What kind of neighbor will Cooper Union be after today?

As you likely know, the owners of St. Mark's Bookshop will meet today with Theresa C. Westcott, Cooper Union's Vice President of Finance, Adminstration, and Treasury, to negotiate a rent reduction, as Runnin' Scared noted on Monday. Co-owner Bob Contant is aiming for a $5,000/month reduction, but says the new administration has not been "particularly sympathetic." They have struggled to pay the market rate that Cooper Union set at $20,000.

There's plenty of commentary on the matter. Jeremiah Moss writes an Open Letter to Cooper Union today at Vanishing New York. He outlines how Cooper Union has helped usher in "a tsunami of hyper-gentrification," from the Bowery Bar to the glassy hell of 1 Astor Place to the destruction of 35 Cooper Square.

Per Jeremiah:

If St. Mark's Books is forced to close due to unyielding rent, whatever business moves into their space at 31 Third Avenue will be boycotted and protested by the thousands of people who read this blog and all the blogs connected to it. Nothing will thrive there--no bank, no cupcake shop, no kitten adoption center.

Meanwhile, Rob at Save the Lower East Side has more pointed commentary.

Peter Cooper himself was all about giving back to the community. Peter must have long ago tired of spinning in his grave over what has become of his life's dream, free higher education for the working class. How many ways can Cooper Union spell "betrayal"?

He goes on to wonder if the neighborhood even deserves the bookshop.

The NYU students have their own bookstore, filled with all the books they need and more than they can handle. As for the rest of the neighborhood, this place is a youth destination for children of means, not an intellectual or countercultural destination anymore. It's heart is commerce now, not anarchy. Freedom must be purchased, and it exacts many prices.

And you know about the petition to save St. Mark's Bookshop. It's here.

Meanwhile, there was a robust discussion on the topic on the last EVG post here.

[Photo via John Roca the Daily News. Read their article here.]

Cooper Union's plan to remake Astor Place — and the East Village

In case you haven't read it yet, head on over to Jeremiah's Vanishing New York for his take on Cooper Union's plan for Astor Place — and the East Village.

An excerpt!

The redesign of Astor Place is part of the Bloomberg program to remake the East Village into a haven for the upper classes and safety-seeking suburbanites. When considering what's about to happen to Astor Place, we must look beyond the pretty green trees to the motivations behind the plan. Why is it really being done and for whom? Who will benefit the most from it? What will the East Village lose in the long run?

Read the post here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
East Village — the new Midtown?

[Updated] Cooper Union is now a hotel — for at least a day

EV Grieve reader @MaryTom asks a perfectly reasonable question via Twitter: "Did I miss something? When did this Cooper Union bldg become Hotel Withrow? Movie set?"

(OK, that's two questions...)

Probably a movie or TV set. We stopped paying attention to film shoots of late. Since there seemed to be one on every other block. Or so it seemed. Or maybe Cooper Union officials feel as if there aren't enough hotels around here...

Updated:

As a reader pointed out... It is a shoot for "White Collar."

And will the Flaming Cactus get any TV time?

Benefit for Emilie Louise Gossiaux today at Cooper Union

Last Oct. 8, Emilie Louise Gossiaux, a student at Cooper Union, was struck by an 18-wheeler while riding her bike in Brooklyn. In addition to stroke, traumatic brain injury and resuscitated cardiac arrest, she suffered multiple fractures in her head, pelvis, and left leg. She emerged from the ER in severely critical condition with a pessimistic assessment of her brain function. A “grim” prognosis was made of her chance for survival.

You can read more about her tragic story here.
Emilie is currently in a neurorehabilitation program at the Rusk Institute.

Today from 2-6 in the Houghton Gallery (2nd floor of the Foundation Building at 7 E. Seventh St.) at Cooper Union, the School of Art and the Student Council are hosting an auction and sale of original artwork donated by the Cooper art family of staff, faculty and students to raise money for Emilie's rehabilitation. More than 100 works have been donated to this event — some will be auctioned and some will be available as cash-and-carry.

And I apologize for not posting this information sooner for people making plans...

Cafe/preschool coming to Cooper Union

Interesting combo...

Cooper Union is green

Crain's has the good news about Cooper Union's achievement:

The East Village-based school's new building at 41 Cooper Square has become the city's first academic structure to earn the U.S. Green Building Council's highest honor: LEED Platinum certification.

Meanwhile, here to dampen our spirits per usual, EV Heave thinks they celebrated with some Pavement Pizza.

Taras Shevchenko Place and Hall Place

An EV Grieve reader noted that Taras Shevchenko Place, which runs alongside St. George's Ukrainian Church and the Cooper Union between Seventh Street and Sixth Street, has another name: Hall Place. Well, yes the Hall Place sign is new.



Back in 2001, Cooper Union officials had proposed de-mapping Taras Shevchenko Place, named for the Ukrainian poet, artist and activist. De-mapping would "remove the street from existence in all official matters, and from all official documents."

I lost track of that story... looks like Hall Place is sharing an existence with it for now.

According to Forgotten New York, City Council changed the name of Hall Place to Taras Shevchenko Place in 1978.

And who or what is Hall?

Per the Times from January 1999:

The street that now carries the name of Shevchenko, Ukraine's ''freedom symbol,'' was first known as Hall Street and then as Hall Place, after Charles Henry Hall, a Harlem landowner who sold the property to the city on Dec. 23, 1828.

EV Heave's Super Barf Sunday!

With the start of the college and pro football season this past weekend, revelers/East Village tourists took to the binge drinking and wing eating almost as much as usual! And, alas, some distraught Lions or Raiders or Eagles fan may or may not have taken out his or her misery on the defenseless (except for the anti-skateboarding teeth!) Cooper Union Building...C'mon, they don't even have a football team!

Or! Maybe this is the work of the diabolical Cooper Union serial vomiter!

Anyway, EV Heave has more details, mostly just a photo and the copy above that he or she stole from me. WARNING: A large puddle of you know what awaits you at the end of this link.

Another EV Heave exclusive

EV Heave checks in with a report that Cooper Union officials installed a Vomit Watching Tower atop their academic building this past weekend to help spot the Serial Vomiter. (Of course, this likely isn't true.) Full report here.

No more skateboard park at Cooper Union, but WaterWorld is still active

On Tuesday, we linked to Quartersnack's post about the Cooper Union brass placing spiked bars on the skakeboarding ramp out front...


[Photo via Quartersnack]

Anyway, in the comments, our friend NYC Taxi Photo pointed out the following about the Cooper Union:

"[I]t's also a great piss spot on the back alley of the building. I went for a wiz there, and there was another guy with a drink in a paper bag that morning, commenting on my choice location who stepped right into that corner to do his number one right after i was done.

I have to give kudos to the cooper union for destroying the classic and putting up this new thing with so many great shady crevasses for the public to utilize best."

Hmm... and we know exactly the spot that he's talking about...



Should we expect outdoor urinal cakes next?

Meanwhile, speaking of bodily fluids, we have not heard from EV Heave in some time... I fear the worst...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Cooper Union puts the brakes on its skateboarding bank

Cooper Union puts the brakes on its skateboarding bank

Cooper Union brass have apparently had enough of gleaming the coop... As Quartersnacks point out, the bank has been skatestopped with spiked metal bars running across the entire surface. "Drunk people will still climb on it, but skateboarders will not."



Well, balls.

And here is the review of the spot from QuarterSnacks:

Spot: Clearly a display of “progressive” architecture, this retarded appendage of the new Cooper Union building quickly turned into one of best skate spots in the area. The bank is an upwards triangle, fairly mellow, and made out of ridiculously smooth, polished concrete. It is narrow, and you will need to dip in and out of the corner when skating it, or simply pop a wallie over one of the many slanted pillars also extending from the building.

Bust — ♦♦♦♦♦ / Almost Immediate: Your time here typically will not last longer than five minutes, but forces greater than all of us have been known to intervene and grant sessions that last for up to a half hour. The spot is positioned right next to the front security desk, so odds are inevitably against you. Oh, and white people with liberal arts degrees will often stop by and ask you why you’re destroying such a magnificent work of art.

How will the Coop entertain us now?

Previously on EV Grieve:
Gleaming the Coop

Before the Mothership

I took this photo prior to the Ukrainian Festival in 2008...



...before the Mothership was completed.

A colorful tag for Cooper Union

Or maybe it's a math problem...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Welcome to the neighborhood!: First tag spotted on the new Cooper Union Building

President's day at Cooper Union

So following up on our exclusive from earlier ... President Obama gave a speech today at Cooper Union in which he may or may not have offered his views on the first round of the NFL Draft taking place later tonight.

Anyway, many thanks to EV Grieve reader Ryan for passing along a few photos from today... such as the President in his limo...



...there's former Gov. Mario C!...



Cooper Union President George Campbell Jr. showing off the cufflinks Obama gave him...



...and a fight between a communist and an anarchist/activist...



Ryan also said that he saw Lloyd Blankfein (the nerve!) and Rev. Al Sharpton. "Someone thought they saw Steve Jobs, but I can't confirm that he was there." Oh! Hope that Steve didn't see these!

Prepping for the Prez

As I exclusively reported, President Obama will be giving a speech later today at Cooper Union. Meanwhile, yesterday afternoon, the NYPD was busy placing barriers on parts of the Bowery and East Houston. Due to security reasons, I cannot divulge the street names where these barriers are located.





Anyway! EV Grieve reader Elliot noted: "The Tea Party folks could get a nice photo op of his motorcade rolling past the Red Square Building with Lenin saluting from high above."

Meanwhile, I hate to even mention this... but, EV Heave has a full report on Cooper Union's efforts to thwart the Serial Vomiter from striking today. We do hope that EV Heave is wrong... because, quite frankly, people haven't been this excited about a visitor since they thought they saw Justin Bieber on the L train.

Cooper Union being used to sell studio apartment

This new listing for some studio at 64 St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue got our attention... Just look at that exterior!



We were excited for a moment... We thought the studio might be inside the Coop! Look at the description:

SAINT MARKS PLACE IS THE HOT SPOT DOWNTOWN! hIGH CEILINGS, CENTRALLY LOCATED AND AFFORDABLE MAKE THIS AN EASY DECISION.

Hot spot? Sure! High ceilings? Hell yeah! Centrally located? Why not? Affordable? No tuition!

Anyway, CitiHabitats might expect a call from George Campbell Jr. some time here soon.

P.S.
The studio is $1,600 ... this is affordable?

This is not a test: Cooper Union in imminent danger of "projectile vomiting"

A friendly tipster passed along the following from a Cooper Union student, who — wisely at first — thought the e-mail below was a hoax given all the upheaval there of late. But it is not.

From: bulkmail@cooper.edu
Date: March 3, 2010 2:37:35 PM EST
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: A nasty stomach virus at Cooper

Cooper has been hit by a 48 hour stomach virus, characterized by projectile vomiting and high temperatures.
Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. This is the single most effective preventive step you can take.
Go back to using the Purell dispensers.
Try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.
Avoid large gatherings.
If you get the virus, stay home! Drink lots of fluids.

Alan Wolf
Campus-wide Safety Coordinator


Our friends at EV Heave have been notified. He or she has made the necessary preparations for the weekend, and is already on the scene. See for yourself.

New at EV Heave: Cooper Union's barf barriers

Our friend over at EV Heave has an update from the weekend around the Cooper Union. You probably don't really want to wander over there.

EV Grieve addresses the Coop barf backlash (and yes, the Serial Vomiter struck again)

Two weeks ago, EV Grieve posted a, um, post titled "Devomiting story: No one threw up on the Coop this past weekend, however..." Several e-mailers and commenters thought please, enough, take your obsession somewhere less visible. Said one commenter: "please, enough, take your obsession somewhere less visible."

So, EV Grieve listened. So now if, and only if, you are interested in following the Cooper barf story, then you may click here for the very best in hyperlocal vomiting reporting. Again, you go HERE for the new site. Otherwise, please continue reading the next post. Thank you.

The Coop and the Caddy

Thanks to EV Grieve reader Alexa for passing along the link the Cadillac CTS commercial that features the new Cooper Union Building...



Wow, check out their drive on the FDR... where is everyone? It's like a scene out of "I Am Legend."