Reader report: Construction worker laughs at resident who's about to lose his daylight

After breaking ground two-and-a-half years ago, work is picking up here at 118 E. First St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

Crew members — the contractor is listing on the plywood as Wonder Works Construction Corp. — are several floors up now on what will be a 9-floor residential building.

Jan Baracz, a 36-year resident next door, has been monitoring their progress as he's about to lose 70 percent of the natural daylight in his apartment as his views will become an air shaft.

He filmed the workers yesterday after hearing "their screaming of obscenities" and "the fact that many of them do not wear masks." (He has called 311.)

During the video, one worker tells another "you're on candid camera" ... and the one worker says with a laugh at the 36-second point: "Two more weeks and you won't be able to see us anymore!"

 

Said Baracz: "The workers are having a kick out of entombing us here."

As previously reported, the 9-story residential building will include seven units divided over 12,500 square feet of residential space — most likely condos. 

Previously on EV Grieve:
• 118 E. 1st St. arrives on the market with so many possibilities, and air rights

• 118 E. 1st. St. will yield to a new 9-floor residential building

• Demolition of 118 E. 1st St. begins to make way for 9-story residential building

Tuesday's parting shot

Lexi Bella's completed RBG mural in First Street Green Art Park ... "Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time."

ICYMI: State Comptroller's audit lays out grim future for many bars and restaurants

Several EVG readers have been sharing the link to New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's audit released last week outlining how devastating the pandemic has been on the NYC bar and restaurant industry.

The bleak assessment, citing various estimates, states that as many as one-third of the city's bars and restaurants may close in the next six months — coupled with 100,000 jobs lost in that same timeframe.

What can be done? Per the audit:

 New York City and State must continue to provide clarity and support to ensure the industry remains healthy and is able to carry out its integral role in the City’s economy and within its many communities. For its part, the federal government should provide new stimulus targeting the sector to sustain operations and help local economies mitigate transmission risk.

Find the full report at this link.

Bread alert: Sullivan St. Bakery pop opens a 9th Street outpost

Sullivan. St. Bakery has opened an East Village outpost at 437 E. Ninth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue... Pizza blogger and EV resident Arthur Bovino happily made this discovery over the weekend after the bakery debuted on Friday... he posted about this on his Instagram account —@nycbestpizza ...

They have a variety of bread available ... as well as three styles of focaccia. They also have chocolate chip cookies, disco romano, croissants, fruit tarts and a rotating selection of sandwiches. They are working on sending their Roman-style pizzas here as well. (H/T to Vinny & O for updated menu info.)

Jim Lahey opened Sullivan St. Bakery in Soho in 1994 ... and moved to a new headquarters on West 47th Street in October 2000. 

For now, the location is considered a pop-up, but it may become permanent. (They reportedly have an "indefinite" lease.)  Instagram lists their hours as Tuesday through Sunday noon to 7 p.m. ... while the bakery's website lists Wednesday through Sunday noon to 7 p.m.

The address was previously the home to Pizza Rollio, which closed in July 2019.

Someone stole the cash resister from Cafe Himalaya

 On Sunday morning, the owners of Cafe Himalaya, the Tibetan/Nepalese restaurant at 78 E. First St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, arrived at the space to find that someone had broken the front lock ... and walked away with the cash register.

The owners posted about it on Instagram... and thanked patrons for offering support:

While this burglary adds to the already difficult year for a small business like ours, we’re just glad that nothing else was taken or damaged.

Thank you so much for your generous offer to donate through Venmo/gofundme — your generosity is truly appreciated. 

However, the most sustainable and impactful way to support us would be to dine here, order delivery, or takeout. And tell your friends/family too! It’s truly the best way to show your love. (But if you happen to have an extra cash register lying around then we’ll gladly take it.)

The family-owned restaurant is open Tuesday-Sunday from 1-10 p.m. Find their website here. Or call: 212.358.0160.

EVG photo from May. And H/T Steph!

ICYMI: Fresco is closed for now on 2nd Avenue

Fresco closed after service on Sunday here at 138 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street...

As we reported on Friday, Siblings Ilias, Vanessa and Anna Iliopoulos decided to temporarily shut down their 8-year-old gelateria-cafe and return to their native Greece. 

They hope to reopen in January... 

 

"It's not a landlord issue. It's purely about the decrease in revenue due to COVID-19," Ilia told EVG correspondent Steven about the temporary closing.

Photos yesterday by Steven

LT Baron's Dry Cleaners & Laundry shuts down on 11th Street

LT Baron's, a small dry cleaners and laundry at 520 E. 11th St., has gone out of business here between Avenue A and Avenue B. (Thanks for Gojira for the tip.)

Several families have owned the business through the years, with a nice couple taking over early this year.

Several neighborhood dry cleaners have had to permanently close during the pandemic, including Sun's Laundry and C & C. The customer base has seen a sharp decline with more people working from home and fewer people attending dress-up events such as weddings.

Monday's parting shot

A sidewalk scene on Second Avenue today via Derek Berg...

A blessed day for dogs at Trinity Lower East Side

 

Yesterday afternoon, Trinity Lower East Side Lutheran Parish hosted a walk-through Blessing of the Animals in their garden space on Avenue B at Ninth Street... EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped to catch Pastor Will in action in this celebration of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals...

... and here's Pastor Will with his husband Steven and their delightfully drooly dog, Joey...

 

A campaign to co-name part of St. Mark's Place after Jimmy Webb

There's a fledgling campaign underway to co-name part of St. Mark's Place after Jimmy Webb. (Thanks Cheryl for pointing this out!)

The online petition is here. The process of co-naming a street within the confines of Community Board 3 is explained on this PDF.

Webb, a familiar figure in the East Village during his long tenure as the manager and buyer at Trash & Vaudeville, died on April 14 of cancer. He was 62. 

He started working at his dream destination, Trash & Vaudeville, in 1999, and remained there until the shop relocated from St. Mark's Place to Seventh Street in 2016.  He opened I Need More in October 2017.

UPDATED 10/6

Apparently there are multiple campaigns underway. This one has nearly 1,500 signatures. 

Photo from 2013 by James Maher

Taco time: Amigo debuts on 2nd Avenue

Amigo officially opens today at 29 Second Ave. between First Street and Second Street (it has been in soft-open mode).

As previously reported, Amigo is a collaboration between Chef Ruben Rodriguez of Nai Tapas at 85 Second Ave. and Juan “Billy” Acosta, whose family runs the much-ballyhooed Carnitas El Momo in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Rodriguez and Acosta met and decided to team up for what L.A. Taco says will be "arguably the best carnitas you will ever find in the U.S."

From an Eater preview the other day: "The restaurant's headlining carnitas tacos ($6), from Acosta, comes in three meaty varieties: Maciza, or bone-in pork butt; buche, or pork stomach; cueritos, or pork skin; or diners can order a mix of all three on a taco. Carnitas tacos abound in the East Village, but this pork’s reputation is second to none."

You can find the menu at Amigo's website... and foods pics on Instagram. And the hours: Monday through Thursday from 5-11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from noon to midnight; and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m.

Photos courtesy of Amigo

Previously on EV Grieve:

• The best carnitas in Los Angeles are coming to the East Village

Tech hub tops out on 14th Street

Workers have officially reached the top at Zero Irving (and formerly the Union Square Tech Training Center and 14 @ Irving ... and tech hub) at 124 E. 14th St. at Irving Place... the American flag is now flying above...

The 21-23-story building, developed jointly by the city’s Economic Development Corp. and RAL Development Services, will feature 14 floors of market-rate office space as well as "a technology training center and incubator, co-working spaces and state-of-the-art event space ... on the seven floors beneath," per the Zero Irving announcement issued last October.

Food-hall specialists Urban­Space officially signed the lease for 10,000 square feet on the ground level last month.

The new building — long contested by local preservationists and community groups (see links below) — sits on the former site of a P.C. Richard & Son on city-owned property.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• Behold Civic Hall, the high-tech future of Union Square — and NYC

• Speaking out against a 'Silicon Alley' in this neighborhood

• City Council unanimously approves tech hub; some disappointment in lack of zoning protections 

• The conversation continues on the now-approved tech hub for 14th Street

• P.C. Richard is gone on 14th Street; preservationists want answers about tech-hub commitments