6th Street wine bar Grape and Grain is closing this weekend

Grape and Grain is closing its doors for good after service on Saturday (Aug. 6). 

However, there's already a new G&G-related suitor for the space at 620 E. Sixth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C.

Ownership of the wine bar made the announcement on Instagram yesterday: 

We've loved every minute of being part of this community and we've been very fortunate to have met so many amazing people along the way. We're very proud of what we've built here over the years, and it’s hard to say goodbye! But, it is time to move on. ... 

We’re excited to say that we are keeping the space in the family, and we can't wait to share with you what's next for you on 6th St. Keep an ear out! 

The OG G&G closed in the fall of 2017 after 12 years in service... then, in June 2018, new owners took over and kept the name. 

Grape and Grain is open from 5-10 p.m.

Photo via @grapeandgrainnyc; H/T BVinny & O!

Reader report: Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen slated for the SW corner of 14th Street and Avenue A

EVG photo from early 2022

Renovations are taking inside the former coffee shop at 442 E. 14th St., just west of Avenue A. Two EVG readers/tipsters reported that workers at the scene said the incoming tenant is — Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.

Haven't received any other confirmation of this at the moment. (And if this is true, hopefully the restaurant will have a better exhaust system than the Wing Stop several storefronts away.)

This would also make the second EV Popeyes: an outpost opened in October 2020 at 39 First Ave. between Second Street and Third Street.

No. 442 was previously the Lower East Side Coffee Shop, which closed here after 13 years in February 2021. Next door, New Herbal World, which offered a variety of herbs, teas and tonics as well as acupuncture, moved to Lafayette Street in September 2019. 

It was a tough time for all the businesses on this corner in recent years. For nearly three years, this side of 14th Street was an active construction zone for L-train repairs and Avenue A entrance construction ... with various trucks, drill rigs, pile drivers, compressors and generators. 

Several businesses were forced to shut down due to limited access to their storefronts. Outside the now-shuttered Dion and the Coffee Shop, customer access included only 28 inches of sidewalk space — not big enough for a wheelchair in spots.  

Takahachi removes its curbside dining structure

Workers on Tuesday removed the curbside dining structure from outside Takahachi, the 32-year-old restaurant on Avenue A between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. 

As far as we can recall, the space hadn't been used since last fall (though it was pretty festive when it was in service).

And here's how the space looked last evening...

There is a No Standing sign in place here, and parking is not allowed between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. seven days a week. 

The signs arrived in late June ahead of the new Bus Only lane on the southbound section of Avenue A below Fifth Street. (Not sure why the city placed the signs here, when there isn't a bus lane — unless that's coming soon. Somtum Der next door still uses its curbside dining space.) 

Meanwhile, as you likely read, a new lawsuit was filed that seeks to end the city's outdoor dining program. The suit blames the Open Restaurants program, which was implemented during the pandemic in 2020, for excessive noise, traffic and garbage. 

The story was well-covered. You can read more at NBC 4 ... the Post ... NY1 ... ABC 7 ... and Crain's, among many other outlets.

Wednesday's parting shot

Summer night in Tompkins Square Park...

Openings: SMØR Bakery on 12th Street

A regular EVG contributor informs us that SMØR Bakery (first mentioned here) opened this past week at 437 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. 

The Nordic-inspired shop is baking breads and pastries (i.e., sourdough, croissants, danishes, donuts) and serving coffees and sandwiches (try the Salmon & Co., with smoked salmon, dill plus scallion cream cheese, red onion, tomato and capers). 

As well as seating for 15, a mini-general store offers housemade provisions (granolas, pickled and curried herrings, chicken salad) as well as local and imported specialty items, like smoked salmon, charcuterie and prepared foods.

The shop is run by the same co-owners, Sebastian Perez and Sebastian Bangsgaard, as the SMØR cafe a few doors east. The partners, who grew up in Denmark, met while working in a Scandinavian restaurant in Tribeca before opening SMØR in 2019. 

“We were always planning to open a bakery to complement our restaurant, but the pandemic put a delay on our initial plans,” Perez said in an announcement about the debut. “We have always been inspired by the bakery scene in Copenhagen, and to say we’re excited to finally open our doors is an understatement.” 

He added that Baker Rowan Gill has been R&D-ing the recipes for months, putting their spin on signature items.

Hours are Wednesday-Sunday from 8 a.m. until sold out. For more information, visit the bakery’s website or Instagram account.

A mural representing the Ukrainian spirit at the Standard East Village

Last evening, the Standard East Village officially unveiled a new mural in support of Ukraine outside the hotel's Fifth Street side. 

Kyiv-based artist Waone Interesni Kazki created the work. Titled "From Legend to Discovery," the mural "represents the resilience, life and spirit of the Ukrainian community."

The hotel on Cooper Square held an opening party for the unveiling, with proceeds said to be going to the Ukrainian Museum nearby on Sixth Street and Palianytsia, a Ukrainian charity initiative based in Lviv, Ukraine, that helps refugees and war victims.

An idea for this 'vacancy hotspot' on Avenue A

Per our lead post from Monday, there's a new report titled "Crisis and Adaptation: Storefront Trends in the East Village, 2019 – 2021." 

As noted, there are many takeaways from the 20-page report, including a section titled "vacancy hotspots."

Among those: The retail spaces in the NYCHA-owned First Houses on Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street. Three of the seven Avenue A-facing storefronts remain vacant and have been for years.

The report offers this recommendation:

Urge the NYCHA to make their vacant spaces on Avenue A available for vendor markets, micro-entrepreneurs living in NYCHA developments, and local businesses more generally.

We don't know why the city/NYCHA hasn't made more of an effort to lease these high-profile spaces.

The other two vacancy hotspots are the retail spaces at Steiner East Village on Avenue A between 11th Street and 12th Street (for lease signs have been posted for the past four years) and the renovated storefronts at 250 E. Houston St. 

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.   

Tuesday's parting shot

Tonight's sunset photo overlooking Tompkins Square Park courtesy of @cecilscheib ...

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.

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'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)