Your chance to run a cafe and kiosk in Union Square

To be honest, we've lost track of exactly what was happening with the restaurant opening at the north side of Union Square Park in the retooled pavilion ... After lawsuits and squabbling and stuff, City Farm Cafe was supposed to open here this spring ... But, per the Times, that group withdrew from the deal last fall...

Yesterday, we noticed the following public notice in the Post...

It's a 15-year lease... with "compensation to the city" starting at $300,000 in Year 1, escalating to $453,777 by Year 15... Given how slow this whole process has been, a restaurant should be in place here in 15 years...

Meanwhile, on Union Square...

Photos by Matt LES_Miserable.

Your chance to buy a Union Square subway sign for just $12,500!

Something for all you MTA nostalgists/bargain hunters out there... Look what you can buy now for a mere $12,500 on eBay...

That will be about a quarter of your legal fees fighting the MTA... Thanks to Shawn Chittle for the tip.

There are people waiting in line for Best Buy on Union Square to open at midnight

Toasties is toast on Union Square

NYU Local reports this morning that Toasties, a favorite food-beverage stop among the construction worker and hungover NYU student set, has closed. The Marshal has seized the always-serviceable deli with sidewalk cafe on Union Square West near 15th Street. Apparently they haven't been making the rent with their landlord, NYU.

NYU spokesperson John Beckman told the NYU Local that:

"Toasties now owes NYU the equivalent of about 8 months of back rent, some $200,000. Over the course of the last three years, we have met with the owners several times, made significant efforts at being accommodating, and worked out a series of payment plans; each time, the owner agreed to the plans and ultimately failed to live up them."

$200,000? That's a lot of Sgt. Sweet Pepper Combos.

[Image via New York]

Video shows NYPD using pepper spray during 'Occupy Wall Street' march

As you may have read, the NYPD arrested nearly 80 people near Union Square yesterday in the “Occupy Wall Street” march.

This video that someone sent us shows NYPD officers shooting pepper spray and tackling people participating in the march on 12th Street near University Place.



According to WCBS, "The NYPD, on the record, called every arrest justified." Gothamist has more here.

Here's another frame-by-frame video showing the NYPD using the pepper spray on women behind a barricade on 12th Street...



Bob Arihood has a video with one of the women who was spray right here.

What do you think of the Union Square elephant?

[Photo by EVG reader Lauren]

On Tuesday, workers plopped down Miquel Barceló's Gran Elefandret. It weighs 26 tons, roughly the same size as the Whole Foods salad bar. Would the statue look better with some colorful zip ties around its trunk?

WYNC has more on it here. It's up through May, so you have time to form an opinion...or of you want to weigh in now.

DOH shutters Cafe Amore's Pizza on Union Square

On 14th Street near Fourth Avenue. During their last inspection on Wednesday, they scored 46 violation points, with the most serious being — "Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas."

Just put Lady Gaga in the headline and somebody might read it

Crazy Eddie happened by the Best Buy on Union Square a little bit ago... and caught some of the Lady Gaga fans who have been camped out here since Saturday...

...for a chance at an autograph (and maybe a shower?) ...

...during Lady Gaga's in-store appearance here tonight...

DNAinfo has all the particulars on this.

More photos from today's Union Square bus fire

Courtesy of East Village-based photographer Stacie Joy.

Previously.

[Updated] School bus fire on Union Square

At 14th Street and 4th Avenue. No injuries reported.

Today in Union Square

Photo by Blue Glass. And did you know that someone stole Gandhi's glasses off the statue?

[Updated] East Village passenger reportedly steals and wrecks cab

Quite a story making the rounds from around 4 a.m. Here's Gothamist:

According to police, a cab driver got into an argument with the passenger in the East Village. Somehow, the passenger managed to get out of the car, kicked the driver out and start driving. The passenger then crashed into a light pole on Union Square West, and suffered minor injuries. He has since been arrested.

Theories?

[Updated 3:29 p.m. The Daily News has more. Per the paper:

Michael Findley, 31, of Pasadena, was treated at Bellevue Hospital for minor injuries - and then booked on six criminal counts.

Police said a cabbie picked up Findley at Delancey St. and the Bowery on the Lower East Side about 3 a.m. At one point, the cab stopped, and Findley got out.

Findley then yanked the driver from the taxi, punched him and drove away with the vehicle, police said.

Findley was charged with robbery, grand larceny auto, and driving while intoxicated, among other counts, police said. He was due to be arraigned later Sunday.

My annual excuse for posting photos of people in their underwear

Today was the annual No Pants Subway Ride... which is why so many people asked me why folks were walking around the East Village tonight in parkas, hats, scarves and... underwear... here are some scenes from today at Union Square taken by Constantino Diaz-Duran, who gave me the OK to post these... You may find more photos via his Twitter account here.

Is the end near for brainless cupcake iconography?

A reader passes along this photo and a note ...

"New ad at Union Square. I'm no locavore, but I'm pretty sure that cupcake wasn't harvested from a farm within 100 miles. Maybe this means the end is near for brainless cupcake iconography.

Pools that I may crash

A reader directed me to one of the amenities at the ritzy 15 Union Square West fishbowl condo ... Woo! (When is the caddy swim? 1-1:15?)



And is that a red or burgundy dress? And is she a bridesmaid? Why is she walking around USW dressed like that? Why is she gazing into the camera? Why is the room so empty and cold-looking? Is this a fantasy scene?



I hope that it's red. So. Before taking a swim, I may serenade her...

What it costs to live close enough to throw a stone to Union Square

Here we are at 137 E. 13th St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue... Several rentals are on the market, such as this two bedroomer for $6,250 per month:

brand new - never lived before 2 super spacious 2 king size bedrooms with ample closet space 2 full baths washer dryer in the unit ss appliances kitchen with granite counter tops huge private deck ..tons of details ! only one apartment in each floor ! super private stone throw from union square!

Citibank thinks that we're excited for a new bank branch

On Union Square, at the corner that once housed the Virgin Megastore...




...why else would Citibank feel the need for a countdown clock? Woo 57 days!



This will complete the transformation of Union Square South... the former Circuit City-Virgin Megastore space on 14th Street between Fourth Avenue and Broadway now features Best Buy, Duane Reade, Nordstrom Rack and the incoming, state-of-the-art Citibank.

No sleeping by the Food Emporium

Our friend AWKWORD sent these photos from outside the Food Emporium on Union Square from a little big ago ... a young man asleep...



...was quickly moved along by the NYPD...

Food cart vs. food truck at Union Square

As EV Grieve reader Blue Glass details in the photos below.... the new Souvlaki GR truck took up a spot on the west side of Union Square just above 14th Street yesterday...




This did not go over well with the hot dog vendors. They moved their carts to partially block the truck... and the carts were positioned in such a way that the hot dog/pretzel smoke would flow into the truck...



Regardless, people were still ordering food from the Souvlaki truck, which angered the hot dog vendor with the red shirt....

Eventually he exchanged angry words with the Souvlaki truck owner...



...and made faces at our photographer....




...despite the circumstances (like the hot dog guy yelling and making noise so people couldn't hear the orders at the Souvlaki truck), Blue Glass says the Souvlaki workers kept their cool....


As Blue Glass notes, "There is room for everybody."