The EVG podcast: A 'Vanishing New York' conversation with Jeremiah Moss

[Image via Vanishing New York]

This episode of the EVG podcast features a conversation with Jeremiah Moss, the writer behind the blog Vanishing New York. The paperback edition of his book, "Vanishing New York: How a Great City Lost Its Soul," is out this week. (The paperback launch event is tonight at 7:30 at Books Are Magic, 225 Smith St. in Brooklyn.)

Jeremiah joined me in the East Village Radio studio on First Avenue to discuss moving to NYC 25 years ago, starting his blog and attempting to save small businesses from extinction. We also talk about how he encouraged me to start the EV Grieve blog 11 years ago.



Previously on EV Grieve:
The EVG podcast: Red-tailed hawk talk with Laura Goggin

The EVG podcast with Mike Katz and Crispin Kott, the authors of "Rock and Roll Explorer Guide to New York City."

Consider donating clothes to the Bowery Mission this summer

In case you are doing some late-summer closet cleaning this weekend or next...

Consider donating clothes to the Mission this summer! Clean clothes provide a great deal of relief to a neighbor experiencing homelessness. After being out on the streets or in the subways, our guests feel a sense of restored dignity from a change of clothing. . Learn more about donating goods: bowery.org/donategoods . #InThisTogether #NYC #Donate #MyBowery #NewYorkNeighbors . 📷 @keri.tan

A post shared by The Bowery Mission (@bowerymission) on Jul 24, 2018 at 1:05pm PDT

This link has donation details. The Bowery Mission is at 227 Bowery between Stanton and Rivington at Prince.

Viking Waffles opens on Avenue C

[Photo by Vinny & O]

The Viking Waffles retail space is now open at 137 Avenue C near Ninth Street.

The storefront now sells the popular protein-rich waffles that were previously only available online and in several health-food stores and gyms, including Barry's Bootcamp. (Benedicte Engen, a Crossfit trainer, is the founder of Viking Waffles.) There are several tables and chairs inside, and you can order your waffles with a variety of toppings.

Here's the menu...



The space will continue to serve as the HQ for Viking's wholesale manufacturing business.

It's a new era for the address, which went under extensive renovations (it's basically a new building) in recent years. The building's ground-floor was previously home to drunk-brunch magnet Sunburnt Cow until April 2014.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Former Sunburnt Cow space on Avenue C is the new home of Viking Waffles

Renovations in store for 137 Avenue C, home to the Sunburnt Cow

The Sunburnt Cow closes for good at the end of this month

A request not to leave any more bread at the Great Jones Cafe

[Photo from July 14]

The Great Jones Cafe remains closed (since July 10) ... yet the bread deliveries continue. The box that arrived on July 14 sat outside for several days before someone eventually emptied it.

Yesterday, an employee in the garage next door put up a sign asking the delivery people to stop leaving the bread...



The 35-year-old restaurant near the Bowery has not opened for business since the untimely death of owner Jim Moffett on July 10.

The status of the Great Jones Cafe is unknown at the moment. One tipster said that a broker was showing the space on Wednesday.

Up to 4 more retail spaces available to join Target on 14th Street

In case you missed the hoopla, Target opened last Wednesday on 14th Street and Avenue A. (Recaps of what transpired on Saturday with the store's homage to the neighborhood's past can be found at the following outlets, among others: Racked ... Noisey ... Pitchfork ... The New York Times ... Jezebel ... Vice ... Forbes ... The Architect's Newspaper ... Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal ...)

So that takes care of just one of the retail spaces in the new EVGB residential complex at 500 and 524 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

There are potentially two more storefronts for rent adjacent to Target...



...and two more at No. 524 toward Avenue B...


[Confusing, because this photo is looking to the west]

Newmark Knight Frank has the listings... the storefronts are part of what's being billed as "the East Village's most dynamic block" ...







Perhaps in the future we will see a CVS No Rio (that is @danieltbrennan's joke!) or a Sam's Club 57.

Also, on the north side of Avenue A, we're still waiting to learn what's coming to the retail space in the former Peter Stuyvesant Post Office... Trader Joe's still? Doesn't seem like the best time for any business to open with the ongoing L-train entrance work ...



Anyway, in case you needed a reminder of Target's arrival... along Avenue A...





... or Sixth Street and First Avenue...



... or 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B...



... or The Weather Channel app...

A fledging in Tompkins Square Park, and in rehab

As Goggla reported yesterday, Urban Park Rangers removed the older of Amelia and Christo's fledglings, who fell sick, in Tompkins Square Park. (More on that in a minute.)

Meanwhile, the younger fledgling continued to entertain in the Park ... Steven shared these photos from today...













... eventually the fledgling took a bow...



... and then went up into a tree and ate a pigeon or something...



As for this fledgling's sibling... Bobby Horvath of the Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation Inc. (WINORR) posted an update on Facebook. Per Bobby:

After being delivered to the Animal Medical Center the exotics dept. did blood work to check for West Nile virus, lead and rodenticide poisoning. Early results showed anemia and exposure to rodenticide so immediate treatment was started. It may also have either of the other 2 ailments but those results won't be known for a day or 2. Medication and supportive care hopefully can reverse any damage and this young male can recover.

Interestingly enough, he's at the same facility as Dora... I'm not sure how you'd describe this relation...

Updated 7/29

Unfortunately the fledgling died early this morning. Early test results showed anemia and exposure to rodenticide. More to come...

Free stuff alert in the former Paquito's space on 1st Avenue

Steven shares this from First Avenue just south of Ninth Street... inside the old Paquito's Restaurant space... there are free dishes, glassware, coffee cups, etc. ...



The sit-down Paquito's closed last December after 25 years. That storefront is for lease. Paquito's maintains a to-go counter and delivery service in the space next door.

Grant Shaffer's NY See

[Click on image for more detail]

Here's this week's NY See, East Village-based illustrator Grant Shaffer's comic series — an observational sketch diary of things that he sees and hears around the neighborhood (and sometimes elsewhere).

[Updated] Sick red-tailed fledgling taken away from Tompkins Square Park for evaluation

[Photo by Goggla]

In recent days we've enjoyed watching the younger of the two red-tailed fledglings frolicking in Tompkins Square Park.

However, as Goggla noted, Amelia and Christo's older fledgling has kept a lower profile, staying perched in a tree.

And yesterday, the hawklet looked unwell. NYC Urban Park Rangers Rob Mastrianni and Nick Baisley came to the Park, and took the hawklet to the Animal Medical Center for testing and evaluation, Goggla reported.

Here's a video of the capture...



Visit Goggla's site for more photos and updates.

Updated 7/29

Unfortunately the fledgling died early this morning. Early test results showed anemia and exposure to rodenticide. More to come...

Vegan Love arrives on 10th Street

Vegan Love is now in soft-open mode (as of Tuesday) in the former Quintessence space on 10th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue.

As we understand it, the chef from Quintessence is behind this raw-food venture. Vegan Love offers a smallish menu featuring several burgers (guac and mushroom) as well as a variety of create-your-own salads. In addition, there are sides, including daily soups, air-baked sweet potatoes and squash mac and cheese, as well as smoothies and desserts.

While there are several tables and stools inside, given the menu items, it looks to be a good to-go option.

Quintessence, the 17-year-old raw-food cafe, closed back in late June without any notice for patrons on its website or social-media properties. The space has been under renovation this past month.

Previously

Revamped McDonald's ready to reopen on 14th Street

[Photo from July 2 by Tara Cox]

The McDonald's at 404 E. 14th St. near First Avenue closed back on July 2 for an interior-exterior renovation combo... and yesterday, a new McDonald's sign arrived ... EVG regular Greg Masters shared these photos...



This McDonald's was expected to reopen sometime today...



You can see the difference now in the facade...


[Google Street View from November]

Not sure of the extent of the makeover inside just yet. The McDonald's on Essex and Delancey reopened in April after a five-month renovation. Changes there included the arrival of digital self-order kiosks, table service and mobile ordering.

Perhaps the renovation will help boost those Yelp reviews here. Some one-star Yelpers state that this is among the worst McDonald's in the city.

Report: 14th Street busway debuts in January to prep for the upcoming L-train stoppage

[Not really an M14 bus]

The city and MTA have decided to get an early start on converting 14th Street into a bus-only corridor ... beginning on Jan. 6 — three-plus months ahead of L-mageddon time.

City officials said that they need the extra months to test M14 SBS service and make adjustments before the shutdown begins.

amNY first had the story:

To ensure buses are up to the task of absorbing some of that crowd, the city and MTA plan to institute bus-only restrictions on 14th Street between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m., seven days a week. The restrictions will be in place between Ninth and Third avenues eastbound, and Third and Eighth avenues westbound. A DOT spokeswoman said the city is hashing out “specific access points” for local traffic and trucks.

The SBS route will initially make five stops between First Avenue and Tenth Avenue. The SBS route will complement existing M14A and M14D service so that buses will arrive every two minutes during morning and evening rush hours. Combined, the local and SBS service is expected to handle about 84,000 riders per day.

The shutdown of the L — between Bedford Avenue and Eighth Avenue to repair the Sandy-damaged Canarsie Tunnel — is expected to last 15 months.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Cars to give way to a bus-only corridor most hours on 14th Street during the L-train shutdown

Full moon rising: Read and share stories in the Green Oasis Garden gazebo

[Image via Facebook]

Via the EVG inbox...

Join the Green Oasis Garden’s Little Library book & story share on the full moon

• Share what you are reading and/or tell a story

• Donate or swap a gently used book* for the little library (optional)

7-9 pm at the Green Oasis Garden gazebo, Eighth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D.

Thursday, July 26 (rain date Friday, July 27)

Monday, Aug. 27 (a day late, we know...)

Tuesday, Sept. 25

Wednesday, Oct. 24

All ages - 12 and under with an adult please

*Children’s, teen, eclectic, Arabic, Chinese, French, or Spanish books appreciated

... and the info in flyer form...

Noted

Our friend Miss Heather spotted this incident on the Citizen app... reported from StuyTown...

The East Fifth Street Tree Committee helps expedite removal of these downed branches

There are several reports of downed tree limbs in the neighborhood these past 18 hours or so with the rain and strong winds ... starting on Fifth Street near Cooper Square, where two large branches fell yesterday afternoon, landing near the Standard East Village.

Per the EVG inbox: "The East Fifth Street Tree Committee was on the job and contacted the Parks Department immediately." There weren't any injuries reported.

Meanwhile, there were reports of a small branch down at the entrance to Tompkins Square Park at Avenue A ... and a limb fell across Sixth Street near Avenue B.






Previously on EV Grieve:
The East Fifth St. Tree Committee back in action

The East Fifth St. Tree Committee is alive and well, and they do not mess around

And now, a word from the East Fifth St. Tree Committee

The East Fifth St. Tree Committee reveals its policy about carts

Summer begins with random bags of soil and a note from the East Fifth St. Tree Committee

Demolition watch: 321 E. 13th St., future home of the new Mt. Sinai Beth Israel Hospital

There isn't much left of 321 E. 13th St., a former 14-floor building here between Second Avenue and First Avenue that previously housed training physicians and staff of the nearby New York Eye and Ear Infirmary...



As previously reported back in the fall of 2016, the Mount Sinai Health System is in the midst of its years-long project to rebuild Mount Sinai Beth Israel, transitioning to a network of smaller facilities throughout lower Manhattan. The plans include an expanded facility on 14th Street and Second Avenue.

This new, 70-bed Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital will apparently go up where No. 321 previously stood and be ready, optimistically, sometime in 2021.



Here's more info from a Mount Sinai FAQ page:

Central to the downtown transformation is the new Mount Sinai Downtown Beth Israel inpatient hospital, and a brand new state-of-the-art Emergency Department (ED), located at 14th Street near Second Avenue – just two blocks south of the current MSBI campus. The hospital will feature operating and procedure rooms, lab services and imaging equipment, and will be able to handle general surgeries such as gall bladder, hernia and appendectomies.

The ED will accept ambulances and will be able to handle all of the same emergencies that the current ED handles, including: broken bones, asthma attacks, appendicitis, heart attacks, pneumonia, stroke and all other emergencies. It will also include a pediatric ED. Services at the existing MSBI ED will continue without interruption until the new facility opens, which is expected in about four years.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Permits filed to demolish Mount Sinai's 13th Street residential building


[No. 321 in 2016]

Tatsu Ramen debuts on 1st Avenue

Tatsu Ramen, with two locations in Los Angeles, opened its first NYC outpost last evening at 167 First Ave.

For now, Tatsu will be opening in the evening hours...

Mark your calendar, our doors open today, 07/24! We’ll be satisfying your dinner and late-night ramen cravings with our temporary limited hours: Sun-Wed: 6PM-2AM Thurs-Sat: 7PM-3AM · Stay tuned for our 11AM opening time in the near future: Sun-Wed: 11AM-2AM Thurs-Sat: 11AM-3AM · Until then, #LateNightsAtTatsu #SlurpOn #✌️ · 🍜 📸: @sgmphoto

A post shared by Tatsu Ramen (@tatsuramen) on Jul 24, 2018 at 8:13am PDT

Here's more about Tatsu, via their website:

Tatsu was founded by a handful of tight-knit USC family who fell in love with Tokyo and ramen. Having tasted the best, we went on a mission to find the best ramen in LA — and were terribly disappointed.

This sparked our (neon) lightbulb to bring Tokyo "home" to LA. We reimagined the typical Japanese ordering vending machine as iPads and flew multiple chefs from Japan to deconstruct the chemistry-laden recipes and have them painstakingly house-made from scratch with natural ingredients (and tough love!).

We shocked the ramen traditionalists by also offering gluten-free option, 100% chicken and vegan broth.

"Tatsu" means dragon and opened its door in 2012, the year of the dragon. It has since become an LA institution that’s frequented by A-listers, hipsters and blacklisters.

You can find the Tatsu Ramen menu here.

The last tenant in this space between 10th Street and 11th Street was Ashiya Sushi, who moved away in 2015.

Previously on EV Grieve:
L.A.-based ramen shop opening outpost on 1st Avenue

Report: Madam Vo team opening Madam Vo BBQ on 2nd Avenue

[104 2nd Ave. from December 2017]

The owners of Madame Vo at 212 E. 10th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue plan to open a restaurant specializing in Vietnamese barbecue called Madam Vo BBQ later this year on Second Avenue at Sixth Street.

Eater had the scoop yesterday:

Owners Yen Vo and chef Jimmy Ly grew up in Vietnam eating Vietnamese barbecue, a part of the cuisine that is traditionally reserved for weddings and special celebrations ...

“We wanted to show New York that Vietnamese food is a lot more than what people are used to,” Ly says. “Vietnamese barbecue is a real thing in Vietnam, and a lot of people don’t know about it. We grew up eating it.”

And...

The focus of the menu is on a seven-course beef tasting with dishes such as lime-juice-dressed beef salad (bo tai chanh), beef wrapped in betel leaf (bo la lot), and beef grilled with scallion (bo luoi). Other meats include whole grilled sea bass, stuffed squid, lobster, and scallops. Dipping sauces run from orange butter-garlic to anchovy sauce with pineapple, and accompanying drinks will be beer, wine, sake, fresh juice, and sake-based cocktails.

Madam Vo BBQ will take over 104 Second Ave., which housed Wall 88 for seven months until last fall. Previously, the address was the Lions BeerStore — part retail shop, part restaurant — for 16 months.

P.S.

Bring back Bamboo House to this corner (because someone always brings this up)!


[Photo via Jeremiah Moss]