Bubbleology Tea signs a lease on 1st Avenue

As previously noted, the London-based Bubbleology Tea chain was planning to open at 120 1/2 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

In its listing of recent real-estate transactions, the Times reported yesterday that the owners of this franchise signed a seven-year lease for the space, which previously housed the International Bar.

From the Times:

London-based bubble tea franchise has signed a seven-year lease for its flagship shop to open this summer in a 750-square-foot storefront, with a backyard patio, in this five-story East Village walk-up. The shop will feature milk- and fruit-based bubble tea blends including Oreo Crush, along with alcoholic brews including Raspberry Mar-Tea-Ni.

The annual rent was listed at $105,000 — $8,750 per month.

The owners were seeking a full-liquor license for the address. However, CB3 denied their application last month, citing "insufficient public benefit ... for a business seeking to add tea-infused cocktails to its drink menu to sustain its business plan, in an area well-served with licensed businesses furnishing cocktails," per the minutes from that meeting.

It's not known at the moment if Bubbleology Tea is seeking a license directly from the State Liquor Authority for its Raspberry Mar-Tea-Ni and other boozy teas.

The latest iteration of the International Bar closed this past Thanksgiving. (Non-renewal of lease, via landlord Steve Croman.) The bar merged with its sister saloon, the Coal Yard, one block to the south between Seventh Street and Sixth Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
More about Bubbleology Tea, possibly coming soon to 1st Avenue

Tuesday's parting shot

Photo on 10th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C via @lifeinthekey ...

Noted

EVG reader Mark White shared this photo... spotted early this morning on Second Street and Avenue B. Unfortunately, anything likely considered dope was already long gone...

Manhattanhenge is ON

Clear skies mean #Manhattanhenge is on for today (May 29)! 🌇Get ready for a spectacular sunset during Manhattanhenge, also known as the phenomenon when the sun aligns with the Manhattan grid! For the best viewing locations, visit on.nyc.gov/Manhattanhenge. If you’ll miss today’s sunset, Manhattanhenge is happening again on May 30, July 12, and July 13. (📷: Tudor City Overpass by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)

A post shared by NYC Parks (@nycparks) on May 29, 2018 at 11:16am PDT

A playground dedication on 12th Street

The official opening of the new playground at the Children’s Workshop School/East Village Community School/P.S. 94 The Spectrum School took place this morning.

A rep at the Trust for Public Land, one of the organizations that helped fund the new playground, shared this before-and-after photo at the school on 12th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C...


[Click on image for a better view]





Here's more from the media advisory on the opening... via the EVG inbox...

The new playground will bring 41,000 residents within a 10-minute walk of a park that includes a turf field, game tables, play equipment, running track, a stage, trees, and other green infrastructure elements.

This park is open to the entire community after school hours and on the weekends, and includes features that can be enjoyed by all ages, from children to seniors. This playground was made possible through funding provided from the Manhattan Borough President’s office, former New York City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, and supporters of The Trust for Public Land.

The opening of this playground is part of the Trust for Public Land’s Playgrounds Program, which serves to create vibrant, educational and fun playgrounds for New York City’s schoolchildren. All Trust for Public Land playgrounds include student participation in the design process, providing them with hands-on learning of the science, technology, engineering, architecture, and math that goes into physical aspects of designing playgrounds, and also the survey, consensus-building, and budgetary steps that go into the social aspects of deciding what will be included in their school’s playground.

Meanwhile, the official opening for the playground at P.S. 19 on First Avenue between 11th Street and 12th Street is planned for June 18 at 11 a.m.



Previously on EV Grieve:
More details on the all-new playground coming to P.S. 19

Sauce Pizzeria coming to 12th Street

The Sauce signage recently went up in the windows at 345 E. 12th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue...



There isn't any other info at the moment about who's behind this venture. (Sauce does have an Instagram account.)

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Updated 9 a.m.
Several readers have suggested that this is a spin-off of Sauce Restaurant on Allen and Rivington.

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The space, just a few storefronts away from Motorino Pizzeria, was last home to S'MAC, who moved to the corner at First Avenue last summer.

Thanks to Lola Sáenz for the tip!

The new Mast Books space is shaping up

Mast Books has wrapped up its last weekend at 66 Avenue A ... ahead of a move this week a few storefronts away to 72 Avenue A. (Today is the last day at No. 66 with a 4:30 p.m. close.)

In the top photo, you can see how their new corner space at Fifth Street is looking, at least from the outside. Mast hopes to be open here by Friday.

Meanwhile, tonight, there's a book signing with Michael Stipe in which you can preview the new space...

Mast Books, Artbook D.A.P., and Damiani invite you to join MICHAEL STIPE for a book signing in celebration of his new artist’s book VOLUME 1 - Tuesday, May 29th, 7-9pm. Preview our new location at 72 Avenue A.

A post shared by Mast Books (@mastbooks) on May 25, 2018 at 4:56pm PDT

Mast, which sells new, used and rare books, opened on A in May 2010.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Mast Books launches sale ahead of short move on Avenue A

An RIP memorial on Avenue A and 5th Street

Señor Pollo is now Punto Rojo on 1st Avenue

In case you didn't see the recent signage switcheroo on First Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street... Punto Rojo has taken over for Señor Pollo, which specialized in reasonably priced Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken.

As we understand it, there's new ownership, but the same staff for the bakery-restaurant that serves traditional Colombian food.

Signs on the window promise a new menu soon. (The menus and receipts still say Señor Pollo.)



Punto Rojo also has outposts in Jamaica, Queens, and Hicksville, N.Y.

Joli Beauty Bar leaves 1st Street

The eastern storefront at 44 E. First St. is now on the rental market. (Steve Croman's 9300 Realty lists the space at $5,795 per month.)

Joli Beauty Bar closed earlier this month after nearly three years here between First Avenue and Second Avenue. The owners, who decided to part ways, address the closure in this Instagram post. The brand will live on as a mobile beauty service.

Julius Klein had this space for his studio/gallery for years before he was Cromanated in the spring of 2012.

Memorial Day Weekend parting shot

Photo from Seventh Street and Second Avenue by Dan Efram...

Noted

Avenue A and Ninth Street today ... a little 2013 throwback... photo by Steven.

Report: Bargoer dies after passing out at No Fun on Ludlow Street

A friend discovered the unresponsive woman and called 911, cops said https://t.co/ZTgzWiJ5OV

— New York Post (@nypost) May 28, 2018

The Post reports today that a 25-year-old Brooklyn woman "lost consciousness" while sitting on a couch at No Fun on Saturday night.

According to the Post:

A friend discovered the unresponsive woman and called 911, cops said. When police arrived, the concerned caller told them the victim had been drinking and using cocaine earlier in the day, police sources said.

No drugs were found at the time.

The woman, whose name has not been made public, was pronounced dead at Beth Israel.

No Fun, at 161 Ludlow St. between Houston and Stanton, is "often considered by neighbors to be one of the worst quality-of-life offenders within the confines of Hell Square," according to BoweryBoogie in reporting on a recent street brawl outside the establishment.

In 2016, the owners of No Fun sued the Lower East Side Dwellers community organization for defamation.

As The Lo-Down reported:

Operators of the bar ... took issue with the Dwellers’ contention in emails and during a public meeting that the night spot lacked a certificate of occupancy. They claimed that this assertion damaged the bar’s reputation.

The lawsuit was dismissed in state supreme court earlier this month.

Updated 5/29

The Post updated their article with the name of the victim — Emily Fayssoux, a North Carolina native who graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She reportedly worked in fashion marketing.

Double rainbow outside Juicy Lucy on 1st Street

A look at the two new rainbow murals at the Juicy Lucy stand on First Street at First Avenue... courtesy of Antony Zito.

The EVG reader who shared this photo also pointed out the discarded Rainbow Apples box here...

At the 2018 Loisaida Festival Community Parade

EVG reader Brucie shared these photos from this morning... at the start of the 2018 Loisaida Festival Community Parade, which took place on parts of Avenue C and Avenue D. (You can read more about how the props for the parade came together here)...









The parade ended on Avenue C and 12th Street at the Loisaida Festival's Main Stage...



... and later...