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1) Nolita: Mott St. between Houston and Prince is the rumblings fave du jour. Here's what we've learned: a) Regarding the place with the dollhouses in the window, it's a social club, and you're not invited. However, you may be able to join in their fun and games. Says a commenter, "Courtesy of member/leader 'Jimmy,' the club runs the stickball tournament held on Mulberry St. in the spring. b) As for the empty, grassy lot down the street, another commenter spins this tale: "The reason its an empty lot is because a couple of wiseguys who were pressuring [the elderly owner] to sell (they owned the building next to it and wanted to develop a bigger building) weren't given the kind of 'consideration' they were looking for, and a garbage truck? in the middle of the night (concrete mixer maybe, its more mob like) drove into the storefront and effectively destroyed the building in hopes it would further their cause along. The old broad demolished it and still refused to sell. Bullshit or otherwise, it truly is the stuff of Scorsese films..."
BONUS: As if that weren't enough Mott St. excitement for one day, our original querier drops this note from the block: "Also, to add to the store which I previously wrote in about, (the one that sells only newsboy caps and is miraculously still around) there is now a store called "laces" which, whenever I walk by, contains only a shelf upon which sit about 20 pairs of nike sneakers and some colorful laces ... and 2 bored employees lounging around. Over under for the survival of this place has been set at 5 months ... with me going big on the under."
2) East Village: No definitive word on the construction trailers at 111 Third Ave., but an emailer wonders, "Is it possible that they are the trailers for the new Toth building (right around the corner on 3rd Avenue)?" Hmm, Toth building, Toth building...ah, Toll Brothers building! Rock.
3) Greenwich Village: The old Strawberry Fields on Bleeker is going to be a Reiss, "a British high-end meatpacking district-looking store with expensive clothes." Don't know what a MePa-looking store looks like? Head straight to TribecaSoho.
4) Upper West Side: At 2075 Broadway (SW corner at 72nd), they're building that box rendered above. There will be 19 stories of lux condos and lower-level retail. Possession in early '08.
· Rumblings & Bumblings: Welcome to the Dollhouses [Curbed]