Monday's parting shot

A tree grows on Avenue B (7th and B, specifically). Thanks to EVG regular Greg Masters for the photo!

A ride to raise awareness for a protected two‑way bike lane on Avenue B

Tomorrow morning, a group of neighborhood parents and their children will gather for a bike ride to school... in show of support for a protected two‑way bike lane on Avenue B.

As we first reported on April 15, a movement is underway to secure bike lanes on Avenue B, an increasingly congested 14-block corridor currently without any marked paths for cyclists such as on Avenue A and Avenue C.

The idea came about via parents who bike their children to area schools — including the East Village Community School, the Children's Workshop School, Tompkins Square Middle School, the Earth School and East Side Community High School.

You can read more via a petition at this link.

As for tomorrow (Monday) morning, there are now two start locations — Grand and Clinton and the Stuy Town-14th Street loop just north of Avenue B.

Here's part of the invite:

Will you ride your bike with us on the morning of Monday, May 20 as New Yorkers come together to demand a safe, protected two‑way bike lane on Avenue B?

We invite East Village neighbors on a family-paced group ride of solidarity with parents who are already biking their children to school, just in time for morning drop-off. We’ll end our ride at local bike-friendly business The Roost, at 222 Avenue B, for an optional cup of coffee afterwards.

If you haven’t already, please sign our #BikeAveB online petition for a two‑way protected bike lane and join hundreds of families who are already asking for safer way to bike to school.

[Photo by Sam Bleiberg]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Making the case for 2-way bike lanes on Avenue B

Making the case for 2-way bike lanes on Avenue B

A movement is underway to secure two-way bike lanes on Avenue B, an increasingly congested 14-block corridor currently without any marked paths for cyclists such as on Avenue A and Avenue C.

The awareness campaign commenced along the Avenue this past Friday...

Big day today! We’re kicking off our campaign for a protected #bikeNYC lane on Avenue B! Can’t wait to make this street safer for all the schools and commuters in the East Village! @TransAlt pic.twitter.com/5RiyA4XQLD

— Sam Bleiberg (@SamBleiberg) April 12, 2019

The idea came about via parents who bike their children to area schools — including the East Village Community School, the Children's Workshop School, Tompkins Square Middle School, the Earth School and East Side Community High School.

After presenting the idea to, and receiving support from, the East Village Community School Parent Association, East Village resident and parent Choresh Wald approached Transportation Alternatives, who has endorsed the proposal and is helping spread the word via #BikeAveB on social media.

East Village knows that #bikeNYC is here, and lanes are coming! 🌸 #BikeAveB kickoff this morning was a huge success. Thanks @TransAlt volunteers @TA_Ambassadors for promoting our May 20th #bikemonth ride-to-school ✏️ 👨🏾‍🏫🚲 on Ave B! Sign the petition: https://t.co/QDwhiv6G2X pic.twitter.com/7Uvdi3Wwub

— Chelsea Skye (@pekochel) April 12, 2019

There's now a petition in circulation, which you can find here.

Per the petition, which is signed by Wald:

A historical source of Alphabet City's fight for tenants rights and neighborhood empowerment, Avenue B today is a vibrant 14-block stretch in the East Village that is lined with schools, cultural institutions and community gardens. Tompkins Square Park, the adjacent libraries and burgeoning night life combine to make Avenue B an increasingly busy corridor for people on foot and on two wheels.

Despite being a narrow avenue, Avenue B allows two-way travel for cars, but has no dedicated lanes for anybody who wants to ride a bicycle. Yet parents and neighbors alike are already choosing to ride down this unsafe corridor.

To make the problem worse, trucks and commercial vehicles have no curbside loading zones. Every day we see them double-parking in order to make deliveries to the dozens of small businesses along Avenue B.


[EVG photo]

We need a safe, two-way protected bike lane on Avenue B, complete with pedestrian safety improvements!

The closure of the East River bike path as part of the upcoming East River Coastal Resiliency plan adds real urgency to the situation. The loss of the East River Greenway park facilities for several years will increase demand to transform Avenue B into a street that can be safer for all users.

By local law, our youngest New Yorkers are allowed to ride on the sidewalk until they are 14 years old. But some of us can't afford to allow them to bike independently given the current conditions of our streets. Community Board 3, we need your help! When our daughters and sons turn 14 years old they will need a safe place to bike on Avenue B.

We've heard from several residents in recent months about an increase in traffic from commercial vehicles in part due to the arrival of Target last summer on 14th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B (at least one other big-box store is expected in the retail space below the newish residential building EVGB) ...


[EVG photo from February]

... and the ongoing presence of the private trash-truck operators making the early-morning rounds...





Wald and other parents plan to meet with City Councilmember Carlina Rivera's office in the next few weeks to share their proposal. Wald also hopes to present the plan to Community Board 3 early this summer.

After a garbage truck burst a hydraulic line on Avenue B

EVG reader Robert Miner shares these photos on Avenue B between Seventh Street and Eighth Street this morning... word here is that the hydraulic line on a city sanitation truck ruptured, creating a slick mess on the Avenue... workers spread a ground absorbent on the spill...



... and reaction...

Did the sanitation truck find itself after this looking in the mirror with that Harry Nilsson song playing

— happy dunk on Amazon day (@brianvan) February 15, 2019

Early morning fireworks on 2nd and B

There were several reader reports of some kind of explosion(s) early this morning around 1.

A Reddit user uploaded a video providing the possible explanation — a street fireworks display ... the video appears to be from Second Street heading east toward Avenue B...

East 2nd St and Ave B, 1am, 12.16.18 from r/nyc

Next question is why. (Or what, if anything, the occasion was...)

H/T The Teenage Oldman!

Thursday's parting shot

Late afternoon on Avenue B via Vinny & O...

This part of Avenue B is closed at the moment for ConEd work

EVG regular Salim notes that ConEd crews are out this morning on Avenue B at Sixth Street ... at the site of an apparent lightning strike yesterday morning... for now Avenue B is closed to traffic between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. Sunny & Annie's and the other merchants along here are open.

Waiting on the manhole

As of about 8:30, Avenue B is closed between Fifth Street and Seventh Street ... ConEd and the FDNY are on the scene outside Sunny & Annie's... there's a smoking manhole and an unconfirmed report that this was caused by lightning...



Sunny & Annie's is temporarily closed, breakfast ruined.

Updated 1 p.m.

As you can see the Avenue is back open to traffic... and Sunny & Annie's is back open.



Multiple residents who live nearby say this was a lightning strike...

Dogs are allowed on this beach

Dog Beach debuted last week on Avenue B between 10th Street and 11th Street... outside of Brix ...


[EVG photo]

Not sure about the rules and regulations here, such as if a City Permit is needed for a wedding on the beach.



Thanks to EVG reader Cheyenne for the photos!

Resident: July 4 collision highlights dangerous East Houston-Avenue B/Clinton Street intersection

An EVG reader, who lives near East Houston and Avenue B/Clinton Street, has again expressed concerned about the intersection following a collision on July 4.

According to the reader, a Zipcar heading north on Clinton Street ran a light ... a westbound cab hit the car, sending the rental up onto the curb, hitting a pedestrian and then crashing into the Banco Popular at 1 Avenue B.



The reader said that the pedestrian, a male in his early 30s, sustained a leg injury. The passengers in the rental — a man, woman and three children — were all taken to the hospital. It wasn't believed that their injuries were serious.

Given the holiday and demands on the NYPD, it took officers 75 minutes to respond. Several witnesses stayed to give statements, though the driver of the cab left the scene.





Per the reader:

"Only a handful of cars can make the right off the Williamsburg Bridge before the light changes ... and many try to run the light at Houston and Avenue B because they've been waiting 15 minutes to get from Delancey to Houston. On top of that, you've got people coming off the FDR westbound onto Houston still doing highway speeds.

This is an incredible dangerous intersection. [The city] should reverse the direction of Clinton Street."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reports: 73-year-old East Village woman struck and killed by van while crossing East Houston

More accidents on East Houston Street

Reader report: An assessment of the dangerous East Houston-Avenue B/Clinton Street intersection

Bella's Beauty Supply is closing on Avenue B

The shop with the colorful wigs in the windows closes for good tomorrow here on Avenue B between Second Street and Third Street ... Hair products and wigs are 50 percent off now until closing time.

Bella's opened in October 2011.

There has been some turnover in the businesses along here. The pet shop and deli closed late last year... and Choice Cleaners moved two storefronts to the north at the start of 2016.

Thank you Salim for the photo and tip!

Letters for Angel

Someone has set this up on the corner of Avenue B and 13th Street... soliciting letters for Angel... (the address is to a box at the 23rd Street post office)...





I don't know Angel, but based on all this I'm assuming he was a piraguero who sold flavored shaved ice here...



Anyone have more information about all this?

A Choice new space for cleaners on Avenue B

A storefront shuffle to note on Avenue B between East Second Street and East Third Street ... where Choice Cleaners is moving two storefronts to the north, to where the former pet supply shop was until a few weeks ago...



The new space will be larger for the owner, who plans on expanding her alteration services, per EVG contributor Stacie Joy.

And at the former deli next to Cornerstone ... the landlord is taking a new approach with the for rent sign...


[Photo by Stacie Joy]

Large limb down on Avenue B

[Photo via EVG reader JL]

Several EVG readers noted that a tree branch from Tompkins Square Park came crashing down onto the sidewalk on Avenue B at East Ninth Street this afternoon...

Crews arrived on the scene to survey the damage and remove the fallen limb...


[Photo by EVG reader Lola Sáenz]


[LS]

We're not sure at this moment if workers will need to remove the whole tree or just the branch.

Noted

Spotted at 8-12 Avenue B

Lower Avenue B residents meeting tonight to discuss the Cock

The Cock is looking to move from Second Avenue to 25 Avenue B, in the current home of Idle Hands. This is one of the items on Monday night's CB3/SLA committee meeting.

Ahead of that, residents are meeting with reps from The Cock tonight to discuss what's in store for Avenue B. The following flyers went up yesterday…



According to the Block Association, Allan Mannarelli, a managing member of the one and only Superdive, is an owner of The Cock. He is expected at tonight's meeting.

Some residents fear a return to the bonkerish partygoing along here last seen in 2004-2006... a stretch that Eater dubbed "Hellmouth" back in 2006.

Monday's committee meeting is at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Board 3 Office, 59 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and The Bowery.

Reader report: Hit-and-run on East 7th Street and Avenue B

EVG reader Mayra Diaz passed along this photo and info just after 9 this evening:

Yellow cab hit an elderly man on a bike and left speeding away. Police and ambulance were called. Bicyclist can walk and is in ambulance.

However, Mayra noted that the cab driver returned to the scene 15 minutes later and gave a statement to the NYPD. No word if any charges were filed ...

The NYPD installed a surveillance camera at East Seventh Street and Avenue B back on June 26.

Call Harvey — and tell him someone broke the window

At the former laundromat at 44 Avenue B…

Former laundromat for rent now on Avenue B

The laundromat at 44 Avenue B has moved down to 47 Clinton St. … and the space is on on the market … and it's the third vacant storefront now on the western side of Avenue B between East Third Street and East Fourth Street… joining Cafe Rakka and Coyi Cafe …


[Inside the former Cafe Rakka]

All three businesses have had Steve Croman as a landlord.

[UPDATED] Reader report: Did Con Ed leave some exposed wires on Avenue B?

A concerned East Village resident sent the above photo and this note...

This is how Con Ed left the repair site directly inside the crosswalks of the Earth School/P.S. 64 on Avenue B and East 5th Street.

One would hope that there is no possibility that a current could exist in these wires. However, they are certainly secured with the shrink-wrap caps that is Con Ed's protocol for securing live cables.

This does not instill confidence. We don't have any way of knowing if the cables are dead or simply capped. Nor does it seem to be an exercise in good judgement to leave the appearance of exposed wires like this within the crosswalks of an elementary school.

And the snowfall that will fall tonight will quickly cover these up…

Updated 9:35 a.m.

Con Ed spokesperson Allan Drury left this comment: "This cable is not live and poses no danger. It previously provided temporary power. We will remove it as soon as weather permits."