Bye-Bye Burritoville

I know it's a chain, but a few chains here and there aren't a terrible thing and besides, it's a local chain and I always liked Burritoville. Now, this location on 2nd Ave between 8th and 9th has shuttered. A sign in the window just says it's been closed and lists every other Burritoville in town.



It makes me increasingly nervous for this block.

First we got a Starbucks that later turned into that repulsive Chocolates by the Bald Man. Next, we watched the landmarked Stuyvesant Polyclinic turn into a private mansion for sale. Finally, the building at St. Marks got a Cohen's Optical and is being converted into the Theatre Condos. There has been a lot of activity on this block in just the past year or so.

What remains untouched and constant are just two places, both of them precious: The Ottendorfer Branch of the Public Library and J. Baczynsky's East Village Meat Market.


from last winter

Mr. Baczynsky emigrated to the U.S. in 1950 and opened his shop in the 1970s. He has been approached to sell, but told The Villager "he had no intention of selling." While Kurowycky Meats closed (and may become either a high-end restaurant or a XXX video store), Baczynsky has remained steadfast. But we all know what happens when new generations eventually take over and the future is never certain.


from the 1950s

It might seem farfetched to worry about losing the Ottendorfer, but it wouldn't be the first public library branch we've seen fall into private hands. Look what happened to the Donnell. And the Ottendorfer was built alongside the Stuyvesant Polyclinic, in the same ornate style--which many developers would no doubt love to get their hands on. Before its renovation eight years ago, the library considered buying its own building and the Polyclinic, but didn't have the funds to do so.

Am I worrying too much?