(Updated) Avenue A, 9:13 p.m., May 8

The discussion continues on this post.... Thank you for all the comments... I appreciate the spirited debate.... There are many noteworthy comments... Here's one from Goggla...

I've been thinking about this issue as it's obviously touched a nerve. Aside from the obvious problems cited above, I think this photo is upsetting because it brings to life the selfish attitude that permeates our culture of late. The over-consuming, reckless-spending, live now and screw the consequences behavior that undermined our economy is personified in this picture. This behavior is not just confined to weekend binges in the EV - when you believe it's ok to go into a neighborhood and puke on doorsteps and piss in planters, what prevents you from carrying this general attitude towards the world on a daily basis? It's not my stoop, so I can throw my trash here; it's not my pension fund, so I'll spend the money now and they can worry about it later. I find it hard to believe that a person (or group of people) can behave like animals only two nights a week and be decent, courteous human beings the other five. What we see here on the street corner is a self-gratifying, irresponsible, spoiled and unempathetic picture of a larger social problem.

Niagara to "get a facelift"

Eater pointed us to an interview at NiteTalk with Jesse Malin, who owns Niagara, Cabin Down Below and Bowery Electric... Of particular interest...

Without playing favorites, what bar of yours would you be most likely to frequent on a night off? Which fits your sensibility the most? Black & White or Manitoba's because I don't own them, and that's truly a night off. Our spots are like our kids, I love 'em all. Niagara just turned 12 and it's about to get a facelift.

I do hope that the Joe Strummer mural remains safe here on Seventh Street and Avenue A ...



UPDATE: Eater reports that Niagara's former Tiki Room has been turned into a new bar called Lovers Of Today... complete with a separate entrance...

Smokin' Joe

The Joe Strummer mural outside Niagra on Seventh Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Joe Strummer gets a splash of Niagra

Joe Strummer gets a new look, skyline

So Bono, Michael Stipe, Natalie Portman, Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Spike Jonze and the Olsen twins walk into a bar on Avenue A...

Over at Guest of a Guest, Billy Gray has a report on Black Market, punk veteran Jesse Malin's new nighspot at the former Pizza Shop. All those celebrity types showed up for some party. As Gray notes, "The wingding was in honor of fancy pants clothing line Rodarte and during Fashion Week, which inflated the guest list. But it bodes well for the Avenue A newcomer (and poorly for local peasants hoping to check it out for themselves). It also confirms that Malin has stealthily joined the roster of NYC nightlife heavyweights." Later in the post, Gray wonders:

What's a veteran East Village punk doing hosting a party for Rodarte? As another Fashion Week bites the dust and thankfully takes some star wattage with it, Black Market will hopefully relax into a solid, rock-tinged neighborhood joint. The sweaty, puke-stained ghost of CBGB would not abide another velvet rope.

Avenue A's new Black Market

Missed this yesterday at Gothamist:

The former Pizza Shop next to Niagra on Avenue A will be called Black Market.

Black market?

Keeping with the Clash theme perhaps?



Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Former Pizza Shop becoming a bar

Opening tonight: Bar Above Cabin, purveyors of "oysters and burgers and rock and roll"

Just when we were speculating about the new bar opening in the old Pizza Shop space next to Niagra on Avenue A...comes this report from Urban Daddy about the new Bar Above Cabin, which (soft) opens tonight:

Here's what you need to know: it's a bar opening on the hush-hush. It used to be a small, nondescript pizza shop. And it now deals in oysters and burgers and rock and roll. On top of a speakeasy. Rest easy knowing that the speakeasy, Cabin Down Below, is still alive and dealing in hipsters, loud music and strong cocktails. But in place of mozzarella and red sauce, upstairs you'll find exposed brick, tufted black leather banquettes, an old chandelier or two and just enough light to see Agyness Deyn sitting in the corner.

Report: Former Pizza Shop becoming a bar

Thanks to Eater for noticing this...I would have missed it too... As Eater noted yesterday ... this piece of news was buried in an other otherwise ridiculous piece in the Post on hipsters hanging out at rat-packy piano bars: Jesse Malin is planning to open another bar next to Niagara at Avenue A and Seventh Street.



As you may recall, this space was home to the Pizza Shop, which closed in November. As co-owner Kevin Cole said in the EV Grieve comments: "We closed ... because the rent was too high. We struggled every month to make it... someone gave me an offer on the space and i decided it was best to take it."

The rent was a little more than $10,000 month.

Joe Strummer gets a splash of Niagara

A little something extra was added to the Joe Strummer mural on the side of Niagra at Seventh Street and Avenue A the other day.

Before:


Now:



Makes sense that Niagara wanted its name included on the mural — given how often fans/tourists takes its picture (though why wasn't this included when the mural was created in 2003?)...Meanwhile, there was a post/discussion on the mural last week at the Clash Blog

Previously on EV Grieve:
Joe Strummer gets a new look, skyline

Joe Strummer gets a new look, skyline

On the side of Niagra on Seventh Street and Avenue A. Joe Strummer's mural, which went up in 2003, gets an update.

Before:


After:


And in case you've never seen the making of the wall...here's the cover of "Redemption Song" by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros...



[Before photo via Union Song]