Report: Gregg Singer thinks the city should buy the Boys' Club of New York building on 10th and A

As I first reported on June 21, the Boys' Club of New York is selling its Harriman Clubhouse building on the northwest corner of 10th Street and Avenue A.

And developer Gregg Singer, who has been trying to turn the former P.S 64 and CHARAS/El Bohio community center on Ninth Street into a dorm these past 20 years, has the perfect buyer for the Boys' Club — the city.

Community activists, preservationists and some local elected officials have long been opposed to Singer's plans, and want to see a return to use as a cultural and community center.

So people want a community center? In Singer's estimation, the Boys' Club is the building for that, as he told Patch in an interview published yesterday.

"It's next to Tompkins Square Park, it's a couple of blocks from this property, it's in good condition, its got a pool, basketball court, music rooms, art rooms — it's crazy. So it's ready to go," said Singer, on a recent tour of the gutted former P.S. 64. "We've put about $65 million hard and soft costs to renovate this property. There, it's already in existence so if they really do need a community center, there you go, it's right in your lap."

Reaction!

"It's sort of a ludicrous idea," said Andrew Berman, the executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. "The connection that this community feels to the community center is very strong and it has remained strong for decades and the community's resolve to get this building back [will not be] diverted."

Last October, Mayor de Blasio said that his administration would take steps to reacquire the property ... without actually offering any further details on how the city would do this.

Meanwhile, the Boys' Club building, which opened in 1901, will remain in operation through June 2019.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Boys' Club of New York selling East Village building; will remain open through June 2019

The Times explores the past, present and future of the former P.S. 64

Free things to do at the Tompkins Square Library branch this month

There are all sorts of free classes and discussion groups — from jewelry-making workshops to knitting circles — at the Tompkins Square Library branch on 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B...

Here's just a few of the events happening this month. (Find the full list of activities for kids and adults here.) Via the EVG inbox...

• Fridays, July 6, 13, 20, 27 at 3 pm: Knitting Circle. Not a class, but a knitting group. Participants must bring their own supplies.

• Monday, July 9 at 1 pm: Monday Matinee Movie: "My Left Foot" (1989; 103 mins.) Dir: Jim Sheridan. Christy Brown, born with cerebral palsy, learns to paint and write with his only controllable limb — his left foot. Daniel Day-Lewis, Brenda Fricker, Alison Whelan.

• Tuesdays, July 10, 24, 31: Vinyasa Warrior Yoga. This class is open to all level practitioners from beginner to expert yogi. Please bring your own mat and towel.

• Tuesday, July 10 1-3 pm, and Monday, July 16 11 am-2 pm: Workforce 1 Job Fair. Workforce 1 will be recruiting for many open positions. Bring your resume and apply for jobs.

• Wednesday, July 11 at 5 pm: Film Screening: "Thoroughbreds" (2017; 92mins.) Dir: Cory Finley. Two upper-class teenage girls in suburban Connecticut rekindle their unlikely friendship after years of growing apart. Together, they hatch a plan to solve both of their problems-no matter what the cost.

• Thursdays, July 12 and 26 at 1 pm: Shakespeare Reading and Discussion Group. The Shakespeare Reading and Discussion Group meets the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 1 pm in the second floor community room. The group will be discussing Richard II. Check at the first floor desk for copies.

• Saturday, July 14 at 3 pm: Saturday Matinee Movie: "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" (1964; 91 mins.) Dir: Jacques Demy. A young woman separated from her lover by war faces a life-altering decision. Starring Catherine Deneuve. In French with English subtitles.

• Wednesday, July 18 at 6 pm: Ukulele Lessons for Beginners. Four 70-minute sessions: 07/18, 08/01, 08/15, 08/29. Please bring your own ukulele. Registration is required.

• Thursday, July 19 at 5:30 pm: Writing / Performance Lab. The intention is to provide artists in the community the opportunity to develop works-in-progress of writing pieces, theater texts, performance pieces and related projects. In addition to writers and performers, musicians, singers, dancers, etc., are welcome to participate.

• Monday, July 23 at 1 pm: Monday Matinee Movie: "Westworld" (1973; 88 min.) Dir: Michael Crichton. In a futuristic theme park, robots fulfill tourists' every fantasy, until they start to run amok. Starring Richard Benjamin, James Brolin, Yul Brynner.

• Wednesday, July 25 at 5 pm: Film Screening: "A Quiet Place" (2018; 90 min.) Dir: John Krasinski. In a post-apocalyptic world, a family is forced to live in silence while hiding from monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing. Starring Emily Blunt, John Krasinski.

The Ottendorfer Library branch at 135 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street has many free activities too. Find that list here.

Monday's parting shot

A little shade and a breeze today along the East River Park under the Williamsburg Bridge...

Disco inferno on 7th Street

An extra from the filming of "The Deuce" today at Blue & Gold on Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Photo by Derek Berg...

Today in free treadmills on 3rd Avenue

Spotted on Third Avenue between 12th Street and 13th Street by EVG reader Ann ... the note with the treadmill says that it "works perfectly" ... and it appears to have a workout surface with a 40-percent incline capability, which helps reduce internal rotation of the knees, lessening the chances of cartilage degeneration.

The Continental gets a 3-month reprieve

[Photo from June 3]

The Continental was set to close this past weekend after a 27-year run at 23 Third Ave.

However, on Saturday morning, Trigger, The Continental's owner, announced the following on Facebook:

"[M]y lease at Continental got extended 3 months!

We have till approximately early October so please come by ..."

So a few more months of the six-shots-of-anything-for-$12 deal.

Permits were filed on March 15 to demolish the low-rise buildings here at 3 St. Mark’s Place, 23 and 25-27 Third Avenue.

A seven-story, 66,000-square-foot office building with ground-floor retail is reportedly slated for this corner. However, plans for this new building haven't been made public to date.

As previously reported, the McDonald's, Papaya King and Korilla BBQ have already closed.

The smaller shops on the St. Mark's side have mostly moved on ... Unique Collection is headed to Bleecker Street ...



These two places remain...



The E Smoke Shop on the corner is also gone (they merged with the other Smoke Shop down the block) ...



I came upon the tail-end of this scene early Saturday morning... apparently workers from the E Smoke Shop cleaned out the store by piling everything atop (and next to) the trash can on the corner... much to the dismay of the sanitation crew who had to clean up the extra mess...





Afterwards, one of the sanitation workers walked across St. Mark's Place and yelled toward the E Smoke Shop: "Have a nice day. ANIMALS."

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Shake Shack effect? McDonald's on 3rd Avenue at St. Mark's Place has closed after 20 years

Report: Northeast corner of St. Mark's Place and 3rd Ave. fetching $50 million for development site

Report: NE corner of St. Mark's Place and 3rd Avenue will yield to a 7-story office building

Demolition permits filed for northeast corner of 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

Suki opens on 7th Street

Suki is now open at 86 E. Seventh St. just west of First Avenue... there are just a handful of seats available to try Suki's menu of traditional Japanese curry...





Suki's hours are Monday-Friday from 5-10 p.m.; noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday. Suki is closed on Sunday. Find their Instagram account here.

The space previously housed Cafe Che/Benny's Burritos & Empanadas ... Abraço was here for 10 years before moving across the street.

Top two photos by Derek Berg

Kambi Ramen House has closed on 14th Street

After 10 years at 351 E. 14th St. near First Avenue, Kambi Ramen House shut down after service this past Thursday.

EVG regular Pinch shared these photos... a sign on the door notes that their lease is up...



Kambi's sister restaurants, Minca Ramen Factory on Fifth Street near Avenue B, and Andante in Brooklyn remain in business.

The former Cheers Cut space is for rent on St. Mark's Place

[Photo Wednesday by Steven]

As noted last week, Cheers Cut, the Taiwanese mini-chain of fried foods at 36 St. Mark's Place, had not been open in recent days during its announced business hours.

By Wednesday, the nine-month-old Grand Opening banner had been removed...

... and on Saturday morning, the for rent sign arrived on the now-empty storefronts between Second Avenue and Third Avenue...



The retail listing isn't online just yet ... a variety of quick-serve concepts have tried the address without much success, including Friterie Belgian Fries ... Fasta ("Pasta Your Way") ... and the $1.50 branch of 2 Bros. Pizza.

EVG Etc.: Emmy Squared signage; Prune vacation; Artichoke flags

Emmy Squared looks nearly ready to open on the corner of Fifth Street and First Avenue in the former Three of Cups space... no official opening date just yet for the pizzeria-burger joint ...





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On First Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... Prune closed after service Friday for a mid-summer break... back Pruning on July 9...





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And an EVG reader wondered if the flags outside Artichoke on 14th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue were really necessary...

Week in Grieview

[Photo from 4th Street by Derek Berg]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

RIP George Cameron (Wednesday)

Cars to give way to a bus-only corridor most hours on 14th Street during the L-train shutdown (Tuesday) Citi Bike will expand ahead of L-mageddon time (Thursday)

City Planning Commission OKs tech hub for Union Square (Thursday)

Judy talks about her apartment of 40 years (Thursday)

City pools open (Wednesday)

B&H Dairy has new-look menus (Tuesday)

Rose and Basil has gone out of business (Friday)

9th Street's Zucker Bakery closing after 7 years in business (Tuesday)

This week's NY See strip (Thursday)

Moxy East Village opening date now set for late 2019 on 11th Street (Monday)

Giant alligator false alarm (Friday)

Christo and Amelia's kids are growing and growing... (Monday)

Final vote from the Rent Guidelines Board (Tuesday)

Korilla BBQ has closed on 3rd Avenue (Thursday)

Openings and closings on this block of 2nd Avenue (Wednesday)

The 411 on 886 (Monday)

The new Westside Market on 3rd Avenue opens (Thursday)

Ippudo closed for renovations through July 17 (Monday)

In Tompkins Square Park, we lost a piano but gained, for now, a wicker vanity table (Tuesday)

The Neighbors move out early at First Street Green Art Park (Tuesday)

Cheers Cut has not been open lately on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

... workers removed the sidewalk bridge from outside 86 E. 10th St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue this past week ... which had been there since an apartment fire on Feb. 7. In case you forgot what the Black & White looked like...



... and the heatwave is drying up the perpetual puddle/pool at the M14 stop on Avenue A near Ninth Street...



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'The Deuce' is back in town

Crews for the HBO series "The Deuce" are setting up shop today for filming tomorrow... look for trucks, equipment and cast members along Avenue A between Houston and Fourth Street (and various side streets) and Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...



The series, now in its second season, chronicles "the birth of the modern pornography business in New York City in the early 1970s," as Variety put it.

"The Deuce" has filmed around the neighbor in the past ... here and here, for instance.