East 3rd Street zen spirit

An EVG reader passes along these photos of a small zen garden that has arrived in this tree pit (along with a new tree several weeks ago) here on Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B...





Hopefully it can survive the Avenue B weekend brunch crowd...

Residents meet to discuss increased drug use/sales along E. 3rd and E. 4th Streets

Last night, concerned residents met at P.S. 15 with local leaders and 9th Precinct reps to discuss the "proliferation/spread of drugs" on East Third Street and East Fourth Street between Avenue C and Avenue D...

Resident Steven Matthews was in attendance, and left this as a comment on our earlier post about the meeting:

The meeting went well. There were approximately 36 people there, including someone from the 9th Pct and the DA's office. Almost everyone had a story, of drug use taking place in their vestibules, dealers operating out of renovated but unoccupied building, dealers having keys to the NYCHA buildings and operating out of them, founding members of community gardens (El Jardin) who have all but abandoned it because of drug dealing in them... And they came from all through the neighborhood, from 3rd and 5th Streets as well as both avenues. Many of them said they heard about the meeting from this blog, so hats off to EV Grieve!

There will be a follow-up meeting in two weeks. In that time, people with sales/use taking place in their buildings will approach the owners and try to get the building registered in the city's Tresspass Affidavit Program. And everyone was urged to call 911 when they see drug sales/use taking place. The 9th Pct rep said that despite the number of stories people had, there have been very few calls, so they were not aware of the severity of the problem.

DNAinfo and NY Press were both there; I'm sure they'll have stories today.

We'll link to those articles when they are posted...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Emergency meeting called to discuss 'the blatant drug activity' on E. 3rd St. (29 comments)

Emergency meeting called to discuss 'the blatant drug activity' on E. 3rd St.

Perhaps a sign of the bad old days, or whatever you want to call them, on East Third Street between Avenue C and Avenue D... the flyers tell of an emergency meeting tomorrow night at PS 15 to address "the proliferation/spread of drugs on our block."

The conversation will center on topics ranging from drug sales to drug use...

Here's what's left of the motorcycle that caught on fire Sunday night

The one on East Third Street that was parked in front of the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer.

No word yet on the cause of the fire.

Thanks to ‏@katieaka for the photo.

Early-morning motorcycle fire on East Third Street

Via Twitter, @katieaka reports that a motorcycle parked on East Third Street between Avenue A and Avenue B caught on fire in the early-morning hours... We don't know the cause of the blzae. Back in January, at nearly the same spot, a pile of discarded Christmas trees caught fire in front of the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer.

And it was a weekend for cars and motorcycles randomly catching on fire. (Read more about this in the comments.)

Reader report: Three apartment buildings sold on East Third Street

There's talk on East Third Street that Abart Holdings LLC has sold (or is selling) the buildings at 50, 54 and 58 on this block between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Per a tipster: "Word on the street is people who have leases ending this summer have received letters informing them of the sale and that the new owner will NOT be renewing leases. I don't doubt the validity of the letters, although I would love to..."

The tipster says that the letters are from Abart Holdings. The letters do not name the new owner.

Have any tips about the situation here? Please send them our way via the EV Grieve email ...

Per the tipster, who lives in one of the buildings: "Better not be another set of fucking personal mansions..."

Might make for a mansion row to go with 47 E. Third St. across the way.

Another Urban Etiquette Sign for UCBeast

On Avenue A at East Third Street.

Previously.

An NYPD alert on East Third Street

A resident of East Third Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue noted the arrival of these flyers on Saturday...

We saw them for ourselves – taped up along various buildings ... Anyone see these on the adjacent blocks?

Given the block, the burglars are advised to steer clear of 77 E. Third St. Or maybe not.

Neighbors leave first Urban Etiquette Sign for UCBeast

Three weeks have passed since the Upright Citizens Brigade opened up their new theater/comedy club at Third Street and Avenue A...

And we have our first noise complaint, spotted on the East Third Street side...

In part, "Look around you. There are apartment buildings with people trying to get a few hours sleep. Start being a good neighbor and tell to those people to keep their voices down and stop blocking the sidewalk."

Well, this has quickly turned into a comedy of manners. (Offt!)

One way to warn motorists about a sinkhole

On East Third Street via @ThePeterHa on Twitter. By this weekend, those sinkhole warning stakes will be for sale on 11th Street and Avenue A...

The Free Willie Nelson back home

Last week, we noted that Brownstoner had spotted the Free Willie Nelson in Park Slope in recent weeks. However, over the weekend, we noticed that the RV was back home alongside his friend on Third Street near First Avenue.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Everything that you've ever wanted to know about the "Free Willie" Nelson RV on Third Street (and no -- he's not inside...)

C coffee shop quickly closes on East Third Street

On April 18, C cafe opened at 256 E. Third St. near Avenue C. And on June 28, C closed.

Per a Yelp reviewer:

Great while it lasted. The owner was a drummer/arranger/classical pianist ... He wanted to run the place in his spare time because his second passion was coffee and he was making a great living as a producer and sideman. Unfortunately for us, his spare time ran out.

Were these motorcycles torched because of a parking-space dispute?

Yesterday morning, someone apparently torched the two motorcycles that are always parked along the 200 block of East Third Street...

EV Grieve reader Gregory Patrick notes that the owner of the bikes often shuffles the motorcycles around to ensure himself a permanently available parking spot in front of his house.

And according to Gregory, it "looks like someone did not approve of such greed in these times of increasingly difficult available parking."

This would not have happened on another block of East Third Street...

Curb-side seating

East Third Street near Avenue B

Paying the Chillmaster a visit on East Third Street

On April 5, we reprinted an item about some ongoing maintenance issues at First Houses, the first public housing complex in the United States on East Third Street between First Avenue and Avenue A.

And the whole comments thread turned into a discussion on the fellow who lives in a ground-floor apartment here who seems to enjoy his music (classic R&B and soul) and his drinking. We followed that up with another post on the apartment. Turns out the fellow has many fans. Not to mention a nickname — the Chillmaster.

Per a reader in the comments: "I pass this guy all the time ... I would love to hear his story."

Well, thanks to EV Grieve regular Marty Wombacher, now we do know more of this story. For his Marty After Dark blog, Marty paid the Chillmaster a visit on Friday night. (This had been pre-arranged.)

You can read the whole thing at Marty After Dark. But a few highlights. He has a "Chillmaster Chill Easy Chair" that vibrates and has a heat control.

He grew up in Harlem... he's retired... and he has lived in this apartment for eight years.

And he likes Hennessey.

Marty even printed out the EV Grieve post with all the Chillmaster comments...

By the way, Marty paid a visit to the Chillmaster with Kate from One Folded Sunset. You can read her post on the night here.

Marty's reaction via email: "Classic fucking New York night!"

[All photos via Marty After Dark. Reposted with permission]

Something for Mister Softee

The other day on East Third Street.

East Third Street, 4:41 p.m., April 11

Snow dogs

East Third Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Nuyorican Poets Café is expanding; plus, looking at the Big Doves mural next door

In its East Third Street report last Friday, The Wall Street Journal noted that Nuyorican Poets Café "is in the process of expanding its three upper floors with the help of a $500,000 grant received from the city. The money is going toward developing additional performance space, a classroom and a multimedia lab."



Meanwhile, in July 2009, I did a post about Ezo's Clash-inspired mural being painted over... granted, the mural was nicked up...still, as a Clash fan, I was sorry to see it go...




Anyway, been meaning to point out the new murals here. These arrived last summer... Excellent work from Big Doves...

The Monk's pink lady

A follow-up to yesterday's Dance Tracks post...

So, the Monk Thrift shop relocated to the long-dormant Dance Tracks space on Third Street near First Avenue.



Yesterday, as EV Grieve reader Steph noted ... the work-in progress sign ...



And now, presumably, the final product, courtesy of Steph....