July 12-14, 2008

Saturday, July 12th


near the SE corner of 92nd - looking N
Work started earlier than normal on Saturday (at 8 AM) as workers pushed hard to finish work in this block so that the work zone can be shifted to the west side of Second Avenue next Tuesday.



a little further south, but still looking N
(lots of work still to do.)



92nd, NE corner - looking S
(same general work location)



91st - looking N
Four men digging in a trench by hand. Hard work on a hot day.



94th, near the NW corner - looking E
The big crawler crane has was recently moved to this temporary parking spot on 94th street.



Workers here are clearing some of the "Jersey Barriers"
from 2nd Avenue.






btw. 94th and 95th, looking E
Here very heavy steel "road plates" are being removed from the work site in preparation for the repaving of the east side of the avenue.



95th, NE corner - looking south
Again, more prep work before this intersection is repaved on Monday.


Sunday, July 13th


92nd, looking N



94th, looking S


Monday, July 14th


94th, looking N
Most of the east side of Second Avenue was paved today.
(Note the two new rat traps on the right, near the curb.)

- - -

These two posters were taped up on most of the store fronts up and down Second Avenue on Sunday, July 13th:






- - -

The NYC Department of Buildings came around in late June 2008 and posted Vacate Orders (for the cellar only) on a number of buildings in the area.

I found orders (sample copies below) posted on the following Second Avenue store fronts: 1772 Second Ave (an empty store front), 1804 Second Ave (the Bagel Express), 1808 Second Ave (Global Locksmith), 1819 Second Ave (vacant - formerly Hilte), 1830 Second Ave (vacant - formerlt Doner Kebap), 1832 Second Ave (the parking garage) and 1834 Second Ave (Five Luck Chinese Restaurant & Normandie Wine).

I've been told that the Vacate Orders were issued because the cellars at these location now only have a single means egress, when two are required. This happened when the MTA's contractors removed the street vaults in late 2007.

Most likely these orders will remain in effect until the street vaults are restored near the end of Phase I.

This can't be good news from for the effected stores in the area, and one would have to assume that this will make it even harder to rent out the vacate store fronts at 1772 and 1830 Second Avenue.


1752 Second Ave


1754 Second Avenue