EAST VILLAGE MANHATTAN Commercial District Needs Assessment COMMERCIAL DISTRICT NEEDS ASSESSMENT in partnership Lower East Side Partnership with East Village Independent Merchants Association ABOUT EAST VILLAGE Avenue NYC is a competitive grant Background program created by the NYC Department of Small Business Services to fund and build the The East Village is a neighborhood known for its rich history, diversity, and creative culture. capacity of community-based Bordered by East 14th Street, 3rd Avenue, East Houston Street, and the East River, the East development organizations to Village along with its neighbor to the south, the Lower East Side, has been called the “gateway execute commercial revitalization initiatives. Avenue NYC is funded to the city” for immigrants. The eastern portion of the neighborhood is also known as Alphabet through the U.S. Department of City or Loisaida, a reflection of the Spanish commonly spoken among the large Puerto Rican Housing and Urban Development’s and Dominican communities. In the heart of the East Village is Tompkins Square Park, which Community Development Block serves as greenspace for community events, dog lovers, skateboarders, and offers a newly Grant (CDBG) Program, which targets investments in low- and renovated playground. moderate-income neighborhoods. Avenue NYC Commercial With landmarks dating back to Peter Stuyvesant and the era of New Amsterdam, the East Revitalization grants provide Village has a long history of welcoming immigrant communities; waves of Eastern European, multi-year commitments aimed German, Italian, Jewish, and Russian people have called the East Village home. In the second at building the capacity of partner half of the 20th century, the neighborhood welcomed a growing population of Dominican, organizations to better understand neighborhood needs, develop Polish, Puerto Rican, and Ukrainian residents, with small businesses reflecting this cultural and impactful programs, and sustain language diversity. their work in the community for at least three years. The East Village also has a history of civic engagement and counter-culture, and is recognized The Commercial District Needs as the home of punk rock and artists alike. Despite suffering from significant neglect, crime, and Assessment (CDNA) highlights a disinvestment in the 1970s and 1980s, residents developed ways to improve their neighborhood neighborhood’s existing business landscape and consumer and foster a unique sense of community. The first community garden in the city was established characteristics. here in 1974, and today the neighborhood maintains a vast network of nearly 40 greenspaces. This CDNA features the commercial The Fourth Arts Block, located on East 4th Street between the Bowery and 2nd Avenue, is a corridors of Avenues A, B, C, D; 1st, significant hub for various arts and community groups. In 2012, a portion of the neighborhood 2nd, and 3rd avenues; Bowery, was designated a historic district in recognition of its distinctive architecture. and all cross streets between East Houston and East 14th streets between Bowery and Avenue D in East Village residential buildings are comprised of a mix of smaller multifamily apartment the East Village, and was conducted buildings and large public housing developments. The neighborhood is recognized for its café in partnership with the Lower East culture, extensive restaurant and nightlife offerings, and a unique assortment of small retail Side Partnership between August establishments. These small businesses are an important part of the district’s retail diversity 2019 and March 2020. and neighborhood character, with clusters of independent stores along cross streets such as Key issues and opportunities St. Marks Place, as well as along the main north-south avenues. Storefronts are interspersed identified through this assessment will help prioritize SBS-supported throughout the neighborhood, and residents celebrate the “small town within the big city” feel. local investments, and serve as an informational and marketing resource for the neighborhood. Neighborhood Demographics See more on page 12 The East Village is a demographically and socioeconomically diverse community. Out of In This Report approximately 62,000 residents, 50% are White, 25% are Hispanic or Latino, 13% are Asian, Existing conditions, business and 10% are African American. The neighborhood’s median household income of $57,104 is data, and qualitative depictions significantly lower than that of Manhattan ($82,459), but only slightly below that of New York City of the neighborhood were ($60,762). In recent years, the increase of new, more affluent residents has raised fears of gathered from more than displacement for long-time minority and creative communities. Local organizations are working 510 surveys and various to protect the people, culture, and small businesses that make the neighborhood unique. stakeholder meetings with neighborhood merchants, shoppers, workers, property owners, and residents. Future Opportunities See more on page 5 Jump to... Key Findings 4-5 As the East Village continues to evolve, its creative culture and ethnic diversity remain two of Business Inventory 6 its strongest assets. A new subway entrance on Avenue A and the M14 Select Bus Service have What Merchants Say 7-8 provided new opportunities for improved accessibility to the eastern portion of the district. Business Outlook 9 Despite a moderately high retail vacancy rate of 14%, the neighborhood’s bustling activity and What Shoppers Say 10 historic streetscapes continue to draw merchants to open new restaurants and unique businesses. Physical Environment 11 In the face of a changing retail landscape, the small storefronts that characterize the East Data Appendix 12-14 Village endure as a testing ground for aspiring entrepreneurs from around the world. Continued advocacy and collaboration among a dedicated network of community-based organizations, merchants, and long-standing residents will help guide the neighborhood in the coming years. 2 Avenue NYC Commercial District Needs Assessment NEIGHBORHOOD CONTEXT East Village E 15 ST E 14 ST 4 AV L E 13 ST East River E 12 ST 3 AV 3 E 11 ST Tompkins Square Library E 10 ST Performance Space Theater for New York Museum of Reclaimed Ottendorfer the New City 2 Urban Space Library E 9 ST Tompkins Cooper 3 Square Union Park E 8 ST ST MARKS PL E 8 ST Lower Eastside COOPER SQ Theatre Girls Club 80 St Marks John V. The Ukranian Lindsay R Museum E 6 ST East 1 4 Sixth Street River N Community Center Park Merchant’s House Museum FDR DR FABnyc 2 AV 1 AV AV A AV B C AV AV D LAFAYETTE ST E 4 ST 6 La MaMa Metropolitan Playhouse Connelly BROADWAY Downtown Art E 3 ST Theater MERCER ST Nuyorican Poets Cafe MANGIN ST BOWERY BOND ST Hamilton Fish E 2 ST Park Library City Lore BLEECKER ST E 1 ST E HOUSTON ST PITT ST F 0 0.09 0.18 Miles B D ° 6 Points of Interest Notable Places Assessed Commercial Corridors Parks and Community Gardens 1 2 Arts & Cultural Destinations Business Improvement Districts Public Facilities The Ukranian Museum Performance Space New York Community Groups Cooper Square Committee 3 4 East Village Community Coalition East Village Independent Merchants Association Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES) NYPL Ottendorfer Library Sixth Street Community Center LES Ecology Center Loisaida Inc. Loisaida United Neighborhood Gardens (LUNGS) Neighborhood Events Lower Eastside Girls Club Dance Parade and Festival Loisaida Festival Lower East Side History Month Saint George Ukranian Festival Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade East Village 3 KEY FINDINGS & OPPORTUNITIES Strengths Home to an extensive network of greenspaces including Residents are passionate about community activism, community gardens and public parks neighborhood preservation, and walkable streetscapes Residents and merchants share a strong sense of Diverse population and creative culture are reflected in the community pride variety of arts, cultural, and entertainment institutions, as well as the distinct designs of storefronts Rich cultural heritage and variety of small independent businesses contribute to a unique neighborhood Concentration of dining and nightlife establishments identity, offering something for everyone draws people from across the city and beyond Challenges Moderately high storefront vacancy rate (14% district-wide), Sanitation and streetscape cleanliness are issues in especially on Avenue B (25%), with vacant storefronts various parts of the district, with illegal dumping from attracting graffiti households and overflowing litter baskets Local organizations currently have limited capacity Pedestrians, bikes, delivery trucks, and businesses to support merchants compete for limited street and sidewalk space Changing residential population that may not be Eastern section of the neighborhood, including Avenues as personally connected to local businesses and C and D, while served by buses, is less accessible due to the community the distance from the subway Amid high commercial rents, evolving consumer preferences are forcing small businesses to compete with online shopping Avenue B and East 6th Street Nuyorican Poets Cafe Avenue A La Plaza Cultural - Armando Perez Community Garden 4 Avenue NYC Commercial District Needs Assessment Loisaida Festival St. Marks Place La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club Tompkins Square Park Opportunities Leverage the neighborhood’s unique identity, history, Prioritize COVID-19 commercial revitalization response and culture to market the variety of