NoHo Restaurants – December Catch-Up

Posted on January 2, 2012 by admin
The Wren, 344 Bowery

NoHo welcomes The Wren at 344 Bowery - Yes, really !

The Wren, NoHo’s new gastro pub at Bowery and Great Jones opened December 14th.  We are most pleased to welcome their classy but unpretentious vibe and especially owners Simon and Mark Gibson and partner Krissy Harris,  who reached out to the neighborhood well in advance of signing the lease and planning the space to work out a community agreement.  Now, we are especially happy to see the reviewers agree this could be a real NoHo treasure:  Zagat, East Village Local/NY Times blog (complete with slide show), Eater.com

In December the Mile End Sandwich Shop which has taken a lease at 53 Bond St. (yes the same lot# as the faultering Hung-Ry, but actually a separate storefront next door) made an appeal for a Wine and Beer license at CB#2.  It was defeated, though we were impressed with their menu and the Brooklyn-successful entrepreneurs.  Had it not been for the over-saturation of license issue (which they unwisely ignored when they signed the 10+ year lease) and the fact that eating is at stand-up bars –  just a tad too easy for the usual bridge and tunnel crowd to grab their last 8 beers at on a Friday and Saturday night, we were a little sorry we couldn’t look forward to a real overstuffed Jewish corned beef sandwich with a beer.  Oh well.  If they are really as good as they say they are, we’ll help find a “kosher,” already-licensed address for them somewhere.

The Montreal Jewish deli-inspired Brooklyn restaurant Mile End has already charmed diners with its take on smoked meat platters and the gravy-covered french fries known as poutine. Mile End, which is named after a neighborhood in Montreal, plans to open a NoHo outpost at 53 Bond St. early next year, owner Noah Bernamoff said. Mile End Sandwich will be a quick-service version of its Brooklyn sister restaurant. Read more at DNA Info

The planned hearing for the new ownership of ACME at 9 Great Jones was held-over to the January CB#2 calendar.  Interested NoHo stakeholders have had one lengthy sit down with new owners Jean-Marc Houmard and Huy Chi Lee who are also principals at Indochine.  A second sit-down is planned to iron out some basic details, like occupancy, hours of operation, sanitation and the delineation of uses between the upstairs and downstairs.  No, the ACME menu will not return; in fact we are having a difficult time pinning the new owners down to any menu though they insist that at least the groundfloor will be primarily restaurant oriented.

Forcella at 334 Bowery did get the go-ahead for their Wine and Beer license from the SLA, but not without the comprehensive list of stipulations recommended by NoHo and adopted by CB#2 in it’s resolution.  Had we arrived earlier to formally present the lack of Certificate of Occupancy (for a changed groundfloor and cellar use) and the fact that a Public Assembly permit cannot be issued until there is one, we could possibly have blocked this further.  As it stands, the building owner William Fung of Infinity Realty has two citations from the Landmarks Preservation Commission for the unapproved storefront infill that Forcella has designed and installed and, then there are issues of odor and venting noise, which, now that the SLA has recognized the stipulations, are to be cured within 90 days of opening.  We hope that will be in January since we think they opened in November.  They seem pretty intent on adding a sidewalk cafe, soon.  So what about the food?  Here’s Forcella’s review from the NY Times.

 

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NoHo in the News – Updated Jan. 4, 2012

Posted on January 2, 2012 by admin
The revolution is streaming on the internet from NoHo.

The revolution is streaming on the internet from NoHo. Get the full story from The New Yorker

UPDATE:  From The Atlantic Wire - 
Occupy Wall Street’s Livestream Operators Arrested.
Heilemann’s Nov. 27 piece described the 39-year-old Teichberg as “so jacked in to the electronic grid that he comes across like a character out of Neuromancer.” By Dec. 11, when The New York Times wrote about the rise of live feeds in publicizing the Occupy protests, the Global Rev. headquarters had moved to Bushwick, Brooklyn….[Tuesday, Jan 3, 2012] police have apparently just raided the Brooklyn studio of Globalrevolution.tv and taken some of the project’s key volunteers into custody.

 

The New Yorker, Dec. 2011:
On the screen, a protester from Occupy Orlando was requesting in-kind donations. “We have plenty of deodorant,” he said, “but we could use soap.” A second protester, wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, entered the frame to announce breaking news: “We’re global! Seventeen hundred viewers right now!” The crowd outside the Orlando chamber of commerce cheered.

The video feed had been picked up by globalrevolution.tv, the switchboard for live coverage of the populist protests that began with Occupy Wall Street. The channel, hosted by Livestream.com, attracts between a thousand and twenty thousand viewers at any moment. “The revolution will not be televised,” the masked protester told the crowd. “It’ll be . . . on the Internet.”  The revolution is being streamed from a dilapidated second-story office in NoHo.
______________________________________________ 

At Mish Tworkowski’s salon, called Mish New York, formerly on the Upper East Side and now at 30 Bond St., in the heart of Manhattan’s NoHo district, it is difficult to determine if the designer’s jewelry is the main attraction or the opulent sideshow to Mr. Tworkowski’s painstakingly wrought retailing vision.  Read more at the New York Times
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The cigar-chomping proprietor of a longtime flea market just off the Bowery that recalls the neighborhood’s more freewheeling days is folding up his tent — literally.

Billy’s Antiques and Props, the tented antiques shop on East Houston Street operated by local dealer Billy Leroy, is set to be replaced by a new building that will house a version of the iconic neighborhood store.  Read more at DNA Info
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The Cooper Square Hotel on the corner of East Fifth and Third Avenue has officially become the Standard East Village — the fifth addition to hotshot hotelier André Balazs’ hotel family. However, to reassure local residents the inn would not become a new nightlife destination like its Meatpacking District sibling, Standard spokesman Stan D’Arde said it would be “a more mellow alternative.”  Read more at DNA Info

Posted in Astor Place-Cooper Square, Bond St., Fashion and Design, Houston St., Merchants, NoHo | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This month at CB#2

Posted on January 2, 2012 by admin
Area to be reviewed in the current NYU ULURP application before CB#2 Manhattan

Area to be reviewed in the current NYU ULURP application to be heard by multiple committees at CB#2 this month

This is a busy month at CB#2, much of which addresses the prescribed Uniform Land Use Review Proposal for NYU’s expansion on the land they currently own west of Mercer, north of Houston, south of Fourth St and east of LaGuardia Place.

Within that area are public amenities (children’s playgrounds and a dog run) that will be increased in size and accessibility.  Also in the plan is a site for a Public Elementary School much needed by our community.

For the most part what is being proposed is an increased density in NYU presence and in uses that would NOT  be allowed in the M15b zoning of NoHo, east of this site – significantly classroom and dormitory space.

CB#2 will recommend modifications as a result of public testimony.  These modifications will be considered by the Borough President’s office and by City Council in their recommendations to the City Planning Commission before they reach the point of final adoption.  Your voice should be heard.

NoHo property and business owners should weigh carefully the advantages and disadvantages of this proposal for its impact on current and future NoHo investment.

Also on this month’s agenda are Liquor License  and Landmarks applications that in many ways more directly affect NoHo.  So, here’s the roster:

Tue., 1/3 @ 6:30 PM– LGBT Community Center, 208 W. 13th St. 3rd Floor, Room 301, LANDMARKS & PUBLIC AESTHETICS 1st MEETING Sean Sweeney, Co-Chair, Doris Diether, Co-Chair

  1. *715 Broadway-Application is to relocate a flagpole and install a stretch banner.
  2. *726 Broadway-Application is to install three stretch banners and a sign.
  3. *306 Bowery-Application is to construct a rear yard addition.
  4. * 628 Broadway-Application is to install storefront infill.

Thurs., 1/5 @ 6:30 PM-St. Patrick’s YouthCenter,268 Mulberry Street – STREET ACTIVITIES & FILM PERMITS Evan Lederman, Chair

19 on agenda*6/30/12-BAMRA Bleecker Street Festival co-sponsored event, Bleecker St. bet. 6th Ave. & Broadway

23 on agenda*5/25/-9/9/12-Mulberry Street Mall, Mulberry St. bet. Canal St. and Kenmare St.; Hester St. bet. Mott St. & Baxter St. (This item will not be heard before 7:30 PM.)

24 on agenda* 9/13/-9/23/12-86th Annual Feast of San Gennaro, Mulberry St. bet. Canal St. & E. Houston St. (This item will not be heard before 7:30 PM.)

Mon., 1/9 @ 6:30 PM –Church of Our Lady of Pompei,25 Carmine St. Father Demo Hall – SIDEWALKS, PUBLIC FACILITIES & PUBLIC ACCESS Maury Schott, Chair

1a.*     Renewal App. for revocable consent to operate an unenclosed sidewalk cafe for:.

  • #3 on agenda – Il Buco Corp.,47 Bond St., with 2 tables & 12 seats, DCA# 1109238

Mon., 1/9 @ 6:00 PM – *Note Time*-AIANew York Chapter,536 LaGuardia Pl. Tafel Hall - LAND USE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT  David Reck, Chair

#2 on Agenda – *NYU Core Proposal (aka NYU 2031 Campus Expansion Plan): Presentation and Discussion of Zoning, Land-Use and Housing and related issues, in the NYC Uniformed Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) Application [click here & here]. Public input at this hearing will inform the Community Board 2 recommendation.

Tues., 1/10 @ 6:30 PM –NYU SilverBuilding, 32 Waverly Pl. Room 520, TRAFFIC & TRANSPORTATION Shirley Secunda, Chair

#1 on the agenda –  NYU Core Proposal (aka NYU 2031 Campus Expansion Plan): Presentation and Discussion of Traffic, Pedestrian, Public Transportation and related issues, in the NYC Uniformed Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) Application. Public input at this hearing will inform the Community Board 2 recommendation.

Thurs., 1/12 @ 6:30 PM-NYU SilverBuilding, 32 Waverly Pl. Room-520 - SLA LICENSING #II Raymond Lee, Co-Chair, Richard Stewart, Co-Chair

1a.*     Apps. to the State Liquor Authority (SLA) for New License to sell liquor on-premise:

  • 26 Bond StreetRetail, LLC d/b/a The Smile, 26 BondSt., NYC 10012-(upgrade)
  • Chipotle Mexican Grill ofColorado, LLC, d/b/a Chipotle Mexican Grill, 625 Broadway, NYC 10012
    1b.*     Apps. to the SLA for Alteration to sell liquor on-premise:
  • Bowery Poetry Club, Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery, NYC 10012
    1c.*     Apps. to the SLA for Corporate Change of an on-premise Liquor License:
  • 9GJ Bar & Restaurant, Inc. d/b/a Acme,9 Great Jones St.,NYC10012

**Renewals – Let us know if we should request hearing for any of the following, they will not, otherwise be on the agenda: Slainte, 304 Bowery, (on-premise); Pulino’s Bar & Pizzeria, 282-284 Bowery (on-premise); Butter, 415 Lafayette St. (on-premise); Le Pain Quotidien, 65-69 Bleecker St. (b&w); Bianca Restaurant, 5 Bleecker St. (b&w); Von, 3 Bleecker St. (on-premise); Aroma, 36 E. 4th St. (b&w);

Thurs., 1/12 @ 6:30 PM –NYUSilverBuilding, 32 Waverly Pl. Room-713 - PARKS, RECREATION & OPEN SPACE Tobi Bergman, Chair

  1. *NYU Core Proposal (aka NYU 2031 Campus Expansion Plan): Presentation and Discussion of Open Space and related issues, in the NYC Uniformed Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) Application. Public input at this hearing will inform the Community Board 2 recommendation.

Tues., 1/17 @ 6:30 PM-JudsonMemorialChurch,55 Washington Square South, Meeting Room - SOCIAL SERVICES  & EDUCATION Lois Rakoff, Chair

  1. *Presentation for the Campaign for a Fair Living Wage
  2. NYU Core Proposal (aka NYU 2031 Campus Expansion Plan): Presentation and Discussion of Education, Social Services and related issues, in the NYC Uniformed Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) Application. Public input at this hearing will inform the Community Board 2 recommendation.

Wed., 1/18 @ 6:30 PM-Tony Dapolito Recreation Center, 1 Clarkson St., 3rd Floor - ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY & PUBLIC HEALTH Jason Mansfield, Chair

  1. NYU Core Proposal (aka NYU 2031 Campus Expansion Plan): Presentation and Discussion of Environmental, Public Health, Public Safety and related issues, in the NYC Uniformed Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) Application. Public input at this hearing will inform the Community Board 2 recommendation.
  2. Rats: A presentation by the Department of Health & Mental Health on its Rat Indexing Initiative and other rodent abatement protocols.
  3. Discussion regarding the need to update the March 2009 CB2 resolution on hydrofraking.

Thurs., 1/19 @ 6:00 PM- P. S. 41, 116 West 11TH St., Auditorium   FULL BOARD Brad Hoylman, Chair

THE PUBLIC SESSION BEGINS AT 6:00 PM. SPEAKERS’ CARDS WILL BE ACCEPTED FROM 6:00 TO 6:30 PM. Reports from the Chair, District Manager, Borough President, Standing Committees. INDIVIDUALS WHO CANNOT ATTEND ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT WRITTEN TESTIMONY IN ADVANCE TO THE BOARD OFFICE.  WRITTEN TESTIMONY WILL BE PLACED INTO THE RECORD

Tues., 1/24 @ 6:30 PM- LGBT Community Center, 208 W. 13th St., Room 101 - JOINT MEETING LAND USE & SOCIAL SERVICES, David Reck, Chair & Lois Rakoff, Chair

  •  Schools and the City Environmental Quality Review Process: Presentation by Dr. Robert R. Kulikowski, Director, Mayor’s Office of Environmental Coordination.

Posted in Bars & Restaurants, Bond St., Bowery, CB#2, East 4th St., Institutions, Land Use & Development, Landmarks, NoHo, SLA, Street Activities/Events, Zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rape of Puck Averted

Posted on January 2, 2012 by admin
Puck Building Addition Proposal Dec. 2011

View of Puck Building Addition Proposal Dec. 2011

Now 20 feet shorter and 1,500 slimmer, the planned penthouse atop the Puck Building will be way-less ostentatious and more contextual (we guess) than the original renderings.  It will also be more masonry than glass.

You can read some pretty thorough coverage at the NY Times and at the Real Deal, and see a pretty full set of renderings, from every angle at GVSHP.

 

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CB2 November Applications

Posted on November 7, 2011 by admin
Hung Ry at 55 Bond St.

Hung Ry at 55 Bond seeking a full liquor license

TRAFFIC & TRANSPORTATION Shirley Secunda, Chair.  Tues., 11/8 @ 6:30 PM- Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center, 208 W. 13th St. Room 310

First on the Agenda:
Request for a traffic light and other improvements at intersection of Bleecker and Mott Sts.

This corner has become increasingly dangerous for pedestrians.  The Traffic and Transportation Committee has provided valuable time for this discussion and to make recommendations to the Dept of Transportation for strategies that will reduce the speed of turning vehicles and provide more safety for pedestrians.  Please attend; your testimony and suggestions will be most welcome.

SLA LICENSING # I Richard Stewart Raymond Lee, Co-Chairs.  Tues., 11/8 @ 6:30 PM-NYU Silver Building, 32 Waverly Pl. Room 405

Apps. to the SLA for Alteration to sell liquor on-premise:

#13 Meta Company, LLC d/b/a Hung RyAmerica,55 Bond St.NYC10012

Surprise surprise – they are back for a full OP license…and, according to Crains filed for bankruptcy protection in October.  This location was never before licensed, we opposed the wine and beer but the SLA gave it to them anyway.  This should be opposed strongly this time.

Apps. to the SLA for Corporate Change of an on-premise Liquor License:

#16 9 GJ Bar & Restaurant Inc. d/b/a Acme,9 Great Jones St.NYC10012-(on-premise)

Don’t know what Mr. Pollock is up to this time; there have been significant renovations going on for many months.  The most important piece to watch for is a change in method of operation – capacity, hours, menu and entertainments.

Apps. to the State Liquor Authority (SLA) for New License to sell beer and wine:

#20 Mile EndSandwich, LLC,53 Bond St.NYC10012

Another never before licensed location and potentially the fifth establishment on Bond St. with a liquor license.  A sandwich shop isn’t going to be any more viable than a noodle soup shop and will be highly dependent on liquor sales to survive…meaning liquor is prime and menu is secondary.  The next step will be full OP. The answer should be no.

LAND USE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT  David Reck, Chair. Thurs., 11/10 @ 6:30 PM – St. Anthony of Padua Church, 151-155 Sullivan St. Lower Hall

#2 The Village Alliance update on a proposed ULURP application to include Eighth Street between Sixth Avenue and Broadway and Sixth Avenue between Waverly Place and West 10th Street in the list of streets where sidewalk cafes are permitted. Eighth Street and the east side ofSixth Avenue would allow small unenclosed sidewalk cafes, while the west side ofSixth Avenue would allow unenclosed sidewalk cafes.

This issue touches the northwestern edge of NoHo.  If you share concerns with most 8th St area residents that additional restaurant activity on the fairly narrow and too well travelled sidewalks on 8th St. are not a welcome ammenity, please attend this meeting.

JOINT ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY & PUBLIC HEALTH & TRAFFIC & TRANSPORTATION Jason Mansfield, Chair, Shirley Secunda, Chair. Mon., 11/14 @ 6:30 PM- Little Red School House, 196 Bleecker St. @ 6th Ave. Auditoriu

Discussion regarding food trucks and carts (enforcement, licensing, applicable rules) with representatives from NYPD, DOT, DOHMH.

The food truck phenomenon is growing rapidly.  The good news is they can’t serve alcohol and be open till 4 am – in front of your house.  The bad news is that the City hasn’t any real guidelines.  

UPDATE: Comment from Shirley Secunda, Chair, Traffic and TRansportation Committee -my impression is that they really aren’t supposed to park anywhere, including where it’s legal (altho’ we’ll try to ascertain exactly what the rules are at the meeting).  I know for sure that they’re not allowed in No Parking 8-6 pm zones and also aren’t supposed to use parking meters (which they go ahead and do anyway and without paying), but I’ve also been told in passing they’re really not legal anywhere (and then, of course, there is the idling problem).

 

9th PRECINCT COMMUNITY COUNCIL: Tues.,  11/15 @ 7:00 PM  9th Pct. Station House, 321 East 5th St. 2nd Floor

STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY TOWN HALL MEETING. Tues., 11/29 @ 6:30 PM-P.S. 41, 116 West 11th Street, Auditorium

Presentation by NYS Liquor Authority re:  Application process and enforcement issues.

Don’t understand why the SLA is granting licenses the community has opposed?  Don’t understand why they are granting Wine and Beer in already dense areas?  Don’t understand what the SLA can enforce and what they can’t?  ATTEND THIS MEETING !

Posted in Astor Place-Cooper Square, Bars & Restaurants, Bleecker St., Bond St., Dept of Transp, Great Jones St., Land Use & Development, NoHo, SLA | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

33 Bond St.

Posted on November 6, 2011 by admin
33 Bond St. Additions – Computer Model

33 Bond Street presented applications to both CB#2 and to the Landmarks Preservation Commission in October, for roof-top and rear yard additions.  The application was denied at CB#2 and not ruled upon at Landmarks.

 
The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) writes:
In general, the Commission thought the proposed addition was overwhelming and added far too much bulk to a modestly-scaled building. They thought the proposal needed “wholesale” work, as it “obliterates the building’s original scale and massing.” They agreed that while some sort of rooftop addition might be acceptable, it would need to be significantly smaller. The Commission did not vote on the application, but rather asked the applicant to return with revisions at a future public meeting (date TBD).
 
We understand that a decent contingent of NoHo property owners were present at these hearings.  Thank you.

Posted in Bond St., CB#2, Landmarks, NoHo | Tagged , | Leave a comment