Mulch Madness, of course

Workers dropped off a fresh batch of mulch today in Tompkins Square Park... will this tempt any pub crawlers to play King of the Mountain this weekend? (Please don't answer that...)

Photo by Bobby Williams.

Whiteout at the Houston-Bowery mural wall

Someone started painting over the FAILE mural here on the Bowery and East Houston... it went up in early November... not sure just yet who's next for the wall... Anyone know? And why are they painting over this instead of preserving the art...?

Here's a video of TATS Cru creating the Jeremy Lin mural on Second Street

Yesterday, we mentioned that ANIMAL commissioned TATS Cru to paint an Atlas-inspired tribute to Knicks star Jeremy Lin on Second Street at Avenue A.

Now here's a time-lapse video via ANIMAL New York....

Time Lapse of Jeremy Lin Mural from ANIMALnewyork.com on Vimeo.

The next dessert concept for St. Mark's Place: bacon-filled macarons

So, we have places selling sweet buns and pudding on St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue... and now?

As Julie Shapiro reports at DNAinfo this morning, Macaron Parlour is taking over the vacant storefronts at 111 St. Mark's Place, part of the former Chocolate Library.

The desserts debuted at the Hester Street Fair in 2010... this will be the first shop for Christina Ha and Simon Tung. Per DNA:

"[T]he bakery takes the traditional macaron and adds unusual fillings, from fresh strawberries to candied bacon and maple cream cheese.

For every lemon macaron sold, Macaron Parlor donates $1 to Alex's Lemonade Stand, an organization that seeks to cure pediatric cancer.

These were two of the storefronts that we suggested Bleecker Bob's look at for their relocation.

Another look inside the former theater on Avenue B

We've written a lot about the long-empty 185-193 Avenue B at East 12th Street. A quick recap: There is a demolition application on file already with the city (dated Sept. 20). And, according to the DOB, plans for a mixed-use seven-story building with 44 units are pending with the DOB. (You can read a short history of what's happening with the space here.)

The address was a movie theater for many years, first the Bijou in 1926, then the Charles. (The theater closed in 1975, and a church took over the space.) A fire broke out in the building in October 2006.

Two weeks ago, Brooklyn-based photographer Matt Lambros photographed the space for After the Final Curtain, his excellent photo site on abandoned architecture.

Here are four of the photos that he posted yesterday. (Reposted here with permission.)

Matt said that workers removed the seats about a month ago...

Matt provides a little history of the space too. "By 1937 the Bijou had been sold to the Bell Theater Company. The same year, the Motion Picture Operators Union started a strike for higher wages from the Bell Theater Company; during the strike, two operators locked themselves in the projection booth in protest. Their demands were met 12 hours later and wages were increased to $27.00 a week."

...and here is the former projector room...

Check out the rest of his photos here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Revival planned for church and theater on Avenue B

Inside the Charles

Former landmark countercultural theater now for rent on Avenue B

7-story building in the works to replace former countercultural theater/church on Avenue B

Here's the rest of 219 First Avenue

Yesterday, we posted photos of the penthouse peeking out of the top of 219 First Avenue at 13th Street... workers continued to strip the netting from around the former four-floor building... here's how it's looking this morning...

Hmm. Thoughts on this now that you can see the more of the renovated building...?

Buyer beware

Spotted on East Eighth Street.

So what's going on with the former Ben & Jerry's space on Third Avenue?

The other day, we were walking by the former Ben & Jerry's space on Third Avenue and NYU (technically 41 Third Ave.) ... such seemingly prime space has been empty for some time. Jeremiah first reported that Ben & Jerry's was closing (after 22 years at this location) in September 2010.

So nearly 18 months later... what gives here? Astronomical rent? We looked at the Newmark Knight Frank listing. Pretty specific instructions in all caps for future tenants:

FANTASTIC RETAIL SPACE in NYU DORM.
ABSOLUTELY NO COOKING, NO TEA, NO COFFEE.
Formerly Ben and Jerry's.

Hot East Village Location.

The rent is "negotiable" for the 1,175 square feet.

The listing including this sad photo of abandoned cows...

What do you think? Cellphone store? Radio Shack? Egg shop?

This is what an empty lot on East Third Street near Avenue C looked like on Feb. 26, 2012

This year, we'll post photos like this of various buildings, streetscenes, etc., to capture them as they looked at this time and place... The photos may not be the most telling now, but they likely will be one day...

The line for free pancakes at the East Village IHOP

Earlier, we noted that it was National Pancake Day at IHOP... (a free short stack of pancakes in return for considering leaving a donation for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other designated local charities...)

And there was a line to get in early this afternoon...

...a lot of high school students in (or on!) line ...

'Linsanity' strikes the corner of Avenue A and Second Street

[ANIMALNewYork]

So you may have heard about the New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin ... Anyway, our friends at ANIMAL New York passed this along:

In honor of this newfound responsibility – and crushing pressure – ANIMAL commissioned TATS Cru to paint an Atlas-inspired tribute to the man of the hour.

It's up on the southeast corner, where we've been seeing some marriage proposals of late... the mural should be up for another month...

See more photos here.

$1 drinks tomorrow for Customer Appreciation Day at the Bean's Second Avenue location

Tomorrow, the Bean outpost on Second Avenue at East Third Street is holding a Customer Appreciation Day. According to the Bean Facebook page (and these posters), all 12-ounce drinks, hot or cold, will be $1.

Photos by jdx.

Former Mission Cafe on Second Avenue becoming a Turkish restaurant

The Mission Cafe at 82 Second Ave. near East Fifth Street closed back in November 2010 ... the space had been on the block for several months prior to the closure.


According to Crain's New York this afternoon, Village Grill 82 Inc. recently signed a 10-year lease for the 700 square feet of space. Per Crain's: "The eatery, which has yet to be named, is expected to open for business this spring."

EV Grieve Etc: Mourning Edition

[East 13th Street at Third Avenue by Bobby Williams]

Little Rickie vs. Starbucks on First Avenue and East Third Street (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Funny business with rent-stabilized tenants (Occupy East 4th Street)

Moving into an abandoned East 11th Street tenement in 1980 (Gothamist)

The Mosaic Man is selling belt buckles on Etsy (DNAinfo)

More photos from Occupy Town Square Sunday in Tompkins Square Park (The Gog Log ... GammaBlog has video interviews here...)

Philip Glass on the meaning of love (The Village Voice)

Olivia closes on East Houston (BoweryBoogie)

Former Rolling Stone writer-editor Paul Scanlon talks Hunter S. Thompson, great bars (Tripping With Marty)

Madonna rehashing 1984-era Cyndi Lauper? (Forbes)

Meanwhile, gotta go – my ship has come in...

[Dave on 7th]

The 'for rent' signs have arrived on the corner of 14th Street and Avenue A

Spotted yesterday on the sidewalk shed...

A three-alarm fire wiped out the corner on May 12, 2010... taking with it neighborhood favorites Stuyvesant Grocery and Pete's-a-Pizza ...

[EV Grieve reader Sergey]

The corner has sat vacant since crews stripped the place clean several months after the fire... the owners of both businesses had said that they wanted to reopen here ...

[February 2011]

Conspiracy theories abound for this corner ripe for development. The usual suspects such as NYU have already been eliminated. (Via The Villager.)

The number is for Solil Management/Sol Goldman Investments. We didn't find any details about terms of the rentals, space available, air rights, etc.

Thoughts on what type of development will eventually land here?

Previously on EV Grieve:
Conspiracies: What next for 14th Street and Avenue A?

Renovations in order for Stuyvesant Grocery and Pete's-A-Place?

Penthouse striptease at 219 First Avenue

Seems as if the northwest corner of First Avenue at 13th Street has been boarded up/under construction since, say, 2005... the ground floor here once housed the Mee Noodle Shop, a favorite spot for Allen Ginsburg...

[A shot from 2007 via Flickr]

...and in 2009...



Yesterday, workers unwrapped the top levels of the former four-floor building...

...and by the end of the work day...

According to the retail listing... you can take possession of the ground-floor space in March....

We haven't found any information just yet on the housing portion of the building, and whether it will be condos or rentals. The DOB lists Joshua Landau of Integrated Capital as the building's owner.

Previously on EV Grieve:
219 First Avenue ready for a chain store, probably

Banned Bronx billboard on the Bowery

Well, it's not the same billboard here above the the Downtown Auto & Tire Center at Great Jones ... it's just the same ad for Wódka Vodka that angered Bronx community leaders after the billboard arrived over the Bruckner Expressway leading to Hunts Point, "an area still battling an image as a place to buy sex," as the Daily News reported.

After speaking with the local Community Board, the marketing company removed it last week. Per the marketing guy: "We wanted to help them out. We're going to get rid of the billboard and take it down, and we applaud them for what they're doing in their community."

Hmm.

Anyway, BoweryBoogie notes all this today ... and he has his own take. Meanwhile, we will be petitioning to have that "Rock Center with Brian Williams" ad below it removed ... We'll think of a reason why.

2 reasons to try Hot Kitchen, probably

Dave on 7th passes along this sign that he spotted on Seventh Street and Second Avenue... We're unsure if this is supposed to be for or against Hot Kitchen, the Sichuan restaurant that opened last September on Second Avenue near Sixth Street.

In the end, we think this is supposed to be for the place, because their chef doesn't cook and smoke at the same time... and the delivery people don't nibble on your food...

Regardless, Hot Kitchen is a good spot that we like ... and they also like it at New York magazine and the Voice... the NYC Food Guy ...

NY Healthy Choice opening on Avenue C

Signs have appeared at the under-renovation storefront on the southwest corner of Avenue C at 11th Street...

... a deli called NY Healthy Choice...

[Bobby Williams]

The last tenant, the Monk Thrift Shop, closed in December 2010. At the time, neighbors heard that a bank branch would open here.

Noted

Per a commenter:

Don't forget National Pancake Day for free pancakes at IHOP [today] Since beginning its National Pancake Day celebration in 2006, IHOP has raised nearly $8 million to support charities in the communities in which it operates. On February 28, 2012, guests from around the country are invited to celebrate National Pancake Day at IHOP and enjoy a free short stack of Buttermilk pancakes.* In return for the free pancakes, guests are asked to consider leaving a donation for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals© and other designated local charities.

Ninjasonik video shoot in Tompkins Square Park this afternoon

Brooklyn's Reverend McFly and Telli Gramz of Ninjasonik (plus guests) were in the Park today for a video shoot... Bobby Williams took a few photos...

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning edition

[The next morning on East 13th Street]

Gunfire and a police chase last night at the Baruch Houses (The Lo-Down ... WABC)

A 1990 map of NYU in the East Village (Ephemeral New York)

Ninth Avenue's Manganaro Grosseria closes after 119 years in business (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

David Godlis on photographing Television in the East Village (Stupefaction ... Diary of a Lunatic Photographer)

Jazz funeral for owner of 20 Peacocks (BoweryBoogie)

71 Clinton St. has been a lot of restaurants lately (Eater)

About skinny jeans (Gizmodo)

Cindy Sherman at MoMa (Gothamist)

Snack van catches fire on East Second Street

Dave on 7th is one the scene here between Avenue A and Avenue B...

No cause yet for the blaze, which broke out a block from the firehouse...