David Duchovny's childhood room with a graveyard view on 2nd Avenue

On the occasion of his new novel, The New Yorker has a short interview in this week's issue (meant to note this in the links wrap on Thursday!) with David Duchovny. For the article, the star of "The X-Files" and "Californication" revisits the East Village of his youth. He grew up across the way from St. Mark's Church-in-the-Bowery on Second Avenue and 10th Street. (His mother still lives nearby.)

Excerpt!

"See the lights on the corner there? On the third floor? Two windows down. That was my bedroom, and this was my view." He gestured toward the churchyard. "It’s a weird view. It's a graveyard. We used to play baseball there. The headstones were flat, and we used them as bases." Just then, the bells began to chime. "Wow," he said. "I'm gonna dissolve."

Read the piece here.  

Photo via @davidduchovny

Hollywood returning to Tompkins Square Park (for just a mere 18 hours or so)

Maybe we'll all get to hobnob with David Duchovny, star of Californication!
Sure, sure! Just hope the crew lets people into Ray's.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Why the East Village will be a mess tonight and tomorrow.

EV Grieve Etc. -- Time Out New York edition

New York City native David "deadpan" Duchovny is out pushing the new X-Files movie and is the subject of the Time Out New York Hot Seat this week:

Time Out New York: I hear you’re moving back to New York with your family this fall. How long has it been since you last lived here?
David Duchovny: Over 20 years. Has it changed?

TONY: Not at all. Especially not the East Village, where you grew up.
David Duchovny: [Laughs] Yeah, it’s very different. But the East Village was always struggling to have an identity. I think it always will.

Well, this short-n-snappy Q-and-A format doesn't lend itself to any thought-provoking, in-depth answers... he's a bright guy, and I'd like to hear more on why he thinks the East Village has always struggled to have an identity. (And I wonder if House of D questions were off limits?)

Meanwhile, this issue of Time Out features an "Activism for every attention span" cover package. "Inspired by a readers' poll of top concerns, we show you how to improve our city, no matter how much — or how little — time you're willing to give." Among the concerns tackled:

• Overdevelopment is killing your neighborhood
• Affordable housing doesn’t exist