Newspapers continue discovering East Village streets

Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal reported on East Third Street, noting that the area is becoming a nightlife destination, which doesn't always make some longtime locals happy.

Meanwhile, The Real Estate Section in the Times checks in with a piece on Seventh Street titled "Musty Old, Clever Young East Seventh Street."

This is a stretch of the East Village that has enchanted local publications for centuries. For instance, Time Out featured Seventh Street last February.

Anyway!



Unfortunately, I didn't make it past the fourth paragraph of the Times article ... with the scene described at Abraço...

"A lanky Italian with one leg of his corduroys tucked into an argyle sock leaned against a tall, skinny wooden table on the sidewalk, sipping from a demitasse and reading The Financial Times. Inside, a rumpled young man lingered in the open window, wearing homesickness for Brazil on his comely face. At his elbow, a middle-aged woman in matte red lipstick and a hand-knit snood was eyeing the cured olive cookies and chatting about the charms of her East Village neighborhood.

Behind the small counter, one of the proprietors, Jamie McCormick, worked his La Marzocco machine and called greetings to his regulars. “Where you been?” Mr. McCormick said to a reedy young man in a motorcycle jacket with a striped scarf tossed loosely around his neck. “You been on tour?”

Whoa! This is a dangerous level of adjectives. Let's toss a few of them into Wordle!



Oops. I don't think I put them back correctly.

"A hand-knit Italian with one leg of his corduroys tucked into a wooden sock leaned against a skinny argyle table on the sidewalk, sipping from a demitasse and reading olive cookies. Inside, a rumpled scarf lingered in the open window, wearing homesickness for Brazil on his middle-aged face. At his elbow, a comely woman in striped red lipstick and a lanky snood was eyeing the reedy Financial Times and chatting about the charms of her tall neighborhood.

Behind the young counter, one of the proprietors, Jamie McCormick, worked his La Marzocco machine and called greetings to his regulars. “Where you been?” Mr. McCormick said to a cured young man in a motorcycle jacket with a matte small man tossed loosely around his neck. “You been on tour?”

What do you call this?

A catwalk! Thank you very much — I'll be here all weekend!

Avenue B and Second Street.

Papa John's unleashes its new delivery car for the East Village

To EV Lambo, thanks for the "memories"

Previously.

Local blogger far too curious about the DBGB sidewalk cafe

On Monday, a local blogger blogged about the sidewalk cafe at DBGB on the Bowery. To date, the blogger had seen the outdoor cafe set up once.

Then! On Monday evening, the blogger noticed that the sidewalk cafe was UP and running; promptly causing the blogger to blog about that.



The blogger found it curious that Team DBGB would even bother putting out the sidewalk cafe on a typically slow evening — especially with hail-producing thunderstorms expected to pass over the city in the next few hours.

Then! Last night, on an evening the blogger described as "pleasant" to an acquaintance, there was no DBGB sidewalk cafe



To be continued, unfortunately....

The community board-State Liquor Authority drinking game

To help pass the time during the dull stretches of community board/state liquor authority meetings... we started getting stupid(er), like, given the boozy topic, maybe we should create a drinking game to play ...

So! You have to do a shot every time an applicant says:

"I just want to be part of the community."

"I'm just a guy from the neighborhood."

Someone speaking against a proposed bar/restaurant says, "I like the concept, just not on this block."

Someone speaking against a proposed bar/restaurant uses any of the following words: fraternity, sorority, hell, zoo, spring break, Bourbon Street or woo woo.

The applicant wears a Bluetooth throughout his or her presentation.

Two shots if:

A priest speaks for the applicant.

The applicant's previous restaurant experience was working as a club DJ or promoter.

The applicant has 500 signatures in support, though only 3 of the residents actually live on the block in question.

The applicant says that his or her new place will be an upscale restaurant that will be open until 4 a.m.

The applicant says that the new place will be for the neighborhood, with entrees starting at $32.

They just want the license to pair wines with dessert.

The applicant's attorney says, "This is New York City -- it's supposed to be noisy."

Supporters of the applicant suggest that, if opponents don't like noise, they should move to, or move back to, [Ohio, Delaware, Schenectady, et al]

Three shots if:

The bar name is a nod to homeless people, welfare recipients, alcoholics or serial killers.

The applicant says that he or she is willing to work with the community, and to prove it, the restaurant/bar will close at 1 a.m. on Sundays.

The applicant uses the words "artisanal" or "gastro."

Four shots if:

The applicant uses the words "artisanal" and "gastro" together.

You're told dear old mom from the Old Country will be the chef.

The applicant says if he or she doesn't get approval, the space will likely become a chain store, bank or halfway house for pyromaniacs.

The applicant says that the restaurant will sponsor art classes for kids in the neighborhood.

Chug if:

The applicant gives each committee member an envelope with cash.*

The applicant promises to keep the spirit of the previous owner's establishment alive by having the now-deceased owner stuffed and mounted over the bar.

* We're not suggesting this has ever happened...

Everyone getting in on the Russian spy hoopla

Speaking of Russian spies, have you noticed how some people are trying to cash in on the recent alleged-Russian-spy hoopla in the tabs? (Steve Cuozzo sort of did at the Post — he wrote a piece on it the other day...sort of — work with me...)

Which brings me to Flashdancers... you may recall their cab ads featuring the Hooters-waitress-from-Orlando-looking, uh, model in the campaign....



... and now, the new Flashdancers cab ads have a harder, Natasha-cold-war-spy model type...

What to do with the Vegan Bowery Burger

A friend recently made me aware of the existence of the Vegan Bowery Burger at Whole Foods. (I realize these things aren't new...just new to me.) So, for the sake of investigative journalism, I went over to Whole Foods on Houston and Bowery to check them out. (And are these just specific to this location? Are there, say, Union Square Burgers at the 14th Street location.) To my good fortune, they were in stock at the deli counter. They go for $7.99 a pound. I've never ordered veggie burgers by the pound. So I asked for three. To my amazement, they came to $7.99. (So next time someone asks me how much a pound weighs...)



I'm not much of a foodie. The burgers tasted pretty good (couldn't even detect the mustard powder), though I recommend that you eat them with heaping piles of cheese and bacon.

Now! To more important matters. How to market the Vegan Bowery Burger!

First! We need some 1970s-style Bowery street cred... Gabba gabba yum!



...some hotties in Bowery wear... Let me see that fake beef!



We have your Vegan Bowery Burger bitches!



And a celebrity spokesperson....

Beep, beep! Delivery for Mr. Moby!



Then we'll raise the price to $17.99 a pound. See you at DBGB, suckers!

Tompkins Square Park igloo disappears from market

Previously on EV Grieve:
Price melting on "Soho-style" igloo in Tompkins Square Park

Price melting on "Soho-style" igloo in Tompkins Square Park

On Friday, we wrote about a new listing that popped up on Prudential Douglas Elliman for a "Soho-style" igloo right in the heart of East Greenwich Village in Tompkins Square Park.

On Friday, the 15-square-foot igloo was priced at $1.5 million ($100K per square foot!)



However, today, the price has been chopped down to $500K!

Here's the listing:

This fully original Soho igloo is ready to go at a stunning and spacious 15 square feet!! Located in a new igloo and facing southeast off the Park you will enjoy the setting sun, quiet nights, and all the space!! The ground has been white washed for a tasteful but artful look. There is a flat screen TV nook that has been smartly placed in the living space so the TV will flow seamlessly against the snow. Closets everywhere, bath and a half, open kitchen round out this one-of-a-kind one igloo flex two loft space. The igloo is a condo so subletting and renting are permitted. Pets are welcome!

According to Streeteasy, this property originally went on the market around this time last year, but was quickly pulled several warmer days later...

There was an open igloo this past Friday...



...where potential igloo-buyers discovered that the space may be best suited for those under say, 3 feet tall.




If you're interested, then I urge you to hurry. The temperatures are expected in the mid 40s today...

As deadly blizzard bears down on NYC, people bravely go about their business tonight as if it was just any other Tuesday night

Our Team Coverage Starts Now.

Despite the calm surface, there are troubling signs of challenging days ahead. For instance, tonight, Key Food on Avenue A is dangerously low on several items...

Like duck leg confit...



..and Ithaca Apricot Wheat beer...



... and Wonka Tinglerz...



...and fat-free hazelnut Coffee-mate...



On a serious note, though...while walking by Whole Foods Bowery a little later, I noticed that the bananas are going quickly...



...as are the plastic carrying things to, uh, carry them around the store in...

Dallas BBQ unveils new to-go containers

OK, OK... they're just remodeling their to-go portion of the place on St. Mark's Place.

Things we do when we're bored at lunch

Post photos like this...



Per the caption that accompanied this shot:

There's nothing like a herd of sheep-like paparazzi to destroy the otherwise blissful anonymity of the Big Apple. Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and hubby Pete Wentz get creative in dodging the shutterbugs on a stroll through the East Village.

The Cooper Square Hotel officially unveils its new graffiti mural

Well, last night was the big party at the Cooper Square Hotel to unveil its new graffiti project....which is now all illuminated for us to enjoy...



Meanwhile! Inside the hotel, yours truly was hobnobbing with a bevy of beauties...







OK, OK. None of this is true. Except the first part about the mural party. I was NOT invited, for some reason. Oversight, most likely. Yeah, I just typed in "Party at Cooper Square Hotel" in Google and...

MEANWHILE:
Bob Arihood has a great shot of the mural here.

And this...

Sixth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.