A walk past the New York City Marble Cemetery on Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...
Monday, February 3, 2020
Monday's parting shot
A walk past the New York City Marble Cemetery on Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue...
Baby Yoda has left, but we have Princess Leia
The Baby Yoda mural's time has come to an end here at the Second Avenue F stop.
However, there is a Princess Leia wheatpaste courtesy of the Postman Collective as a consolation.
As for the new work here, Will Power, who created the Baby Yoda on Jan. 11-12, teamed up with Albertus Joseph for the mural, titled "Gritty City Style."
Reminders: This workshop will offer free legal resources for East Village small business owners
Reposted from Jan. 30
Several local organizations are joining forces to provide small business owners in the East Village with free legal resources during a workshop this week at Book Club on Third Street.
Via the EVG inbox...
Many small businesses and commercial tenants have concerns about non-rent charges and how they impact the bottom line.
Cooper Square Committee, East Village Independent Merchants Association (EVIMA) and Brooklyn Legal Services will bring free legal resources to neighborhood businesses and commercial tenants.
Join us for one or both of our upcoming sessions on non-rent charges. Lawyers will be available after each session to do one-on-one consultations.
Bring your commercial lease and your questions!
Morning and evening session available:
Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 9 a.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Book Club
197 E. Third St. near Avenue B
First sign of the tech hub — aka Zero Irving — above ground on 14th Street
Foundation work started last August here on 14th Street at Irving Place ... at the future home of the recently rebranded tech hub.
As you can see, the structure — now known as Zero Irving — is rising above the street level ...
The building, developed jointly by the city’s Economic Development Corp. and RAL Development Services, will top out at 21 floors... featuring Civic Hall, which will offer digital skills for low-income residents, as well as market-rate retail, office space and a food hall.
RAL announced the rebranding back in October. In the news release, the developers describe this as being "in the epicenter of Midtown South."
"This is exactly what we said about this plan, and what we feared — it’s intended to transform our neighborhoods into Midtown South," Andrew Berman, executive director of Village Preservation, told Curbed in a statement back in October. "The zero in 'ZERO IRVING' represents what neighbors and the public got out of this deal, while those who donated generously to the Mayor reap 100 percent of the benefits."
In recent weeks, several EVG readers have noted that the active work site — which sees a steady stream of concrete trucks running in and out of the site — has encroached further onto 14th Street...
In July 2018, during a televised hearing, the reps for the developer promised that all demolition and construction work would be done within the bounds of the property.
The project, championed by Mayor de Blasio and initially announced in early 2017, passed through the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Process earlier in 2018, capped off by a unanimous City Council vote — led by local Councilmember Carlina Rivera — in August 2018. A rezoning was required to build the the structure, which is larger than what current commercial zoning allows.
The approval came despite the pleas of some residents, activists, small-business owners and community groups who had long expressed concern that the rezoning necessary for the project would spur out-of-scale development on surrounding blocks.
These concerns have not abated.
Back in the fall, the city released its plan to add a requirement that new hotels in Greenwich Village and the East Village south of Union Square must receive a special permit from the City Planning Commission and City Council in order to be built. Critics of the plan reportedly contend that this may instead speed up the development of office buildings in the neighborhood. The City Planning Commission is expected to sign off on the plan in the weeks ahead before it moves to City Council.
The new building, on the former site of a P.C. Richard & Son, has a completion date for the spring of 2021, per the renderings onsite.
Last two days to enjoy a Farmwich at Ben's Deli
[Photo yesterday by Daniel]
Farmwich wraps up its weeks-long pop-up residency at Ben's Deli today and tomorrow.
The sandwich makers arrived here at 32 Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street on Jan. 12.
From Sunday through Tuesday, they prepare a unique sandwich sourced from New York-based "regenerative agriculture farms."
Farmwich is open from noon to 2:30 p.m. today and tomorrow. All sandwiches are $9, which includes tax and tip.
Given their popularity, look for Farmwich to pop up again elsewhere — perhaps even permanently.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Farmwich pops up with speciality sandwiches at Ben's Deli on Avenue B
Live above the iconic Block Drugs
Back on Friday evening, a tipster noted the arrival of an apartment for rent sign on Second Avenue and Sixth Street — above Block Drugs...
As the sign shows, it's a five-bedroom, two-bathroom unit (perfect for a family?) .. that has a "tasteful renovation" in what is officially 240 E. Sixth St. (aka 101 Second Ave.).
While the for rent sign may be new, the apartment has been on the market for nearly two months, according to Streeteasy.
And NOT listed among the many amenities: the warm glow from the Block Drugs neon...
[Photo by Jeremiah Moss]
As for the monthly rent: $9,995.
The building dates to 1880. Block Drugs was said to open in 1885. Public records show that Adeline Residences Inc. has been the longtime owner of the building, dating to 1970.
You HAD your chance to buy the 7-Eleven retail space on the Bowery
[Same photo as last time]
Back on Nov. 26, we noted an investment opportunity for you involving the retail condo at 351 and 353 Bowery between Third Street and Fourth Street... home of the 7-Eleven.
The single-tenant retail condominium was going for $6,915,032. (I had the .032!)
Anyway, YOU ARE TOO LATE. Commercial Property Executive reported last week that the 2,156-square-foot retail space sold for $6.9 million to a "private investor."
Public records show that the building last traded in 2019, when the seller acquired it from HK Organization for $4.6 million.
This 7-Eleven opened in December 2011. The 7-Eleven recently extended their lease through December 2034, with contract terms featuring a 10 percent rent increase every five years.
Becky's Bites moves on 7th Street
The Becky's Bites storefront has closed at 122 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. Proprietor Becky Rosenthal cleared out the space on Friday ahead of a short move across the street.
The online and catering portion of the business that specializes in cream cheese-based desserts is now sharing space with Butter Lane Bakery.
Coincidentally (or not), the other business at 122 E. Seventh St., Desnuda, the 18-seat ceviche bar, closed on Jan. 15. Owners did not provide a reason for this closure. Their Brooklyn location remains open.
Public records show that 122 East 7th Street Associates has owned the building since 1985.
The 300-square-foot retail space that Becky's leased — starting in the summer of 2017 — has been on the rental market in recent weeks. No word on the asking rent.
Sunday, February 2, 2020
Week in Grieview
[The return of Sherlock Holmes via Derek Berg]
Posts this past week included...
• Get well soon, Ray! (Monday)
• A reading series at Odessa (Tuesday)
• Police looking for trio in vicious Jan. 1 attack on 9th Street and Avenue A (Thursday)
• Behind the build: Amelia and Christo's dream nests 2020 (Wednesday)
• Are you missing your pet parrot? (Thursday)
• Recognizing Debi the Gardener for her years of service in Tompkins Square Park (Wednesday)
• Factory Tamal bringing its freshly made tamales to 4th Street (Monday)
• Demolition prep for the former home of Barrier Free Living on 2nd Street (Tuesday)
• Deadline extended to apply to serve on a Community Board (Wednesday)
• Workshop next week will offer free legal resources for East Village small business owners (Thursday)
• At the Tribal Soundz reunion (Friday)
• Partial reveal of the explosion site condoplex (Friday)
• Now hear this: About the new book of East Village bar quotes from Billy the Artist (Thursday) ... An afternoon with Billy the Artist (Saturday)
• Avenue A storefront watch (Monday)
• The Izakaya opening a 2nd East Village location (Friday)
• Spätzle alert: Zum Schneider's kitchen will be open for a few weeks longer (Friday)
• Pinks Cantina bringing the tacos to Webster Hall (Thursday)
• That unique pop-up gallery space on 7th and C is now home to a palm reader (Thursday)
• Prince Tea House expanding to the East Village with an outpost on 10th Street (Tuesday)
• A new tree nest for El Jardin del Paraiso (Tuesday)
• Addiction NYC space for rent on St. Mark's Place (Monday)
• Kissaki debuts on the Bowery this week (Monday)
And Stacie Joy shared this photo of a Corona promotion at Key Food Thursday night... (the thing was gone by Sunday)...
Which reminded me of a piece I saw online at USA Today the other day:
As new coronavirus outbreak continues to spread, some people seem to think that the deadly outbreak is somehow related to Corona beer. It's not.
The alcoholic beverage from Mexico showed a surge in Google searches in the past week, along with the term “corona beer virus” and “beer virus.”
In the United States, Google Trends calculated that 57% of the people that searched one of those terms searched for “beer virus,” and the remaining 43% searched for “corona beer virus.”
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Wooden sword and sorcery at Community Grocery & Candy
A New York City bodega worker fended off a would-be robber with a wooden sword.
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) February 1, 2020
The worker struck the robber on the head, sending him to the hospital with minor head injuries when he started demanding money and fighting him.https://t.co/vAvQ3kxLIa
Early yesterday morning, an employee at Community Grocery & Candy on 14th Street near First Avenue reportedly protected his store from a robbery attempt with a wooden sword stashed behind the counter.
Per the Daily News, the suspect, identified as Zachariah Vasquez, demanded money from the register.
Instead of handing over the money, Alomari Saleh produced the sword and struck Vazquez in the head.
The report does not mention if Vasquez had any weapon.
[Photo this morning by Vinny & O]
Saturday, February 1, 2020
An afternoon with Billy the Artist
Billy the Artist signed copies of his new book "Things You Don't Hear Twice: Quotes From the East Village" this afternoon at International Bar on First Avenue.
EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the IBar ... and shared this photo of Billy with Tyler, an International bartender ...
...and out front, joined by Molly, the bar's owner...
Previously on EV Grieve:
Now hear this: About the new book of East Village bar quotes from Billy the Artist
RIP Del Pitt Feldman
Feldman, who was raised in East Flatbush, was known for "creating hand-crocheted garments."
And in 1965, she opened a boutique in the East Village on Seventh Street called Studio Del.
From the Times:
The garments — including open-weave vests, string bikinis, minidresses and capes — seemed to capture the freewheeling spirit of the neighborhood, and of the 1960s counterculture. The store’s clientele included Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Grace Slick and Andy Warhol.
High-profile women like Cher and Lily Tomlin also wore her clothes, but Ms. Feldman was unimpressed by celebrity status. When Ms. Joplin walked into the store and asked to try on a small top that was hanging in the window, her daughter said, Ms. Feldman declined, telling her she was too big for its trim dimensions.
Ms. Feldman's narrow store, decorated with vintage wooden furniture found at junk shops nearby, had a homey feel. More often than not, Ms. Feldman would crochet there, sitting in a large rocking chair. Classes were held in the back; a wide array of yarn was also for sale, as were tools for knitting and crochet.
By the early 1970s, the store had become a de facto clubhouse for a group of female artists who were working in crochet, among them Dina Knapp, Sharron Hedges, Arlene Stimmel and Nicki Hitz Edson, who was also, for a few years, a store employee.
Studio Del closed in the early 1980s. Not sure of the shop's address at the moment, though I'd like to find out more about it and her work...
Updated 8:15 p.m.
Thanks to EVG regular Daniel ... she shared an article on the store from the Times in 1972 — the shop was at 19 E. Seventh St.
Another look at the NW corner of 2nd Avenue and 7th Street
Here are two more partial-reveal views of the 7-floor condoplex building on the gas explosion site on Second Avenue at Seventh Street...
This is a follow-up to our post from yesterday morning. You can find all the background about this project and its history at this link.
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