Ralph Feldman's East 8th Street

Ralph Feldman, a former FDNY fire marshal, died on Feb. 5. He was 79.

Here are some of the photos that he shared with us last fall from the block he lived on since 1969... few photos included building addresses or dates... though all were on East Eight between B and C, where he said there could be up to five fires a week in the abandoned buildings during this time period.

As he wrote for the Local in January 2012, "At the same time when the Bronx was burning, the East Village was burning. All of Brooklyn was burning. In the ’70s and ’80s, big portions of the city burnt down."




[1970]


[1982]





















The Villager has more on Feldman this week here.

Early morning car fire on East 8th Street

The FDNY was quick to respond to this car fire on East Eighth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D… EVG reader Peter H. from 8th Street shared these photos …











No word at the moment what caused the fire…

Live in this historic East Village synagogue (with hot tub) for $25K

Step right up here on East Eighth Street between Avenue B and C... and behold this "spectacular fourplex" ...



The Town listing is ...

One of the city's last tenement Shuls, now a chic landmarked building, this former synagogue was brilliantly transformed into a magnificent home in 2005 by world-famous designers from the Ian Shrager Hotels – earning recognition in Architectural Record for its extraordinary transformation, and attracting the likes of press, politicians and entertainment figures. Yours to rent is the exquisite result of their top-of-the-line gut renovation...

Other distinctive features that make this sun-drenched residence such a unique work of art are its custom-made windows that are exact replicas of when the building was a synagogue (including the Star of David!), and luxurious touches that include Brazilian hardwood cherry floors, hand-poured Brazililan glass mosaic tiles by Vidrotil, beautiful Wenge wood paneling, radiant floor heating, floor-to-ceiling steel cased windows and doors (the list goes on).

I'll say!





A three-six month lease available starting July 1. And as the headline says, it's $25,000 per month.

Trash talk

Bobby Williams spotted these bags on East Eighth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C...

An Eighth Street now and then

EV Grieve reader Steve Carter passed along this shot from East Eighth Street near Avenue C (roughly early 1990s)...

...and we attempted to line it for for a now-and-then...

From 1983-1985, the address was home to the performance space 8BC...

[Via Ephemeral New York]

More details emerge about attack on East Eighth Street Saturday morning

As reported Saturday morning, several residents said that a man had attacked a woman on East Eighth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C.

On Monday, Patrick Hedlund at DNAInfo had more details about the assault, which occurred around 8:20 a.m. Saturday. The man, listed as Neil Essex, "allegedly threw the woman to the ground and began punching her in the face ... The complaint claimed that Essex then removed the woman’s pants and raped her while choking her so viciously that she lost consciousness."

Hedlund had a follow-up story last evening. Police sources said that Essex did not know his victim, "claiming that he pounced on her suddenly on the street in broad daylight."

According to the Post today: "Essex was arrested for allegedly killing his mother in 1984; the status of that case wasn’t immediately available."

One source said that Essex had been staying at a halfway house on East Sixth Street.

Report: Man charged in rape on East Eighth Street

As we reported Saturday morning, several residents said that a man had attacked a woman on East Eighth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. The Local reported earlier today that the NYPD arrested a 51-year-old man for raping the woman.

DNAInfo has more graphic details about the horrific assault, which occurred around 8:20 a.m. Saturday. The man, listed as Neil Essex, "allegedly threw the woman to the ground and began punching her in the face ... The complaint claimed that Essex then removed the woman’s pants and raped her while choking her so viciously that she lost consciousness."

As an EV Grieve reader said: "Someone walked out of their building, saw it happening, and called the NYPD. They arrived fairly quickly and apparently the suspect was caught."

Essex is scheduled to next appear in court on Thursday, DNAinfo reported.

[Updated] Reader report: Woman assaulted on East Eighth Street this morning

Multiple readers have reported a strong police presence this morning on East Eighth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. The police have two buildings in the middle of the block cordoned off...

[Via @dens]

A detective on the scene told a resident that someone assaulted a woman on the sidewalk earlier this morning.

More information as it becomes available.

Updated ... Per a reader:

Details are still a little sketchy but word is that a woman, possibly passed out on the street, was sexually assaulted early this morning. Someone walked out of their building, saw it happening, and called the NYPD. They arrived fairly quickly and apparently the suspect was caught. The health of the victim is unknown.

Meanwhile, we have a much bigger problem in another East Village Community Garden

GIANT CHIPMUNKS!

In Gilbert's Garden on East Eighth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D. Whatever you do — don't talk to it! That squeaky voice!

Local 'blogger' wrong about 'butchered' willow tree

Last Dec. 10, a local (hyperlocal?) "blogger" reported on a willow tree that workers cut back on Eighth Street near Avenue C. ("Butchered" was the actual word.) Several readers assured the local blogger that the tree would, some day, come back.



Meanwhile, seven or so months later, EV Grieve Willow Tree Correspondents Bobby Williams and Dave on 7th have noted that the tree is looking healthy again.

Not quite back to as it was before, but on the way, perhaps.



Previously on EV Grieve:
The willow trees of Loisaida

11th Street condo owners want to chop down this willow tree

Say trees

Yesterday, EV Grieve reader Meredith Battjer sent some photos of workers planting new trees along East Eighth Street near Avenue C. Part of the MillionTreesNYC movement hereabouts...

And thanks to @bobbyjohnspeaks who has ben keeping me posted about the trees via Twitter.

Smoking Volvo prompts fire scare

A reader notes heavy FDNY presence on East Eighth Street near Avenue C a little bit ago... three trucks and an ambulance...

According to the reader, a smoking manhole under a Volvo (here come the jokes!) prompted a resident to call 911... However, there was nothing apparently amiss under the Volvo.