Thanks to Charles Stimson we are gifted with six more images of yesteryear. This one shows the east side of Fifth Ave. at 13th St. See Schrafft’s on the corner, which is now the burned out deli? Remember that you can double click on all these images to get a much closer look at some of the detail. The views of 14th St. are especially interesting. The trucks, the signs, the decorative cornices, including the one on our building . Enjoy. 
Now open at 12 W 17th Street, Yakiniku Great offers a unique take on Japanese barbecue, sourcing premium Wagyu from across Japan and air-shipping it directly to New York. Guests can enjoy the rich flavor and natural umami of fresh Wagyu while exploring a variety of rare cuts in an authentic Japanese dining experience.
As reported by Eater.com
Corkbuzz was up first, Laura Maniec, formerly the beverage director at BR Guest and one of 18 female Master Sommeliers, seeks to open Corkbuzz at 13 East 13th Street and obviously needs a full liquor license for this restaurant… or is it obvious? Corkbuzz would primarily be a restaurant but would also seek to celebrate, explore and enjoy wine. The community was very mixed on this one. Although there was tons of support for the wine-centric restaurant coming to the neighborhood, some wondered why they were seeking a full license and not just wine and beer. The community members did not want another full license on this block, especially since this location had not been licensed before. One board member actually had the audacity to grill her on her experience, even though she clearly mentioned that she had been involved in nearly 10 restaurant openings and was made partner at BR Guest after a relatively brief time there. In the end, they voted to deny the application unless certain stipulations were met (including closing at 1AM on Thursday-Saturday, not using outside promoters), because they thought the applicant was unique and special.
2) The man behind Caliente Cab Company is looking to pick up the old Buona Sera space at 94 University Place. They were hoping for a full liquor license for their restaurant, which would be a sort of Mexican and Asian-fusion. There would be a limited food counter and a limited bar and they’re working with a chef at Nobu on the menu development. They actually came having already reduced their hours, but they still received somewhat mixed reviews from the community. They were approved with a deny unless they agreed to certain stipulations. Oh, and don’t expect a happy hour here…they think it isn’t pro-community and attracts the college crowds.
The City Streets store on the street level of our building is set to close up shop. What will come next?
It’s at this time of the year that street life returns to our sidewalks, and with it comes litter, especially on 13th St., where fans of Joe Coffee linger on our stoop, smoke up a storm, and drop their butts. Such is life in the big city. The big problem with this is that we sometimes get sanitation tickets that aren’t our fault. The Board of Directors has a very cordial relationship with Joe’s owner, Jonathan Rubenstein, who is a good guy and a great example of a successful local entrepreneur fighting off the big chains. He’s busy expanding his empire, but he does care and responds to our complaints. In the meantime, feel free to remind visitors to our stoop not to drop their trash, and if you have the time, call 311 to complain because city inspectors will get Joe’s attention.
Rumor has it that a bit of leftover real estate at Nordstrom Rack on the corner of 14th and Broadway is going to be…wait for it…a Duane Reade.
Rumor has it that the parking garage directly across from us at 12 East 13th St. is for sale and could be converted into offices, a hotel, or most likely 17 to 20 luxury condos. More construction to come????