Tuesday, August 2, 2022

The 6th Street pedestrian bridge over the FDR will be closed for the next 2 days

The Sixth Street pedestrian bridge, which connects residents from the East Village to the East River Park track and field, is expected to be closed tomorrow through Friday, according to the city's latest Weekly Construction Bulletin.
Per the notice: 
Ongoing Con Edison utility work in East River Park at the Greenway will necessitate a temporary closure of the E. 6th Street Bridge. All park amenities will remain. Access the park from E. Houston St. and the E. 10th St. Pedestrian Bridge. Pedestrian detour in effect. Please follow all posted signs.
As of 6:30 this evening, there weren't any posted signs letting the dozens of people who were heading to the Park know that they'd need to use a different route in the days ahead. The notice also doesn't specify the hours... does the bridge reopen on Friday? If so, when?

To date, work on the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency project has focused on cutting down trees and demolishing all the amenities, mostly below Stanton Street. Workers will bury the 57.5-acre land under fill and elevate it by 8-to-10 feet above sea level to protect the area from future storm surges. 

The city has said they will maintain public access to a minimum of 42 percent of the park throughout construction, which is expected to be complete by the end of 2026.

Wheatpasters 1, Property Managers 0

Earlier this summer we noted how the plywood along the demolished storefronts at 250 E. Houston St. had become a wheatpaste hotspot in recent months.

Later, the property managers here between Avenue A and Avenue B unveiled their line of wheatpaste defense — some rando 2x4s on the plywood, intended to prevent the Wheatpasting Gangs of New York from putting up ads for, say, that sold-out Andrew Bird show at Pier 17 or the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs' record, Cool It Down (which I think will be good). 

Anyway, as the top photo shows... the green guards are fairly useless. Hope there's a money-back guarantee! 

Filling the shelves as Essex Card Shop moves closer toward a reopening on Avenue A

Photos by Stacie Joy

Workers are busy restocking the shelves at the fully renovated Essex Card Shop, which was gutted by a fire in early January at 47 Avenue A.

Owner Muhammad Aslam (below) provided EVG contributor Stacie Joy with an interior update the other day. He said he will be open before Sept.1, and he is looking toward mid-to-end of August. 

As of late last week, he was waiting on several items, including a new ATM, FedEx system and store signage...
You can check out our previous posts on Essex Card Shop, located in the retail space of the Ageloff Towers between Third Street and Fourth Street, for more background on what has transpired to date.  

Supporters of Essex Card Shop have helped it raise more than $91,000 in a GoFundMe campaign

Kindred is closing on Aug. 14

Kindred, the restaurant at 342 E. Sixth St. serving food and wine inspired by the Adriatic, is closing after service on Aug. 14 — and after two-plus challenging years of the pandemic.

Management made the announcement yesterday via an Instragram post ... which reads in part:
As you can imagine, surviving the last two years has been very challenging; however, we made it happen with creativity, an amazing team of employees, and a strong will to succeed and to share a great restaurant with the East Village community. 
Since Christmas and the Omicron outbreak, sales have not been consistent enough to stabilize in the current market. With inflation, a looming recession, another potential COVID outbreak, decreased foot traffic in Manhattan - we don't see a viable path forward. We're still waiting on ERC funds from the IRS (it's only been 10 months 🤦🏻‍♀️) 
This is a grueling and difficult decision, but the right one. Part of taking care of our staff and ourselves is knowing when to pause and reflect. This is that moment for us and Kindred.
The restaurant from the team at Ruffian on Seventh Street opened here just west of First Avenue in October 2019. 

Image via @Kindred; H/T Vinny & O

First sign of Davey's Ice Cream on 9th Street

Photo by Steven

The familiar ICE CREAM lettering has arrived at 309 E. Ninth St., the new home for Davey's Ice Cream here between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Owner and local resident David Yoo said that a hand-painted logo on the front window will be the finishing touch. No word just yet on an opening date. (You can follow @daveysicecream for updates.)

After eight-plus years, Davey's closed its original outpost at 137 First Ave. in March. At the time, Yoo promised that the shop would be opening elsewhere in the neighborhood.

Last day for Panera Bread on Union Square

The Union Square outpost of Panera Bread is shutting down for good this afternoon at 2 (H/T EVG reader Dan!) ...
No reason was cited for this closure; signage points Panera-goers to two locations nearby on Fifth Avenue. This outpost opened here at 10 Union Square East in 2012. 

The company, based in Sunset Hills, Mo., has some 2,000 bakery-cafes in the United States and Canada. There have been reports of dozens of Panera closings nationwide in the past two years.

Monday, August 1, 2022

Report explores East Village storefront trends from 2019-2021; vacancies on the rise

It's not your imagination: There are a lot of empty storefronts in the East Village. 

From 2019 to 2021, there was a 35% increase in storefront vacancies in the neighborhood. 

That's just one finding in a new report titled "Crisis and Adaptation: Storefront Trends in the East Village, 2019 – 2021." 

The report, released by the Cooper Square Committee, Village Preservation and East Village Community Coalition, provides a deep dive into the neighborhood's commercial landscape that builds off of the 2019 "East Village Commercial District Needs Assessment" to give a 2021 snapshot of the EV commercial district. 

The report identifies changes in the commercial district since 2019 and current challenges facing the small businesses in the neighborhood, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report's authors say it depicts a picture of survival amidst ongoing challenges that have led to the closure of numerous local businesses.

The findings are based on an on-the-ground survey conducted in the fall of 2021 that recorded business information or vacancy status for all first and second-floor storefronts in the East Village. In addition, the report draws on merchant experiences shared through a recent survey and interviews with small business owners. 

Among the findings:
  • Of the vacant storefronts observed in 2021, 171 are new vacancies and 149 were also vacant in 2019.
  • Medium and large landlords (6-60 buildings) own buildings with a majority of storefront spaces overall and own properties with disproportionately high rates of new vacancies, business closures since 2019, and persistent vacancies.
  • From 2019-2021, 336 businesses in the East Village closed while 261 new ones opened their doors.
  • Accommodation and Food Services businesses declined over twice as much as Retail Trade and all Other Categories, which remained relatively stable. Accommodation and Food Service establishments declined by 6%; Retail Trade businesses by 2%.
  • 13 businesses expanded in the neighborhood, and 17 relocated to new locations within the neighborhood boundaries.
The report concludes, in part:
Set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the years from 2019 to 2021 saw a variety of changes to the East Village commercial district. The number of vacant storefronts in the neighborhood grew as many merchants struggled to keep their businesses afloat and some were forced to shutter their doors. 

While some business categories grew, others faced decline or remained stable. Growing businesses and 
These changes within the commercial district reflect the many challenges that merchants face during ordinary times as well as new challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Respondents to the Merchant Survey reported that the top three challenges they face relate to their commercial rent/lease, finding skilled workers, and marketing/advertising costs. Other notable challenges that merchants face are gaining access to loans/credit/ financing and labor costs.

To overcome these challenges, it is essential that merchants in the East Village continue to receive small-business support and resources in order to ensure their businesses can prosper and grow.
There's a lot to unpack in the 20-page report, which you can read here. We plan to look at some other findings in the days ahead.

Rock on: The memorial plaque is back outside the former Fillmore East on 2nd Avenue

The commemorative plaque is back in place outside the former home of the Fillmore East at 105 Second Ave. near Sixth Street ...
In the late winter, the plaque was sent out for repairs.

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (now Village Preservation) along with Two Boots placed the memorial here in the fall of 2014 to honor the venue that helped launch some of the biggest names in music from 1968 to 1971.

The sibling to Bill Graham's Fillmore West in San Francisco brought performers such as Led Zeppelin, the Doors, B.B. King, Roberta Flack, the Byrds, the Grateful Dead, Taj Mahal, Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez and the Who to the East Village starting in March 1968.

No. 105 opened in 1926 as a Yiddish theater, soon becoming the Loew's Commodore movie house, followed by the Village Theater. In the 1980s, it was the nightclub The Saint, becoming Emigrant Bank in 1995 and then Apple Bank in 2013.

You can read about the history of the building and the 2,700-seat venue right here. And find a listing of every band who played the Fillmore East here.
Archival photo courtesy of Amalie R. Rothschild

On 9th Street, the former Central Bar is now an office space

Photos by Steven

Workers recently removed the plywood from the under-renovation space at 109 E. Ninth St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue... permits show that the former Central Bar was being converted to office space ...
The new ground-floor tenant is MGNY Consulting, which "provides filing and support services for property owners faced with property liability issues such outstanding tax charges and violations."

The Central Bar, the bi-level sports bar-lounge, closed in March 2021 after nearly 20 years in business. In a letter to patrons, the bar owners noted: "Our landlord has sold the building, and the new owners will not be keeping us as tenants."

The building changed hands for $3.35 million. No word on what happened to 109's 13 residential units.

Dia has closed (again)

Closing the book here on Dia, which has not been open in recent months at 58 Second Ave. between Third Street and Fourth Street.

The inside of the restaurant that offered Roman-style pizza and coastal Italian seafood is in some disarray (thanks to Steven for this photo) ... 
The phone is no longer in service, and Yelp lists the restaurant as closed.

Dia first opened in the fall of 2018... and it was one of several Second Avenue restaurants to shut down coming out of the summer of 2020.

However, at some point last year, new management revived the space until it quietly closed in the early summer.

Meanwhile, as some residents have previously asked, who is responsible for clearing out and/or taking down curbside dining spaces after a restaurant closes? Here's a look at Dia's outdoor structure...

Sunday, July 31, 2022

Sunday's parting shots

Photos by Derek Berg 

A high-energy show today in Tompkins Square Park with Pinc Louds, Mary Shelley (below), InCircles and Mike Yannich ...

6 posts from July

...a mini month in review... 

• StreetEasy data: Median East Village residential rents surged 43% in the past 12 months (July 28

• Seth Tobocman on the story behind a long-covered mural on 9th Street (July 21)

• Some 13th Street residents want the fried-chicken smell to stop (July 19)

• Opening-night crowd prompts the NYPD to shut down the art show at O'Flaherty's on Avenue C (July 15

• A visit to Kembra Pfahler's new studio space on 6th Street (July 14

• A very public eviction for Anwar Grocery on Avenue B (July 13

Week in Grieview

Posts from this past week included (with a random photo Tuesday from the Manhattan Bridge) ... 

• StreetEasy data: Median East Village residential rents surged 43% in the past 12 months (Thursday

• Spazio Amanita coming to the Bowery (Thursday

• The fullest full reveal to date at Zero Irving on 14th Street (Monday

• Report: Alleged subway shooter who was arrested in the East Village set to stand trial in February (Monday

• At long last, this section of 1st Street is free of a sidewalk bridge (Tuesday ... Wednesday

• Another look at the long-stalled 75 1st Ave. (Wednesday

• Openings: El Churro on Houston and Allen (Monday

• Where to get your free East Village vintage clothing map (Saturday

• Construction watch: 699 E. 6th St. (Tuesday

• Here Nor There has left 9th Street (Monday

• 112 4th Ave. hits the sales market (Tuesday

• Key Food is closing an hour earlier now 'due to renovations' (Wednesday

• Shopping the PP strip on Second Avenue (Friday

• Signage alerts: C as in Charlie on Bleecker; Íxta on the Bowery (Wednesday

• No, Panda Express hasn't opened yet (Thursday

• Superiority Burger's summer salad interlude ends; full speed ahead on Avenue A (Wednesday)

• Something other than a smoke shop opens in a vacant storefront (Monday

• Meanwhile, signage for Runtz Tobacco arrives on 1st Avenue (Monday)

---
Follow EVG on Instagram or Twitter for more frequent updates and pics.

A mid-summer look at the wisteria of Stuyvesant Street

Photo yesterday by Steven

The wisteria ("the purple paradise of flowering beauty") outside 35 Stuyvesant St. at 10th Street is looking quite lush here as we enter August and the opening weekend for Brad Pitt's "Bullet Train" ... this after a slow start back in the spring, prompting concerns of root disease or something else not good. All appears well for now.

Today in street fairs

The annual Third Avenue Festival hosted by the Cooper Square Committee takes place today on... Third Avenue! Between Sixth Street and 14th Street. Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Meanwhile, the toilet tippers were out early...

Saturday, July 30, 2022

Saturday's parting shot

Photo by Lola Sáenz 

Today at Sunny's Florist (the best flowers around) on Second Avenue and Sixth Street... Sunny's husband Paul Cho was there to help her open...

Where to get your free East Village vintage clothing map

Maegan and Alex, the proprietors of East Village Vintage Collective, maintain an updated map of vintage clothing stores in the neighborhood

You can pick up a free copy of the latest version at the shop, 545 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B ... which is open Wednesday-Sunday from 1-6 p.m. 

Additions include the recently opened Thrift NYC at 226 E. 14th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

[Noted]

[Men Sobbing]... as seen at the former Gem Spa space (RIP May 2020) on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place... (and first spotted by @jeremoss! 😍)

Saturday's opening shot

Sunrise from Tompkins Square Park...

Friday, July 29, 2022

Friday's parting shot

As seen on 12th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... thanks to @thingswendysees for the photo!