The owner of Williamsburg's Bagel Store set off a mermaid maelstrom when he said his landlord recruited Starbucks to take over the Bedford Avenue space in 18 months, but this latest 'Burgbucks rumor is running out of steam, Courier Life reports. And so the final piece of the Williamsburg gentrification puzzle is still missing, for now. Hold on to that cred, little guy! [YourNabe; previously]
The Upper West Side's glassy newcomer at Broadway and 72nd Street, a luxury rental building dubbed 200 West, has dropped its construction shed and fully launched its website, showing off all sorts of goodies. Immediately we're drawn to that rooftop terrace, with major views, an open-air fireplace (perfect for cooking up some dogs and saving a trip to Gray's Papaya across the street) and a 12' misting wall and adjacent wet bar for keeping things cool. Along West 72nd Street is the lobby, "a sequence of three distinct spaces" and the way into the rental units at The Corner, as the gang at the Gotham Organization calls it. The foyer is topped by a ginormous chandelier with, count 'em, 1,750 LED-lit crystals. Further inside is reception, all brown and beige with travertine floors and limestone walls, plus a 15' bronze wall. That leads to the "glass corridor" that shuffles to the elevators, and up to a plethora of floorplan options given variety by the building's obtuse angle and wicked overhang.
The building also has a second website set up to lure additional retail clients. Already Trader Joe's has laid claim to over 20,000 square feet, most of it safely situated deep underground (the opening is now scheduled for autumn). If cash is crucial there'll be a Bank of America filling up the broad curve of The Corner window and taking up nearly half the ground floor. The full second floor with adjoining mezzanine is still up for grabs, and anyone looking to have their name up in lights over Broadway might want to take a look.
As for rents on the apartments in the Handel Architects-designed building, the kind lady that picked up the phone in The Corner office told us that the official grand opening is Monday, and interested renters can right this very second schedule an appointment to hear the full spiel. In other words, they're not saying. At least not yet. But one thing we know: Chandeliers of insanity and freaky glass chambers don't come cheap.
· The Corner - 200 West [200west72.com]
· 200 West coverage [Curbed]
Today the Post spotlights the Nolita NIMBY that led the successful charge against the Shake Shack, which was planning to come to Mulberry and Prince Streets before restaurateur Danny Meyer pulled the plug. Debra Zimmerman, a 32-year neighborhood resident, was turned off by burgers being flipped late into the night and vanishing views of the historic St. Patrick's Old Cathedral. It's a heated debate, and here's one restaurateur's take on Meyer: "Here's a guy who almost single-handedly brought Union Square Park and Madison Square Park back to life. You couldn't ask for a better citizen to come to your neighborhood, and they treat him like some sort of criminal dirtbag nightclub drug dealer." [NYP; previously]
Classic Brooklyn pizza shop Grimaldi's has announced a new Manhattan location inside the marketplace opening in the old Limelight nightclub/church on Sixth Avenue in Chelsea. And hold on to your glow sticks, because the pies will be served up 24 hours per day. Another saucy shocker: The eviction-threatened FiDi Grimaldi's location on John Street—the one that promised line-cutting privileges to renters at 200 Water Street—is still happening. [NYP via Eater]
With neighborhood opposition rising against the planned Nolita branch of Danny Meyer's growing Shake Shack empire, Shack officials have announced they're abandoning their burger dreams at the corner of Mulberry and Prince Street. Eater has the statement, which reads, in part, "We were incredibly excited about investing in such an authentic neighborhood with its bustling retail scene and vibrant street life. Unfortunately, we could not solve the problem of building something that both made good business sense and was harmonious with the concerns of immediate neighbors." Shake Shack was set to build a brand new building on the former parking lot at 47 Prince Streets, which is owned by the increasingly reclusive and neglectful Gottlieb real estate empire. We wondered whether Danny Meyer had the muscle to break the Gottlieb chain, but in the end it was the NIMBYs, not the landlord, that did the Shake Shack in. Still, chalk one up for the curse.
· Neighbors Successful in Running Shake Shack Out of Nolita [Eater]
· Shake Shack Gearing Up to Break the Gottlieb Curse? [Curbed]
Ever since Rite Aid acquired Eckerd Corp. and rebranded its stores, the Queens 'hood of Sunnyside has been in the awkward position of having a Rite Aid store right next to a, um, Rite Aid store. But soon that won't be the case! The interior wall that separates the two stores will finally be demolished and they'll be combined into one 24-hour drug-dealing Goliath, the Sunnyside Post writes. With one of the Astor Place Starbucks stores already shuttered, where will photographers now turn for their retail over-saturation humor? [Sunnyside Post]
Since 1977 the freestanding four-story building at 75 Essex Street has been home to Eisner Brothers, the cluttered sports apparel superstore that on the inside looks at least 100 years older. The building itself dates back nearly two centuries, but the last 10 of those years has seen the radical (and literal!) rags-to-riches transformation of the Lower East Side, and so it's time for the Eisners to cash out. The building is now up for sale for $18 million, including the parking lot and a bunch of unused air rights. The listing makes it clear the building will be delivered vacant, and is perfect for conversion to condos ("akin to Nolita's Candle Building"), a hotel, office building or whatever else a buyer has in mind. The current owners have a few thoughts on the topic, too.
Bowery Boogie spoke with one of the Eisners, who said the preservation of the building's facade will be written into the contract. He also suggested a swimming pool behind the building and gave his take on the hopeful outcome: "It will be left as is on the outside and become a single-family home for a famous person… Someone like Madonna." Hey, why not? Madge already suffered the shame of buying east of Lex, so why not below Delancey?
· Eisner Brothers Building at 75 Essex for Sale [Bowery Boogie]
· Listing: 75 Essex Street [LoopNet]
HELL'S KITCHEN—Did we speak too soon when we said Related's massive condo/rental tower at 440 West 42nd Street might end up matching the disavowed renderings of the project. A tipster writes: "I keeping a close eye on your coverage since that building's going to block my kick ass view. Attached is an aerial view of the construction. You can see it's not quite matching up to Related's 'leaked' plans." Still looks like the early stuff to us, with that setback above the stone-covered base. Are we seeing things? [CurbedWire Inbox]
HARLEM—Thanks to a wave of new development Frederick Douglass Boulevard has been called Harlem's Gold Coast, and every Gold Coast needs some fabulous, er, groceries. Enter the Best Yet Market, which one very enthusiastic tipster fills us in on: "You may want to check out the new Best Yet Market that opened Thursday afternoon on Fredrick Douglass and 118. Its a great grocery store and will mean all the folks in the new condos on Fred Douglass have a place to shop. Its large with 3 levels. Mezz level has coffee and desert bar with comfortable chairs and couches. It was already busy and folks are talking about it."
"On a 10 point scale, if Le Bon Marche in Paris is an 11, Whole Food Columbus Circle an 8.5, then this is a solid 7. Better than any Gristedes, C-Town in the city. Its better than the narrow and crowed Fairways which has good stuff but the crowds are a pain. It has a much bigger selection than Trader Joes - but more expensive. Price is the only draw back -- things were less expensive than Whole Paycheck but more expensive than Fairway or Trader Joes." [CurbedWire Inbox]
Thor Equities CEO Joe Sitt denied to the Post's Rich Calder that he wants to build student housing on the Red Hook waterfront, so apparently the guy making those claims to a room full of reporters two days ago was his evil twin. Now that bizarro Sitt has been subdued and shackled in the real Sitt's Bensonhurst basement, the developer can discuss his plans for the former Revere Sugar Refinery site that he purchased for $40 million five years ago and later flattened. Sitt says big box retail is still the goal, even though the mega-mall plan appears to have been scrapped. The land needs to be rezoned, and a city spokesman confirmed that talks are ongoing. Sitt and the city are also negotiating to bring a $100 million shopping center anchored by a BJ's store to a vacant bus depot in Bensonhurst. What's with all the sudden Sitt action? Let's just say that he and Mayor Mike are suddenly on better terms.
· Former Coney Island developer now setting sights on Red Hook project [NYP]
· Developer Looks to Tempt Local Schools With Red Hook Mega-Dorm [Curbed]
· Red Hook Mega-Mall Becoming Red Hook Dorms Instead? [Curbed]
Roosevelt Island's one supermarket—a Gristedes—has long been savaged by complaints from island residents, so much so that FreshDirect and Duane Reade were greeted like gods descending from Olympus. (The store pays just $7/foot in rent, helping to keep it in business, residents theorize.) Now Roosevelt Islander reports that Gristedes owner John Catsimatidis basically apologized for the store's shortcomings and pledged to right the ship. If not, he'll be forced to eat the crap bananas he's peddling. [Roosevelt Islander]
Developer Joe Sitt's vision of a Red Hook mall called The Hook exploded our minds when tentative renderings leaked to us last year. But the former Revere Sugar Refinery site on the neighborhood's gritty waterfront has been a ghost town save for the demolition of the remaining old warehouse on the land that—oops—was supposed to be part of the mall. So is the whole plan dead? Sounds like it! The Real Deal was tweeting away during today's Brooklyn Real Estate Roundtable event, including this remark from Sitt that "the ultimate use of his Red Hook property would be student housing." What school? What will it look like? Are we being Punk'd? Time will tell, but we're more interested in the gut reaction from Red Hookers. Did they just dodge a bullet only to get hit by the ricochet?
· Rumormongering: No Mega-Mall for Red Hook? [Racked]
· BLOCKBUSTER: Red Hook Mega-Mall Plans Revealed [Curbed]
And now, the latest from Racked, covering shopping and retail from the sidewalks up.
1) UWS: In towns all across America, the 7-Eleven awning is a magnet for wayward youth looking for a spot to loiter, smoke cigarettes and challenge authority. It's nice to see that, as part of its NYC takeover, 7-Eleven is still sticking to history and tradition, even if that awning merely hovers over a brick wall.
2) Soho: The streets of Soho got a little too real when a prankster spraypainted some hot pink streaks on Chanel's storefront. The Frenchies' response? Put some plywood over the stuff. Quelle horreur!
3) Times Square: The Crossroads of the World gets a facelift every few years, but have you seen what's been going on at the old Virgin Megatore block lately? Forever 21, M.A.C., Disney—it's shaping up to be the hot retail row to take your out-of-town relatives.
· Racked [ny.racked.com]
And now, the latest from Racked, covering shopping and retail from the sidewalks up.
1) Fort Greene: The Brooklyn Flea made its debut inside the gorgeous old bank space within One Hanson Place over the weekend, and Racked has a photo gallery of the action. There were pupusas in the vault!
2) Upper West Side: On the main shopping arteries of the UWS, Racked found 27 empty storefronts, and mapped 'em all! Is it a retailpocalypse? Maybe not: "Doomsayers and recession porn fanatics may start to predict another retail bust area, but from what we can see, the situation is not so dire. The streets are still teeming with shoppers."
3) FiDi: Before you brush off Century 21 as being an overly clogged tourist trap, please note that there is currently some serious treasure to be found in the department store. So sharpen those elbows and get down there!
· Racked [ny.racked.com]
The landmarked Gage & Tollner restaurant space in Downtown Brooklyn will open as an Arby's on Jan. 21, the Brooklyn Eagle reports. Oops, make that "soft open," which, as Eater points out, is a bit of a strange roll-out for a fast food joint, no matter how you feel about roast beef. More Eater commentary: "Since the Landmarks Preservation Commission is making them keep the gas lamps and walls of mirrors, it stands to be the fanciest Arby's ever." [BK Eagle; Eater]
In a retail development so plump with symbolism that it may burst at any second, the shuttered Eighth Avenue storefront formerly home to Arnold Hatters will become a 7-Eleven, Vanishing New York reports. The mad hatters moved to the location after being chased out of their longtime home by the construction of the new New York Times building. The takeover continues. [VNY]
Racked reported over two years ago that Crocs, the favored footwear purveyor of Mario Batali and your tween nieces and nephews, would "soon" be taking over the Soho spot that used to serve up BBQ. Fast-forward to 2010 and those little blobs of synthetic sandalry are still awaiting their entrance at the corner of Spring and Wooster, but the new store has finally started to emerge. The 1818 Federal era building at 143 Spring has had its south face re-bricked (salvaging some of the old stuff), and replacement wooden clapboards have gone up on the west and north facades. Meanwhile, in place of a one-story 1925 garage on Wooster Street is a new addition fitted in finned glass and zinc-coated panels, which will, in the words of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, "subordinate to the Federal style building while reinforcing the street wall along Wooster Street."
The design for the Croc-ateria is from architect William J. Rockwell and is "part restoration, part renovation" that "maintains the classic proportions of Wooster Street and the rest of the SoHo Cast Iron District." Interiors will be handled by L & M Associates out of Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The building remains in the hands of its long-time owner, who in 2006 struck a long-term deal with the Croc crew, ensuring that by the time the store opens there will be plenty of years left for Soho tourists to treat their toes.
· 143 Spring Street [williamarchitect.com]
· The Sad State Of Soho: Crocs To Open Soon On Spring Street [Racked]
[Photo by Will Femia.]
Though Prince Street's Vesuvio Bakery, a Soho landmark for over 80 years, closed in the summer of 2008, the above photo of an open and very much active Vesuvio was shot last week. Miracle? Black magic? Tear in the space/time continuum? None of the above! City Bakery's Maury Rubin took over the storefront for a new location of his eco-friendly bake shop Birdbath, and in memory of the previous tenant, left much of Vesuvio intact. Rubin obviously meant it as a loving tribute—he even e-mailed Lost City to ask that Vesuvio be removed from a list of "Recently Lost Landmarks"—but what to make of the undead Vesuvio? One Eater reader already voiced concerns that the situation feels a bit icky, and now Vanishing New York's Jeremiah, the poet laureate of shuttered neighborhood standbys, is chiming in on the "Vesuvio conundrum."
After comparing Birdbath to other fancy new operations moving into significant spaces and recycling some of the signature looks (John Varvatos's CBGB store, Keith McNally's Minetta Tavern, the High Line), Jeremiah confesses his confusion over how to react:
In the end, New York is becoming its own, self-referential museum, a simulacrum complete with wall text to explain where we are--what was here, what remains, what's been altered and revised. We recognize it, while at the same time, it is unfamiliar.We're a bit on the fence ourselves, but a briefcase filled with bear claws delivered to Curbed HQ may settle this controversy, hint hint.We know that this fate is far better than a bank or a Starbucks. And yet, denied the unadulterated righteous anger that comes when a bank or a Starbucks completely erases our favorite places, in the presence of these preservations and simulations, we're not quite sure what to feel.
[Photos via Wired New York.]
Back in 2005 the shabby 201 East 57th Street was championed as a neighborhood survivor, a five-story relic holding steady on a heavily-trafficked corner despite the encroachment of luxury development (like One Beacon Court just one block over). Its air rights sold off to build another new condo castle, it seemed like the 136-year-old building was safe. Er, not so. The building now wears, as broker-blogger Andrew Fine puts it, "the black shroud of death." What happened? The gang at Wired New York has been tracking the case, and it looks like the richly ornamented structure will be replaced with a four-story gloss box of retail from TPG Architecture. Needless to say, they're thrilled! The property's owner is not ready to share, but details are coming soon. Godspeed, old friend.
· 201 East 57th Meets the Black Shroud of Death [A Fine Blog]
· Thread: 201 East 57th Street [Wired New York]
Williamsburg just walked away with the Curbed Cup, but already there's a front-runner for the 2010 Neighborhood of the Year, and that's the Wholesale District. Er, NoMad. Er, whatever. GFI Development is trying to turn Broadway in the upper 20's into a new Meatpacking District or Bowery, and it seems to be working. The company's Ace Hotel, with its buzzy restaurant, Stumptown coffee shop and nerd-friendly lobby, is already a sensation, and GFI's NoMad Hotel just one block away is en route. Now the January issue of the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership BID newsletter brings word on the Ace's next moves, including a new location of hipster boutique Opening Ceremony (which already has a spot on très cool Howard Street). And for nostalgists outraged by Ken Friedman's decision to name his Ace restaurant after the building's pre-hipsterfied name (The Breslin), he's now thinking about opening a Tin Pan Alley-themed bar in the hotel's basement. The sad trombone would be oddly appropriate here.
· The Ace: Playing With a Fuller Deck [Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership]
· Ace Hotel coverage [Curbed]
The years-in-the-making Gowanus Whole Foods is still clinging to life, and the latest is that the upscale grocer says it will begin a cleanup of the contaminated site next week (to qualify for tax credits that'll help pay). The process will last three months, but construction of the new superstore at Third Avenue and 3rd Street is not scheduled at this time. [Carroll Gardens Diary via Brownstoner]
1) We've busted the Chelsea Enclave's chops for e-mailing about apartment sales, but it's not like they're cluttering our inbox or anything. In fact, just 13 of 53 units have sold in 16 months (six in the past three), and though the chicken-and-egg scenario of banks not lending until there are more buyers in the building gets most of the blame, how about the fact that prices start at $1.325 million for condops on church property? A bit flashy for the Lord's liking, no? [Posting/'A Fraternal Twin for a Seminary']
2) The city tried to hit Larry Silverstein with a $35 million rent tax bill on four World Trade Center buildings that no longer exist (including the Twin Towers). Silverstein didn't feel like shaking out his couch cushions to rally the cash, so he took the case to court. A judge sided with the Silver Fox. ['Ghoulish bid to slap tax on vanished WTC'/NYP]
3) Making you feel worse about your life is this week's The Hunt, starring a 24-year-old private equity analyst who just bought his first Manhattan apartment. At that age he should be living in an UES walk-up with 3 random strangers and eating ramen every night. Reducing the sting a bit is the fact that his parents laid out $200,000 for his down payment. [The Hunt/'It's O.K. to Hit the Snooze Button']
4) The East Village's quirky vintage clothing and kitsch shops are a dying breed ('09 victims include Love Saves the Day, O Mistress Mine and Poppet, and more are currently threatened), but it's not like soulless Fifth Avenue retailers aren't having their problems, either. Diddy's Sean John just sued its landlord at 475 Fifth Avenue over scaffolding that's been covering the store since 2006. ['Threadbare in East Village'/NYP]
5) Why is Soho such a magical place? Because its "forgotten street," little cobblestone Crosby Street, which "remains a little residential secret," rarely sees an apartment trade for under $4 million. Secret to whom? [Block By Block/'A Quiet Pocket of SoHo']
The gang at Streetsblog, apparently no fans of Costco, have handed out their "Streetsie" for Worst City Agency to the NYC Economic Development Corporation for supporting "suburban-style development" like the new East River Plaza big-box mall in East Harlem: "These are utterly hostile environments for anyone who doesn't get around in a car, subsidized by taxpayers and located in neighborhoods with very high asthma rates. How does it all fit with PlaNYC and the vision of a more sustainable city? It doesn't. Not one bit." [Streetsblog]
What lurks behind the plywood monster of Fifth Avenue? The above, eventually, which is what the street-level retail space of 530 Fifth Avenue will look like once its extensive facelift is complete. The rendering comes from the website set up to market the space, but it's another website that truly pulls the curtain back on what's going on at 530 Fifth.
Over on YouTube, one of the property's brokers at Winick Realty Group recently uploaded a brief video clip showing the extent of the work going on behind all that plywood. Inventive suggestions of what to do with all that rubble welcomed.
· Video: 530 5th Demo [YouTube]
· 530 Fifth Avenue [5305th.com]
· CurbedWire: Meet the Plywood Monster of Fifth Avenue [Curbed]
At the height of the real estate boom, semi-scary billionaire Lev Leviev's Africa Israel snapped up a trio of NYC trophies at eye-popping prices: the MetLife clocktower, the Apthorp and the former New York Times Building on West 43rd Street—which Leviev bought for $525 million from Tishman Speyer, which paid $175 for the building less than three years before. Each property has had its troubles since, but Charles Bagli reports that the old 15-story Times HQ is back with a new plan and new partners. Following a renovation and re-branding in a failed attempt to lure higher-paying office space tenants, Africa Israel is now aiming to bring in retail on the lower floors, a Bowlmor Lanes bowling alley, restaurants, a 379-room hotel and 26 penthouse condos. Negotiations with the kitchen sink apparently fell through. Will this latest scheme work? Who knows! We've seen crazier Times Square reinventions.
· Former Times Building to Be a Hotel and Condos [NYT]
· Times Square Building coverage [Curbed]
Big things are happening at the corner of Second Avenue and 57th Street, but how big remains to be seen. We're talking about 250 East 57th Street, the World-Wide Group's plan to replace a school building with a new school, a Whole Foods, more retail and, oh yeah, a 59-story residential tower designed by SOM that tapers and widens as it pierces the East Side sky. Back in September it was reported that the tower is on hold while Phase I—the school and the retail in an 11-story base—proceeds. That still appears to be the plan, and a tipster points out that a slew of new permits related to the demolition of the current building at the site have recently been issued. Even if the SOM tower (it really needs a fun new nickname, btw) doesn't rise, we can still enjoy the renderings posted on the website launched to market the building's retail spaces. They're in the gallery above, and they're really making us crave some organic goji berries.
· 250 East 57th Street [250e57.com]
· 250 East 57th Street coverage [Curbed]