Express yourself: A look at the new FedEx space on Houston

As mentioned the other day, the FedEx Office Print & Ship Center is moving into a newly renovated space a few doors away along East Houston between Avenue A and Avenue B.

EVG correspondent Stacie Joy shared these photos yesterday of the FedExers' more modern-looking storefront... 

Thursday's parting shot

Partial sunset tonight ...

On the CB3-SLA docket tonight: Ixta for the former DBGB space on the Bowery

Tonight is the second of the two CB3 SLA committee meetings for August.

Here's a look at a few of the applications on the agenda: 

• Ixta (LLC to be formed by Mike Himani), 299 Bowery (op) 

This looks to be tonight's big-ticket item. Restaurateur Akbarali Himani is seeking a full liquor license for Ixta, a Mexican restaurant proposed for the former DBGB space at 299 Bowery between First Street and East Houston (top pic).

According the the public documents on the CB3 website, Ixta would be open Sunday to Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with hours of 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. The space in the Avalon Bowery complex is quite large, with a capacity of 194 patrons, who would be treated to "live Mariachi performers." 

Himani has been running a variety of restaurants in NYC and Long Island the past 30 years. His current credits include a Chickpea in Penn Station and NISI Mediterranean in Times Square. 

Daniel Boulud closed DBGB here in August 2017 after an eight-year run. 

• The York, 186 Ave B (op) 

Hospitality vets James Hurst and Hayden Tobin are looking to open The York here at 186 Avenue B between 11th Street and 12th Street. 

The York would be open daily from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. and serve a menu featuring "American comfort food," per the questionnaire at the CB3 website. The sample menu items include several burgers, sandwiches and brunch entrees. 

This address was most recently Very Thai, which had a nearly three-year run until late 2019 ... after taking over from Barbone. 

• ACES (Fine Food and Spirits Inc), 197 2nd Ave. (op) 

This is a carry-over from the July meeting for the former Black Emperor space between 12th Street and 13th Street. You can read about it here. The Aces questionnaire is at this link. 

Tonight's meeting starts at 6:30 in the CB3 office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery. There's also a Zoom option via this link.

Spellbound: Spooksvilla + Friends moving to 309 E. 9th St.

Artist-illustrator Shahrzad Ghadjar is moving her gift shop Spooksvilla + Friends to 309 E. Ninth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (Right next to Mud!) 

Spooksvilla is the name of her brand of "witchy female-focused stoner art." She's been selling her wares, including bath salts, candles and cards, from two storefronts away at No. 305 since earlier this summer. 

You can follow along on Instagram. 

Meanwhile, the tenant on the other side of the stairs at No. 309, Dejavu Boutique & Tailoring, moved out yesterday after 13 years in business. The shop's UES location remains open. 

All photos by Steven

Where are they now? Catching up with Gem Spa's former Zoltar in Bushwick

Archival photo from the vast EVG Zoltar collection

In May 2019, local card-carrying members (hi!) of the Zoltar Fan Club were heartbroken to learn that their favorite Animatronic Fortune Telling Machine had been removed from outside Gem Spa on Second Avenue at St. Mark's Place.

As we learned in June 2019, Zoltar's owner found a new home for his words of wisdom outside OMG Pizza in Bushwick.

And that's the last we heard about the situation... until now. 

At the Times, Alex Vadukul has an update on Zoltar ... as well as a conversation with local businessman and arcade owner Carlo Muraco, who seems to have a lock on the NYC Zoltar market.

First, Vadukul speaks with some passersby outside the pizzeria in Bushwick about this Zoltar's past.

"I definitely put a few bucks into that thing when I was drunk," said Patrick Reid, 30. "After skating in Tompkins we'd meet up on St. Marks and pull up to it, maybe hang out a bit in front of it before heading off to the next adventure. He told me once I could walk a path to greatness, but I think he's bad juju."

"It's bizarre this remnant of Gem Spa has ended up here in nowhere Bushwick," said Amrit Dhillon, 26. "It's interesting to see how New York eats itself up and spits itself out again, like a living organism."

Saddam Alsaidi, 27, who works at the pizzeria, knew of Zoltar's past life across the river. "I know he used to be famous in the East Village," he said. "He was a big deal."

The article also gets into the disagreement that led to Zoltar's Gem Spa ouster... as well as comments from Parul Patel, who had been running the corner shop for her father until the official closing in May 2020.

"I'd only heard he’s out there in Bushwick," Ms. Patel said. "It's nice to know there's a piece of us still out there in the city. Even though he's not in the East Village anymore, he is a real living artifact of Gem Spa."

You can read the article, which includes several links to EVG's deep reservoir of Zoltar posts, right here.

Zoltar first arrived at Gem Spa on Sept. 23, 2012.

Meanwhile, there is a new Zoltar outside the March Hare on Ninth Street.

Wednesday's parting shot

Thanks to Grant Shaffer for the late-night (last night!) view of the East Village...

Late-afternoon mannequin break

As seen on Ninth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

They belonged to Dejavu Boutique & Tailoring, which has closed at No. 309 after 13 years in business. The shop's UES location remains open. 

Photo by Steven

ICYMI: Proof of vaccination now required for restaurants, bars, theaters and more

As you likely know, starting yesterday, people age 12 and older need to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination — at least one dose — to dine or drink inside NYC restaurants, cafes, bars ... or go to movie theaters, museums, concert halls, gyms, art galleries and other venues such as bowling alleys and pool halls. 

In addition, employees of those businesses must also be vaccinated, "with holdouts facing the possibility of being fired if they refuse," per The Associated Press. 

Mayor de Blasio announced the vaccination mandate — aka Key to NYC — two weeks ago as a way to persuade more people to get vaccinated as the Delta variant has prompted a resurgence of the pandemic in some areas. (Since his announcement, the mayors of San Francisco and New Orleans have announced similar mandates, Bloomberg reports.) 

According to the city, proof of vaccination may include:

• NYC COVID Safe App 

• Excelsior Pass 

• CDC Vaccination Card (or photo) 

• NYC Vaccination Record 

• An official immunization record from outside NYC or the U.S.

Find more details at the city site here. 

Businesses have until Sept. 13 to comply with the mandate ... before city agencies will start conducting inspections and issuing fines up to $5,000 for repeat violations. Gothamist has a nice explainer here. (And yes, if you're dining outside, you can use the restrooms.)

Meanwhile, the Associated Press and the Post both had articles on the complications of the measures, "as restaurant servers, bartenders and ticket agents become the frontline enforcers for vaccination rules."

Patrons who either aren't vaccinated or don't have their proof may dine outdoors at restaurants.

Several East Village restaurants started requiring proof of vaccination earlier this month. The owners of Ruffian, the wine bar at 125 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, and Kindred, 342 E. Sixth St. just west of First Avenue, suspended indoor dining until further notice. Their outdoor spaces remain in service.

According to city data, 56 percent of all adult New Yorkers have been fully vaccinated; the number is 68 percent in Manhattan — and even higher in the 10002, 10003 and 10009 zip codes. 

Rakka Cafe has not been open lately

Some regulars are concerned about Rakka Cafe, which has not been open for the past five weeks here at 81 St. Mark's Place at First Avenue. 

There isn't any signage noting a temporary closure on the front door. The quick-serve Middle Eastern restaurant's website is still active ... while the phone goes unanswered.

According to a listing at Loopnet, this space has been on the rental market since August 2020 (with an update last Wednesday).

If this is the end, then they've had a helluva run. The current signage says established in 1978. (The previous signage stated 1982!) The space underwent a renovation and name switcheroo from Cafe Rakka to Rakka Cafe in 2013.

Cafe Rakka's Avenue B outpost closed in late 2013.

Yesterday, we noted that Rakka Cafe's neighbors at 83 St. Mark's Place and 135 First Ave. — Stromboli and Dan & John's Wings — were closed due to a gas issue in the building. We're told that there's a separate line for this address.  

H/T Steven!

The expanding and shrinking pedestrian passage on St. Mark's Place at 3rd Avenue

Yesterday's news from 1 St. Mark's Place (Madison Realty Capital moving to foreclose on Real Estate Equities Corp.'s leasehold) prompted another look at the construction barriers along the construction site.

As noted in late June, the pedestrian passageway on the north side of St. Mark's Place at Third Avenue continues to shrink. At times, the passage is about a foot wide at its most narrow point ...

A few more pics from our summer collection... 

The game of barrier accordion should continue for the foreseeable future as the foreclosure proceedings continue with the developer. Who knows when construction may actually start. 

As a P.S. ... Eden spotted a familiar carpet-clad figure on the Third Avenue side of the site on Sunday...

Stuyvesant Deli Grocery debuts on 14th and A

Stuyvesant Deli Grocery opened this week on the southwest corner of 14th Street and Avenue A. (The flower business on the Avenue A side started at the beginning of the summer.)

As noted previously, some of the gang from the old Stuyvesant Market on the southeast corner of 14th Street and Avenue A (RIP May 2010) are behind the counter here.

They've been working at Adam's Deli & Convenience at 416 E. 14th St. closer to First Avenue. (We don't know at this moment when is going to happen to that business.)

The market takes over from Dion Cleaners, which closed in November after 35 years in business.

Thanks to Steven for the photos!

Kestrel maneuvers to rescue this fledging along Avenue B

Late last week, some residents discovered a kestrel stranded in a storefront on Avenue B between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. She was unable to get too far off the ground. (Thanks to Ali for the above pic!)

Ranger Rob (aka Rob Mastrianni, a Manhattan Ranger supervisor), who has a long history of East Village bird rescues (here and here, among many others), was called to the scene.

"She fledged a bit early and her tail and wing feathers weren't fully grown out," he told me. (He has an Instagram post on it here.)

The young kestrel is now in the capable hands of Bobby and Cathy Horvath at the Long Island-based Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation (WINORR). Once the kestrel has developed her flying skills, Ranger Rob will release the bird back safely into the 6th Street and Avenue B Community Garden.

He said that a kestrel family lives along here ... in fact, he released two fledglings here last year.

Report: Madison Realty Capital moving to foreclose on leasehold for 3 St. Mark's Place

The Real Deal is reporting that Madison Realty Capital is moving to foreclose on Real Estate Equities Corp.'s (REEC) leasehold interest at 3 St. Mark’s Place.

Some numbers and background from TRD's report:

Madison has owned the $48 million loan package backed by REEC's East Village property since 2019. The real-estate private equity firm acquired the debt from South Korean financial services firm Hana Financial group, which provided REEC $79.1 million of debt and sold the $48 million portion to Madison Realty Capital.

Madison filed a complaint with the state Supreme Court in Manhattan, alleging that REEC defaulted on the $48 million mortgage, which combines an acquisition loan and construction loans.

An REEC spokesperson said that they "are working on a recapitalization plan and are optimistic that this will be resolved in the near future."

This is the latest drama for the high-profile corner. As previously reported, a 10-story office building has been in the works here at 3 St. Mark's Place at Third Avenue. 

This past October, the City Council's Zoning Subcommittee voted down REEC's application seeking to transfer air rights from the landmarked 4 St. Marks Place to the new building across the street.

With the air-rights transfer, REEC would have been allowed to build 8,386 square feet larger than the current zoning allows on the northeast corner.

Regardless of an extra 8,000 square feet, the project's architect, Morris Adjmi, has said a building of a similar height size would be built as of right.

REEC picked up the 99-year leasehold for the corner properties for nearly $150 million in November 2017. The Gabay family had owned the buildings for generations.

The previous buildings here, which included retail tenants such as Korilla BBQ, the Continental and McDonald's, were demolished in the summer of 2019.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• New building plans revealed for 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

• Concern over potential air-rights transfer for new office building on St. Mark's Place and 3rd Avenue   

Gas problem in building has temporarily closed Stromboli and Dan & John's

Stromboli Pizza and Dan & John's Wings have been forced to temporarily close for the past week... signs on the two quick-serve businesses note emergency repairs...

We're told that there's a gas-line issue with the building at 83 St. Mark's Place/135 First Ave. The retail tenants are waiting for an update from the landlord. We're told that the gas issue impacts the building's residents as well.

Meanwhile, one neighbor took the opportunity to leave a note on Stromboli's front door reading: "Stay closed. You're [sic] neighbors sleep better without you."

Neighbors have complained about the raucous early-morning scene at the longtime pizzeria.

Thanks to Steven for the photos and reporting.