Wednesday, October 31, 2018

SSHH — 'a multi-purpose mutant space' — debuts tonight on 6th Street


[Image via Instagram]

SSHH opens its doors tonight at 516 East Sixth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

The venue, operated by Nick Schiarizzi and Bráulio Amado, describes itself as a "multi-purpose mutant space where you can come and learn, make, buy or share something."

Every day from 2 to 7 p.m., SSHH will operate as a store, selling art, T-shirts, random undeveloped film rolls. Monday through Thursday after 7 p.m., the space will host events, classes, talks, art happenings, etc.

The November calendar is on the SSHH Instagram account...


Many of the events are free, others have a $10 fee... (and the introduction to French classes are $150 for six, 2-hour sessions).

The SSHH literature states the owners are not some trust-funders trying to create an exclusive art gallery. "This is a storefront space that we are still defining, and we want people to be part of it. We think that people want to learn and create past age 30 or 40 or 50 or 60 and this space is for you to do that," per an SSHH pamphlet. (They note that the monthly rent is $2,500.)

You can check it out for yourself tonight during the grand opening. Per the Facebook invite:

Please join us for the opening of SSHH (Sixth Street Haunted House) on Halloween, October 31, from 7 pm to 10 pm. It'll be like a gallery opening - open, casual, a celebratory situation.

This isn't a haunted house in the traditional sense, but it's a place that you can haunt, visit, and check out as regularly as you like.

This new space will host talks, classes, participatory events and art openings, as well as a store that will sell interesting things.

We are looking forward to meeting our neighbors, seeing our friends, and kicking off all of the creative stuff we're gonna do with you in the years to come.

The small storefront was previously home to the no-frills USA Body Work massage place.

Long-vacant 115 Avenue C getting some attention



A dispatch from Dave on 7th from 115 Avenue C, where workers have started gutting and renovating the long-vacant space between Seventh Street and Eighth Street.

There are several approved permits on file with the DOB for alterations at the three-story building. (None of the permits appear to be posted on site.)

The building changed hands for $3.7 million in the fall of 2016. An LLC with the address of 115 Avenue C was listed as the buyer.

In any event, this is an address to keep an eye on. The retail space has been vacant since Le Jardin Bistro closed in June 2015. Previous ventures here include Apartment 13 and The Porch.

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Tuesday's parting shot



Outside Search & Destroy on St. Mark's Place this morning...

Mid-afternoon red-bellied woodpecker break



Steven spotted this red-bellied woodpecker (not in costume) in Tompkins Square Park yesterday...

La Plaza hosting Haunted Adventure Garden and Rat Race Maze



This is happening tomorrow (Halloween!) from 2-8 p.m. at La Plaza Cultural on the southwest corner of Ninth Street and Avenue C.

Via the EVG inbox...

For 365 days a year, rats are the stuff nightmares are made of for New Yorkers. The theme at this year's spooky Halloween adventure garden is Rats, because whether they rule or horrify, they're a part of living in NYC.

At this costume party, bring your whole family, as there'll be mystic fortune telling, face painting and thrilling coffin rides. At 5:30 pm there will be live music by the Rude Mechanical Orchestra.

Oh! And try not to get trapped in the Rat Race Maze, where we are trying to teach people to stay away from the corporate rat race.



... and I hope they leave this up year-round...

These two buildings are now wrapped and apparently prepped for demolition



Workers spent part of last week putting up sidewalk bridges and scaffolding at the adjacent properties — 24 First Ave. and 99-101 E. Second St. ...



Per our previous posts, demolition permits are on file to bring down both buildings. Developer Sergey Rybak was the high bidder ($12 million and change) during an auction earlier this year ... he has submitted plans for a 7-story, 22-unit residential building on the property of the current 24 First Ave. and 99-101 E. Second St.

The Rybak website list that the residences are condos (building name for now — 101E2). The ground-floor space is designated for retail use.

And the open-air dumpster marked "asbestos" that alarmed a few nearby neighbors was removed as of Friday.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Onetime home of Lucky Cheng's and adjacent property sell for $12 million

Demolition permits filed to bring down former Lucky Cheng's building on 1st Avenue

Demolition permits filed for 99-101 E. 2nd St.; first look at the condoplex to come

Preliminary demolition work at 99-101 E. 2nd St. is — surprise — in the asbestos-removal phase

Hitchcocktober's grand finale: 'Psycho' on Halloween night



It's nearly time to say goodbye for another year to Hitchcocktober at the City Cinemas Village East, Second Avenue and 12th Street ... but not before Halloween-evening screenings of "Psycho." (The one with Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh from 1960, not the Gus Van Sant version from 1998 with Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche.)

Please note: The 8 and 9 p.m. screenings are SOLD OUT. The theater added one at 9:40 p.m. to accommodate the demand. Find advance ticket info here.

1st sign of First Lamb Shabu on 14th Street



The storefront at 218 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue is starting to shape into the first Manhattan outpost of First Lamb Shabu, a Beijing-based hot pot chain with more than 300 locations in China.

As the Commercial Observer reported back in April, the company, which has a location in Flushing, signed a 10-year lease for the space with a $20,000-per-month rent.

The storefront has been empty for several years, ever since Dunkin' Donuts (DD!) decamped for a smaller space on the block in August 2015.



Previously on EV Grieve:
East 14th Street Dunkin' Donuts shuffle complete

The Dunkin' Donuts space on East 14th Street is for rent

Beijing-based hot pot chain taking over the former Dunkin' Donuts storefront on 14th Street

ICYMI: Westville Bakery is open


[Photo yesterday by Vinny & O]

In case you missed this post from Sunday morning... Westville Bakery had its soft opening that day at 433 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Avenue A.

This is the first dedicated bakery from Westville, the mini-chain of vegetable-friendly restaurants, whose outposts include one on Avenue A at 11th Street.

The bakery, serving a variety of cakes, pies, cookies and seasonal desserts as well as other cafe fare (quiche, for instance), is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.


[Image via @WestvilleBakery]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Baking news: Westville Bakery coming to 9th Street

188 2nd Ave. is for rent



Closing the loop on the Lumos Kitchen saga. The restaurant space at 188 Second Ave. at 12th Street is now for rent.

There isn't much info on the listing (rent is available upon request; term is 10 years).

The restaurant enjoyed a three-month-plus run here serving French- and Chinese-influenced cuisine before a late-July closure for something related to a gas meter. Lumos never reopened. (See the previous post here for more.)

As previously noted, Lumos marks the fourth restaurant — joining Hot Pot Central, DumplingGuo and Dumpling Go — to close here since March 2015.

Shima had a good go of it here until January 2014...


[EVG file photo]

Post-Shima, the asking rent was in the $25k ballpark.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Lumos Kitchen remains closed

Burkelman is now open on the Bowery


[Photo from Sunday]

Burkleman, a home and lifestyle brand based up in Cold Spring, opened its flagship store yesterday at 332 Bowery between Bond and Great Jones.

Kevin Burke and David Kimelman started the high-end home-design shop in 2014 as an online-only business, before opening an outpost in a Cold Spring storefront in 2015. You can read more about them here.

The retail space was previously Intermix, who left the Bowery last fall after four-plus years at No. 332.

Updated 10/31

A better photo via Lola Sáenz...



Previously on Ev Grieve:
Homeware brand Burkelman opening flagship store on the Bowery

Monday, October 29, 2018

Monday's parting shot



The former Landmark Sunshine Cinema on East Houston... still standing...

Today in late-afternoon rainbows



The view from 11th Street and Avenue B via Vinny & O...

At the Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade — East River amphitheater edition



The 28th annual Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade took place yesterday afternoon at a new venue — the East River Park amphitheater. (You can read this post for more about how the parade was nearly canceled.)

Hundreds of dogs and their owners turned out in the most spacious location featuring ESPN's Katie Nolan as the host...



EVG contributor Stacie Joy was there to capture the competition, featuring dogs dressed as dinosaurs, hot dogs, lottery winners, toast, the Pope .. well, see for yourself...








































... and, as always, there were non-canine interlopers...



... and the winners (there's a video here with more on them)...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is back on; new deal puts the pups in East River Park and on ESPN this Oct. 28