A mural on the side of the D’Agostino on West 91st Street off of Columbus Avenue that was once decorated with a diverse array of figures has been painted over. In recent years, graffiti had been painted over parts of the mural.
A D’Agostino employee said it was painted by the building owner, not the store.
The most recent deed filed with the city indicates the building is owned by NYCHA, but it has apparently since been transferred to a new owner. The building is a Mitchell-Lama coop, and the owners apparently painted it over because of the graffiti (see comment below from Ricki Segall). Our attempts to find and contact the owner have so far been unsuccessful.
In other news DAG still insists they aren’t going anywhere….
https://thevillager.com/2016/07/21/dag-denies-sale-rumors/
Fib or white lie?
Graffiti? Really? You couldn’t just let it go with everything else happening in the city?
The article may have reported the graffiti as an indication that D’Ag isn’t interested in their appearance which implies that they may be moving despite their protestations to the contrary.
NO. That is incoherent.
It more likely indicates that the owner (new or otherwise) is trying to improve the building’s appearance in anticipation of attracting a new tenant once D’Ags leaves.
You must be The Man. In your mind.
I would contact Goddard-Riverside. I believe they commissioned the mural originally.
wait, are you saying that a NYCHA building was sold to a new owner? Is that even possible?
“been transferred to a new owner”
And the shelves are not exactly full….
Sounds as if the last of one’s theories proposed in another DAG thread are true. They are cash strapped and having shtupped previous distributors/creditors far too long and often DAG is being forced to find new. That and or their financials are in such bad state no one wants to give them credit at anything near good terms.
Shelves are still bare and getting more so at each of the UES DAG stores as well. Most barely have meats/poultry/fish, produce and other perishables. It is grocery staples from cleaners to pet food where the shelves are empty.
Gristedes is owned/run by a multi-billionaire who uses his fortune to subsidize that supermarket chain. Meanwhile the remaining old school NYC supermarkets (Morton Williams/Associated and Key Foods) seem to be doing well enough even with the same high union labor and rent costs that affect DAG as well.
DAG charges “Whole Foods” prices for stores that are dated, dirty and often staffed by indifferent to downright rude staff. Now that shelves are empty you can see how worn out most DAG stores really are. They need to put some money into renovations and change their marketing
I’m an Associated customer. Very respectful staff.
Look at the snaps. Large parts of the mural were marred by gang graffiti. Obviously DAG wanted to get rid if the “tags” Also for those of you not aware there is a wannabe gang, referred to as a crew that has been very active in and around the Wise towers. They are know for their hard drug dealing and valance. Much of it random just to prove how tough they are to “real” gangs. They are must 13 to 16 year olds. They have been fighting the group that controls Douglass Houses for a couple of years now. They regularly have fights and they have had several shot outs with each other in the area. Many of them in broad daylight. For example the exchanged shots a while ago in a running fight in and around 99th to 94th Col to B’way in the middle of the afternoon.
The sad part is when they are picked up for major felonies after these incidents they are proud of what they did and make gang sides as they get taken down to be booked. Must of them already have extensive records, but the judges just put them back out on the street. These are the “kids” you keep hearing about being in Rickers, yes no one should be abused but when a 15 year old is caught red handed committing a felony and has several other convictions he should stay in jail.
Thanks for the background. I had to google ‘gang sides’. Here’s what I found:
https://www.google.com/search?q=gang+sides&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwidt4CD9YnOAhXFXh4KHdiIBXQQsAQIHQ&biw=1536&bih=758
Anyone know what happening at 301 W 96th St New York, NY 10025? There’s a curtain over the building.
Was a nice mural but looked like crap after the graffiti people defaced it.
Looks much better now. Hope it doesn’t become a blank canvas for more graffiti.
Perhaps this is because D’Agostinos might be closing. Their shelves are so empty. The employees say it’ s warehouse problem but this is how Food Emporium looked before it’s closing on both and Broadway. Could it be they are preparing to cut their losses before the Trader Joe’s opens nearby in the not too distant future. Does anyone have the inside scoop?
I live in the building, which is a Mitchell-Lama coop, not a NYCHA building. Dag is paying their rent but not stocking their shelves. We are puzzled and annoyed. The mural is the least of it. They are not paying their vendors is what we’ve heard and thus are not getting shipments. But their lease has a while to run. And they haven’t defaulted–yet. Strange.
Is there any truth to the rumour that Dags is closing? The shelves are missing lots of stock, very suspicious?
yes
Your information completely incorrect!! This building is St martin Tower, a M/L coop, since it was buil in 1971. This building is not owned by NYCHA nor by Goddard Riverside. Goddard Riverside did NOT have the old mural painted.
The mural was painted over due to the graffiti. A new mural will be selected and painted.
I live in the building and I am a Director of the Board, and a board officer.
I am a Director of the board of St Martin Tower and an officer of the Board, a shareholder and resident of St Martin Tower.
This building is St Martin Tower, it is a M/L coop since it was built in 1971. It s not owned by NYCHA nor does Goddard Riverside have any control what so ever over the building or of the mural.
The mural was painted over because it was marred with graffiti. The board is researching and deciding what will come next…this is taking longer than we hoped.
None of this has anything to do with D’Agostino’s. We hope they can stay open or be purchased by another market chain and that we can continue to have a supermarket in this location.
I hope this information is helpful.
“We hope they can stay open or be purchased by another market chain and that we can continue to have a supermarket in this location.
I hope this information is helpful.”
– Ricki Segall
Very appreciated!
Very helpful, thanks. City records do indicate the latest deed was with NYCHA (you can look this up via the public city ACRIS database), but we understand it is now Mitchell-Lama. We tried to call St. Martin but the number we found did not work. Here is an image of the city record that indicates the deed (highlighted): https://www.westsiderag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Screen-Shot-2016-07-25-at-2.50.18-PM.png
That is so curious, since St Martin has been a ML coop from the time it was built, several years before the date in that listing. It was planned and built as a ML coop. Right nearby, on our block, are brownstones which are NYCHA. I have no experience or knowledge about what could lead to an error of this sort. St Martins was never NYCHA.