Holidays in the East Village

[Met Fresh, Avenue D]

EVG contributor Stacie Joy took these photos in shops and on the streets to capture some of the holiday spirit on display around the neighborhood this season...


[Lancelotti, Avenue A]


[Andrew Glover Youth Program, Avenue B]


[Mother & daughter, Avenue D]


[Porto Rico, St. Mark's Place]


[Ray's Candy Store, Avenue A]


[Key Food, Avenue A]


[Il Posto Accanto, 2nd Street]


[Fly at MoRUS, Avenue C]


[Hamilton Fish Recreation Center, Pitt Street]


[Exit9, Avenue A]


[4th Street at Avenue C]


[Avenue D]


[The Odessa, Avenue A]


[Sneak Ez, 9th Street]


[The Stand, 7th and Avenue C]


[Scrooge, Stanton Street]


[The Sock Man, St. Mark's Place]


[Shop Fair, Avenue C]


[Spark Pretty, 9th Street]

-----

And an extended look at 7B/Horseshoe Bar/Vazac's on Seventh Street and Avenue B... a winter wonderland this time of year...

Report: Residents of Kushner-owned 118 E. 4th St. learn building had 10X legal levels of lead

[Image via Streeteasy]

The following report was released last week via the Cooper Square Committee and the Lead Dust Free New York City coalition.

Tenants of 118 E. Fourth St. recently received notice that work crews hired by Jared Kushner’s Westminster City Living contaminated their building with lead-laden construction dust. The contamination was the result of unchecked dust from demolition work being performed in the building.

A report issued by New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from November shows elevated levels of lead in four of the five samples collected in the building. The sample with the highest level was nearly 10X (383 µg/ft2) the acceptable standards prescribed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for floors/treads of 39 µg/ft2.

In the fall of 2015, tenants of 118 E. Fourth St. endured bouts of no heat, mounting trash, and a longstanding cooking gas outage. The tenants then filed an HP Action in January 2016 for repairs and services to be restored. A motion was also filed in court to hold Westminster in contempt of court due to the lack of restoration of services.

Tenants of 118 E. Fourth St. and the Lead Dust Free NYC coalition are now calling the unsafe conditions to be remedied immediately and for safe work practices to be put in place for all work being performed. Tenants, advocates and elected officials are calling on the City to improve enforcement around lead and to increase penalties for landlords who contaminate buildings.

Many provisions with NYC’s lead laws, Local Law 1 of 2004, are not being utilized by the City. A City Council hearing in September of this year called to attention major deficits within the enforcement and regulations surrounding Local Law 1.

"I was in my apartment on a day when they began demolition. A dust cloud invaded my entire apartment from the demolition happening in the apartment below me. I felt a burning in back of my throat along with feeling of grit. I decided to leave for my own safety," said David Dupuis, a tenant of No. 118 for 35 years. "When I returned in the evening, the halls and everything in my apartment was completely covered in dust. The burning sensation at the back of my throat lasted for days."

You can find the full release, including comments from elected local officials, as well as the health department's report from November, at this link.

In an article on the report for The Villager, a spokesperson for the Kushner Companies said: "As soon as we were alerted to the condition, we instructed the contractor responsible to immediately clean the public areas and to implement stricter measures to prevent construction dust or debris from escaping the work area. Kushner always uses a lead-certified contractor who fully complies with the law."

Kushner bought the buildings during his East Village land grab in February 2013.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Local politicos join residents of 2 Jared Kushner-owned buildings to speak out about poor living conditions, alleged harassment

Jared Kushner's residents at 118 E. 4th St. would like gas for cooking and some heat

Get the lead out: Tenants call for protections from lead dust during renovations

Tenant activists praise lead reform, urge for more protections from city against predatory landlords

Joyface debuts on Avenue C

A new neighborhood bar called Joyface opens today at 104 Avenue C at Seventh Street.

These photos, by Steven, were taken last week with the Joyface signage was added to the exterior...



This has been in the works going back to the summer of 2017, when applicants Jennifer Shorr, who used to live in the building at 104 Avenue C, and her partner Brian Powell were OK'd by CB3 to take over the space.

The previous tenant, Alphabet Lounge, was apparently not well-liked by immediate neighbors. During the CB3 SLA committee meeting in August 2017, four longtime residents of either No. 104 or nearby buildings talked about what a horror show Alphabet Lounge was. (They were also there to support Shorr and Powell.)

The bar's 1970s basement rec-room look was also the subject of a feature last week in Architectural Digest...

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Elizabeth Ingram Studio (@elizabethingramstudio) on Dec 21, 2018 at 10:24am PST

Previously on EV Grieve:
New ownership taking over the Alphabet Lounge space on 7th and C

Rue-B adds daytime café service

Rue-B, the jazz lounge-restaurant at 188 Avenue B, has added a daytime coffee service here between 11th Street and 12th Street... Café Rue-B is open every day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and, per the door signage, offers coffee/tea, pastries and free WiFi.

The rush to be the first tree in the Tompkins Square Park MulchFest pen

The city is officially starting to collect trees for the annual MulchFest on Jan. 4.

Ahead of this, EVG Senior MulchFest Deputy Editor Steven notes today that a tree is already waiting in the wings ... just outside the MulchFest pens that Park workers have yet to assemble...



The two-day Chip-a-thon (aka Chipping Weekend) happens in the Park on Jan. 12-13. Per the Parks Department website: "We'll chip your tree and give you your very own bag of mulch to use in your backyard or to make a winter bed for a street tree."

The mulch also pairs nicely with banana and granola for a seasonal Açaí bowl.

Updated 8 p.m.

Well, the sign on Avenue A at Ninth Street says "drop your tree here" ... and someone has...


[Photo by Steven]

Storm center: Questions linger over updated plans for the East Side Coastal Resiliency project

The folks at LUNGS (Loisaida United Neighborhood Gardens) are spreading the word — as seen in the holiday-themed flyers above — about the city's new plans to storm-proof East River Park.

Details emerged earlier this fall (city press release here) about the updated construction phase to protect the East Side against catastrophic flooding along the East River from Montgomery Street to 25th Street. (Most of the changes occur between Cherry Street and 13th Street.)

As reported in October, the-now $1.45 billion project raises East River Park by up to 10 feet when work starts in March 2020. To do this, though, the city will need to close East River Park for up to three and a half years, bulldozing all the current amenities, including the new running track and soccer field.

The previous storm-proofing as part of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Plan would have required closing a lane of the FDR and working around Con Edison power lines. However, city officials have said that building out the flood protection and reconstructing the park on top would eliminate these issues as well as speed up the construction process by one hurricane season.

The city's two public meetings earlier this month on the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project apparently didn't do much to educate the public on its revised plans or provide adequate time for feedback.

Per the LUNGS website:

Very complicated plans were presented for 45 minutes and the public was asked to respond for 30 minutes and fill out stick ’ems to be put on printed drafts and proposed construction diagrams. That was the extent of the public involvement. There has been no transparency in this process.

The Villager and Town & Village have recaps from these meetings.

Per The Villager:

[I]t took the city four years to realize the pitfalls of the previous plan, to the chagrin of locals and Downtown politicians, who have several unanswered questions.

“Part of the problem is the city can’t answer basic questions about why this is necessary and what range of options they’ve considered to protect this community for resiliency,” said state Senator Brian Kavanagh. Kavanagh sent a joint letter with nine other Manhattan pols to the Mayor’s Office last week outlining their concerns.

“On some level, the proposal here today is to destroy this park in order to save it,” Kavanagh said. “And if we could be persuaded that this is the only way to protect the community from catastrophic storms, that would be a good start to this conversation, but unfortunately this city, after many years of planning, decided without consultation to scrap the original plan and announce an entirely new plan.”

At the meetings, the city released new design renderings of the revised resiliency plan. (You can find the 57-page PDF of the new plan at this link.)

Here is a rendering showing the finalized area around Delancey, including a new pedestrian overpass...



... and a look at areas between Sixth Street and 10th Street...



According to The Villager, the new resiliency plan could begins its months-long Uniform Land Use Review Procedure as early as this coming spring ... with construction starting in March 2020 and lasting through the fall of 2023.

On the flyers posted at neighborhood community gardens, LUNGS is encouraging residents to submit feedback on the new plan. You may submit comments to the city via this link. LUNGS has more ways for residents to get involved at this link.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: The reality of storm-proofing East River Park in 2020

After fire, Fiaschetteria Pistoia closed until January

A late-night fire on Dec. 23 has put Fiaschetteria Pistoia out of commission until at least next month.

A sign arrived on the Italian restaurant's door on 11th Street at Avenue C... noting a closure for renovations.

FDNY officials said that the fire's cause is under investigation. There weren't any reports of injuries.

The restaurant opened in early 2017 via Emanuele Bugiani, whose family owns Fiaschetteria La Pace in Pistoia, a trattoria 30 kilometers northwest of Florence, per Eater.

Thanks to Stacie Joy for the photo!

Report: 48 Clinton St. has new owner; first property sold in an NYC Opportunity Zone

[48 Clinton St. photo from Saturday]

As I first reported in September 2017, 48 Clinton St. between Stanton and Rivington was on the sales market — with air rights that could potentially redevelop the property up to 10,000 square feet for a mixed-use development.

Lois Weiss at the Post reported this past Saturday that No. 48 has a new owner.

Weiss also reported that this property will be "the first in Manhattan to be sold to a Qualified Opportunity Fund in an Opportunity Zone."

Since the new U.S. law designated such zones across the country, the pool of buyers for these properties has widened to more than just real-estate investors seeking 1031 tax-free exchange purchases.

According to Anchin CPAs’ Marc Wieder and Jeffrey Bowden, any seller of a home, apartment, stock, collectible, art or business is able to roll their gains into an Opportunity Zone project.

Over time, such an investment allows investors to both step up the tax basis on the gain and defer the taxes.

Dr. Arani Bose, co-founder of the medical device company Penumbra, paid $5.4 million and reportedly intends to redevelop the building for his private foundation.

No. 48 was once home to LoHo Studios, which an array of artists such as Joey Ramone, Willie Nelson, Phish, Patti Smith and Joan Jett have used for recording.

No. 48 was one of two local properties previously owned by entities of the Blue Man Group. The other, 238-240 E. Third St. between Avenue B and Avenue C, is being developed into a 7-floor residential building.

Meanwhile, there's another Opportunity Zone property for sale in the neighborhood — 347 E. Fourth St. between Avenue C and Avenue D. That three-story building has been on the market for $3.5 million.

Previously on EV Grieve:
48 Clinton St. for sale as development site

Retail moves at 250 East Houston

A few business switcheroos to mention over at the 250 East Houston compound, where both the H&R Block and Kapri Cleaners are relocating to retail spaces closer to Avenue B....










The 13-floor residential building at 250 E. Houston St., the former Red Square here between Avenue A and Avenue B, changed ownership in the fall of 2016.

No. 250 has been undergoing interior and exterior renovations. Several new businesses have been added to the strip: the Y7 Studio and an upscale barber shop recently debuted in the retail spaces.

Meanwhile, several storefronts remain on the market. Other current tenants here include the Dunkin'/Baskin-Robbins combo, Subway (sandwich shop), Sleepy's/Mattress Firm, China Town Chinese restaurant, the FedEx Office Print & Ship Center, a doctor's office and East Houston Wine & Liquor.



Previously on EV Grieve:
Rumors: Red Square has been sold

New ownership makes it official at the former Red Square on East Houston

Apartment listings at 250 E. Houston look to offer a glimpse of former Red Square's future

Long-vacant retail space hits the rental market at 250 E. Houston St.

Former Red Square lobby gets the plywood treatment on East Houston

The French connection: Salon Chérie Chéri opening soon on Avenue B

Salon Chérie Chéri is ready to open here at 105 Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.

Per the Chérie Chéri website: "The salon is a space for clients to explore what is possible with their look from a chic French perspective." (And right next door to the bistro Pardon My French.)

This space had been vacant since the cafe Paradiso closed in April after nine years in service.

Tuesday's parting shot

In the Tompkins Square Park dog run today ... photo by Derek Berg

This Christmas Day, time to think about mulching the tree in your living room

The city is not wasting any time spreading the word on its annual MulchFest... Steven spotted signs up today at the Ninth Street/Avenue A entrance to Tompkins Square Park.

People can start bidding their trees fir-well* and dropping them off on Jan. 4 for the two-day MulchFest that will take place in Tompkins Square Park on Jan. 12-13.

Of course some people can't wait to discard their trees... this one was spotted this morning... inconspicuously hanging out by the benches in the Park...



Anyway, don't feel compelled to get rid of your tree at the city's urging. There's another 11 months or so left to enjoy their company.

* the fir-well line is courtesy of the Parks Dept.

Holidays on 5th Street

Here's the festive-looking 327 E. Fifth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue done up as always for the holiday season ...



Thanks to EastVillage Siren for the video clip!

Engineering the return of CBGB in this model train set at Grand Central Terminal

[Image via New York Transit Museum]

The New York Transit Museum is hosting its 17th Annual Holiday Train Show at the Museum's Grand Central Gallery Annex & Store (it started on Nov. 15 and runs through Feb. 24).

An EVG reader shared this photo below ... showing a replica CBGB outpost — next to a Santa's Corner Workshop — in this “O” gauge model train layout... not sure if this is an annual part of the show, or if the CBGB is new to this train town...



No sign, however, of a TRGT outpost.

H/T Mary!

The unknown future of the Sidewalk

As I first reported on Dec. 10, the 33-year-old Sidewalk Bar & Restaurant on Avenue A and Sixth Street has new ownership

The new owners will be hospitality vets Laura Saniuk-Heinig and Alyssa Sartor. (Saniuk-Heinig is the general manager at the Bar Room on East 60th Street; Sartor co-owned August Laura in Carroll Gardens.)

There are a lot of unknowns about what's next. In an email exchange earlier this month, Saniuk-Heinig told me that they will keep the Sidewalk's longstanding live-music tradition alive, though she was not sure yet what type of music they'll feature. She also said that no decision had been made yet on the name of the establishment (perhaps Sidewalk will continue).

In a piece posted last night at The Daily Beast, Anthony Haden-Guest writes that it was "a shock but no surprise to learn" about the change in owners.

So why no surprise? Because in our Wealth Gap period, gentrification has become a seemingly unstoppable force.

Saniuk-Heinig told the Daily Beast that they'd know more details on what's to come next month.

The DB article also looks at the history of the venue's open-mic nights — the most active one in NYC.

Andrew Kirell, a Daily Beast senior editor and accomplished musician, has played there. “What makes Sidewalk so charming is that it has the feel of the type of DIY venue that Manhattan now sorely lacks,” he said. “There’s a sense of community in just being there, because it feels like a haven for underdogs, rabble-rousers, and anyone who just wants to express themselves.”

Previously on EV Grieve:
New owners set to take over the 33-year-old Sidewalk Bar & Restaurant on Avenue A

Report of a fire at 647 E. 11th St.

There was a report of a fire last night at 647 E. 11th St. at Avenue C.

The FDNY Twitter feed ID'd the fire in the ground-floor restaurant, which is Fiaschetteria Pistoia.

MAN ALL HANDS 647 E 11 ST, MIXED OCCUPANCY FIRE ON 1ST FLR RESTAURANT,

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) December 24, 2018

EVG regular Jose Garcia shared the photos in this post at 10:30 p.m.

The FDNY declared the situation under control at 11:30...

MAN ALL HANDS 647 E 11 ST, MIXED OCCUPANCY FIRE ON 1ST FLR RESTAURANT, UNDER CONTROL

— FDNYalerts (@FDNYAlerts) December 24, 2018

Jose reported a heavy FDNY response to the scene, which you can see in this aerial view...

Something is happening on Avenue C.@evgrieve #EastVillage pic.twitter.com/MVXWEvmz3m

— Evan Kapitansky (@evan_kapitansky) December 24, 2018

There isn't any word at the moment regarding injuries or the extent of the damage or the cause of the fire.

Updated 12/24

A sign on the door notes a January return...


[Photo by Stacie Joy]

Christmas Eve Eve, ruined

The lights remain off on the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree...

In a search for answers, Lola Sāenz points to this mysterious hole near the tree...







There's no immediate explanation for the hole, and whether it is natural — or supernatural.

Week in Grieview

[Photo on Avenue B by Derek Berg]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Affordable housing planned for city-owned buildings at 204 Avenue A and 535 E. 12th St. (Wednesday)

The makeshift memorials at the 2nd Avenue gas explosion site have been removed (Thursday)

Nicoletta Pizzeria closes 2nd Avenue dining room, plans move to a new delivery-only location (Friday)

You'll be back: Look at the renovated Hamilton-Holly House on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

City continues 14th Street prep work ahead of the L-train closure (Thursday)

More about Treetops, the name of the condoplex coming to 14 2nd Ave. (Monday)

Hardware store-replacing hardware store now open on 4th Avenue (Thursday)

Korean food coming to the former Dinah Hookah Lounge space on 2nd Avenue (Wednesday)

Christmas miracle on the Bowery (Saturday)

Signs of new businesses on 3rd Avenue, and an H Mart update (Wednesday)

New signage arrives for Paquito's on 1st Avenue (Friday)

Scrooged: Tompkins Square Park holiday tree remains dark (Saturday)

A sushi counter for 4th Street (Thursday)

JR's neglected 'Gun Chronicles' on the Bowery Mural Wall (Friday)

Ravagh Persian Grill currently closed for renovations (Monday)

The 6th Annual Wendigo Holiday Group Art Show opens (Wednesday)

Fashion Pickle has closed (Friday)

Full FULL reveal at 287 E. Houston St. (Monday)

Report: Thirteen East + West on the auction block (Thursday)

1 more post about this corner of Avenue B and 3rd Street (Monday)

For these 14th Street buildings, there's now renovations inside to match the noise outside (Tuesday)

Hanoi Soup Shop's on for 115 St. Mark's Place (Friday)

... and EVG reader OrangeHOWELL shared this from yesterday... Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels was doing a photo opp on 12th Street at Avenue A ... under the Run DMC mural...



---

Follow EVG on Instragram or Twitter

The future of the Etna Tool & Die Corporation building on Bond Street

[EVG file photo]

The Post reports today that James Galuppo, the owner of the now-closed Etna Tool & Die Corporation at 42 Bond St., recently passed away. He was 100.

So will the 7-floor No. 42 hit the sales market for a luxury condo conversion?

According to the Post, Mr. Galuppo left the building here between the Bowery and Lafayette to his daughter Flavia Galuppo as part of a $12.5 million estate. And she has no plans to unload the property, valued at $6.3 million.

"My parents’ real concern was that their tenants who have invested their livelihoods in our building would have to vacate, and that really bothered them. My father asked me if it was feasible to try and stick it out . . . I intend to honor his wishes."

After 70 years, Etna Tool & Die Corporation closed last year. (See this August 2017 feature at Gothamist for more on what was one of the last tool and die shops in the city.)

And who's in the building now?

A modeling agency, public relations firm and tech company rent space in the building now, along with three residential tenants.

Flavia, an art director in the film industry, said she will likely seek a new tenant for the ground level to replace the factory.

Mr. Galuppo, who was born on the LES in 1918, opened the shop in 1946. He bought the building in the 1970s.

"He would say, ‘I never thought I would see the neighborhood go in this direction,’ ” Flavia said of her dad. “People were warning him, ‘What, are you crazy to buy here?’ But he really believed in the beauty of the neighborhood."

Big Belly ache

Two of the rat-proof Big Belly trash receptacles on Avenue A remain out of commission...like this one on the southeast corner at Seventh Street...



... and the northwest corner at 10th Street...



The solar-powered trash cans arrived in July 2017 as part of the mayor's $32-million plan to combat vermin in rat-popular neighborhoods, like this one. The Daily News reported at the time that each can costs $7,000.

Previously on EV Grieve:
8 more solar-powered, rat-proof trash cans arrive in Tompkins Square Park

Looking at the Big Belly 1.0 and 2.0 in and around Tompkins Square Park

City ready to attack rats in Tompkins Square Park (and elsewhere) (again)

Sunday sunrise

Tompkins Square Park this morning...