East Village Anecdotes

Was walking in the neighborhood today and noticed a sign on the Frank Scarano building on East 10th btw 1st and A (the hideous building with the Astoria-esqe terraces next to the Russian/Turkish bathhouse). I had assumed this was a condo, but the sign was advertising rentals. There's another new building on the north side of East 12th St., across from the park w/ the arty fence between A & B,... [more]

Was walking in the neighborhood today and noticed a sign on the Frank Scarano building on East 10th btw 1st and A (the hideous building with the Astoria-esqe terraces next to the Russian/Turkish bathhouse). I had assumed this was a condo, but the sign was advertising rentals. There's another new building on the north side of East 12th St., across from the park w/ the arty fence between A & B, that started advertising rentals a few weeks ago. It's also cheap and ugly looking (like a smaller Novo Park Slope). Maybe these were always slated to be rentals, hence the shoddy appearances, but I had expected condos. Does anyone know what the original intention was for these? Then I ran into an elderly woman I know from the neighborhood. Her landlord has been trying hard to get her out for years, but recently stopped and is now trying to rent out the units he was holding. Maybe she was just too much trouble, but he’s given up his conversion plans. I have friends in two of the old rental buildings that Magnum Real Estate Group/Ben Shaoul owns (also the developer of the A Building). They've been living in a construction zone as vacant units are being renovated, but the company seems to be in a big rush, w/ brokers showing unfinished units while the halls are still filthy, offering negotiability, etc. I realize these are just a few anecdotes in a pretty large neighborhood, but has anyone else following the East Village noticed a change in the area’s "heat"? [less]