Sunday, April 30, 2017

Sunday's parting shot



Photo in Tompkins Square Park today by Steven...

About the Moon passing through Orion, and other upcoming 2nd Avenue Star Watcher events



Here's a dispatch about last evening via East Village astronomy buff Felton Davis...

As Virgo rises in the East, Orion sets in the West, and the seasons change. (At last, after weeks and weeks of nothing but clouds and rain!) When the light from Aldebaran left the star 65 years ago,"Guys and Dolls" was playing at the Shubert Theater on Broadway. When the light from the Pleiades left the star cluster 400 years ago, Shakespeare was writing his plays. When the light from the Orion Nebula set forth 1,600 years ago, Rome was sacked by the Visigoths (later defeated by Attila the Hun). The crescent Moon tonight was passing through Orion between Taurus and Gemini, but was repeatedly blocked by passing clouds.



However, there will be more opportunities for sky gazing from Second Avenue and Third Street...

Upcoming events:

May 7 — near conjunction of waxing Moon and Jupiter in Virgo

June 3 — another near conjunction of waxing Moon and Jupiter

June 9 — near conjunction of full Moon and Saturn in Sagittarius

July 6 — near conjunction of waxing Moon and Saturn

August 21 — total eclipse of the Sun in the afternoon. (A partial in NYC.)



Find more 2nd Avenue Star Watcher pics here.

Illustrations/photos here courtesy of Felton Davis

Week in Grieview


[Photo of 2nd Avenue Friday evening by Regina Shvartsman]

Stories posted on EVG this past week included...

Permits filed for 6-story building in long-empty lot at 89 First Ave. (Monday)

Ravi DeRossi moving Ladybird to the East Village; taking residence at former Bourgeois Pig space (Thursday)

Alphabet Scoop open for the season on 11th Street (Saturday)

Preliminary vote on increases for rent-stabilized apartments (Tuesday)

Out and About in the East Village, 2017 recap (Wednesday)

Reader report: A car drives in the First Avenue bike lane (Thursday, 40 comments)

Katrina del Mar's "Feral Women/Filmed Portraits" exhibit is up through May 18 (Thursday)

Another sign of spring: the annual Dance Parade is May 20 (Friday)

The Black Rose has closed on Avenue A; welcome Tompkins Square Park Art Bar (temporarily) (Thursday ... Friday)

Silverstone Property Group gets to work on buildings (previously) owned by Raphael Toledano (Monday)

Townhouse rich in art history for sale on 11th Street; air rights included (Wednesday)

More about Artichoke's move across 14th Street (Wednesday)

Pop-up bubble tea exhibit brings crowds to the Bowery (Monday)

Own Olympic snowboarding champ Shaun White's A Building condo (Friday)

Sandwicherie opens on Fourth Avenue (Tuesday)

A retail vacancy at 51 Astor Place (Monday)

Yuan Noodle in the works for the former Biang! space on Second Avenue (Tuesday)

Whole Foods Market® Bowery replacing beer with coffee in prime corner spot (Tuesday)

Something for future generations to discover on Second Avenue (Tuesday)

Ben Shaoul's East Houston Street condoplex makes first street-level appearance (Monday)

...and practicing for the upcoming Shirts vs. Skins ping-pong tourney...


[Photo by Derek Berg]

... and like 10 days later, no one picked up the table as they promised to do tomorrow...



---

Follow EVG on Instragram and/or Twitter

14th Street gate all dolled up



Spotted on 14th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C...





These were remnants from a stoop sale yesterday.

And in case you were wondering, Art in Odd Places takes place this year along 14th Street from Avenue C to the Hudson River on Oct. 12-15.

Report: Target takes aim at Essex Crossing with a small-format store


[Rendering of 500 E. 14th St. via RKF]

As you may recall, Target is leasing 27,306 square feet in Extell's new development at 14th Street and Avenue A for a small-format store expected to open in the summer of 2018.

That store will have some competition with itself. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Target will also lease space in the second floor of the tower under construction at 145 Clinton St. in the Essex Crossing complex. This space will also house a Trader Joe’s.

Some details via the Journal:

Essex Crossing, which extends roughly between Stanton and Grand streets to the north and south and Essex and Clinton streets to the west and east, will have 1,061 rental and condominium apartments and include a movie theater, a bowling alley, a three-block-long marketplace and a medical facility.

A majority of the retailers that have signed for space at Essex Crossing are expected to open in 2018, offering services in an area that has been underserved, said Andrew Katz, a principal of Prusik.

Target “sees tremendous potential” in New York City, where there is a dense population and plenty of tourists, making the area one of the company’s priority markets, the spokeswoman said.

Target is using the stores to support its online shoppers, offering them the ability to order online and pick up purchases in the store within an hour. The company plans in June to test same-day delivery service from its Tribeca location, offering store shoppers the option of having their purchases delivered within a certain time frame to locations in Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn and Queens, for a fee.

Previously on EV Grieve:
New 7-floor buildings for East 14th Street include 150 residential units

Target offers details about its flexible-format store opening summer 2018 on 14th and A

The disappearing storefronts of East 14th Street

Saturday, April 29, 2017

1st free concert of the season in Tompkins Square Park is tomorrow (Sunday!)



Starts at 2 p.m. Here's the lineup:

The Brass

Future Punx

Porvenir Oscuro

Lion's Cage

Rebuschaos

H/T Steven!

When you take time to read the wet paint sign on the bench in Tompkins Square Park



Photo yesterday in Tompkins Square Park by Derek Berg... Volunteers from Partnerships for Parks were out with the paint getting things ready for spring/summer travelers...



...and a few more paint pics via Steven...



Noted



An EVG reader shared this photo on Avenue A between 12th Street and 13th Street ... a discarded Santa suit on the sidewalk is up for grabs...

And just about seven-plus months until SantaCon...

Alphabet Scoop open for the season on 11th Street



In case you are out shopping for ice cream on this 80-degree day... Alphabet Scoop, run by The Father's Heart Ministries next door, is now open for the season at 543 E. 11th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B...

And here's more about them:

Alphabet Scoop is a job and life skills program for teens. The program is designed to prepare teens with the skills needed to advance in their school and work endeavors. Teenagers receive classroom instruction and work under a shift supervisor in the retail store.

We recruit and screen mentors to work with the teens, offering friendship, guidance, support and encouragement aimed at developing the competence and character of the mentee. We belong to the Mentoring Partnership of New York. Every time you buy our ice cream, you are helping a teen remain in a teaching and nurturing environment and off the streets.

They are open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. today.

And upcoming on May 12...

Bad hair days: Kings Hairstyling closed for renovations



Brown paper covers the windows at Kings Hairstyling on 14th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... thought it might be another small-business casualty ...

But! They are merely closed starting today for a renovation... with a reopening on May 8...



I always liked the look of this place ... with veteran barbers in sporty shirts...


[Image via Yelp]

Friday, April 28, 2017

Friday's parting shots


[Photo by Goggla]

Thanks to Goggla and Bobby Williams for the lovely sunset-time photos...


[Photo by Bobby Williams]

'Perfect' way



Academy Award-winning filmmaker Jonathan Demme died this week. He was 73.

Aside from the film credits ("The Silence of the Lambs," Melvin and Howard," "Philadelphia," "Stop Making Sense") you likely know about, he also directed this New Order video for "The Perfect Kiss," set in the band's practice studio, from 1985.

The short life of the Tompkins Square Park Art Bar captured on video



As noted yesterday, the Tompkins Square Park Art Bar rose out of the ashes of the former Black Rose on the corner of Seventh Street and Avenue A... it was a short-lived operation that the NYPD and Sanitation Department shut down after 24 hours or so...

And there is video of both the (fake) bar in all its glory and, starting at the 10-minute mark of the first video, the arrival of the NYPD...





H/T to the reader who forwarded the video to us...

Another sign of spring: the annual Dance Parade is May 20



Organizers of the 2017 Dance Parade have released more details about this year's event... via the EVG inbox...

Dance Parade New York is pleased to announce details for its 11th-annual event, showcasing over 150 dance groups across 83 unique styles of dance in celebration of peace and unity.

Grand Marshals for this year’s Dance Parade are capoeira master, Mestre João Grande; Broadway legend, Maurice Hines; American pioneer of techno music and founder of the Peace, Love, Unity and Respect movement, Frankie Bones; and the honorable Council Member, Rosie Mendez, who has been a committed supporter of Dance Parade since inception. The Grand Marshals will kick off the parade and festival with a ribbon cutting ceremony that begins at 12:45 p.m. on Saturday, May 20.

At 1pm on May 20th the parade unfolds with 10,000 dancers who salsa, sashay, 2-step and boogie their way down Broadway from West 21st Street, through Union Square and University Place and across 8th Street/Saint Mark's Place to a grandstand in Astor Place Plaza where performances take place.

Ending in Tompkins Square Park, DanceFest comes alive from 3 to 7 p.m. highlighting the artistic excellence and cultural treasures found in the Dance Parade. Festivalgoers are invited to view the richness of its cultural forms on four stages, participate in social dancing and take dance lessons — all FREE to the public.

This year's parade theme is "Dance for Peace."

City Council candidates to discuss 'Historic Preservation Issues' on the Lower East Side



An array of neighborhood groups are hosting a forum on Monday night (May 1!) with candidates for City Council Districts 1 and 2 to share their thoughts on "Historic Preservation Issues."

Per the invite:

You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions about their plan to preserve the historic architecture, streetscapes and character of the Lower East Side, from Chinatown to 14th Street.

The event takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 at the Third Street Music School, 253 E. 11th St. between Second Avenue and Third Avenue.

Find more details and to RSVP here.

Own Olympic snowboarding champ Shaun White's A Building condo



Shaun White, the two-time Olympic gold-medalist snowboarder, is selling his penthouse condo over at the A Building on 13th Street, the Post reports.

Here's the listing for the unit (NOT the one that had the slide) in Ben Shaoul's pool-topped condoplex between Avenue A and First Avenue via Citi Habitats:

Come inside this stunning and south facing Two bedroom Two and one half bathroom sunlit highly coveted penthouse at the A building. Floor to ceiling windows and soaring 12 foot+ ceilings with open layout provide downtown views and beautiful sunrises on your private patio. The building is a full service luxury doorman building with fully equipped rooftop including a vibrant pool scene, gym, and garden. Modern finishes throughout the apartment combined with an abundance of natural light are sure to impress.



The Real Deal notes that the unit last sold for $2.9 million in 2014. Presumably White has owned it since then. (Not sure how much time he actually spent there.)

Current asking price: $2.79 million.

Previously on EV Grieve:
People apparently love the condo with the giant metal slide, according to article about how much people love the condo with the giant metal slide

Your chance to stand in line outside a 7-Eleven to meet Shaun White today

No. 117 is the latest Avenue A storefront for rent


[Photo by Daniel]

One day after the Marshal's notice eviction was posted at the now-former Black Rose bar space at 117 Avenue A ... the for rent signs arrived here between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

The listing isn't online just yet at Steve Croman's 9300 Realty site... this storefront joins two other nearby Croman properties for rent — 115 Avenue A (former Blink Fitness membership office) and 147 Avenue A (formerly La Lucha).

Back in 2014, the space, which housed the Odessa Cafe and Bar, was asking $22,500.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Reader report: A car drives in the 1st Avenue bike lane


[Reader-submitted photo]

An EVG reader shared this from this afternoon...

I was just on First Avenue and St. Mark's, and a silver car drove past me, moving uptown on First Avenue in the bike lane! The guy was driving in the bike lane! I was shouting you are in the bike lane, and a delivery guy with a handtruck who was in the car's path was shouting the same thing.

But the guy kept driving, and turned left on 9th Street right where Kelly Hurley was hit. I chased after the car, but he zoomed down 9th Street and turned left onto Second Avenue. I went back to the corner of First Avenue and St. Mark's hoping he would come around, so I could snap a photo of the car, but he didn't. The car was silver, and I didn't see what kind of car it was.

Anyway, it was shocking to see someone do this right after a cyclist was killed here. It was shocking that the guy ignored us. His window was down, so he had to have heard us. It goes to show that First Avenue is a free-for-all. It is yet more evidence to me that cops need to be stopping not bikes but cars on First Avenue and ticketing them and informing them of the rules of the road.

City shuts down the Tompkins Square Park Art Bar after 1 day


[Yesterday!]

Well, after one day, the Tompkins Square Park Art Bar (aka the remnants of the now-closed Black Rose) is no more... EVG regular Daniel reports that a city sanitation crew stopped by the corner of Seventh Street and Avenue A and took away the bar and most everyone else that Jerry and Co. had assembled from the cleared-out space at 117 Avenue A...





Just some of Jerry's paintings and his shoes — and the Black Rose's Jimmy Page Monolithic Riff — remain...

The Black Rose has closed on Avenue A; welcome Tompkins Square Park Art Bar (temporarily)



The Black Rose, which billed itself as a neighborhood rock-and-roll bar, has closed at 117 Avenue A between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

EVG regular Daniel shared these photos and the tip.

The Marshal took legal possession yesterday of the nearly two-year-old bar on behalf of landlord Steve Croman.



The space was quickly cleaned out...



As we understand it, the Black Rose management told Jerry, the artist who occasionally takes up residence on the corner of Avenue A and Seventh Street, and company to take what they wanted... and so for at least part of the day there was the all-new Tompkins Square Park Art Bar...



...featuring framed posters of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, velvet rope, red banquettes, bar stools, a disco ball and other former Black Rose items along the Seventh Street entrance to Tompkins Square Park...







No. 117 was the longtime home, until August 2013, of the Odessa Cafe & Bar.

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Black Rose, 'a neighborhood rock and roll bar,' opening in the former Odessa Cafe and Bar space (73 comments)

Ravi DeRossi moving Ladybird to the East Village; taking residence at former Bourgeois Pig space


[Photo of 111 E. 7th St. from last October]

Last summer, restaurateur Ravi DeRossi turned his Bourgeois Pig into vegan tapas bar Ladybird over on MacDougal Street in the West Village. (DeRossi started going meat free on the menus at his establishments in early 2016. Ladybird sends part of its profits to DeRossi's BEAST Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending animal cruelty.)

Now, DeRossi plans to relocate Ladybird to 111 E. Seventh St. between Avenue A and First Avenue — the original home of The Bourgeois Pig before its move to the West Village in late January 2015. (Eater reported back in November 2014 that a rent increase was behind DeRossi's decision to pack up the 10-year-old bar.)

"The landlord has offered me a very fair deal, so I have decided to move Ladybird from MacDougal to Seventh Street, where it should have been in the first place," DeRossi, whose home and office is in the East Village, told us via email.

Next month, he will appear before CB3's SLA committee for a new beer-wine license for No. 111.

The previous No. 111 tenant, the wine bar Virgola, closed last October after 10 months in business.

Out East opens Friday out on 6th Street



Out East, which will serve "New American fare with influences from the coastal regions of Long Island," opens Friday at 509 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

The restaurant is currently in friends/family mode. According to a neighbor, front-of-the-house staff was spotted lined up outside early Friday evening for the start of training. The Out East team includes chef Tim Meyers (an alum of Charlie Bird), Peter Kane (Beauty & Essex and Stanton Social), and Anthony Serignese (formerly of Beauty & Essex and Stanton Social).



According to a statement to Eater last December: "Out East is the stylish, coastal cosmopolitan, downtown dining destination that transports guests away from the city for a night." According to an online listing, the bi-level restaurant "pulls inspiration from Montauk, with interiors reflecting the essence of a seaside getaway and a New American menu with influences from Southern coastal France."

And here's a look at part of the seafood-centric menu...



Meanwhile, across Sixth Street, Baron's Dim Sum is open for business...



H/T Riley McCormick!

Previously on EV Grieve:
Out East quietly announces itself on 6th Street

Peter Kane looking to bring Out East to 6th Street

Katrina del Mar's 'Feral Women/Filmed Portraits' opens tonight on Avenue A



A solo exhibition featuring the work of East Village-based photographer-filmmaker Katrina del Mar opens tonight at the Art on A Gallery.

Here's more about "Feral Women/Filmed Portraits":

In a solo exhibition of new and archival work, Katrina del Mar revels in her fascination and obsession with Feral Women: a riveting and immersive exhibition of photo portraits, filmed portraits, black velvet paintings and drawings. “Women expressing wildness, sometimes overt, sometimes subtle, is a manifestation of innate power. The high hard femme, the bad girl, the rocker, the biker, the surfer-selkie, are icons of a new feminist pantheon.” The implied mirror or screen, a disrupted transmissive surface for exploring known and newly discovered selves via queer selfie drawings and filmed portraits, challenge accepted norms of representation.

The exhibit is up through May 18. The space is at 24 Avenue A between Second Street and Third Street.




Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Wednesday's parting shot



Pretty good game of punch-pong in Tompkins Square Park.

Photo by Derek Berg

Back to business as usual for Sunny's Florist



Sunny's was back open this afternoon on Second Avenue and Sixth Street... they were closed for a few days "due to family matters" (which included a "nothing bad no worries" reassurance).

Thanks to Vinny & O for the photo!