Renovation watch: 175 E. Houston St., soon to be home to a retro space via team MáLà Project

Thanks to the readers who wrote in about 175 E. Houston St. (aka 200 Allen St.) ... where the formerly papered-over windows now reveal the under-renovation interior of the next tenant, Only Love Strangers... a retro concept featuring Mediterranean cuisine and live jazz...

... and the Allen Street side...

The team at the MáLà Project at 122 First Ave. (now with two locations in Midtown) is behind this project. They appeared before Community Board 3 back in December 2022. (The PDF of their questionnaire is here.) 

You can find the placeholder website here... and an Instagram account here.

Several applicants have kicked the tires on this space through the years to no avail. As far as we can recall, the place has been empty since Preserve 24's eviction in 2014.

KFC lost its stripes (and it's NOT closing)

Above photo yesterday by William Klayer 

A fair number of people pointed out the paint job in progress on the SW corner of 14th Street and Second Avenue, home to KFC.

The red-and-white stripes on the Second Avenue side were painted over to make way for an ad for — per KFC insiders — the return of the brand's Chizza. ("The all-chicken, no crust Chizza consists of two zinger fillets of crispy chicken, topped with delectable pizza sauce, molten cheese, a smattering of onions and mixed peppers, finished with an herb sprinkle.") 

Anyway, scenes of the paint-over prompted some speculation that the place was closing... that is not true.

Façade repairs next door have prevented kids at this East Village school from using the playground

Since early January, students at the Children's Workshop School have been without use of the playground here on 12th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

On Jan. 9, part of the façade of an adjacent building at 638 E. 12th St. crumbled, and pieces of concrete from the exterior landed in the playground, also used by students in the P94M program within District 75. 

The playground has been closed while the new landlords of the 638 property made the necessary repairs, completed nearly four weeks ago. 

Since then, school officials (and parents) have been waiting for the Department of Buildings (DOB) to inspect and hopefully approve the work so the kids can have outdoor access again.

An item in the most recent school newsletter, dated Friday from Principal Maria Velez-Clarke, states: "There is no still no news regarding the schoolyard. We are working with elected officials to try and expedite the inspections, but have no control over the Department of Buildings." 

There's a DOB notice posted to the one-story structure dated Feb. 2 for the owner/occupant to call the city for inspection...

Parents hope that this will be resolved soon. (Students are on midwinter break this week.)

"This is negatively impacting classroom behavior and depriving kids of much-needed fresh air, exercise, and time to socialize," one parent with two children at the school told us. 

We're unsure what's inside No. 638 and how often anyone uses it. According to public records, there have been occasional complaints about No. 638's west-facing wall dating to 1989...

Repairs aside, that problematic wall won't be an issue in the months ahead. 

The 8,900-square-foot structure had been on the sales market. Per the listing: "Ideal for a luxury residential condominium in a well-established Downtown Manhattan neighborhood" with "Four sides of light and air." (Campos Community Garden is on the building's east side.)

The structure behind 432 E. 11th St., sold last summer for $2.8 million. Public records show the buyer is affiliated with an LLC in Brooklyn that "provides development services for residential and commercial properties."

This past Wednesday, plans were filed for a 6-story residential building at the address. The plans show one residential unit per floor, likely meaning there will be condos as pitched in the sales sheet.

Here's an aerial view of the space via Google Maps...

The project is in its earliest stages, and there's no estimate when construction could start... work that will possibly prompt closure of at least part of the playground and community garden for scaffolding and netting.

Since April 2016, the front of 638 E. 12th St. has served as a memorial (via Chico) for Elliot Caldwell, a 23-year-old who was shot and killed across the street outside Campos Plaza (below photo via LoopNet)...

Sidney's Five closes on Friday

Photo of Sidney's Five partners Kai Woo, Walker Chambliss,

 Edie Ugot and David Lowenstein from June 2021 by Stacie Joy

Sidney's Five has announced its closure after nearly three years at 103 First Ave. between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. 

Here's part of the Sidney's notice via Instagram: 

After nearly 3 years of Corn Dogs, Dirty Fundy’s, and Burgers, our chapter in the East Village is coming to a close. In true Sidney’s fashion, we will not mourn but celebrate our time with you all with one last hurrah! Our last service is officially Friday, February 23rd, so let’s close it out with a bang. 

While we absolutely hate saying goodbye, every single person who walked in and hung out with us made us remember the reason why we opened up in the first place. Our community, our loyal patrons, our dedicated and truly one-of-a-kind staff, old and new, you created such an environment that will be hard to let go of but will forever be remembered. Be proud of that ... Until we see each other again! Xoxo 

Readers we talked with liked Sidney's Five with its kitschy seaside motel vibe... though there were seemingly some identity problems, per these readers — was it a bar that served food or a restaurant with a bar? 

Sidney's Five debuted in May 2021. 

The East Village outpost of Chinatown favorite Dim Sum Go Go has closed

Top photo by Steven; 2nd photo by Stacie Joy 

Dim Sum Go Go's stay in the East Village was short-lived. 

A for-rent sign is now posted on the storefront at 221 First Ave. between 13th Street and 14th Street. 

The EV space has been closed — initially temporarily — since early February...signage pointed to an "electrical issue."

In an Instagram message, a restaurant rep told us they closed "due to intense competition in the area, despite our relentless efforts."

They went on to offer a thank you: "We want to express our gratitude to the vibrant restaurants nearby ... We sincerely appreciate the support from our loyal customers and eagerly anticipate welcoming everyone to our Chinatown establishment."

Dim Sum Go Go fans in the East Village can order their food via the Chinatown branch on various delivery apps or from the restaurant's website.

The EV location just debuted this past September. And it took a while to get here: signage first arrived in July 2021, and between the pandemic and some bureaucratic issues, the opening kept getting pushed back. 

This was the second outpost for the restaurant that made the Michelin Bib Gourmand list last year. The flagship space at 5 E. Broadway in Chinatown opened in 2000. 

Thanks to the EVG reader for the tip about the lease signage!

Monday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

Out with Valentine's Day on this Presidents Day... as seen on First Avenue and Seventh Street...

Flashbacks: A wedding at McSorley's Old Ale House!

Photos courtesy of Jason Sheehy 

This past weekend, McSorley's celebrated 170 years at 15 E. Seventh St. near Cooper Square. 

Here's but a piece of the bar's history, which EVG reader Jason Sheehy shared from late last summer. (You may recognize Jason as a proud owner of one of the Gem Spa signs.) 

For starters, McSorley's is the favorite bar in the city for Jason and his girlfriend Regina. 

"The communal tables bring everyone together, and we have met some of our best friends sitting at those tables," he said. 

So when it came time for the wedding, they figured why not hold it in their favorite place. 

The ceremony took place at 10 a.m. before the bar opened for the day this past Aug. 31. There were light and dark mugs of McSorley's and bagels from Tompkins Square Bagels for the 70-plus people from around the country in attendance...

Gregory de la Haba, the co-owner and operator of McSorley's, said the bar has hosted weddings in the past but very rarely. 

"We've had a few of our family and close friends (regulars) get married inside. But only once in a blue moon will we allow [someone] to marry inside ... they must be true regulars — for years — like Jason and Regina," he said, adding with a laugh: Otherwise, we'd be officiating weddings at McSorley's every day."

Said Jason, in the Yankees cap in the photos: "This bar is rich in history, and we are more than excited to be just a tiny part of that."

Catch some emerging bands at the New Colossus Festival this March 6-10

The 2024 edition of the New Colossus Festival takes place from March 6-10 at East Village and Lower East Side music venues, including Arlene's Grocery, Berlin, Bowery Electric, Heaven Can Wait, Knitting Factory at Baker Falls, Mercury Lounge, Pianos, and the Rockwood Music Hall. 

This is a great (and budget-friendly) opportunity to catch a lot of local bands as well as emerging artists from the U.S. and abroad. Check out the schedule and find tickets here. 

We've enjoyed finding new bands via these showcases, such as Lukka, fronted by East Village-based singer-songwriter-composer Franzi Szymkowiak. (Read our interview with her here.) 

The New Colossus Festival started in 2019.

Marking the 16th day that Sophie's has been blocked by oil tankers for Con Ed work

Today marks the 16th day that Con Ed has parked these loud, smelly oil-processing rigs on Fifth Street at Avenue A... belching a pungent smell into the immediate area and completely blocking the front of Sophie's, the longtime bar at 507 E. Fifth St. (and the reason EVG started)...

A bartender said the trucks are "killing" their business.

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo from Tompkins Square Park by Derek Berg)...

• Source: DA's office mulling charges against tow truck driver in the death of longtime East Village resident Merle Ratner (Thursday) 

• 2 weeks left before Gizmo closes and relocates from longtime East Village home (Wednesday) 

• Boris & Horton, NYC's first dog-friendly cafe, announces the 'devastating' decision to close on Feb. 26 (Thursday) 

• On the CB3-SLA docket: Williamsburg’s Win Son Bakery plans East Village outpost (Monday) 

• Peter Jarema Funeral Home ad comes back from the dead on 7th and B (Monday) 

• Joey Bats Café making its Essex Market debut (Saturday)

• A Citi Bike docking station for 3rd and A (Monday) 

• Storm center: Scenes from around the East Village after Nor’easter moves off the coast (Tuesday) ... more flurries! (Saturday) 

• In case you Wonder what's coming to this Stuyvesant Street space (Monday) 

• Signage alert: Dear Rufino on 2nd Avenue (Thursday) 

• Closings: Emilia by Nai on 1st Ave. (Wednesday) 

• We are now signage official with the new Bank of America Branch (Thursday) 

• Yummy Hive announces itself on 2nd Avenue and 10th Street (Monday) 

• Signage alert: N25 on St. Mark's Place; YGF Malatang on 3rd Avenue (Monday) 

• Daniel's Bike Shop slated for this 14th Street storefront (Thursday) 

• Now $1.50, 99¢ Fresh Pizza enters a new era (Wednesday)

... hoping this doesn't turn into a copycat crime wave ...  as seen on the Citizen app...

----

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

An annoying noise from an unknown source along this block of St. Mark's Place

February photo of St. Mark's Place looking east from Third Avenue 

From the EVG inbox... a reader writes about a loud, constant ventilation noise outside the resident's building at 11 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue (north side of the street). 

Some background: 

I'm not sure of the source of the sound; I walked around the block from St Mark's past the new building [the 9-story 1 St. Mark's Place] almost finished on 3rd Avenue and down Stuyvesant north of 2nd Avenue. From the sidewalk, I couldn't hear the noise ... 

The noise could be from the new building on 3rd Avenue but could be from one of the restaurants that line St Mark's or Stuyvesant. It's not an AC. It sounds much louder. It sounds like it's coming from the courtyard behind 11 St Mark's. It started a couple days ago. 

Our guess was from the renovations for 8-14 Stuyvesant St., where the food-hall concept Wonder is on the way.

The resident filed a noise complaint at 311. Are any nearby residents hearing this, too?