real-estate firm, to develop the site, as Politico first reported.

According to Politico, Civic Hall — "a tech-focused work and event space" — will anchor the space.

In a public notice, EDC described it as "an opportunity to create an iconic commercial development that drives inclusive economic growth through the diversification of the city's economy, the retooling of NYC's traditional anchor industries and/or support for both start-ups and early stage growing companies to scale up while remaining in the city."

As The Real Deal reported, RAL Development Services is "one of the companies behind a controversial residential project in Brooklyn Bridge Park."

Anyway, it's not exactly clear what else is in store for the two-level space ... and if demolition is in the future. NY Yimby reported this about the property: "The 15,450-square-foot site ... can accommodate up to 92,700 square feet of commercial space. An additional 46,350 square feet of space could be built as residential or community facility space."

There aren't any demotion permits on file yet.

As for P.C. Richard and family, its lease expired back in February. Despite media reports to the contrary, this P.C. Richard remains open, having been relegated to mattress sales. And maybe some appliances.

EV Grieve Etc.: Union Square theater panic; the holiday season at Rolf's


[Photo by Derek Berg]

The Subway Therapy Post-It walls coming in book form (Gothamist)

A look at the new Chrystie Street protected bike lane (Streetsblog)

The sad state of Lanza's on First Avenue (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Swift Hibernian Lounge tops this list of the city's best pubs (Grub Street)

Man causes panic at the Union Square theater during a screening of "La La Land" (DNAinfo)

The last bookbinder on the LES (Literary Hub)

A video interview with Ray of Ray's Candy Store (Gothamist)

Speaking of Ray, he unveiled an fish-and-chips ($9) this week...


[Photo by Peter Brownscombe]

Will anyone listen to the concerns of residents about the Two Bridges mega projects? (The Lo-Down)

Revisiting the 1898 Bowery Burlesquers (Ephemeral New York)

Pearl & Ash closes after three years on the Bowery (Eater)

Celebrating the life and legacy of Jean-Michel Basquiat, who was born on Dec. 22, 1960 (Off the Grid)

A December day with Christo (Laura Goggin Photography)

The holiday season at Rolf's (Town & Village)

Classic Misfits pics (Dangerous Minds)

...and the tree vendors are wrapping up another season in the neighborhood... here's a photo of Jonathan Papillon Blanc, who has been selling here the past six years. This time around, he was on Second Avenue at Seventh Street, away from his usual spot in front of the Rite Aid on First Avenue and Fifth Street (construction next door prompted the move)...


[Photo by Rainer Turim]

A Croman Christmas



The following is from a group of tenants who rent from Steve Croman's 9300 Realty... several of whom say they do not currently have heat or hot water in their apartments... via the EVG inbox and with apologies to Dr. Seuss...

You're a mean one, Steve Croman
You really are a heel,
You're as cuddly as a cactus, you're as charming as an eel, Steve Croman,
You're a bad banana with a greasy black peel!

You're a monster, Steve Croman,
Your heart's an empty hole,
Your brain is full of spiders, you have garlic in your soul, Steve Croman,
I wouldn't touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole!

You're a foul one, Steve Croman,
You have termites in your smile,
You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile, Steve Croman,
Given a choice between the two of you'd take the seasick crocodile!

You're a rotter, Steve Croman,
You're the king of sinful sots,
Your heart's a dead tomato splotched with moldy purple spots, Steve Croman,
You're a three decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce!

You nauseate me, Steve Croman,
With a nauseous super "naus!",
You're a crooked dirty jockey and you drive a crooked hoss, Steve Croman,
Your soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing with the most disgraceful
assortment of rubbish imaginable mangled up in tangled up knots!

You're a foul one, Steve Croman,
You're a nasty wasty skunk,
Your heart is full of unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk, Steve Croman,
The three words that best describe you are as follows, and I quote,
"Stink, stank, stunk"!

In May, Croman was arrested and charged in criminal court with multiple felonies, including grand larceny, criminal tax fraud and falsifying business records. State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is also suing Croman in civil court.

Last week, tenants at 159 Stanton St. filed a lawsuit in housing court against Croman.

Per The Lo-Down: "According to the tenant association, residents have been forced to endure collapsing ceilings, dust and debris, mold, rats and floods. The lawsuit also alleges that poor security has led to numerous burglaries."

Croman's real-estate empire includes 47 buildings with 617 units in the East Village. He owns more buildings in the East Village than any other landlord.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Thursday's parting shot



A view to the west this evening via Bobby Williams...

A London Calling tribute



Joe Strummer died 14 years ago today... and at the mural of the frontman for the Clash outside Niagara on Seventh Street and Avenue A, someone has left two candles and a London Calling (the cover shot at the Palladium on 14th Street) T-shirt in tribute...


Sen. Squadron calls for False Claims investigation against group who sold Rivington House for condos

Via the EVG inbox...

State Sen. Daniel Squadron released a letter (see the PDF here) to letter to Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Corporation Counsel Zachary Carter urging an investigation into the Rivington House deed restriction removal and purchase by the Allure Group under the State and City’s False Claims Acts.

At the City and State level, the False Claims Act provides authority to take civil action against those that defraud the government. The City has indicated it was misled by the Allure Group during the deed restriction removal and sale of the Lower East Side nursing home.

“The closure of Rivington House stunned the community and highlighted major flaws in the process that governs deed restrictions,” he wrote. “The role of government is to protect the public interest and to be transparent; but that role is undermined if government is misled, as may have been the case at Rivington House. But, it is also vital that we hold those who violate the public trust accountable.”

The Daily News has more on Squadron's press conference from yesterday here.

In February 2015, the Allure Group paid $28 million for the property, promising that 45 Rivington — the former Rivington Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation — would remain a health facility. In November 2015, 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.

Last summer, the Department of Investigation released the results of an inquiry, which didn't reveal any corruption, but rather inattention and incompetence by the de Blasio administration.

Previously

Taberna 97 is now open on St. Mark's Place



After several weeks in soft-open mode, Taberna 97 has officially opened its doors at 97 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue...



The owners (Eric Baker and sisters Patricia and Raquel Sanguedo, who also own the bar St. Dymphnas on the same block) are behind this venture, modeled after a traditional Portuguese taverna. (The Sanguedos are originally from Porto, Portugal. Baker and Patricia Sanguedo are married.)

Here's a look at the menu... they also have a beer-wine menu....


[Click to go big]

There was a long build-out here. The owners said that Taberna 97 was constructed to meet standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

The previous tenant, Yaffa Cafe, closed (in September 2014), in part, because the city deemed the back patio illegal after being in use as a dining area for 31 years.

As previously reported, there aren't any plans for the Taberna team to offer backyard dining. "Let me assure everyone involved that this has not been nor is it the case," Baker told us back in September. "Our plans for the garden involve landscaping and beautifying so it can be enjoyed from inside our space."

Taberna 97 is open Tuesday–Friday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Previously