Gaia Cafe Sidelined Due to Fire Atop 251 East Houston
This image has been archived or removed.
On Thanksgiving eve, a small fire sparked atop the historic four-story tenement at 251 East Houston. It was quickly extinguished, and luckily no one was hurt. However, the beloved eatery in the sub-level commercial space fell victim. The five-year-old Gaia Cafe apparently took on some water, and the electricity was subsequently cut. The future appears a bit dim at the moment, alas. Eponymous proprietor Gaia Bagnasacco took to Facebook to provide a status update:
Due to a fire in the building, the cafè has been closed due to some damages and lost of electricity…we still do not know when we will open again…
Sorry for any inconvenience…
Bagnasacco further notes that the cafe needs a new ceiling due to the leakage and that the “building needs a new roof.”
A similar handwritten sign appears on the front door of the establishment.
This image has been archived or removed.
It’s been a pretty stressful year for Gaia Cafe. Bognascano nearly closed the operation completely last December, but returned days later after an overwhelming show of support from the neighborhood. Apparently frustration led to this impulse decision. Just scope out some of the viscous commentary on Yelp to empathize with her plight. Despite high marks across the board, customer reviews call out Gaia for being “cranky” and a “Soup Nazi” server. This is New York and we like our characters.
Recent Stories
Shakespeare in the Parking Lot Returns from COVID-19 Sidelines
All the world’s a stage… To honor what would be the Bard’s 457th birthday, the ever-so-popular Shakespeare in the Parking Lot is back for a two night affair. Being the first performance from the troupe since the pandemic sidelined it in 2020, the event promises evenings filled with scenes, songs, sonnets, and soliloquies from the […]
Pedestrian Bridge Decay in Corlears Hook Park?
Strange things afoot. For a few days in mid-March, the pedestrian bridge connecting Corlears Hook Park to the East River greenway was closed off. No explanation; just cones and netting. Neighbors claimed that the bridge itself was crumbling, and that concrete debris fell onto the FDR roadway below. However, after a few days closed to […]
Opposition Mounts Against Public Hotel Garden Revamp on Chrystie Street
The 28-story Public Hotel hopes to reconfigure its garden area along Chrystie Street. Neighbors are not having it. Posters in the immediate vicinity display the opposition to the liquor license modification. Claiming that the new garden format would be an “open air eating and drinking playground for the rich.” According to materials submitted to the […]
Developer to Close Lands End II Parking Lot by Month End for New 700-Foot Towers
Not two months after the Appellate Court overturned community lawsuits stopping the Two Bridges mega-developments, one of said projects is now moving forward. Tenants of the Lands End II housing complex were informed, via letter, that the rear parking lot will close by the end of April to make way for the 700-foot megatowers by […]
An Art Show to Benefit the Educational Alliance
A new art exhibit to support the Educational Alliance and its Manny Cantor Center kicks off this weekend. Drawing inspiration from the recently-deposed Hester Street Fair, “CONTINUE TO BE” is a celebratory show welcoming the warmth and hope of springtime in the city, featuring both new and old work from local photographers who have documented life […]
