Celebrating the Crone in Tompkins Square Park

On Saturday evening, a group of "local witches" came together in Celebrating the Crone.

The event began in Tompkins Square Park with, per the invite, "public rituals, designed to summon the spirits, pique curiosity and, quite possibly, scare the shit out of people."

EVG contributor Stacie Joy was on hand for this celebration of women over the age of 50 and their allies, first in the Park then later at Lucky, the bar at 168 Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street...











At Lucky, DJ Shakey played songs by "culturally iconic crones," including Patti Smith, Debbie Harry and Cher. There were also tarot readings, witchy vendors and various storytellers ...

With petition, El Sol Brillante Jr. Garden volunteers hope to protect their green space from demolition next door

[Photos by Steven]

Demolition is expected to commence in the weeks ahead at the long-empty 535 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B to make way for affordable housing.

When this happens, volunteers at the El Sol Brillante Jr. Garden next door are hopeful that officials from the Department of Buildings will revise their plans to cover the 30-plus year-old garden with a larger sidewalk shed.

Gardeners now have a petition — titled "Don't Let El Sol Brillante Jr. Community garden be killed" — in circulation ... in hopes of appealing to the DOB to to adjust their requirement for the size of the protective barriers that will surround No. 535.

Here's the background and proposal from the community gardeners:

A long-awaited moderate-income housing project is scheduled to start Dec. 10 adjacent to our garden. We had a site visit on Oct. 28 with the developer, contractor, Parks Dept and GreenThumb. We were told that although Parks and the developer requested a zero to 10’ encroachment into the garden in the form of an overhead protection aka “shed,” the Department of Buildings refused them.

The DOB is demanding a 25’ wide shed, which basically covers the entire width of the garden. That means all the plants underneath would surely die since they won’t get sun or rain for a projected 6-month period of demolition time starting in December 2019.

We propose a compromise of a 10’ wide shed into the garden, which covers only half of its width. We believe this should be possible because the shed in front of the building, i.e. over the sidewalk, will be only 10’ wide.

If that is considered safe for the many more pedestrians using the sidewalk, then that should be safe for the garden, in which public access will be limited during the demolition period. Dept. of Buildings states the 25’ width is required for safety, but the application of their standards is not consistent.

We ask that you support our request to Dept. of Buildings to grant approval for a 10’ wide overhead protection in lieu of a 25’ wide one.

The Parks Dept and the developer, SMJ Developers, would be in agreement with this change. Our intention is not to prevent the development from going forward. Our intention is to protect our garden from certain destruction due to lack of sensitivity to the requirements of plant life.

Find the petition at this link.



When completed, the all-new 535 E. 12th St.'s one-bedroom rentals will be a middle-income rental building with an income restriction at 130 percent AMI.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Affordable housing planned for city-owned buildings at 204 Avenue A and 535 E. 12th St.

The Subway (sandwich shop) closes on Avenue B

The owner of the Subway franchise on Avenue B between 13th Street and 14th Street has decided to close. A small store-for-rent sign is now in the front window. (Thanks to Gojira for the photo!)

This outpost opened in the summer of 2011.

This also marks the eighth Subway sandwich shop to close in the immediate area in the past six-plus years, joining the one on the Bowery … East 14th Street … First Avenue … Second Avenue… Third Avenue ... Fourth Avenue ... and First Avenue between Sixth and Seventh.

The location at 250 E. Houston St. is all that remains in the East Village... though there are several nearby, like the one in the Avalon Chrystie Place.

The Union Square Holiday Market opens Thursday (in Union Square)

[Photo by Pinch]

The Union Square Holiday Market kicks off the (holiday) season on Thursday morning.

Here's the official blurbage via the Urbanspace website:

Hailed as a must-visit destination for unique gifts created by local craftsmen and artists, millions of people browse the winding aisles each year enjoying this unique and eclectic holiday experience

Now with an upgraded look, exciting new sections like Little Brooklyn and Urbanspace Provisions, a Warming Station and Lounge Presented by Citi, a Kid’s Arts Studio by our partners at CMA and Citi, live music, and the best vendor selection in the Northeast, Union Square Holiday Market is the holiday destination for New Yorkers and tourists alike.

The hours are:

Nov. 21 – Dec. 24

Monday – Friday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

This link has a map with a list of all the 2019 vendors.

Tompkins Square Park tree messages

EVG contributor Derek Berg spotted these banners — courtesy of two Parsons students — on a tree limb in the center of Tompkins Square Park this morning.

The messages include "I was here for the riot of 1988" ... "I remember the bandshell" ... "I was here when Patti met Robert" ... and "I was here for the riot of 1874" ...

Details on the guilty verdicts in the 2nd Avenue gas explosion case

[Image via the DA's office]

On Friday afternoon, a jury found landlord Maria Hrynenko, contractor Dilber Kukic and unlicensed plumber Jerry Ioannidis guilty of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and related offenses for their role in the March 2015 Second Avenue gas explosion that killed two men.

In addition, they were also found guilty of assault charges for injuries to 13 people in the blast that destroyed the buildings at 119, 121 and 123 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

Prosecutors said that an illegally installed gas line triggered the explosion.

The three will be sentenced on Jan. 10.

Here is the specific information on the defendants and their convictions via the DA's office:

MARIA HRYNENKO, D.O.B. 11/26/1959
Rockland, N.Y.
Convicted:

• Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 2 counts
• Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 9 counts
• Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts
• Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count

ATHANASIOS “JERRY” IOANNIDIS, D.O.B. 6/15/1956
Queens, N.Y.
Convicted:

• Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 2 counts
• Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 9 count
• Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts
• Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count
• Falsifying Business Records in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 2 counts

DILBER KUKIC, D.O.B. 6/9/1975
Bronx, N.Y.
Convicted:

• Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 2 counts
• Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 9 count
• Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts
• Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count

Michael Hrynenko Jr. was charged for his role in the scheme, but he died in 2017 before the case went to trial. He was 31.

Hrynenko, Ioannidis and Kukic face up to 15 years in prison on the manslaughter counts, according to the Daily News.

The Times provided the best recap from the two-plus-month trial:

Ms. Hrynenko who had taken over her husband’s housing stock after his death in 2004, hired Dilber Kukic, a general contractor, to renovate apartments at 121 Second Avenue in 2013. By the summer of the following year, Ms. Hrynenko had leased the apartments to 16 people, but Con Edison had not yet approved a new gas line.

Prosecutors said Ms. Hrynenko risked losing tenants and $24,000 in rent per month if she could not provide gas. That is when, prosecutors said, she devised a plan to siphon gas from Sushi Park, a ground-floor restaurant in the building to provide gas to the apartments above.

And...

But, prosecutors said, the explosion in the East Village was the result of something else: a landlord’s greed.

“What was it that made these three defendants circumvent all the rules they were aware of?” the lead prosecutor, Rachana Pathak, said in her closing remarks this week. “Money, money, money.”

And...

Jose Gomez, a cook at Sushi Park, said he had to crawl out from underneath a pile of debris. He said his eyes and ears are permanently damaged. A firefighter who had been injured while responding to the scene was forced to retire because of his injuries.

Randolph Clarke Jr., an assistant Manhattan district attorney, said the defendants “took a chance, they rolled the dice, and the cost was paid for by Mr. Figueroa and Mr. Locon and 13 others.”

In the days after the explosion, prosecutors said, Ms. Hrynenko did not tell investigators about the illegal gas line and she shredded nine garbage bags full of documents pertaining to her real estate business.

The landlord's greed — as the prosecution put it — was responsible for the deaths of these two men: Moises Locón, 27 ...



... and Nicholas Figueroa, 23 ...



Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. provided this statement:

As construction and development continues to boom, today’s guilty verdict puts property owners, contractors, and managers on notice: my Office will pursue criminal charges against those who place expediency and financial gain over life and limb. I thank the jury and the tireless prosecutors in our storied Rackets Bureau for holding these defendants accountable for the tragic and preventable losses of Moises Locon and Nicholas Figueroa.

I also want to thank the Figueroa and Locon families, who demonstrated remarkable strength and resilience through the duration of this trial. While today’s result will not bring these young New Yorkers back, I hope the Figueroa and Locon families take a measure of comfort in knowing that this case will change the way that landlords and contractors do business in New York.

Meanwhile, construction of the condoplex on two of the gas-explosion lots continues. Workers have been quickly erecting the Morris Adjmi-designed building at 119 Second Ave. — officially 45 E. Seventh St. — that will feature 21 condo units and ground-floor retail. The new building will include a commemorative plaque that honors Figueroa and Locón.

Here's a look from Saturday...



Shaky Cohen's Nexus Building Development Group paid $9.15 million for the empty lots at No. 119 and No. 121 that Hrynenko owned.

In a transaction from late 2016, Ezra Wibowo paid $6 million for the adjacent property at 123 Second Ave. that was owned by a different landlord who had no role in the explosion. There isn't any development planned there for now, according to previous reports.

There are still civil actions making their way through the courts. Hrynenko and her companies have reportedly been hit with nearly 30 lawsuits.

---

Below you'll find a selection of EVG headlines about the explosion from the past four-plus years...

Previously on EV Grieve:
• [Updating] Explosion on 2nd Avenue and East 7th Street

• How displaced residents are faring after the 2nd Avenue gas explosion

• Moving on — and feeling lucky — after the 2nd Avenue explosion

• Updated: 2nd Ave. explosion — landlord, 3 others charged with 2nd degree manslaughter; showed 'a blatant and callous disregard for human life'

• RIP Nicholas Figueroa

• RIP Moises Locón

• A family continues to feel the loss on 2nd Avenue

• Remembering Nicholas and Moises: the Figueroa family marks the 4-year anniversary of the 2nd Avenue gas explosion

• Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

• LPC OKs condoplex for gas explosion site on 2nd Avenue and 7th Street

• Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

• Report: Probation for plumber indicted in deadly 2nd Avenue gas explosion

• Michael Hrynenko, Jr., awaiting trial for his role in the 2nd Avenue gas explosion, dies at 31

And read our interviews with two longtime residents who lost their homes in the explosion — Mildred Guy and Diane McLean.

Here are more details on East Village Homes, the affordable housing set for 2nd Street

[Pre-construction look at 302 E. 2nd St.]

As we first reported this past Friday, a 14-story affordable housing complex is in the works for the long-vacant, city-owned parcel on Second Street between Avenue C and Avenue D.

On Friday morning, various officials kicked off the construction phase during a ground-breaking ceremony. Asian Americans for Equality is developing the long-empty lot after the Department of Housing Preservation and Development selected the organization in 2017.

Officials also released more information about the project — called East Village Homes — at 302 E. Second St., which will feature 45 affordable apartments and a ground-floor community facility.

From the news release:

Leroy Street Studio designed the building, which includes sustainable elements and meets Enterprise Green Communities Criteria. The project includes 13 studios, 19 one-bedroom units, 12 two-bedroom units and one apartment for an on-site super.

The building’s facade features a layered system of stucco panels that play off of an array of metal panels with custom-perforated designs. Integrated active design principles include bike storage, easily-accessible outdoor green space and visible stairs and circulation pathways.

Building amenities include a shared roof terrace, a meeting space off of the main lobby and a laundry facility. The project features a resilient design with no basement, water-conserving plumbing fixtures and high-efficiency lighting fixtures.

[Via Leroy Street Studio]



Here's a detail via Patch that wasn't included in the press materials:

Eight apartments will be for formerly homeless people under Section 8 for incomes up to 20 percent of area median income, seven apartments at 47 percent of AMI, 14 apartments at 77 percent of AMI and 15 apartments at 120 percent of AMI — which ranges from annual incomes less than $15,000 to about $90,000 for a single person. It will also have a 1,000-square-foot community facility, roof terrace, and green space.

In addition, officials announced that there's a second phase of the East Village Homes project, which is creating 10 additional affordable rental apartments on a separate site at 276 E. Third St. just east of Avenue C...


[276 E. 3rd St.]

2nd Avenue about to get Sauced Up! (with wings)

The Sauced Up! signage has arrived at 77 Second Ave. between Fourth Street and Fifth Street...



Aside from various wing offerings, the quick-serve shop will sell a variety of French fries and tater tots and sandwiches (menu here) ...



The applicant was on their month's CB3 agenda for a beer-wine license. According to the questionnaire on file at the CB3 website, the applicant previously ran House of Hookah in Bayside. (The questionnaire notes one bust for a sale to a minor in the past three years.)

The previous restaurant here, Hot Box, "closed for renovations" this past summer after 14 months in business and never reopened.

Former Neapolitan Express space for rent on 2nd Avenue; or buy the whole the whole building

Officially closing the book on Neapolitan Express.

The pizzeria on Second Avenue between First Street and Second Street went dark back in the early summer... however, it looked as if the food-truck portion of the business was still using the space for something.

Now, though, a for rent sign arrived on the storefront last week.

Neapolitan Express opened here in February 2018. The company started its business life as a food truck. Per the Neapolitan website: "Originally launched in 2013 as the world’s first Eco Friendly Food Truck, Neapolitan Express was officially introduced by lead investors, energy innovators and business tycoons T. Boone Pickens of Clean Energy Fuels and Mayor Michael Bloomberg of Bloomberg L.P."

The food trucks are still in operation around the city ... as are two locations — one in Midtown and one in the Financial District.

Aside from the retail space being for rent, the building recently arrived on the sales market. The four-story, four-unit 29 Second Ave. has an ask of $8.5 million. Per the listing: "The building is by far the most flawlessly renovated walk-up building in the East Village."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Neapolitan Express comes to a halt for now on 2nd Avenue

Looking at the new-look 29 Second Ave.

As the Bean moves on Broadway

A brief Bean update.

The Bean on Broadway at 12th Street (above) closed after service on Nov. 9 ... as the coffee shop relocates to a larger location three blocks to the south at 771 Broadway and Ninth Street...



This outpost, a former Starbucks (and moment of silence for Silver Spurs), is expected to be open at the end of the month.

In total the Bean has five locations, four around here and one in Williamsburg.

Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] The Bean is taking over the former Starbucks space on 9th and Broadway

Rolling out the unwelcome wagon on Houston

Foundation work continues for the 9-story office building coming to East Houston between Forsyth and Eldridge at the site of the former Landmark Sunshine Theater.

And the rendering on the plywood continues to attract commentary...



Now someone has scrawled "Go away!" and "Unwelcome here" on the rendering...



Previously on EV Grieve:
The return of 'yuppie scum' at the former home of the Sunshine Cinema

Holiday pop-up bar season underway with arrival of Miracle on Ninth Street

Miracle on Ninth Street — the Christmas inspired pop-up bar — opens tonight for the season at 649 E. Ninth St. at Avenue C. (Thanks to Vinny & O for the photos.)



This is the sixth year for Miracle on Ninth Street, which "embraces the Christmas spirit with holiday inspired cocktails created by Nicolas de Soto. The winter wonderland experience is complete with an abundance of garlands, Christmas lights, ribbons, candles and tinsel and Christmas Carols galore," per Facebook.

Before the holidays, this space is the Cabinet Bar, the latest entry in the Cocktail Kingdom kingdom, which includes Mace and Boilermaker.

Mace moved from here to a larger space at 505 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B earlier this year. This former Double Wide space will gave its own holiday pop up starting next week.

Week in Grieview

[Fall in Tompkins Square Park via Vinny & O]

Posts this last week included...

Guilty verdicts for defendants in 2nd Avenue gas explosion trial (Friday)

A visit to the new Tompkins Square Playground featuring equipment for kids with special needs (Thursday)

At the opening day of Book Club on 3rd Street (Tuesday)

Groundbreaking today on 14-story affordable housing project on 2nd Street (Friday)

Report: Man attacked for his iPhone on 5th Street dies from his injuries (Saturday)

This unique bird made a migration pit stop on 7th Street the other day (Sunday)

The MTA closes the 2 Brooklyn-bound L-train entrances for upgrades on 14th Street at 1st Avenue (Monday)

A Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen for 1st Avenue? (Tuesday)

This week's NY See (Friday)

When the 'Fifth Street Boys' came home (Monday)

11 Avenue C now with bricks and glass (Monday)

Foxface now selling sandwiches 6 days a week with addition of Tuesday service (Tuesday)

Today's transit of Mercury from 2nd Avenue (Monday)

Odd Eye closing 5th Street shop; going online (Monday)

Very Thai has not been open lately on Avenue B (Tuesday)

2nd Street bringing second-hand clothes to Broadway (Thursday)

Nowon unveils retro signage on 6th Street (Thursday)


[Car-free Broadway yesterday ahead of a street fair]

A look at the northwest corner of 14th Street and 1st Avenue (Monday)

Yes, the Tang has closed, but something else is on the way (Wednesday)

The 4th retail space in the former Chase space on Avenue A has a new tenant (Friday)

45 E. 1st St. vacant again (Tuesday)

Renovations knock Blockheads out of commission for a few weeks on 3rd Avenue (Friday)

Former Percy's storefront gets a fresh coat of paint (Tuesday)

... and thanks to EVG reader Aaron G. for sharing this photo of a juvenile red-tailed hawk hanging out yesterday at First Park and Houston...



---

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EVG Etc.: the plentiful tea at Physical Graffitea; the Smoking Fox at Foxface

[Stencil art on St. Mark's Place]

• Police searching for woman who sucker punched 72-year-old woman in face near Russ & Daughters on Houston (1010 WINS)

• A feature on Physical Graffitea, Ilana Malka's shop on St. Mark's Place (Fortune)

• Upscale CBD shop coming to Orchard near Houston (Commercial Observer)

• Sietsema praises the Smoking Fox at Foxface on St. Mark's Place (Eater)

• Shocker: Real estate industry and Mayor de Blasio oppose commercial rent control proposal (Gothamist)

• How the Green New Deal For Public Housing Act might impact the NYCHA (Curbed)

• About the war memorial on 7th Street (Ephemeral New York)

• Breaking down what the Times had to say about Essex Crossing (The Lo-Down)

• The David Lynch exhibit of new work, "Squeaky Flies in the Mud," continues through Dec. 21 at Sperone Westwater on the Bowery (Official site)

• A revival run of "Equation to an Unknown" — "long-lost masterpiece of hardcore gay erotic cinema" — now playing at the Anthology Film Archives on Second Street (Official site)

• Coming Nov. 21 for one-night only — the documentary "Depeche Mode: Spirits in the Forest" in the big auditorium at City Cinemas Village East (Official site)

• Thoughts on the new Konk retrospective (Resident Advisor)

• And Alex's thoughts on "New Rock City" (Flaming Pablum)

• A new music video via Nick Zedd (Dangerous Minds)

• Mapping where Alexander Calder spent his time in NYC, including several neighborhood addresses (Hyperallergic)

... and the Double Down Saloon's monthly rummage sale is today from 2-7 p.m. at 14 Avenue A between Houston and Second Street...

Today: Middle Collegiate Church hosts their 3rd annual Children's Multicultural Book Fair

Via the EVG inbox...

Today (Nov. 17), Middle Collegiate Church hosts their third annual Children's Multicultural Book Fair from 1 - 3:30 p.m. More than 70 titles of books for children and youth (grades 0 - 8) that engage the diverse cultures of our city across faith, ethnicity, race, gender, and identity will be available for purchase.

Authors Isreba Wheeler ("I Love My Hoodie") and Chana Ginelle Ewing ("An ABC of Equality") will be reading and signing their books and a reader from the Islamic Center at NYU, Arif Choudhury, will read "The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family".

There will be stations for children and youth to engage in art, movement, card making, and raffle prizes. Titles will also be available from Archie Bongiovanni, Hena Khan, bell hooks, Jamia Wilson, Jacqueline Woodson and numerous others. This is a free event.

Middle Collegiate Church is on Second Avenue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. Entrance to the event is at 50 E. Seventh St.

Report: Man attacked for his iPhone on 5th Street dies from his injuries

A Staten Island man who was beaten during a robbery on Oct. 20 on Fifth Street has died from his injuries. Police are reportedly treating the attack as a homicide.

Giovanni Destafano, 27, was jumped outside the Lower East Side II Houses at 632 E. Fifth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C around 10 p.m.

Here are details via SILive:

Upon arrival, officers saw that Destefano had swelling, bruising and lacerations to his head and around his mouth. EMS responded to the location and transported him to Bellevue, police said.

The police investigation determined that Destefano was approached from behind in front of the location by an unknown individual.

The suspect proceeded to punch Destefano several times in the head and face, causing the victim’s injuries, police said.

The culprit then allegedly stole the victim’s iPhone 7 from a pocket of his pants.

A former neighbor of Destafano's described him as "a very good dad." Destafano had two children.

No arrests have been made. (And I haven't seen any information to date about a possible suspect.)

Last day for the Butch Judy's pop up at Performance Space 122

Butch Judy's wraps up its six-week residency today outside Performance Space 122 on First Avenue at Ninth Street.

Owners Katie Zanin and Cassidy Gardner are behind this Brooklyn-based Queer-owned bar concept serving a variety of beer and wine (and French fries).

They'll be open this afternoon though 9 p.m. or so. (There's also an app release party for @lex.app from 5-9.)

Previously on EV Grieve:
Butch Judy's pops up behind Performance Space 122 on 1st Avenue

Your chance to tell a story with the 8 Ball Community

The 8 Ball Community, a volunteer-run art and media collective, has moved into the East Village.

Tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 16), they're taking part in The Creative Time Summit X with an installation called "People's Newsroom." The installation is open to the public, no prior registration needed. Here's a rundown via the EVG inbox...

Calling all East Village & Downtown NYC neighbors, street vendors, gardeners, activists, poets, writers, organizers, performers, artists, librarians, food cart vendors, informal antique collectors, thrift shop owners, workers, psychics, dojo & theater managers, etc., to come thru and tell a story of their own choosing at "People's Newsroom," a one-off new show produced by 8 Ball TV as part of Creative Time Summit X.

-Where: 8 Ball HQ, 59 E. 4th St. (between Second Avenue and the Bowery), 7th Floor, buzzer 14
-When: Saturday Nov. 16, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

No prep needed. Just bring your story, as intimate or universal as you wish, vent-off, advertise your craft or small business, deliver a PSA, read a poem, share a recipe, give us a micro oral history piece, tell us about your community garden or how your neighborhood changed.

Surf and turf

Jayomi, described as "Seattle’s friendliest indie surf rock quartet," recently released their debut record. The video here is for the track "Tropical Wasteland."

Guilty verdicts for defendants in 2nd Avenue gas explosion trial

The owner of a New York building and 2 others were found guilty in a 2015 gas explosion that killed 2 people and leveled half of an East Village block https://t.co/QpOEYfohlx

— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 15, 2019

Per the Times:

After more than two months of testimony, a jury in Supreme Court in Manhattan on Friday found [Maria] Hrynenko, a general contractor and an unlicensed plumber guilty of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and related offenses when they installed an illegal gas line, causing the explosion.

Sentencing takes place on Jan. 10.

We will post much more on this case in the days ahead.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Updated: 2nd Ave. explosion — landlord, 3 others charged with 2nd degree manslaughter; showed 'a blatant and callous disregard for human life'

RIP Nicholas Figueroa

RIP Moises Ismael Locón Yac

A family continues to feel the loss on 2nd Avenue

Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Jury selection starts for defendants in 2nd Avenue gas explosion that killed 2 men

Day 1 recap of the 2nd Avenue gas explosion trial; opening statements and emotional testimony from Nicholas Figueroa's father

Grant Shaffer's NY See

Here's the latest 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.

Noted

Hope the driver doesn't crash the party.

Vanity plate pic on Seventh Street via Dave on 7th.

Previously

Groundbreaking today on 14-story affordable housing project on 2nd Street

A 14-story affordable housing complex is in the works for the long-vacant, city-owned parcel on Second Street between Avenue C and Avenue D.

This morning, various officials — Asian Americans for Equality and City Councilmember Carlina Rivera will join Enterprise Community Partners and the Low Income Investment Fund — for the official groundbreaking on the project.

Construction equipment had recently arrived in the space — the address is officially 302 E. Second St. — directly to the west of the luxury development the Adele.

Per the media advisory:

The 14-story tower will include 45 rental apartments affordable to low and middle-income New Yorkers. The development is a rare fully affordable development in the East Village where years of gentrification have made housing increasingly expensive. 302 East 2nd Street is part of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Neighborhood Construction Program, which activates vacant city-owned land for affordable housing development.

And the rendering...


[Leroy Street Studio]

The approved permits on file with the city shows that the building will include about 1,000 square feet for a community facility.

In the past year, the city has also announced fixed-income housing for 204 Avenue A and 535 E. 12th St. as well as 351 E. 10th St. just east of Avenue B.