Photo by Jacob Ford
Workers this afternoon have removed the barricades from outside the NW corner of the Foundation Building on Cooper Square after three months of sidewalk/concrete repairs ... looks pretty smooth for skating!
"Shine On" is both a celebration honoring transgender and non-binary people and a call to action to fight against hate. The event is part of The Gardiner Foundation Great Hall Forum series, which explores contemporary societal issues and connects history from The Cooper Union's Great Hall, dating back more than 160 years, to the present.
Over the past 50 years, Tadao Yoshida, known as Tony, the mystery mogul of the East Village, has built a food-and-drink empire that few of his generation can rival. It all started in the early 1970s with the humble vegetarian-friendly joint Dojo and has expanded to include, most recently, the sprawling Japan Village food court in Industry City, Brooklyn.Mr. Yoshida helped teach New York that it couldn't live without an authentic izakaya (something like a Japanese pub). And the cocktail revival of the aughts can be traced directly to Angel's Share.He also may very well be the man responsible for that ubiquitous ginger-carrot salad dressing found at every Japanese restaurant across America.
The East Village was dangerous then, and Mr. Yoshida was known to keep a long Japanese sword behind the ice cream counter for protection. A story goes that a young John Belushi, after seeing Mr. Yoshida chase away some troublemakers with the sword, was inspired to create his recurring samurai character on "Saturday Night Live.""People said that," Mr. Yoshida admitted. "I'm not sure. After the samurai sketch, people said, 'Tony, that’s you.'"
I was lucky enough to go to the last night of Angel's Share. Such an iconic bar. Always such incredible service and fantastic cocktails. It's the end of an era. 😢 pic.twitter.com/2MQq7nl8H3
— Paula Lukas (@penguinbar67) April 1, 2022
Unfortunately, the tenant informed us of their decision to vacate the property. They were not asked to move out, despite the fact that they haven't paid any rent since 2020.Additionally, we offer clarification of a few facts here:• The formula for calculating rent on these properties has been in place for some 30 years and has never been changed.• While the tenants of these properties have not made any rent payments since 2020, they have continued operations in these spaces. We have repeatedly sought to arrive at a good-faith agreement.• Lastly, for context, we should note that The Cooper Union is midway through a 10-year plan to return to full-tuition scholarships for all undergraduates. These properties help to generate revenue for student scholarships.
The forecast looks grim, I’m told, although there’s a slight chance some agreement may be brokered yet. The trigger for these events, apparently, is that a very old and longterm lease arrangement has finally come to its end. pic.twitter.com/wMKfHyBSd4
— Alex Vadukul (@AlexVadukul) March 10, 2022
A bartender there sounded somewhat optimistic, telling Gothamist of the current situation, "it's between the owner and the landlord, but we're either relocating or staying here."Another bartender told this to Grub Street: "There's an 85 percent chance that we close. It's okay, though, because we're gonna relocate."
Springfield Confidential: 30 Years Writing For The Simpsons
What: Mike Reiss has won four Emmys in his three decades writing for "The Simpsons." In this lecture, he will share backstage stories, secrets and scandals from the show in this hilarious presentation, richly illustrated with rare cartoon clips. Following the talk, Reiss will sign copies of his book "Springfield Confidential," a best-selling memoir of his three decades at "The Simpsons."
When: Friday, May 31, at 7:30-9 p.m.
Where: The Great Hall of The Cooper Union, 7 E Seventn St.
More: The event is free and open to the public. General public should reserve a space here. Please note seating is on a first come basis; an RSVP does not guarantee admission as we generally overbook to ensure a full house.