Stamps dealers forced to find new home after Easter fire at Serbian Church

For years now stamps dealers, including an outfit called eclectically Cafe Koshichka, owned by Russians, hence the koshichka, or little car po russki, have been plying their trade at the Chelsea Flea Market on West 25th Street, just north of Broadway and to the side of the Serbian Cathedral of St. Sava.
Just when dealers were packing up last night, a blaze occured inside that church. The caretaker, struggling to contain the flames, suffered smoke inhalation, and later, four firefighters were injured putting out what turned out to be a major fire. Red flames shot out twenty feet from the large round window, and the FDNY was fighting the conflaguration for some twelve hours.
When the smoke cleared, the tragedy of having lost a 161-year-old building dawned on the city, softened though by the fact that there was no loss of life. The Serbian community has been using this edifice since WWII, when its fighters were Allies. It has been a city landmark, and a statue on the 25th St. entrance is of Nikolas Tesla, the Serbian scientist who lived out his life in New York.
Oddly, the Orthodox community suffered not just this one loss of a house of worship, but two others, both in Australia, burned in massive out-of-control fires on Easter Sunday. Candles? Terrorism?
Speculation abounds.
And along with the many questions that will have to be answered in regards to his massive ecclesiastical coincidence, there is the one about whether Cafe Koshichka and the other stamp dealers will continue to be in Chelsea on the weekend. As the church is now deemed structurally unsound do to the blaze, there will be areas roped off and the possibility of a street closing for quite some time.
Cafe Koshichka had another home in New York, two actually with the winter spent at the Brooklyn Flea Market; the first was in Hells Kitchen, which was going well until some Homer bike messengers, unable to accept the rules of reality and dismount their bikes on a street full of shoppers - threatened people and assaulted a dealer and his customer. After which they ran off like cowards, and Homer then went into coverup mode never disclosing the names of the two accomplices in the attack. Another dealer had his table stolen by these young men.
So there too calamity forced the hand of the dealers and they moved - back to Chelsea. Now Chelsea may not be an option.
Talking to the staff at Cafe Koshichka, which, despite its name, does not serve coffee (but rumour has it they have share some other drinks with their customers...) - I am told that they were already thinking of moving back to Hells Kitchen so as to be near the Javits show 28 May- 4 June. Which is a great idea - and I am told also they are taking steps to make sure that Homer and its crew are under police surveillance.
It's one thing that a natural tragedy like a fire or snowstorm can stop the philatelic trade, but to let it be stopped by a character named Adam  Price (CEO of Homer) and his thuggish, brown shirt-like employees is something that can be prevented.
 And it will be. Letters are being prepared not only to that company, but to its New York backers, letting them know that small businesses in New York are standing their ground.
We look forward to the stamp dealers thus coming midtown the end of this month and into the summer. And hopefully the Serbian church will be repaired in good time and we will see them both places.