And The Bean is back on Third Street! After the East Village coffeeshop was kicked out of its First Avenue home of nearly ten years to make way for a much needed Starbucks outpost, the java joint upped and moved down the block to Second Avenue. It still has all the coffee, bites, comfy seating, big windows and dog-friendly policy. Now it just has them a little further west. Plus, a lovely new mosaic by the local mosaic man, Jim Powers.
And The Bean's new corner digs, at 54 Second Avenue, has its own quirky history. For awhile in the '90s it housed an antique shop but has been empty after the building suffered structural problems. Which doesn't mean the landlord hasn't been desperate to rent it. Over the years his "Call Crazy Landlord" signs been a steady source of entertainment for at least the local blog set.
Meanwhile, the new Bean on Third street isn't the only new Bean, by any means. Back in September the coffee shop opened a second location across from the Strand at Broadway and 12th Street and this spring they'll be coming back to First Avenue with a location on the corner of Ninth Street. Suddenly Think Coffee isn't the only mini-coffee chain in the East Village—as if the area wasn't caffeinated enough!
