“i’m home on maternity leave and have been spending more time in the neighborhood… i’ve been nosing around some of the construction sites…. some gossip for you…

MEET is becoming a high-end Mexican restaurant.

Indeed, Sue Torres of Suenos has partnered with the boys from Lotus (David Rabin & Will Regan) to open Los Dados.

Sacha is becoming an “African” restaurant. (I lived in South Africa during the ratification of the new constitution–when I asked the construction workers what kind of African restaurant, they said “African.” Frankly, Africa is a big place. Ethiopian food? Sub-Saharan? Vegetarian? The fact that they don’t know the difference worries me…)

Word on the street is that not only is this an African restaurant, but it will also incorporate elements from Brazil and the Caribbean. Is this a Sushi Samba inspired identity crisis? Marcus Samuelsson (the executive chef of Aquavit and author of The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discover of the Foods and Flavors of Africa) will be the chef.

Now, who has the goods on what is due to arrive in the old Rhone space?

we are currently looking into the garden of ono at the gansevoort hotel and it’s illeagel entrance on hudson street, (by law all should enter through the restaurant on 13th street).
i am a big supporter of protesting the billboards, they are still not at the legal angle and that cost’s michael ackerman and the wagner group a lot of money to move them to the legal 90 degree angle they should be at.

Um, I guess it wasn’t the PM Lounge getting the liquor rights, or the nice men from Little Italy?

Subject: PM Lounge – Hearing for Noise Code Violation
Tuesday, June 26th and Wednesday, June 27th at 9:30am
111 Centre St. Room 949 NY, NY 10013 / Judge Stallman / NYC Civil Court

Dear Neighbors,

My husband and I and two young children (Lucas, 6 and Juliette, 3) moved into unit 1A at 838 Greenwich St. right after our honeymoon in October, 2006. Our unit is directly adjacent to the PM Lounge, and our lives have been a nightmare since the first day we moved into our home.

Despite working in good faith with the club to find a permanent solution to the noise problem, in our opinion, the owners and managers of the PM Lounge failed to adequately respond. During December, we turned to the court system, seeking an injunction to stop the club from operating in an unlawful manner. We also hired an acoustical expert, who found the club in excess of the New York Noise Code on all nine occasions he took readings in our unit, sometimes as much as 4 TIMES ABOVE THE LEGAL MAXIMUM. The club’s actions and the ensuing legal battle have taken a major emotional and financial toll on our family. In fact, we have been forced to seek refuge at hotel rooms on over 40 occasions.

The principals of the PM Lounge are well aware of this problem, which has plagued 838 Greenwich St., as well as dwellings on Horatio St., for years. Through our painstaking efforts and legal action, the club finally entered into a stipulation during March 2007 which provides that the PM LOUNGE WILL BE PROHIBITED FROM PLAYING AMPLIFIED OR LIVE MUSIC if we show that they have violated the NY Noise Code again. We believe such violation has occurred.

Judge Stallman will hear our case on Tuesday, June 26th and Wednesday, June 27th, at 9:30 am at 111 Centre St. Room 949. We believe the presence of additional concerned parties will help the judge understand the severity of the problem. Your attendance is appreciated and will hopefully result in the increased enjoyment of your unit and the overall health of our building and neighborhood. Please feel free to e-mail any comments or questions to skelley13@yahoo.com or call (917) 319-6994.

Regards,
Suzanne Kelley & Ross Henderson

For more about the community’s history with PM Lounge, please click “PM Lounge” at the bottom of this article.

Fig & Olive, the new Mediterranean resto (which serves over 30 olive oils – holy olive oil batman!) at 420 West 13th street, b/w Wash & 9th, is requesting permission for a sidewalk cafe to consist of 17 tables and 34 seats. That’s a lot of tables!

CB2 Business Meeting, Liquor License: Tues., 4/10 @ 6:30 PM- Tony Dapolito Recreation Center, 3 Clarkson St. 3^rd Floor

AM Operating Group, an aptly named new group formed by folks that own PM, is applying for a license at 55 Gansevoort (formerly Sascha Restaurant) as part of their grand scheme to open a 24-hour joint across the street from their successful club. Community Outrage Begins.

Case-in-point: In May of ’05, almost exactly two years ago, the emails were flying to rally folk to attend a CB2 meeting to testify against PM Lounge so that they would be denied a sidewalk cafe application.

Now, emails are flying to rally folk to attend a CB2 meeting to testify against PM Lounge so that they will be denied a liquor license application in a new space across the street. Really, I could just re-post the old blog post, and replace SIDEWALK with LIQUOR and Monday, May 9 with Tuesday April 10. (you can get a history of some of this blog’s posts about PM Lounge by clicking “PM Lounge” in the ‘tags’ listed at the bottom of this post – nifty, huh?)

In all seriousness, however, this is a bit different. This time, PM Lounge (as part of a group called AM Operation Group, LLC – oh the witty wordsmiths) is applying for a liquor license at the space across the street, occuped by SASHA (53 Gansevoort Street) … Revoking a liquor license, well, that’s almost impossible but if you are one of the many who calls 311 repeatedly about noise levels at PM Lounge, here’s an even better place to make yourself heard. Bring your log of complaints to 311, your letters to local politicians, your letters to management, bring it all, and get a chance to testify.

The application is to be reviewed by CB 2 Business committee at a hearing Tuesday evening April 10 at 6:30 at Tony D’Apolito Recreation Center ..3 Clarkson St. THIRD FLOOR (It’s near Carmine and Seventh Ave South).

As an interesting comparison, it’s much easier to report on the Hotel G’s various (truly creative) skirmishes with the nieghborhood. First there was the contention that the site of the hotel was the original site for the water tunnel construction, which instead took over Seravalli playground; then there was the (no adjective necessary) design of the hotel; then the noise problems, first with music blaring from the roof; then the whirring sound of an airplane engine emanating from the hotel restaurant ventilation system. And now, of course, now we have their illegal, horrid billboard. I really wonder what’s next for them. Nothing horrid has appeared on the sidewalks out front. Perhaps they’ll accidentally defile the sidewalk next?

Ugh, not only are they erecting a hideously ugly billboard, but the billboard base has now taken the space where Hotel Gansevoort used to keep their trash, so now we have to walk by their massive loads of trash heaped on the sidewalk every day. Aren’t there rules about where and how you can store your trash? Rules intended to create a safe community with better quality of life?

Lots of Government officials and community organizations (like GVSHP) are organized to fight the trashy billboard that threatens to soon over-illuminate our skies, and clash with the historic feel of our neighborhood. Check back here to see what you can do.

****Update: 3/23: City (DOB) agrees that Billboards are in violation of zoning regulations.  GVSHP rocks!  Thanks Andrew Berman.  The fight isn’t over yet – the billboards have to be moved only 4degrees to be in compliance, but there are still two more potential issues that the city has yet to rule on.