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Photo today by Grant Shaffer...

[Updated] New owner lined up for the Grassroots Tavern on St. Mark's Place

An applicant is expected to appear before the CB3-SLA committee this month for a new liquor license for the Grassroots Tavern at 20 St. Mark's Place.

According to the questionnaire (PDF here) posted for the public on the CB3 website, the applicant is Richard Precious. The paperwork describes this as "a sale of assets."

Precious started a mini chain of bars called the Ginger Man in Texas in 1985 (named after the J.P. Donleavy novel). He opened a Ginger Man on East 36th Street near Fifth Avenue in 1996. (He sold the Texas bars in 2000. There are also Ginger Man bars in Greenwich and Norwalk, Conn.)

The questionnaire does not specify if the basement-level Grassroots space would be renamed or renovated. There's a mention of food ("casual restaurant fare"). The proposed hours remain roughly the same (4 p.m. to 4 a.m. Monday through Friday instead of the current 3 p.m. to 4 a.m.), but with an earlier start on Saturday and Sunday (1 p.m.). The live jazz performances on Sunday evening will continue, per the questionnaire. (And it looks as if the lone TV will remain.)


[EVG file photo]

No word yet when — or if — the change in ownership will occur and what type of modifications may occur at the Grassroots, which opened here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue in 1975.

As for what might be in store, here's an overview of the NYC Ginger Man via New York magazine:

As much a pub as a Mercedes SUV is a jeep, the Ginger Man feels like Euro Disney's vision of the classic Irish watering hole. Nothing is done in half measures, whether it's the mind-boggling selection of beers and single malts or the JFK, Jr.-look-alike bartenders. And while the clientele is all business during the day, this vision of J. Press heaven loosens its tie and kicks off its heels at night. On a recent visit, suit-and-tie singles, post-MSG sports fans and an impromptu wrap party for an off-Broadway play co-existed peacefully, with more than enough wandering room and cozy corners for all.

A change in the GR status quo isn't a big surprise. In January 2016, Klosed Properties bought the landmarked 20 St. Mark's Place from Jim Stratton, who is also the majority owner of the Grassroots. At that time, a source with some background of the deal said that the bar had a lease for the next five years, with an option after that for renewal.

However, there have been unsubstantiated-to-date rumors in circulation that the current incarnation of the Grassroots would close before the end of its current lease.

Meanwhile, several applicants had been looking at opening a bar-restaurant in the upstairs space that previously housed Sounds. However, those plans never materialized.

The December CB3-SLA committee meeting is Dec. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Perseverance House Community Room, 535 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Updated 12/7

The bar's Facebook page announced tonight that the Grassroots will close after service on New Year's Eve. More to come...

Previously on EV Grieve:
20 St. Mark's Place, home of the Grassroots Tavern, has been sold

Your chance to live in this historic home above the Grassroots Tavern on St. Mark's Place

Pourt has closed on Cooper Square

Pourt, the cafe-work space combo at 35 Cooper Square, shut down after service on Friday.

There's a message on the bottom of the Pourt website noting that they "are unfortunately no longer operating. Thank you to all of our customers."



It seemed like a good idea on paper: a mixture of coffeehouse and workspace. People could rent a desk with speedy fiber optics by the hour ($7) and order bottomless coffee ($2.99). There was also access to printers, phone chargers, Skype facilities, etc., as well as a larger conference room for small groups.

The New York Business Journal wrote about the space back in March:

Pourt is striving to create a new hybrid, a mixture of coffeehouse and workspace, emphasizing short-term stays. Whether there are enough freelancers and small businesses that can pay those fees is yet to be determined.

It‘s located on Cooper Square, strategically situated near Cooper Union, NYU, Manhattan Marymount College dorms and the Standard Hotel in the bustling East Village. The combined space measures 2,000 square feet.

Founders Matt Tervooren, 28, and 27-year-old Mike Kruszewski, lived in the East Village (Tervooren recently moved to Williamsburg) and met as economics majors at the University of Michigan. When they freelanced, they were “consistently frustrated by the lack of good Wifi, lack of available seating, or having the barista frowning at you if you don’t order more food,” Tervooren noted.

Pourt, he said, “combines the two concepts, a coffee shop with a comfortable work space.” And what differentiates Pourt from other co-working spaces such as WeWork and Regus is customers “don’t have to make long-term commitments. If you’re looking for a permanent office, we’re not right,” he admitted.

So what happened? One local who frequented the space offered this analysis:

Their rent was very high and they had a lot of square footage. They took so much space because they originally thought they could have space in the back where people would pay to work during the day. Their rent required that the work space generate substantial revenue. But nobody wanted to pay $10+/hour to work in the back when there are so many other options nearby. So they tried a bunch of other business models over the past year, trying to figure out how to generate enough revenue to pay crazy East Village rents on a large space that a coffee shop model alone couldn’t support. They were nice guys and worked hard ... it’s a shame.

Pourt opened back in January in the base of the Marymount Manhattan College dormitory here at Sixth Street.

The owners were unsuccessful in their bid for a full liquor license in July.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Pourt softly opens on Cooper Square

Pourt signage arrives at Cooper Square dorm retail space

Looking at Mani in Pasta on 14th Street

Mani in Pasta looks ready to start serving at 245 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue ... (EVG regular Pinch saw some customers inside in what was likely a friends-family test run...)



This is the second location for the Italian restaurant. (The other spot is on 37th Street between Fifth and Madison.) Here's more about what they serve via Facebook:

The best Roman Style Pizza "Pizza al Taglio" but also Southern Italian Appetizers, Handmade Panini, Signature Pastas, Salads, Coffees, Pastries and Gelato...

[Image via Facebook]

You can find their menu and hours here.

Meanwhile, the letter spacing between the P and the A in PASTA has been corrected...


[Photo from September]

In recent years, the address was home to Mimi's Hummus, Wicked Wolf BBQ and Joey Pepperoni's.

Garden expression

[Photo by Steven]

There's a message — Garden Here — on the eastern wall facing the empty lots where 119-123 Second Ave. used to stand at Seventh Street.

Likely wishful thinking. Late this past spring, Shaky Cohen's Nexus Building Development Group paid $9.15 million for 119 and 121 Second Ave. at Seventh Street. To date, there haven't been any new building permits filed with the city.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

You can now press your face against the windows of the incoming Target store on 14th and A

If you should want to. The sidewalk bridge, barriers, fencing, etc., have recently been removed here on 14th Street at Avenue A at Extell's new retail-residential development ...



The retail, of course, is the small-format Target store with an expected July 2018 opening date.



Previously

Donner and Blitzen's Reindeer Lounge opens for the month in the former No Malice Palace space

The former No Malice Palace space on Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B is now home to a pop-up holiday bar called Donner and Blitzen's Reindeer Lounge. They opened on Friday, and will close on Jan. 1

Via the bar's website:

We've decked the halls with pop-up magic and stuffed your stockings with craft cocktails and mulled wine. Fire places, grandma's quilts and xmas decorations galore... a visit to this heard's house party will make your Insta-Story lit.... we're not kidding, there are a ton of lights. Don't forget to grab a photo-op in front of the custom "Reindeer Playing Poker" mural in the back yard! Whether you have a last minute holiday party to plan or just need to get your yule-tide on, Donner and Blitzen's Reindeer Lounge is your home away from holiday ho-ho-ho... you get it.

The cocktails ($13) include Zuzu's Petals, Elf Nog and (seriously) Nog-Gonna Make to Work Tomorrow.

A feature on the bar in Metro notes, "The decor inside the East Village bar looks as if all the twinkle lights wrapped around the trees and houses in suburbia had been brought inside instead; let’s call it Enthusiastic Dad."

This is the second pop-up holiday bar to open in the East Village this season. Mace, the cocktail bar on Ninth Street near Avenue C, goes by Miracle on Ninth Street during this time of year. (Same bar, just with Christmas decorations.)

No Malice Palace never reopened after the death of its owner, Phil Sherman, in November 2016.

Meanwhile, 222,135 miles away

Early-morning supermoon photos by Bobby Williams...



December's supermoon is reportedly the first of three back-to-back supermoon full moons to come in the next two months, per NASA.

Week in Grieview

[7th and A the other morning]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Fire under sidewalk bridge on 13th Street temporarily brings an end to homeless encampment (Tuesday)

Watch a bike theft in progress on 3rd Street (Monday)

Preliminary work underway at city-owned empty lot on 3rd Street (Tuesday)

Volunteers on a mission to help reinvigorate Alphabet Scoop on 11th Street (Wednesday)

Reader report: Man spotted exposing himself in Tompkins Square Park (Thursday)

7 years later, a Ben & Jerry's is returning to the East Village (Tuesday)

The latest installment of I Am a Rent-Stabilized Tenant (Thursday)

Parishioners hope their prayers are answered with former Nativity space on 2nd Avenue (Friday)

Not fake news then: Pro-dorm rally organizer admits some participants were paid, report says (Friday)

The 26th annual tree lighting in Tompkins Square Park is Dec. 10 (Thursday)

Agozar! closes on the Bowery (Monday)

Brooklyn man accused of punching ex before leading cops on a chase through the East Village (Thursday)

Kona Coffee and Company now open on 2nd Avenue (Monday)

Mr. Throwback has a new home on 9th Street (Friday)

Baar Baar opens on 1st Street in Avalon Bowery Place (Thursday)

"Shadowman," the documentary on Richard Hambleton, debuts at the Quad (Friday)

122CC signage arrives at the refurbished 122 Community Center on 1st Avenue (Friday)

"Kitchen separated by the fridge" (Wednesday)

80 E. 10th St. tops out (Monday)

Turntable 5060 is now Tapanju Turntable, and it opened Friday (Thursday)

Gino Sorbillo opens his pizzeria on the Bowery (Monday)

Turning Rutherford Place into 1987 Russia (Friday)

Pizza in the mix for former Cock space on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday)

NiceBrow bows on 9th Street (Wednesday)

Canal Pizza opening in the former Cup & Saucer Luncheonette space on the LES (Wednesday)

... and here's Andre Trenier's December mural at Mikey Likes It at 199 Avenue A near East 12th Street...



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9th Street lights

Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue is usually one of the more festive blocks during the holiday season... on Friday, workers started putting up the lights...



... and by last evening...





Thanks to Steven for the photos...

Previously

Joseph Papp Way

[Image via @AstorPlaceNYC]

On Friday morning, the intersection of Lafayette and Astor Place was officially co-named Joseph Papp Way, in honor of late Public Theater founder Joseph Papp

Here's more via the Village Alliance:

The co-naming honors the late founder of the Public Theater, which is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its landmark home on Lafayette Street. The sign was unveiled ... by Gail Papp, wife of the late Joe Papp, with remarks from The Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis, Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs Tom Finkelpearl and District 2 City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez.

Our dear friends and neighbor, The Public Theater was founded in 1954, then known as the New York Shakespeare Festival. It opened the doors to its permanent home on Lafayette Street in October 1967 with the new musical Hair. Papp, was an East Village local and active member of the community.

Meanwhile, yesterday, officials unveiled Mary Spink Way on Avenue A and Second Street in honor of the late community activist.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Street co-naming set for Public Theater founder Joseph Papp and community activist Mary Spink

Mary Spink Way

[Reader-submitted photo]

Local elected officials, including City Councilmember Rosie Mendez, City Comptroller Scott Stringer and Senator-elect Brian Kavanagh, were on hand this afternoon for the Mary Spink street co-naming ceremony on the southeast corner of Avenue A and Second Street.

Spink, a longtime resident of this block, was an advocate for affordable housing. She died in January 2012 at age 65. During her years on the Lower East Side, she owned several businesses and served as a member of Community Board 3 and as a board member of the LES Peoples Federal Credit Union, among many others. She was also executive director of Lower East Side People’s Mutual Housing Association.

You can read more about Spink in this obituary published in The Villager.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Street co-naming set for Public Theater founder Joseph Papp and community activist Mary Spink